Jeffrey Lewis Shamburger

Just a Slice of Life

I. The Morning Light Sunlight flooded the loft, catching the salt-and-pepper of my close-cropped hair as I lay in bed, weighing the question of identity. I am a large man—6'2" and 220 pounds—with a face usually framed by a goatee and mustache. I move through the world quietly, a private observer who finds peace in the simple sight of people enjoying their lives. I’m easygoing until I see the vulnerable—children or seniors—disrespected. That’s the Southern stock in me. My parents moved from the South to Southern California with nothing but a relentless work ethic, and their legacy is the lens through which I see myself.