Then Came You

Then Came You

For some people life has many twists and turns. I'm one of those people. This blog is about the people that have affected me, in a positive way, during the course of my sixty nine years. I would suggest you take the time to look at your life in the same way.

I grew up in a neighborhood where none of the kids I hung out with did the things necessary to better themselves and create a better life. I wanted more out of life then my parents. 

I hated high school and believed I could change my future with just hard work. The summer after I graduated, the only real job I could get was at an advertising company. My main job was licking stamps and putting them on envelopes (they didn't have self-sticking stamps back then). This was not going to be my life's work

Then came you. John, my counselor in high school, suggested I look into the job training programs at a local technical school. I picked computer programming. Although I was a lousy student in high school, I was a star in computer programming. If it weren't for John, I might still be putting stamps on envelopes today.

Going through my first divorce I was lost. I felt that everybody in my old neighborhood hated me. Then came you. Mark and Patty called me from Philadelphia and told me they were not going to choose sides. They made it clear they were my friends and would always be my friend. I cried for hours after that call.

When the shock of the divorce started to subside, then came you. Juanita was the first woman I cared for at the time. We became fast friends. She made me feel wanted and valued. She helped me find my first apartment. She was a shoulder to cry on. She always projected positive energy even when I was down on myself. We are still friends today.

Then I did it again. I choose the wrong woman and three years later I was going through another divorce. Again, I was homeless. Then came you. Hal and I were sales managers together. We each managed half the western part of the country. Hal was older, but wiser. He also had gone through a divorce where his kids were involved. He gave me a place to stay at his home. Hal never liked roommates, but he took me in. 

He taught me all the things I didn't know about selling and all the things I didn't know about women. He loved life and lived his life like every person should live their life. He died prematurely at fifty. I spoke for him at his funeral. The first words out of my mouth were: "Hal was the wind blowing through my hair." 

I still keep a picture of him in my house so I can remind myself of what a good friend is like and what it's like to live life with a smile on my face.

The second divorce was horrible. At the same time I hated my job. I was a mess. Then came you. Bob was the first and only Therapist I needed. His first question to me was: "why are you here?" My answer was: "if everybody would stop treating me badly, I wouldn't need to be here." 

It took me over a year to realize what a victim response I was giving. He is the one that got me to believe that if I gave positive energy out to the Universe I would be happy. He is the one that made me believe I was in control of my happiness. He is the one that made me realize that happiness is the forgotten ingredient in life. He is the one that enabled me to open up and be loved and give love.

I had never loved before - then came you. Ellen is and was the only person I fell madly in love with. She is my best friend. She makes me feel mighty, mighty real. She loves me almost as much as I love her (nobody can love another person as much as I love her). I loved her when I met her and I love her even more today. Today, she is the wind blowing though my hair.

With so much love in my life and with so much positive energy in my life, besides my Ellen, my wonderful son Brian and my fabulous daughter-in law Umi have giving me two fantastic grandchildren, Foxx and Skye. These are the things that can happen if you give positive energy out to the Universe and become a happy person.

I will ask each of you again: "please take the time to look at all the people who have affected your life in a positive way. 

Then Came You!!