Meet Mr. Mistake

A memoir on love, lust, luck, laughs and loss, told with heart, humor, humility and honesty. This is a memoir that tells one ordinary man's life stories with a twist. "Mr. Mistake" made more than his share along the way, but somehow landed on his feet with each mis-step or setback. To be lucky in life, you have to accept the unexpected, which is the lesson learned in the author's recounting of this wild and unconventional journey: A budding writer and baseball nut as a kid; a family home rich in history spanning 62 years, reigned over by a socially inclusive mother; a star long-distance runner in high school and college; a hopeless romantic with many passionate loves and wives; a sports writer for two newspapers over 28 years who covered everything from Olympic bike races to 12 Indy 500s, from high school football to a Super Bowl, and all the major NFL, NBA, and major league baseball teams in LA in the 1980's; a career change at age 52 to social work supporting people with disabilities; a piano player and composer of music that played in his head; a passionate traveler to places near and far; a devoted father of two children relegated to part-time parental status by feuding mothers; a friend for life who experienced the loss of his best friend and long-time paramour; a man grateful for the good fortune in his life; a dedicated storyteller blessed to be able to tell his story with humor. The author invites you to join in his journey.

There is nothing particularly special about me. I'm just an ordinary guy. I was just a better-than-average sportswriter. I was a much better job coach by comparison. I've written some music that's pretty to listen to, but I'm no Beethoven. I wrote a couple of screen plays that were pretty good. But special? If they were, you would have heard about them. I am a good storyteller. I've always enjoyed telling a good story. To be a good storyteller, however, you need good stories to tell, and while I may be an ordinary guy I have led an extraordinary life, an unconventional life that has manifested itself in an inordinate number of good stories. When I thought back on my life, and all that I had been through, I thought: 'Man, I've got to tell these stories.' They are stories that don't happen to everybody. They happened to me, and I've lived to tell them. I've been very lucky in that way and boy, do I know it. In many cases, I'm lucky to be alive. Bullets have been dodged. That's why I've dubbed myself "Luckiest Ordinary Man Alive." I've lived relatable experiences which transpired in extraordinary fashion. I've had my share of adversity. I had one boss tell me to look for another job, was fired from a job, demoted at yet another job, had my heart broken more than once, divorced four times, got ripped off, survived a major health setback, and experienced painful loss. I've also had a lifetime of loves and experiences that have made me feel like the richest man in the world. I have captured the essence of life in the smallest of moments. I don't regret any one of the loves in my life, though admittedly I regret love lost with at least one, or two. Love is a double-edged sword. "Falling in love means you're one step away, from heaven or heartache, which way is hard to say," I wrote in a song. I do have a few regrets. I missed out big-time on the day-to-day experience of raising my kids. I tried my best to be a part of their lives as much I was able. But that only partially filled the void. I learned to live with the choices I made. Mistakes were made, and some choices were made for me, but I have no cause to complain. On balance, things have worked out very well for me. Most of all, I've been lucky enough to tell many of these stories with a smile and, just maybe, bring a smile to those who read them. Or maybe my sense of humor is warped. I will let the reader be the judge. The luxury of finding humor in one's life in the process of reflecting back is blessing enough.

Chic Perkins, also known as Charlie Perkins, grew up in L.A., attending the same high school as the Beach Boys, where he excelled as a long-distance runner. With humor and humility, his memoir covers growing up in L.A. in 50's and 60's, his 28 years as a sports writer for newspapers in L.A. and Santa Barbara, an about-face career switch into social work in support of people with disabilities, a tumultuous personal history with an international flare through numerous amorous relationships and five marriages, and lifelong friendships that balanced his unconventional life path. He writes about his passions for travel -- both domestic and international -- which humorously don't always go according to plan. He writes about his passion for music, as a creator of piano compositions over five decades. Chic is a storyteller, and his life has been a chockfull of stories to tell, a pile of puzzle pieces that form an overall picture that comes into focus in hindsight. He see himself as ordinary in terms of relatability, but extraordinary in experiences that make life worth living,