The Return

the return of scipio

irregular rants on history, politics, culture, theology and latin american misadventure

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Ok, Just who is this guy Mike Austin?

(Updated February 2007)

Well, unlike the guy below, he does not carry a Chinese made AK-47---unless he is in rural Honduras. (Photos are clickable.)

And unlike the next guy, he is not always ready to backpack---unless he is beginning a 9-day solo expedition around the Chilean island of Navarino. (No, you find out where it is. I cannot do all of your work for you.)

But he does have a Jeep, which has proved more loyal than any of his host of ex-wives.

Truth be known, Austin is 53 years old and works in Oklahoma City as a middle school teacher. California born but Oregon raised, after high school (which he heartily despised, from which he was suspended many times, and from which he barely graduated) he signed over almost 4 years of his young life to the United States Air Force. He did not fly planes, but he was a Medical Corpsman at a base in Texas, and the foolish commanding officer at Web Air Force Base made him a non-Commissioned officer.

Back in Portland in 1975 Austin took some time off to read and work at a record store before enrolling at Portland State University (PSU---or 'piss you' as it was affectionately called). He discovered at college that he was reasonably intelligent, that he liked to write, and that he had a talent for all the ridiculous activities one could find in the academic environment of the day. Christians call such activities 'occasions for sin.'

He also discovered the unpleasant fact that he was quite ignorant. Resolved to do something about this, he began to devour books, to consume them by the pound. The things began to stack up everywhere he laid his head. Some 30 years later they still stack up---now about 1000 all told.

There was only one place at college for him, and that was in History, especially the ancient Roman variety. He fell quite head-over-heels in love with those Romans, and fancied himself 2200 years out of date. He believes to this day that his proper place in Creation should have been with Scipio---Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major---at the Battle of Zama. Hence, the name of the blog. You can see old Scipio himself right below.

Since then Austin has managed two college degrees, one in History and the other in Political Science, and is licensed to teach in Michigan, Oklahoma and really about anywhere in the world. He has worked at many occupations---janitor, apartment manager, waiter, car washer, bartender and bar manager---before finding his true calling as a teacher. Fourteen years of his adult life has been spent overseas, mostly in Latin America. When not working there he could be found in some God-forsaken jungle (is there any other kind?) or on some Andean peak.

In 1989 Austin ran into a Carpenter about whom he had heard his entire life. Austin had never really thought about this Guy very much, but the Carpenter always had Austin on His mind. Now Austin and this Carpenter walk together (mostly, as Austin has tried to escape but the Carpenter has always tracked him down). He knows that everything he has---life itself, in fact---is owed to this Carpenter, both here and Forever. Austin is now working off this impossible debt. Deus lo volt.

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