"Innocent? Me?"

"Yeah, you.  And naïve.  But that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Hell, dude, you just need somebody to look out for you a little.  Look, you don't know it, I can tell you don't know it, but you're special, okay?  You are.  Guys like you don't know how special you are.

"Uhh . . . being naïve makes me special?  Isn't that like saying I'm special because I'm stupid?"

"No, no, it's not the same thing at all.  You're not stupid.  You're smart.  You just haven't learned all there is to know about how things work, that's all.  There's no shame in that.  And you're modest, too.  Dude, you're handsome as hell and I'll bet you don't even know it, do you?"

"Oh, jeez.  I'm not handsome."

"Yeah you are.  Good-looking, and good-natured, too.  I like you, bro.  You must have figured that out by now, haven't you?"

                                from Try Anything Twice

I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.  Later I lived in Memphis for about twelve years.  I've been living in the Pacific Northwest for more than fifteen years now, and this is where I plan to stay.