November 2014: The Stuff Were Dreams Are Made

“You have to dream before your dreams can come true.”~ A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

The days ahead are beginning to look up for me in the most thrilling of ways.

I know that they don’t mean a lot to you but they will be meaning so much to me as I look forward into the next month of November.

This day, the 30th of October, would pave the way to three more months until my next birthday. That significant birthday in which doctors said that I would not live to see.

But before reaching that ultimate goal, in November there are some events happening that I am anxiously awaiting to happen.

The other day I woke up from a nap. I found a message waiting for me from the model known as Red Vamp.

She mentioned that she was going to be in town on the 15th. She actually said “We will be there.” so I am assuming she meant her and her husband.

I had so much trouble containing my excitement over the matter.

To think that the one person that I would believe was the most beautiful redhead on the planet was going to be in my area and she was willing and wanting to meet in person.

The one and only female that I adulated and adored so much, and yet avoided all the typical talk about how hot she is and all of that and just simply TALKED to her as if she was a next door neighbor or a friend across the street or something. It opened up the doors to the friendship that we have now.

I know that my regular readers are probably getting sick and tired of hearing about Red Vamp, but after so many years of worshiping and adoring her, I’m about to have an opportunity to be in a tangible place at the same time as her as well be in the same space.

I honestly shake with pride and excitement when I think about it. 

The following weekend will be the return of NANCY SILVA PROJECT.

NANCY SILVA PROJECT has a show at the Gypsy Lounge on the 22nd, just one week later after I get to meet Red Vamp in person.

If you’ve been around for about a year, you know that I went to the Gypsy Lounge last year in September to see POC NATION play live, and know about the misery and obstacles that I had to face at that venue. But knowing that back then it was the first time being there, so I am hopeful and faithful that the second time at the Gypsy Lounge won’t be as challenging or taxing as the first time.

So all in all, my excitement level is about to reach brand new heights in the coming weeks.

It is almost the beginning of November already, and soon those first few weeks will burn on by and I’ll be back on this blog, writing about what it was like to be hanging out with Red Vamp and then my FOURTH time watching NANCY SILVA PROJECT play live in under one year, and then later on being able to connect with Nancy Silva on a personal level.

I personally cannot wait!!! I don’t want to wait any more!! COME ON NOVEMBER!! DO YOUR MAGIC AND ARRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But yes, I’m am pumped and excited. This dream is partially coming true. And I am humbled by the mere thought.

Great Stork Derby

“Having a baby is a life-changer. It gives you a whole other perspective on why you wake up every day.”~ Taylor Hanson

Throughout history there have been many fascinating and wild stories about the strange details of their Last Will and Testaments. Many rich people who give their fortunes to their pets instead of their progeny make them seem all that more eccentric.

Enter in Charles Vance Millar. Who died in the early part of the 20th Century in 1926. As a matter of fact, on Halloween did he pass away.

Millar, who was a lawyer and financier in Toronto, also was known to be a prankster and known for his penchant for practical jokes.

His will was no different from much of the stories that we have heard that had a bizarre terms to how his wealth was to be distributed.

He did not give his money to any beloved animal or pet. He did not give his money to some thing that was inanimate. Instead he held his very own contest. A derby for the citizens of Canada.

His will stated that his money would go towards the household who had the most children born in a span of one full decade following his death. 

After the Canadian Supreme Court found this to be a valid will and testament, the game and race was on. Finally in 1936 the Stork Derby came to an end during The Roarin’ 30’s.

The results came up with Annie Katherine Smith, Kathleen Ellen Nagle, Lucy Alice Timleck and Isabel Mary Maclean as the winners of the Stork Derby. These women all gave birth to nine children in the ten year period. Each of the mothers received $125,000 for the nine children.

In 2014 money, adding inflation and everything… that would be about $2.1 million Canadian dollars awarded to each winner!! ($1.8 million in USD in 2014)

There were two other unnamed mothers who received $12,500 each out of court.

Lillian Kenny gave birth to TEN children but two were stillborn.

Pauline Mae Clark also gave birth to ten children (five sets of twins) but they were fathered by men who were not her husband. Illegitimate children did not count.

It is also reported that the remaining part of the estate was giving to the Toronto Welfare Department.

I cannot imagine how Toronto went on during those years. Its hard to fathom just how many couples actually attempted to participate in this contest with dedication and purpose. How many of us would go through so much just to earn someone’s riches if that was to happen today?

Echo Temple – “The Fall”

“Your Majesty will be joining me here.”~Echo Temple “Witch”

It came. It finally came in the mail! And I’ve wasted no time to put in the CD.

Here we go!

THE FALL (2014)

Tom Calandra-Vocals
Sean Turcott-Guitar
John Wisser- Guitar
Thomas Helton-Bass Guitar
Chris Kotlarz- Drums

The album has been pouring upon my hearing like gold falling upon the fallen kingdoms of history’s past. I’ve noticed that in many songs on the record, there seems to be (at least lyrically) a war or battle theme of times long ago forgotten. The deep hidden secrets of the dark when men went to war for everything, including protecting their own lives from the states of enemy.

The entire record has cleansed my palate with heavy metal music. And its an extensive and nice change for once. It does not take you along the same old journey that metal fans are getting bored with in recent years. Songs like Destination Die, Scarlet Cord, The Fall, and of course Witch brings that element to those who are visually stimulated.

What I mean by that is when I listen to it, I wanna be transported back into those times in which Calandra sings of. To slay the dragon, become ruler of nations, fight devils and demons, and take no mercy.

This is exactly what the album does: Takes No Mercy!!

Hailing from Houston, Texas (of course) if you have been following this blog you know that I have talked about them with great personal pride and affection. Yet I am willing to write this honestly and sincerely as well as be willing and able to get the word out of the band as much as possible.

I honestly hope that ECHO TEMPLE will take this record out on the road. Because it needs to be shared and not ignored. I’ll bring them here for a few nights to play if I have to. There’s no candle that can hold up to the band”s hardcore and brash sound.

My personal reverence towards this band remains intact. By the end of listening to the album for the first time, I had experienced the chills that just make you want to scream and shout and throw the horns in the air… no matter where you are at while listening to the record. And its even brought a couple of tears to my eyes. So if you want to stay away from the junk that is being produced by cookie cutter metal bands, then you need to pick up The Fall by ECHO TEMPLE.

17 October 2014: 10th Anniversary For Six Minute Century At Vintage Pub

“We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.”~ W. Somerset Maugham

I’m pretty sure that I have mentioned this before, but when I am going to Houston for the weekend or a day or whatever, I never seem to wanna come back home. I’ve probably mentioned it so many times that others are getting annoyed by just hearing it.

Yet it was just time for me to take a break. I needed one so badly. Thankfully SIX MINUTE CENTURY had a show and it gave me that break that I needed.

But as time goes by, things change. The atmosphere and environment around me has changed. And I find myself quickly in a hole trying to get out of it while attempting to adapt to all of the changes that are thrust upon me.

Megabus now has “reserved seating” and honestly I cannot tell the difference. Other than those seats that are marked for reserved seating are leather. Apparently if you purchase a ticket and you want reserve seating, you just pay a little more. Then you are one of the first people allowed on the bus before the rest of the passengers. This seemed a bit ridiculous. On the lower part of the bus there were only FOUR leather seats. But hey… I guess that they are making money. Its still stupid in my opinion!

However with dealing with a passenger with a disability, I was first to get on board.

It was a full bus. And the employees working, including the bus driver, once they got me up the ramp, they grabbed me from underneath my arms and practically threw me out of my wheelchair and into one of the bus seats in the back. NO warning. NO words spoken. NOTHING. They just up and grabbed me and threw me.

I’ve put a call into the supervisor and currently awaiting their return phone call.

Normally its the bus scenario that gets me to complain and bitch. Outside of being tossed like a sack of potatoes without warning or say-so, there was not a lot to complain about. I’m actually pleased to be able to write to you that the eye candy on the trip TO Houston was incredibly wonderful. But that’s all I will say before someone starts picketing my blog.

I was happy to see that the hotel when I arrived had things all ready to go, even though I was arriving HOURS before their official check-in time. But when you become a repeat customer so much… things start to get done.

I crashed on purpose during the afternoon as much as I could then it was off to the show at a place I hadn’t been to before, The Vintage Pub.

I told Dr. Froth that I had not eaten much but snack crackers until my mouth got bored from eating them. It just so happened that a McDonald’s was in the same parking lot area as the venue.

I asked for one thing: double cheeseburger, NO pickle, add bacon. That’s it! Very easy! Quite simple!! 

Dr. Froth rolled on up to the drive thru window and without failure, gave the order in what is known as The Voice Of The Old Man. If you haven’t heard this…. you are missing out. It is one of the funniest things on the planet.

So we drove off to the first window but nobody was there. We moved on in line to the second window but then we heard a voice to come back to the first window. Dr. Froth remained in character with the unsuspecting woman. He mentioned that one of the burgers should NOT have pickles.

Dr. Froth said to the woman: He can’t have pickles. Otherwise he will break out in hives all over his face and genitals.

And said it in character and a straight face. The poor woman asked who and Dr. Froth pointed right at me. So I ended up playing along.

We paid then went to the second window and did it all over again as we received our food. When we drove away from the restaurant, that’s when we just started laughing so hard at ourselves, shaking our heads.

We even turned it into a game of whether or not I will get hives because they messed up the order and gave me pickles when I said NO pickles.

They did. So for all intents, construction, and purposes… I doth have hives on my face and genitals.

Clearly I took off the pickles. But then I found a complete PILED UP mess of onions too! And that was unnecessary. AND no bacon.

A complete fuck up that led me to scrap everything from the burger and my fingers in a mess with barely anything to eat now because even the good stuff went off the burger along with the bad stuff. I remained hungry the rest of the night. But the hives story was still the highlight of that adventure. 

That surely is a McDonald’s that I should call and complain. But what good is it going to do me if they offer free food in exchange because I do not live there?

We arrived at the Vintage Pub and I saw some very familiar faces. It was a big relief. Seeing so many people that I knew and loved again after having the last couple weeks that I’ve gone through. My cares melted away.

Vintage Pub is really nice. Far better and easier for me to get around in. Including their bathroom situation. Their bar is like an island in the middle of the building. One side is the stage the other side are pool tables and what not.

Hear N’ Ade was first on stage. I’d seen them before when Chuck set up his birthday show some time in April ago. They had Chuck Williams on stage with them doing several cover songs.

Then SIX MINUTE CENTURY took to the stage. Being that it was their 10th anniversary show, this was something that I could NOT miss. They even brought back former members of the band, John Sample on bass and Darren Davis on drums as they played a few songs during the set.

All I can really say about it is that if you weren’t there, then you missed out. What can I say about the show that hasn’t been already said???

But I was absolutely glad to be there.

I was also able to meet some new people and make new friends. That’s always a bonus! 

“Zero Hour” was played live and I’ve not heard that in a while. Being that band dedicates that song to me, saying that is my song.. along with the members of our nation’s military.

Mystic Cross jumped on stage and finished the night off with a fiery bang. I’ve gotta pay more attention to them, I think.

The following day I spent in Houston on purpose. I’m so tired of getting up early to come to Houston only to go right back the next day just as early, so I spent Saturday there. After spending the day watching random cable channels and a butt load of college football, Dr. Froth grabbed me from the hotel and I got to hang out with him and his wife and family.

I told Dr. Froth that the depressing emotion that I feel when I know that the trip is coming to an end, that I wished it would not but since I know that it will … that I often get the attitude of if I have to leave then let’s just do it already.

So I returned home. Again, NO drama with other bus passengers… which is highly unusual. I got back into town but I had no ride home, so I rolled downhill a few blocks and grabbed a city bus. So off of one bus to get onto another. Then by the time I actually was home… I started to wish that I DID have hives on my face and genitals over not being in Houston any more.

That was definitely a memorable trip. If you did not see the show, well sorry for you!

I wait for the next one. I am guessing would probably be back at BFE in January of next year. But since my birthday is in January and its a BIG BIG deal that I make it to that birthday after being told by doctors that I would never make it to that age… I hope to be able to celebrate it there in Houston as well as on the actual date of my birthday. What better thing than to celebrate this monumental birthday but with SIX MINUTE CENTURY. That would be the birthday wish of all wishes!! That and a few other things that don’t belong written on this blog.

Megabus, I am waiting for your phone call, by the way….

Come on, January!!

Let Freedom Ring!!!!!!

YouTube’s Flavor Of Haterade

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ever know the kind of guy that can watch a film and just pick it apart with finding and spotting inaccuracies throughout the whole thing?

To some degree it can get annoying. Especially if the film that you are watching has never been seen before and there’s someone in the room just talking throughout the entire thing talking about this mistake or that mistake.

On the other hand, it can be an interesting “talent” for lack of a better term. The ability to spot something that others just don’t see no matter how many times they watch.

YouTube has a channel that has been around who does just that, called CinemaSins. They count every little inaccuracy or blown story plot or point out something that doesn’t make sense. And I have been watching their videos for a short time now.  My personal thought is that it is done to be funny and entertaining.

Then you have your vloggers, who do daily vlogs. And just in case you haven’t been on YouTube or have been hiding under a rock lately, there’s a person by the name of Matthew Santoro from Canada who has been practically everywhere via the Internet. His YouTube channel has exploded with people subscribing to watch his videos. One in particular that he puts out a new Top Ten list of interesting facts every Saturday. It has gone skyrocketing into space with 2,755,083 people subscribing……….. and counting. His secondary channel is where he posts his daily vlogs and that channel has 320,535 people subscribing… and that too, is still going.

He’s just become suddenly popular with people and good for him for being so successful at what he does!

Then CinemaSins recently asked him to do some voice over work as a guest narrator for one of their videos in which they were going to count the mistakes and errors pointed out in a particular film.

This is the video:

http://youtu.be/v1CZ6qZWBdU

ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!! And Pandora’s Box wasn’t just opened but smashed to pieces.

Go ahead, go take a look. Read all the filth in the comments.

Here is the thing:

I have followed both Matthew Santoro’s two channels and CinemaSins for a while.

From time to time I have strongly disagreed with Matthew Santoro’s comments or opinions or whatever there is. And that’s fine. However I just DON’T sit there and go way out of my way to say that in the comment section of his YouTube videos. He says something, I disagree, whatever… everyone moves on to live another day.

You don’t have to LIKE the way the video is, that’s your right and YOUR opinion.

If you HAVE to go out of your way to express your dissatisfied or unpopular or disagreeing opinion, there’s something wrong with you. Something TERRIBLY TERRIBLY wrong with you!

Some people just chug down the Haterade. Some people are just trolls. We all have our different opinions and some way we are just going to have to find a way to live with that. But damn, Matthew was invited to do something and yeah I know … its “different” but that doesn’t mean its bad. Just means that its different. The poor guy didn’t really do or say anything to deserve the reaction in the comment section.

Damn. Just another day to remind me how much the world can stink.

I AM

“Happiness consists more in the small conveniences of pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.”~ Benjamin Franklin

Hang on tight because some of you are not going to believe this!

This evening, I was very proud to hear that a band that I follow, ECHO TEMPLE, was going to be played on Internet radio, Q102.. An Internet radio station out of Arlington, Texas.

Q102 has something called “Lone Star Metal Mondays” from 9 PM until midnight Texas local time. Central time zones for those of you counting.

So it slipped my mind around 9:29 or so before I turned it on. And I was honored to be chatting via Facebook to guitarists John Wisser and Sean Turcott from the band along with Sean’s beautiful wife, Claudia.

John and I however were complaining mostly about the genre specifics of what kinds of metal the radio station was playing all this time. I know that members of ECHO TEMPLE and other fans were just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.

I mentioned to John that I would receive extra bonus stoked points if the DJ played “Witch” that happens to be my #1 favorite song of all time from ECHO TEMPLE.

John  Wisser kind of giggled and shrugged it off. But more and more and more and more of the same growling, snarling, screeching “Cookie Monster” type of vocals kept getting played. 

Knowing that the radio show would go until midnight, I warned John Wisser that I would be most pissed off if the DJ waited and did not play ECHO TEMPLE until 11:53 PM, which in essence would be just enough time to play “Witch” and then be off the air at 12:00 Midnight. I told John Wisser that I was going to punch the DJ in the Bojangles. And again, for those keeping score: I was meaning that I would punch him in the balls.

Then I noticed Epic Death was on the air. And it sounded familiar. Then Helstar, which WAS familiar.

I mentioned to John Wisser that they were playing bands out of Houston in a block. Things suddenly got exciting. But then it broke off to a song from the thrash metal band Exodus.

At long last finally, I noticed the next song about to be played.

I was correct the entire time.

“Witch” was the song that was chosen to be played on air over the Internet.

I looked at my watch and realized the time.

It was incredible because in Texas the time was 10:53 PM.  And in New York City and locations within the Eastern Time Zone, it was (as mentioned hours before) 11:53 PM. In which I was joking that would be the time that they would play the song on the air.

So even though I was off by one time zone, it still was the right time.

It was very, VERY ironic that I could have been so specific. And that I was right on one example and if you wanted to stretch it, I was dead on with another.

Predicting which song that was going to be played on air and at what time, just off by one time zone.

I AM .. the fucking Oracle!
Just…. not as hot as the one in the film “300” and so forth.

Anyone else wanna take a chance with my new-found ability?????

Complicated, the EP – INSTALL

“Where words fail, music speaks.”~ Hans Christian Andersen

As a music fan in general, it was a good day. As a personal and close friend of the music behind the man who calls himself INSTALL, it was a long time coming… a day of bliss and of reckoning.

The official release was around the birthday of Garry Franklin aka INSTALL (SLURR, Paperthreat) last October.

But being someone who is so old school, that I don’t do digital downloads, finding a physical copy on a CD was going to feel like a Herculean task of the ages.

But sometimes the blood, sweat, and tears are just worth it when the result comes that blows your mind.

Just when I thought I knew was coming, I was knocked over and blown away with such awesomeness in music history that the moment would best be fitted if it was dipped in gold. Or in this case, fucking platinum. But hey, that’s just one man’s opinion.

But to be honest, I must admit that I had been waiting for this project to come public for at least the past four years. Maybe a little bit longer.

In the spirit of keeping honest with you, INSTALL is also my apartment manager.  A musician to win over much. In his spare time I heard the song “Complicated” and was stuck like glue. So throughout the past few years I would hear this great evolution of a song. I even have the older versions of it and I can tell the progression from then to now. And no matter what happens, the song hits home to the point that I get goosebumps just listening to it. 

“You were gonna be my forever ” one of the best lyrics written that I have heard in a very long time. And that most likely exists because I am able to relate to it with my whole heart. I start to imagine and ponder just how many other scores of people that it could relate to as well.

So many thousands of people going through the same kind of emotion and heartbreak as the song takes you through as if it was on a journey to and from the heart. Certainly people can understand where INSTALL is coming from. Certainly the music of INSTALL can fit a purpose for those in emotional turmoil to let them know that they are not alone.

Very few musical acts out there today go at it with such passion as INSTALL. Talk about refreshing.

“Complicated” is in fact, complicated. But it also is that kind of song that a person could connect with, shed some tears over it, and feel in some small way better about themselves because the song states what they have been feeling all along.

This is personally how I have felt throughout the years of listening to the different versions as it was being put together.  The EP has given me goosebumps countless times and nearly brought me to tears and back again.

People often listen to music and use it as their personal escape from the toils of life. “Complicated” works in this manner for me. I could start playing that song and then put it on repeat for the next several hours just to escape for a bit, knowing that this song understands my emotion and feeling.

“Today Or Never” gets you on your feet! If you aren’t clapping or tapping your foot or even up and around and dancing to it, check your pulse because you’re most likely dead. You cannot help but wanna yell to the world with lyrics such as “If the fire in you doesn’t burn for me” and even “You’re not the only one with a Plan B.”

I just wanna go and play this song to all those who have done me wrong, or those people that I know who are currently doing me wrong. Its what I call the Middle Finger Anthem. 

Probably the one lyric that just turns me wild is “We could have stayed friends with the same result.” From of course the song “We Could Have Stayed Friends.” 

I thought I was okay with writing poetry and lyrics, but INSTALL just knocks it out of the park. His musical abilities have for years blown my mind to the point where I have never really felt worthy of talking to him one-on-one about music.

“We Could Have Stayed Friends” actually pushes me to the edge of tears. But for whatever reason, those tears never fall. I’ve not decided if whether or not that is a good thing. But the urge always comes. And if music can move me to do that, then I honestly believe that I need to start paying attention to that music because there’s obvious a message that either needs to be said or is being said and I should listen.

My copy of the EP has a hidden SECRET  track. Can anyone say BONUS?????

I’ve seen him play drums with the band SLURR a couple of times now. It is always a good time. But he really pounds the shit out of those drums like there’s no tomorrow. I’ve not seen anything like that in a long time, unless it was a heavy metal band. But it is apparent that INSTALL goes ALL IN, 100% of the time!!! Musicians who are like that are hard to find. Plus with the abilities that he does possess, I mean I don’t even know why he’s still around here. He needs to take his musical career to the upper levels because that’s where he deserves to be. And no, I’m not saying that just to get a break on my rent. The big names of the music industry should have recognized INSTALL a long damned time ago.

Check out INSTALL on SoundCloud:

You can also find his most recent band project, SLURR, on Facebook. Its the best way to keep up with everything. Especially if you wanna be one of the few that will have the opportunity to see his stuff LIVE:

https://www.facebook.com/slurrtx

INSTALL, bitch.

So Complicated……. I’m ready for more, more, more!

Spina Bifida Awareness

“I am one. Love me fully or leave me completely.” — DAMBREAKER

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month. Although some of you may not know that because of all of the time and effort that is spent on focusing on the fact that it is also breast cancer awareness month.

I don’t know who made the decision to have SB awareness alongside breast cancer awareness but it is what it is.

I also know that there are a lot of you who are reading this, who could be considered as “new” around here and haven’t really had the time or opportunity to read about those special posts that I have spread throughout this blog about MY disability in general. And I realize that I have only given a hint or two as to what it is like having to go on with life with a disability.

And as the world seemingly united under one cause for ALS during the time of the “Ice Bucket Challenge”… I too began to think really hard about what I would want to do when October came for Spina Bifida.

But my luck ran out as I did not think of anything that would have been just as unique or fitting for a cause that would have raised enough awareness for Spina Bifida as the Ice Bucket Challenge did for ALS.

My brain was really pushed towards the limitations of coming up with a different challenge for Spina Bifida. But in the end, I could not come up with anything. I mean, I did and I still do have a few ideas but would people honestly want to participate in such a manner with that kind of challenge enough to either spread awareness or perhaps donate towards the cause?

I felt that it was doubtful.

Then when the first of October came around, I saw that the Spina Bifida Association of America had come up with a few new hashtags of their own. One of them being: #notanothercharitychallenge .

That told me that the SBAA was not looking for a challenge as equal as the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS. What was I to do?

Well, the answer was “Write.”

Again let me say that I realize that a lot of you who are reading this are new to this blog and don’t know what others know. So allow me to help you be AWARE of who I am. And who I am NOT!!! 

• I am one out of 166,000 people living in the United States of America with the most severe form of Spina Bifida which is a BIRTH DEFECT of the spine.
• I am a paraplegic. I have no sensation from both knees to my feet. I can feel absolutely nothing.
• I am confined to a wheelchair in matters which deal with mobility.
• I am a member of the human race with the same exact feelings and emotions as the next person in line or beside me.
• I am NOT just some one or some thing. In fact I am some body.
• I am NOT a side show freak, a mutant, nor am I totally helpless and defenseless.
• I am NOT put on this Earth for you to stare at and make assumptions. My friends may consider me to be entertaining but I am not solely for your amusement. And your assumptions are going to be wrong 99.9/100 times about me. Do NOT count me out … until I am out.
• I am NOT to be tossed aside like yesterday’s trash just because my legs do not work exactly like yours.

I could go on the rest of the day.

Even within the last fifty years, there has been some tremendous improvements in the field of study over Spina Bifida. Life with Spina Bifida seems to be increasing both in duration and in quality because of these improvements. And who knows… there just might be a cure ahead. And if there is, it will be too late for me. But it will not be too late for future generations.

But we cannot do anything about it without first having the awareness. And as much as a struggle that it is when going against breast cancer awareness, people with Spina Bifida, families with children with Spina Bifida, and friends of people with Spina Bifida march on in hopes of opening the eyes of the rest of the world to this issue.

Are you willing to have your eyes opened? Are you willing to have that awareness? If the answers are YES .. you know where to find me. 

If you have ANY questions about my life, make sure to look at both pages of “About” and “What Is Spina Bifida?” … consult there first. There is a list of “famous people” who were born with Spina Bifida. You may be surprised who is on that list. 

Since it is awareness month and you do have a question about my life or about Spina Bifida in general… then during the month of October I will answer any and all questions you may have. Please write them in the comment section below. Thank you.

Thriving With Positive Results

 

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”~ Joseph Campbell 

The other day I was commenting about how in my own personal life that I find it necessary to get out there into this big scary world to socialize with the plan and idea of networking with people.

For those people that I have made a connection with, they all have been wonderful. But one just never knows who is out there searching for the things that I have that I can offer. And thus the networking can begin.

Not to say that this idea is fool proof as I have fallen flat on my face time and time and time again. But I’ve at least had the strength inside to pick back up and from some miracle of mind, find the motivation to start over again… only this time having learned the lessons that had caused me to fail the first time, so that I may avoid those pitfalls.

The response back to my commentary was one of ideal surprise and shock. A positive way of thought that apparently did not seem plausible to them before. But here I am showing my strength and resilience to face the challenges one more time.

Their surprise gave way to my own. How in the world can this person be that blown over at what I feel is necessary to have a fulfilling social life? I do not think or believe that it is anything more than what others have to do. But there are some few exceptions. Those exceptions however are of no consequence to this post. I simply do what I gotta do day & night. And then repeat when I wake the following morning.

But here is the information that my colleague probably had not put inside of their equation which caused their shock and surprise and I’m going to attempt to make it the focus of this post.

We are all free to do what we want in life. The need or desire of life’s fulfillment varies from person to person. But the one factor that does not change is the fact that we are the ones who need to find out what makes us fulfilled. We need to find out what it is in our life that makes us the most happy. Once we find out what that is, we should all bear down on it like a horny vampire trying to suck out the poison from a rattlesnake bite.

We’re not going to find it on a shelf at our local market. We’re not going to receive it from other people. Instead, we can find that happiness that we so much desire by going out on our own and reaching for it. Its not going to be falling into our laps any time soon. And other people do not know exactly what it is that we truly seek and desire. It is through our own will alone that we set off to do or say whatever it is that we say or do in order to achieve that fulfillment. Whether its volunteering in some place or doing something for others without any expectation or simply getting outside of your comfort zone and talking to people.

Don’t let others be responsible for your path to happiness. Others will almost always cut you short of what you want/need.

Be strong. Be positive. And thrive in life through those actions.

Now go out there and be happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!