Life Raft - 2010

Santa Fe and beyond…

     Wife and son beside me, I set out on a new path to converge with a journey that I thought I had lost - headed toward Santa Fe to co-conduct a workshop on personal development, communication and improvisation.

     The road from Southern California to Santa Fe is glorious with spectacular changes of geography, weather and culture. Old legendary Route 66 occasionally shows its surviving two lanes as you take the modern highway from the coast on through the desert to the mountain passes and across the rim country to the high plateau and then descend into the Rio Grande valley. At Albuquerque you say good-bye to faithful 40 and old 66 and head north on a different road toward the southern base of the Rockies… and Santa Fe.   

     It was at this juncture that I suddenly realized that my life would never be the same again.    

     From orange grove days to beach bonfires to suburban boom and ethnic evolution… from limitless dreams to running with the bighorn to Hollywood hills and ego implosion… from fear of death to fear of life to corporate towers and salivating greed, I was moving on.

     Perfect waves and soft sand delight the crowds in the gentle sea breeze. From the beach, you can see all the way to the mountains across the great basin that cradles the ever changing megalopolis of Los Angeles. As a young boy, crawling on the warm sand and dragging my crippled leg, I first heard the call from somewhere on the mountain and beyond. The call was to heal – myself and then others.

     My leg healed but my heart faltered.

     Through teaching, performing and writing, I began to try and help others and found that indeed, I had an aptitude if not the right attitude to make a positive difference. I saw significant success as my students and audience resonated with what I had to offer. The realization of my aptitude for healing culminated at a conference in Desert Hot Springs when I held the gnarled hand of an elderly woman and saw the hand unfold to her tears and shock. It scared the crap out of me and I ran away… for more than twenty years I ran from the responsibility of dealing with the unfolding of the gnarled hand.

     It was only appropriate that I landed in the corporate tower and was seduced by power, materialism and greed.

     Fortunately, I survived the corporate jolt of power just as I had survived the hedonism of Hollywood and I returned to my roots, where I began to retrieve and repair my spirit.

     Now, the money is almost gone. Debt is extreme. Survival has become paramount and I’ve taken my own advice in these challenging times.

     Figure out what you do best, do it better, and do it more.

     As we headed north toward Santa Fe, I was visited by an old friend, Fear. This time I did not run. I said “yes” to Fear, “thank-you for your input, but I’m moving on. You will always be my ally but never again will you rule me, for now I am once again following my vision, I have returned to my path and I am stepping back into the light.”

     The workshop in Santa Fe was wonderful. Much was learned and there was abundant joy. It was a glorious new beginning and I thank Elsie Maio, Vern Oakley and my wife and son for their belief and support for the mission at hand.

Fork in stream

comes back together

same stream, different way

Rob

Where’s my bailout? (Or at least how about a little stimulus package)

Slammed by the banks

      Okay, I don’t usually do this, but I’m going to rant and get something off my chest.      

      I haven’t missed a payment on a loan or credit card in nearly 25 years and yet in the past 1 ½ years when conditions have become increasingly difficult financially for me and my family, Bank of America and Citigroup have raised my interest rates for both their primary credit cards and all associated retail cards. In some cases they doubled my interest rate. The stated reasons for the increases have ranged from, “You’ve only paid the minimum amounts” to “Your debt has gotten too high” to “Current economic conditions make this necessary” to “No reason at all, sucker”.  My debt has gotten too high? Oh, duh? Yeah, my debt has gotten too high because I’ve had to spend more to pay bills than I’m making. And now my debt is getting higher because of the greedy, obscene and unfair slamming I’ve gotten from the banks. I’ve worked hard and long to earn my credit with the banks and now they spit on me like I’m some kind of scam artist.

Rewards for the slammers

      During this same period that I have been “penalized” with higher rates by these megabanks while consistently meeting their payment requirements on my debt, they have received a combined total of over $50 billion dollars from the federal government in bailout funds. What’s wrong with this picture? Somebody is getting screwed and it’s not the banks. In fact the banks are getting rewarded by the government for having screwed me and millions of other tax-paying citizens. It’s the banks that are running a scam here.

Tough times

     I’m unemployed and scrambling to re-invent myself in an economy that not only has a shortage of available jobs, but next to nothing for a man over fifty with a good education and an outstanding resume. I would feel sorry for myself except that I see bright young people, including my son, with little or no opportunity for employment in the near term.  Things are tough - tougher than I’ve ever seen. So where’s my bailout. I need it now - how about the interest on the interest on that $50 billion dollars that the “needy” banks got. (Funny how they showed strong profits in the last quarter)

Rewards for bad companies

     Then there are the bailouts that have gone to companies that have produced inferior product, wasted money through poor management and union gouging, and carried off bags of money on executive jets. In good capitalism, companies that don’t perform don’t compete and don’t give a fair deal go out of business and their place in the commerce flow is taken by companies that do perform, do compete and do give a fair deal. What’s wrong with today’s capitalism in which poor performers and corrupt executive offices are rewarded.

Help!

     Where’s my bailout. I need it now. I’ve worked hard, provided good product, paid my bills and been honest.

Unstimulating stimulus package

     I suppose I can hope that some of the “stimulus package” money will help create jobs and cash flow that will eventually create a better job market and maybe even some work for me. Yeah, right. I doubt that any opportunity will come my way from the turtle tunnel in Florida or a new bridge – anywhere.

Kicking some serious butt

     I won’t be defeated by the convoluted conniving of these greedy and corrupt institutions. I’m an American and a capitalist and I will climb up off the mat and kick some serious butt. I’ll do it through hard work, creativity and by providing product that is useful, good quality, fairly priced and makes a difference for a better world. And this time I won’t get sucked into the promise of candy-land and low interest rates by corrupt banks and fat-cat companies who have turned us into braying donkeys while they take handouts from the government that is supposed to protect us.

Rob