Ross Anthony - A Video Moment in Time

Good things can happen in Pasadena. Walking into Beany’s for a croissant is one of them. Support your independent vendors I say. Yep. I put it to you this way; across the street at Starbucks people sit at tables and glare into their cell phones; even the couples. Spooky.

At Beany’s real people talk at tables without the aid of electronic devices. I’m not saying don’t walk into a chain store. I’m saying consider places that make you feel comfortable enough that you don’t need the freaking phone to make you feel secure.

I am secure that Beany’s has better pastries than Starbucks. This is relevant because I don’t drink coffee.



Anyway, before I could go get my croissant I saw this guy at the table. The guy said “Hi” and sounded like he meant it. I said “Hi” back as I checked out the table to determine if this was animal, vegetable or psycho-political.

Usually the psycho-political don’t talk to me but mistakes happen.

I am buying my croissant and I hear him outside give his pitch about traveling the world, writing books and raising money for a writing project for his students. Getting students to voluntarily read and write?

What can I do to help?

I got my stuff and had a conversation with Ross. Not only do I support independent vendors I have an obligation to help support independent and self-publishing authors. Someday I could be one of them which is why I’m fixating on the iPad/tablet publishing opportunities but that is another topic.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. Writers and artists who sell at tables fall in one of two camps. Camp No. 1 is “Please buy my book or art but don’t talk to me.”

Or Camp No. 2 “I’m open, I really do like people. Please buy my book or art and come talk to me, for a bit.”

From what I could see Ross was doing ok for a June gloom Saturday morning. Colorado and Los Robles is not an easy corner to pitch literary and artistic woo. I bought the book Circle Earth and the passage I like so far is:

Jan 14

Travel is a high like falling in love, like finding God. It teaches one to smile with the light from one’s eyes. It reminds “Hey, you can do anything.”

Page 98 Circle Earth, A Sketchbook, A Journal
Ross Anthony