This picture has a wee bit to do with I am about to report here. It's a cast photo from a national tour of the musical "Oliver" I was in. Can you guess which one is yours truly?
NAME DROP SIDETRACK: Barry Pearl of "Grease:The Movie" fame is in the picture.
It all began when the Source Of All Power buggered out!
As noted below I reached out to my friend John at http://eliterepairs.com and he took care of things, quite nicely.
Thanks to my friends thru @GBTV (http://GBTV.com ), Mr. and Mrs. K I was blessed with not only warm roofs over my head, but an opportunity to EARN some cash.
SIDETRACK: As you may know, I have a couple of verbose and vulgar detractors that troll this blog. So unless there is a specific reason to, or permission for, giving names, I refrain from doing so.
The van is now back on the road fully certified. Today I went and got my hair cut and did a few errands.
Liberating!
I also want to thank and acknowledge those who were so nice to me, some who visited, over the Christmas Holiday:
Sam who got me the "unexpected need" night at a really nice hotel.
The "M" Family who helped with a gas card and free Dunkin' Donuts coffee, to boot!
The nice woman at MitzvahCircle.org
The mom and daughter team from the Beauty Supply store here at "The Mall At Camp Scooter: Southeast, Afscootistan".
Glenn W. who also shared his comic book art with me.
The "A" Family, who's son's In Town Football Team has a GREAT Undefeated Season!
The "M" family and the "K" family for the lovely card and gift.
The woman who's yard sale I patronized a week or so after beginning the Great Homeless Adventure and "Rick" who gave me a pair of mitten gloves. VERY nice and WARM!!!!
Bill who simply happened upon me in the early fall and stopped by to help me out in a big way!
And to those who stopped by but didn't introduce themselves.... I say to all above...
THANK YOU and Happy New Year.
Now, regards the picture at the top.
I turned 9 on that tour...did my first TV Commercial when I was 6 for Real Lemon Reconstituted Lemon Juice.
Thus from the age of 6 until about age 52, I worked. During college I had three jobs..most I ever had at one time.
Newspaper Features/Local News Writer for a daily paper.
SIDETRACK: At that gig I got my VERY first major scoop, simply by being in the right Lit class. Seems the first guy to parachute off of the World Trade Center, Van Rayfuse, was in the seat next to me. I beat everyone, and I mean EVERYONE to that story and interview. It was my first, and I think only, syndicated piece via The Associated Press.
Years later he jumped from a bridge in NYC for The Enquirer for a fee.
I was a DJ.
I was singing in night clubs.
Not to say I was always employed, there were dry spells. And the last gig I had was lost due to diverticulosis. I had been experiencing that over a few years every few months. That was March of '08.
I didn't apply for Unemployment until that following June.
Had unsuccessful Heart Attack March of '09.
Lost house August of '09.
October of '09 I had my successful Heart attack.
U.I. ran out around the time my osis became an itus and "gifted me" a 2 week hospital stay with a bonus 10 days after with a drain.
At that point I was put on Med1 General Assistance (Disability Lite) and Food Stamps.
With the exception of the occasional odd job here and there, have not been full time employed since '08. And, truth be told, I had episodes of being complacent. That's why I rejected applying for Permanent Disability for so long, until New Jersey told me I HAD to!
That was denied this past November. I refuse to appeal that.
And I decided back at that time to not re-up for Disability Lite and Food Stamps. That will end February 1.
DRAWBACK: I will lose Medicaid as well. But that's the deal.
I told my sons back then that I needed something to get myself in gear. I have been promised an interview, but that has not come to pass yet. In the meantime, I am reaching out for any kind of work I can get. Having The Conversion Van If Wonders validated for travel is essential to that effort.
Public transportation here is virtually non-existent.
I am truly blessed that I have some resources and support to keep me alive and such, but I don't want to rely on others anymore. This is a risk, but I simply have to kick myself in the ass.
When people come up to me and tell me how bright, creative, inventive, resourceful etc. I am...I get confused. I haven't felt that way about myself, consistently, in a very long time.
I need to get reacquainted with "Me".
The "Me" that always found opportunity.
That started his own business before graduating college. ( In the process, made my own "internship" which was fulfilled and evaluated by...well, me.)
That would come to change careers 3 times, and do quite nicely in all of them.
The yours truly I was created by God to be.
Tonight I am making a tent of sorts to allow the electric heater to be more effective under it, holding the heat in. The temps may go to sub zero up here and already the nooks and cranny's allow significant drafts to do battle with the heater.
I just had 2 weeks of not having to deal with this.
I want a LOT more...from my own efforts.
CAVEAT SIDETRACK: Yesterday on GBTV/ @GlennBeck had Adam Carolla as a guest. On his podcast, Carolla ranted about these "Occupy Wall Street" types and that got Glenn's attention. During the interview, Carolla related how his mom was on government assistance for years, and it didn't make sense to him. He worked his ass off as a young man, in all kinds of jobs, to get him to where he is today. I found his comments inspiring and motivating, as I face my own abort from the public womb.
It struck me that some might see this posting as riding on his coat tails. Truth be told, I started writing this on Monday..today is Wednesday. To me, his comments were an affirmation for my goal, and not something to mimic. Resolve x2!
A fair number of the folks who offered me help and support did so with the hope....expectation...I would get myself moving and back to living, not just sustaining and the lowest possible level. I managed to make this situation work, and it kept me alive, but it was also after a while to my detriment.
And I don't think anyone wanted to encourage that!
Thus begins a new chapter for me. I am done with what this is now taking from my heath, mental and physical, and my soul.
I can't look in a mirror readily. I don't like what I see. How the hell could I have fallen so far?
Maybe I'll be a success...or moderately solvent...or fall flat on my ass.
50 years ago, I first earned money and paid taxes. Time to reboot my ambition and productivity .
We'll see.....
