685 Minus 1

At around 9:30 am the call came. I was expecting it and in anticipation I had spent my sleep cycle unable to sleep. I had about 45 minutes to get up and I was going to just lay in bed for another 20 minutes. But I decided it was best to get up immediately, let out Beep Beep my dog and get on with it. After about 10 minutes of Beep Beep running around in the yard, it became apparent that today was one of those days that she was going to be stubborn which was verified after she left a deposit inside in her usual place. I picked it up as Beep Beep watched like I had done many times before. Perhaps most people would not be able to understand. She looked at me and I gave her a pat on the head.

I decided to wheel over to the front door to wait. After opening the front door the sun all of a sudden looked so bright. I turned slightly to the right and I was just able to see the front of the car. It had not been washed in 3 years, but in spite of that right beside the hood it seemed to glisten with an unprecedented glow. I sat there staring in a stupor like state.

Can life be looked upon as a series of chapters? If that is the case, I have to go back a couple of chapters to October 30, 2003. That day was at the time the worst day that I could ever imagine. At that time I had been a real estate broker for a couple of years. Real estate is a tough business and I would not recommend it for anybody. At that time I was living in a real dump. A case in point was the fact that I did not have a working toilet. I would literally pee into my sink and crap in a plastic bag. As bad as that place was, it was a roof and I could not afford to move. In retrospect who could understand that, for I was a college graduate with a Master's Degree in Criminology from FSU or maybe that is understandable. But anyway that was my situation crapping in a plastic bag. It can't get any worse than that.

While trying to pursue real estate I was delivering pizza for a national chain of restaurants. I admit I hated it and I got fired. Whether or not the termination was
justified is really moot at this point, but things seemed to spiral downward to that day of October 30th 2003. The day started as usual for I remember having a pretty good workout at the gym. I got home, crapped in a bag and took a cold shower. I had things to do that day.

Just as I was on my way to pick up a fax on some land I was trying to sell, my dogs started barking. At the time I had 2 dogs. One was rescued from the pound literally the day before she was to be put down and I named her Useless. I had had her for about 5 years and she looked like a small Black Lab. She was a real good dog. My other dog was a stray that I adopted. She was a Yorkie Mix and I named her Rocky. In the past I have had 2 dogs that I named Rocky. It just seemed to fit her for she was the classic cute small dog with a true Napoleon complex. She was 1/3 the size of Useless and was the boss.

The reason my dogs were barking was because of somebody knocking at the door. Upon opening the door I saw standing there a deputy sheriff and the manager of the dump I was living at and I was being evicted from my apartment. The reason was because for about 7 months I was always late with the rent. The rent for that month was paid a week prior. Would it have done any good to show the manager the hole in my ceiling in the bathroom that was put there 7 years prior by deputies while they were investigating a murder in the unit above mine? But the bottom line is that I was evicted, sent to jail because I wanted my stuff and of course I lost my dogs. Anyway for the next 14 months I was essentially homeless. I got by with help. I always had a physical roof over my head, but it was a (at the time I thought) very challenging time. People told me that I had a good spirit and was focused.

Prior to being evicted I submitted a parcel of land to a home builder only to be told the parcel was off the market. After I got out of jail, I inquired whether the parcel was on the market. I was told that the seller was thinking about it. I immediately contacted the home builder and was told there was still some interest and they may make a run at it. Anyway I ended up selling it to the builder and we fast forward to December 22, 2004. It was a good day. The property had closed a few days prior, but there were a few issues that had to be ironed out before I would get my money. Those few days were tense. But on that day I picked up my check. It was more money than this poor boy had ever seen before. Money has never really been that important to me and it still isn't today. But you have to survive. The check was for $57,500.00.

The next day I arrived at the dealership about 2:00 pm. I was told that it was just delivered from another dealer about 1 hour before and was being detailed. I had fallen in love with this car ever since test driving it a year prior. It had a real kick ass stereo and I loved the way it looked. I went over to the detail shop and there was my Honda Element . I had never seen so much tread on tires that were mine. The detailing was finished and I drove it off the lot after I paid cash. That day December 23rd 2004 was my 58th birthday and it was the best day of my life. My life sure seemed to be on the up-swing. I adopted another dog (another Rocky) and got my self a place to stay. This place was in a decent neighborhood and the best thing is that it didn't have one working toilet but two. Life was beautiful. I had so much fun taking my dog Rocky on trips when I would look at land. I would crank up my kick ass stereo and Rocky and I would sing to the music. Sometimes I would sing lead and Rocky would sing back up and vice versa. As far as who sang better, I can't really say. To be honest Rocky was probably better at carrying a tune, but I had more soul.

Monday morning October 16th 2006 started out as usual, but as the day progressed my life became impacted forever. Even today it still seems surreal.

Since that surreal day, I have needed help. I mean really needed help. The person who was instrumental in THE MOTHER OF ALL REAL ESTATE DEALS has also been somebody who has really helped me out since becoming paralyzed. I would still be in a damn nursing home if not for his financial assistance. So to pay him back (which I really can't express my gratitude) I gave him my Honda Element. Somebody told me he has never gotten upset over a car. I agree it is just a material thing. To me it was more than that which I can not express. My life has been pretty simple and I guess I am pretty simple. Ever since becoming paralyzed I have experienced feelings and emptiness that I can't express. There are not words that can possibly convey how I feel. I can only say that there is really something that I am feeling that I can not describe, just like I can't describe the feelings in my legs. The common denominator is profound unpleasantness.

People can perhaps say that I am engaging in a pity party. I don't really care, for in the end people engage life the only way they can. That's what I will do engage my life the only way I can.

So I drove my car 685 days and all the days were great minus 1 day. So Eric Wills I hope all your days in your Honda Element with a kick ass stereo are all great days because I LOVE YOU MAN!

Be strong