This sojourn into the mysteries and magnificence of the USA was undertaken in my seventy second year; a fourth generation Californian, father of two, grandfather of four and a man living primarily on his monthly SS pension. I supplemented my meager income as a part time Chemical Dependency counselor in a Residential Hospital Clinic in San Pedro. A wanderer by nature and a variety of antecedent conditions; having exited an abusive home environment at the age of thirteen, enjoying the unknown rarely appeared too frightening ...
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This sojourn into the mysteries and magnificence of the USA was undertaken in my seventy second year; a fourth generation Californian, father of two, grandfather of four and a man living primarily on his monthly SS pension. I supplemented my meager income as a part time Chemical Dependency counselor in a Residential Hospital Clinic in San Pedro. A wanderer by nature and a variety of antecedent conditions; having exited an abusive home environment at the age of thirteen, enjoying the unknown rarely appeared too frightening to undertake. From shining shoes in my hometown hamlet of Crockett, pin setting on weekends in Vallejo, sweeping floors in a five and dime in Millington, Tennessee, a stint in the USAF which afforded me a two year stay in Post war Japan, a return to the states and entering junior college, marrying, then continuing to work right through the remaining two year of college, I entered the real work force - the one where I forgot my sense of discovery. Society said this and society said that, and like a reed blowing in all directions, I fell for the superficiality existing in the world of capitalism. Living in a state of semi-retirement became tedious, too predictable. The effort needed to just survive living on a reduced income seemed far too difficult, tiring and boring. The road beckoned and I chose not to refuse the call. I recently authored a fiction novel, "Smokie Joe's Caf???," which introduces the reader to the root causes of chemical addiction. Smokie Joes is the Camelot of all Rehabs and is available on Amazon/Kindle. Presently, I live with my Chinese wife, Tang Aijin in Long Beach, California.
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