Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Clark Brooks is working on a documentary film that highlights ten Tampa Bay women who currently head governmental institutions in positions traditionally held by men. The women will be asked to share the paths they traveled, the risks they took, the decisions they made, and who helped them along the way as they climbed their respective ladders of success. The work hopes to serve as a mentoring tool for young girls who may not realize that they too can aspire to such echelons of public service.

Ten at the Top In Tampa Bay sounds like a winner. PLUS he has a great blog with some interesting stories in and about Tampa. Check his take on getting a haircut in a West Tampa Barbershop. Anyway, let’s meet the blogger:

Clark Brooks
Ridiculously Inconsistent Trickle of Consciousness
http://clarkjbrooks.blogspot.com/

Describe how you came to live in Tampa Bay? I’m originally from Benton Harbor, Michigan, an area of the country that has been economically depressed since the 1960’s, and emotionally depressed since at least then. My parents moved here in 1986 when my dad got transferred here. I got out of the military at the same time and given the choice of going it alone in Michigan or living under the folks’ roof here in Tampa for a while until I figured out what I wanted to do in life, I actually made a smart decision for once. Even though I’m still not sure what I want to do in life, I don’t live with mom and dad anymore but I still live here.

Why did you stay? I was the classic northern transplant snob when I first got here, convinced that the locals were stupid and that everything up north was better in every way. Once I got my head out of my rear end, I met some great people, found opportunities to develop professionally that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere and learned to love the Buccaneers, Cuban sandwiches and minor league baseball. Now that I’ve spent more of my life here than where I was born, I consider this home in all the ways that matter. Does that qualify me for retro-native status?

What’s the best & worst thing about Tampa Bay? Best: We’re still a (relatively) small town with many big city perks (ie: major league sports, entertainment, restaurants). Worst: The thin skin and hurt feelings we show sometimes when we’re criticized by the media in other cities. Hey, we have a lot of strip clubs and Tropicana Field isn’t Fenway Park. So what?

What’s the best & worst thing in your neighborhood? I think I’m actually on the dividing line itself between Carrollwood and West Tampa. Best: It’s close to everything I want to be close to. Worst: It’s close to things that other people want to be close to too, so the traffic can be a challenge.

What is your blog about? Random observations of daily life; things that happen to me or people I meet, things that amuse and/or anger me. Also, a little short fiction mixed in now and then.

Why did you start your blog? As a writing exercise, like glorified journalling.

Is it successful? I hope to entertain people. And that in turn they will love me unconditionally forever and ever and give me money, let me sleep at their homes and fix me breakfast some time.

What is the most important part of maintaining your blog? Keeping the content flowing. I try to warn people in the title of the blog that I’m not as good at that as I’d like to be. My schedule is so crazy that I just don’t get as many opportunities to sit down at my computer as I would like.

Anything else? I’m currently working with my best friends on producing a documentary film: www.tenatthetop.com

What’s the coolest thing you have ever done? I was (Devil Rays mascot) Raymond’s bodyguard for two years, got into game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals by hiding in a bathroom stall at the Forum for a few hours and once shared a limo ride through Manhattan with Lee Ann Tweeden. I’m sorry, that’s actually three unrelated cool things. I wish that was one thing.