Here is a picture of my mother and father, Eddie and Norma Green in 1939 before they were married. They surprised all their friends when they eloped and got married in 1945.  The marriage lasted until Eddie’s death on September 19, 1950.  My mom has been on my mind a lot this week because her birthday was this past Monday, and had she not passed away in 2010 she would have been 91 years old.  Beginning this blog is a way to thank her for supporting me and providing motivation by sharing stories regarding her life with my father.

By 1945, Eddie had gained some prominence as an actor and a comedian, but what I have come to find out, is that my mom was somewhat of a celebrity herself.  She was studying to become an opera singer before she married Eddie, and according to the California Eagle newspaper “she has the kind of voice you hear only in a dream”.

Mom stopped singing after Eddie died, except for the occasional aria around the house, but even though she did not become an opera star, she still remains an inspiration.  So, this blog’s for you, mom, I finally got it off the ground.

In 1939 an article was written about my father who was quoted as saying “the best recipe for success that he has, is to find something you like to do, and do that the best you know how”.

Eddie made the decision to become a comedian very early in his life.  Poverty motivated him to leave home at an early age and he became an entertainer.  Someone told him he was funny and he was on his way. The career I chose, on the other hand, was motivated by a desire to support myself and my daughter so I would not have to depend on the kindness of the local government.  Unfortunately, there are some people who are motivated simply by a need to just survive and not necessarily to succeed.  With this blog, I hope to provide inspiration and optimism because I believe a person can do or become anything he and or she chooses.

By the way, that article says, “As a Comedian, He’s Very Funny.”

I know that it is not a good idea to prepare for an event at the last minute, however, a low cash flow can sometimes affect preparations.  I needed business cards to hand out at the Old Time Radio (OTR) writer’s convention.  When I was able to get the cards two days before the event, things went slightly awry.

According to internet ads I could pop into a store, choose a design and have the store print my cards that day. According to the store manager, the internet had it all wrong.  The manager told me he could design the cards for me but it would cost more money than advertised and take longer, like a week.  I was crushed.  I left the store, sobbing, and called my daughter who calmed me down.  I then called in a complaint and went back into the store to try a different tact.

Back inside the store, the manager offered to design a card for me himself because he saw that I was upset, and he would only charge me for the card stock.

Two days later, at the convention, each person who asked received my card announcing me as a writer.

Recently I came across an article written by my father in 1949.  In the article he talks about how, in 1929, he came to realize that he had become “somebody” in his chosen career.  My father was an actor/comedian and was at that time doing every available theatrical job he could find and was also doing some song writing on the side.

During this time my father was chosen to appear on a radio program.  The problem was he was doing a show on Broadway the same evening of the radio show.   Long story short, the local police department solved the problem by giving him a ride up Broadway on the wrong side of the street with sirens screaming.  He called it a “wild ride”.  This “wild ride” served also to provide inspiration to my father who stated in the article, “Yes, I began asking for more money”.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bestsellng author, Dean Koontz said, “I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.”

I found this quote while doing some research for a book I will eventually complete.  I began my research in about 1998 because my then small grandson’s favorite words seemed to be “I can’t”.  Usually in regard to why he did not finish his homework.  His homework was always too hard.  I came up with the bright idea to enlighten him on what a person can accomplish by telling him about, and by writing a book for him about my father, his grandfather, who was a black man born in poverty in 1896 and who rose to prominence despite many obstacles.

While doing this research I discovered much more than I could have known, not just about my father’s rise, but also about what motivates people, and about determination and how much work actually goes into achieving one’s goals, and how that work can be extremely rewarding.  What I hoped to impart to my grandson morphed into a desire to share inspiration to any person who feels they “can’t”.

What motivates us?  How do we determine that skill or ability we possess?  What does it mean to succeed in life?  These are questions I am going to explore in this blog through personal anecdotes, poetry and discussion.  I want this experience to be as uplifting and inspirational as possible to those who could use a boost.  Please visit again, I gotta go eat.