J Bone: Can You Hear me?

I heard you in 2001 and you have no idea how brilliantly your words educated me.

Yesterday morning after I posted the Fresh Meat story over tea I went through my normal blog news routine by checking in with the regulars when something Boots posted as his header image caught my eye and soul. It was a big picture of J Bone who I immediately recognized from his world wide legendary status and more importantly as the fellow who spoke to me on moving film shot, directed, narrated and edited by none other than Chandelier aka Boots. I left the courier world in June of 2001 by selling to the Maillot Jaune after running 'My Own' half of a partnership entity for roughly three years which basically had me mentally back in a Corporate state of mind and in need of running away. Early that fall while I was trying to figure out how I would be earning my livity forward future Boots let me see that interview style documentary that he shot of J Bone, at that time a 17 year Vet of the courier realm in mainly Denver and partially Los Angles.

I sat in Boots' shady Apt on his even shadier couch and watched a silhouetted J Bone in the basement of his Mom's house explain to me and only me what was really happening with the coolest career track in the world. Through a series of Boots moderated questions J Bone's dark outline conveyed back to me exactly what I had been feeling for my first 3 and a half rookie years on the street. When you 'Run your own business' things can quickly pick up and speed your life in a direction that is not really conducive to simplifying which for some reason I have been striving towards since giving up on working a successful job path during the winter of 97/98. The next thing you know the phone will be ringing 60 or 100 times a day to be able to manage the work flow, clients have needs of course and each are individual. While the phone is ringing your employee and a half need paid and depending on how much they deserve federal taxes have to be covered. Invoicing is due promptly at the end of each month, certain clients requested twice a month billing, some wanted client numbers others long hand written sheets. It was the ownership of the business that pushed me away not the job, not the nice people that counted on what I could do for them, not the info coming through my visual cortex, not the hook ups that are naturally bestowed on someone like me, not the companionship of other unique individuals on the streets pulling their weight on the bike, it was all of the complications that come up when you go for your 4 million in trade for owning something that cannot really be owned. J Bone knew that already and then he began to tell me how to fix the problem.

Through sips of what appeared to be skinny, tall and wrapped in a brown paper bag J Bone explained on the television that the courier needs to get the clients who are counting on you up on a schedule and a uniform program. As he sat quietly speaking in dark light I had my "Ahhh minute" on that one. It is basic and brilliant. Your clients are valuable to you, the source of your living why not give them every option to have the best service system that can be provided. His transfer to me was to take the days business as a whole and schedule it with a logical routing of that schedule say 3, 4 or 5 times a day depending on the volume of each client specifically. The next thing I knew I was picturing in my mind's eye a 3 dimensional spiraling helix rising up, each line a different color representing each a different client. These lines intersect at close by buildings, times of the day and needs of each. Always give the client a chance to call for the ever present "I need this done ten minutes ago!" service and charge them accordingly but try to get 9 out of 10 jobs done on the schedule by making certain that your client knows how well this will up the level of service. It is true, the client needs good service that they count on.


His tall Mohawk was shadowed and back lit, I never really saw his eyes but I felt with my heart the words of truth and conviction that he spoke. He talked about his time working, what it meant to him and what it meant to the people around him. Everything he was saying I had lived up to that point of my couriership and needed to get back in my life for my own sanity. I listened to his intelligence, honesty, and all knowing understanding of the world around him. If someone can do this job 17 years then which is 25 years in the now and be silently smiling internally vibrating with the embodiment of staying true to the wheel I had to listen to his vision. He gave me no choice, this smart fellow. 53 minutes of the video ended with me changed for ever set to manifest the spiraling 3D helix then which is exactly where I am today in the now. The other parts of the interview covered some other more top secret style business visions that I am not at liberty of discussing for fear of giving you the keys to the world without his permission but you should have a deeper understanding by checking in with Boots, live from Denver daily in the near future.

In the mean time,"Hey J Bone, yesterday morning on my East Side Stay Alive I came up with a toast to you and the rest of the relatively small amount of folks world wide slinging the bag and doing what we do." Sorry it sounds like a poem but as you already know my hippocampus(part of the brain that reacts keeping you alive by sending instant neurological messages to the body's muscular system which reacts accordingly after seeing inward through the eyeballs and into the visual cortex) may be slightly larger than your average Bucket Head by default of the flow of vital information through my visual cortex.

Raise some hops and let them drop!

Here's to:

The ones who ride revolutions high on wind through lavender twilight and dark gray rain foggy din. Here's to those riding under the glass steel structures lit by sun, to those whose career path is no joke fun.... pick up and deliver that job until the day is done. Once it is tilt that glass, be proud of yourself and kiss my ass.

Here is to you and Thank You for giving me some logical understanding of the trade that is my profession.