Who Am I?

I am the son of a spray painter and a homemaker who made ends meet by babysitting and working as a crossing guard. This has provided me with the ability to relate to the rich and the poor, because I have experienced both in my life. I can judge people on their character and not their income.

My mother bought our home, clothed and fed eight children with a measly allowance from her husband. This has taught me how to appreciate the role of women in society.

I only once received a birthday or Christmas gift from my father. I never received anything from my grandparents. Yet I loved them. I learned that love isn’t dependent on what you get. It is about what you give. If you give, wanting to receive, then you are really bartering. As a result, when somebody gives me something, I am usually really overjoyed.

I was never held, kissed or cuddled as a child. Like a dry leaf after a downpour, I have gradually lost my brittleness and passionately enjoy all of these now. I still am learning. Now, kisses, cuddling and being held hold a special meaning for me. They are like the first warm rays of sunshine after a cold winter.

We never had money to buy anything except the necessities. I never went to a real restaurant until I was 16 when I took my mom out with my first pay cheque for Chinese food. What an opportunity this was to invent activities that cost nothing, but were fun. I was also able to learn what things in life are necessary and what you can do without, if you wish. I was able to set my priorities on the important things.

I am the youngest of eight children. I know that people come in all shapes and sizes. We are different in many ways and that is the essence of what life is all about. It’s not loving people for the things you like about them, but also loving in spite of the things you don’t like about them.

I didn’t have a vehicle as a teenager and wasn’t into the dating scene. My Friday nights were spent going to the library and Saturday night reading the books. I had the pleasure of immersing myself in some of the great literature in the English language.

I realize that I could sit around and allow myself to believe that all of these were negative influences in my life, but they weren’t. They only would have been negative if they had no impact at all. I believe that every circumstance had a purpose.

Like dabs of paint on an impressionist painting, each person, circumstance and event has put a daub of paint on the canvas. Like an impressionist painting, if you get close, you can see each glob of colour and it doesn’t make sense sometimes. The true beauty is seen when you stand back at a distance, in my case a lifetime spent so far, and see how beautiful the whole picture is. Not all colours are vibrant and warm. There are some that are dark and mysterious. All combine together for an interesting picture.

The picture is not complete. That is the joy of living. You keep adding brushstrokes until the very end so people can say when all is said and done, “Wasn’t that a special life.”