Echoes of the Garage

Fragments of life in Los Angeles — art, film, street stories, and the quiet rebuilding of a man. Start here: Best Of • About • Subscribe.


“Translation of Reading Things You Don’t Understand”

Follow me on X: @punisherpapi · IG: @punisherpapi

📓 Saturday, October 4, 2025 — 5:06 p.m.

Sitting in my white GMC van on Crenshaw, I finish off a box of chili cheese fries from Wienerschnitzel.

The shade’s cool, the breeze gentle.

Jeremy Corbell’s voice plays through my phone — another whistleblower, another mystery.

This one’s about a report called Immaculate Constellation. What it means, who knows.

I think back to something Jordan Peterson once said:

“Writing is thinking — and it’s highly important to do it. Critical thinking is necessary.”

At the time, all I remember thinking was, Huh. Well, I don’t like writing. I’m not a writer.

But in time, I learned something simple:

you don’t have to be a writer to express what’s real.

My younger brother has been going through a hard time after an abrupt breakup with his girlfriend. I told him, You should write. It’s helped me think better, express better, and process things.

The truth is, I never really understood how important it was to process anything. Writing forces you to sit with your thoughts — and when you return to them later, you often see something new.

As I sit here under this shade on Crenshaw, I’m about to leave soon.

Tonight, I’ll be watching UFC 320: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev for the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. My brother wanted to see it — so I’ll oblige.

We’ll sit, talk, and cheer two gladiators tonight.



Leave a Reply

Discover more from Echoes of the Garage

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading