World Beginnings

  Biloxi's Best Burger,   2021 My brother Johnny and I drove into a small parking lot where a square, block concrete building stood, completely windowless and with no visible door. I noticed the vehicles in the lot were mostly trucks and SUVs. After parking his truck, we approached a recessed door marked with a bold sign that read, "No weapons allowed." With some trepidation, I followed him into the bar, which was called The Project, located very close to Keesler Air Force Base. The single room was dimly lit with a long L-shaped bar and about ten tables scattered throughout. The hanging lights cast a soft glow, creating a dim and solemn atmosphere. It reminded me of the old Star Trek series where the crew would find themselves in a rough bar filled with large, alien-like beings; this time, however, we were the crew. The Project is a true dive bar, and its popularity is largely due to its proximity to Keesler Air Force Base. The lunchtime crowd mainly consisted of young so...

  A few days ago, my dog, Paco, chewed through yet another expensive new leash. I sighed and looked at all of the unusable leashes draped over the railing. Then I realized that I could take it to the little shoe repairman whose shop was nearby. Of course, here in my little village of 11,000, everything is close at hand. When I got to Humberto’s dark, dusty shop, I found him watching something on his phone, with shoes,   belts, and all sorts of leather things stacked up, filling the tiny shop. But the back walls were covered in posters advertising the events where he had performed. Some showed a very youthful and handsome man, while others were of a proud older gentleman. Using my broken Spanish, I explained my dog had chewed through yet another leash and could he sew it up? Smiling at me, he answered in English that he could, and I could just wait. His first step was to apply industrial strength glue, and while we waited for the glue to dry, I asked him if he sang? Putting the...