Before his Death, Dan Luke told me a few things about life. I remember one time we were stationed in Valencia, Spain for a month’s leave from active combat. At this point we had successfully driven the meatballs and their large spatula-catapults from Madrid – and were temporarily relieved from duty.

Back at the base – over dinner – Dan Luke just starting mindlessly ranting.

“If you ask me,” he said, “Society as a whole is somewhat broken – it’s as if we’re born into some sort of perpetual motion machine.”

He took a bite out of his steak and continued talking.

“Think of it this way, as soon as were born we already have a set of traditions people are following just for our entrance to this world – Baptisms, First Birthday Parties, Video tapes of our first steps – the list goes on and on.”

He pauses, “But what does it all really mean? If you ask me, too many things go unquestioned.”

I asked him what kind of things.

“Well, simple things – Why do we continue on and spread life? Where are we going? Why do we put such time constraints on ourselves? Why don’t we ever question anything we ever do? We always just keep moving forward – assuming all the answers will be provided for us – until we get old, and we forget any of the knowledge we have accumulated.”

He continues.

“For Instance: I lived in Chicago for a few years. Belmont was a semi-gay district there. I was taking a cab one day and the cab driver turns to me, and in his thick accent he says, ‘You know the Belmont, it is very the homosexual.’ And I said ‘Oh, really.’ And he said, ‘Yes, many of them have tried the homosexual things in this cab.’ And I would pause and say, ‘Oh, really.’

I didn’t take him that seriously, until one late night in this diner when I was staring out of the window into the streets of Belmont.

I spotted this Asian Chick with really huge tits. As she walks by I survey her from head to toe – yet I feel as if something is slightly amiss. My thought process goes like this: “Hey that chick has huge tits and a really manly stride.”

Then, “Hey that chick has really huge tits and what looks to be an Adams apple.”

Then, “Hey, that chick has really huge tits and an incredibly sculpted, masculine jaw line.”

I survey her from head to toe. Her hot pink glittered tank top, her slobbery lip gloss, her blue eye shadow and eyeliner, her long razor sharp nails, her tie up hooker boots, all looks to be in check.

And then this recognition occurs and my though process goes: “Hey that Asian chick has huge tits, a really manly stride, what looks to be an Adams apple, an incredibly sculpted masculine jaw line, and what looks to be a dick wrapped in a pink thong protruding from her too short leopard skin skirt.”

And then it just clicked – I had just spotted my first transsexual. And I was kind of freaked out.

I mean – I am in no way, shape, or form against transsexuals, especially the one’s of orient descent. In fact, I support them. As a half Asian, I can feel for my fellow full Asian brothers, even if they want to go all Rocky Horror Picture Show or whatever. In fact, I feel for my fellow Asian’s because of all the ridiculous stereotypes we have to live with.

Like – “Hey Dan, you’re Asian, you have a tiny cock, lol.”

Or – “Hey Dan, you’re Asian, you can’t drive, lol.”

Also – “Hey Dan, is it true that the reason all Asian people in the history of ever have such clusterfucked eyes is due to the fact that all Asian babies are forced to stare into the sun for several hours as part of some ritual performed by godless savages?”

And – “Hey Dan, is it true that with each and every Rush Hour movie – Jackie Chan, of whom you bear a striking resemblance, releases a letter to the secret Asian brotherhood personally apologizing for undoing hundreds of years of Asian progress that he has killed by letting himself be Chris Tucker and Brett Ratners bitch? But he believes it’s totally cool because that line ‘never touch a black man’s radio,’ is so fucking funny. Even for the third time? Also, how many dogs do you eat a year? Is that think about Asian bitches vagina’s true? You know… how it’s all horizontal and shit. And if so – how the fuck do they walk? How the fuck do they walk Dan Luke? Do they crab walk? I imagine they would crab walk. What a bunch of fucking savages. You savage. You piece of shit Asian. You ass belonker. Burn in hell you squinty-eyed tubby-bitch.”

I should also comment that I love my cock, I think he’s lovely and a swell guy, and these comments which insult his and my own integrity don’t hurt me, but they do piss me off. Unless I’m exploiting them – then it’s totally cool.

But I’d be lying if I said it was all bad- there are some great things about being half Asian too. I don’t have to shave, ever, I’m like some kind of hairless beast, its great, although I’ll never be able to grow the radical pirate beard I’ve always wanted.

Also: Increased math skills.

But ANYWAY, this transsexual got me thinking about more than that. It got me thinking – why would I be freaked out that this dude had made the decision to change into a chick. Where is the societal upbringing that would mold one to actually react a way to something new or different? Where do our phobia’s come from? I mean – Our reactions are never brought into questions. We never question why certain words piss us off – or why we build walls against others. We just chalk it up to instinct – human nature and then we write it off.”

He slides his steak away from him and is silent.

“We leave our brains on out-pilot all the time. People have too many distractions, too much ego, too much pride. We get so caught up in ourselves that we forget to think. But mostly – we forget the most important part of life – questions.”

And for a moment – I agree with him.