My Story

I guess you should first know my story and how I got to the wonderful place I’m at today.
About 15yrs or so ago I was living a life of desperation. Trying to keep a wife happy, a roof over our heads and food on the table. It was a struggle to say the least. Then unexpectedly and with out warning my wife left to go to work and never came back. I was devastated I sank into a deep, dark depression. Time and money didn’t mean a thing. I slept for days, only getting up to go to work. Where the money went, to this day, I do not know. When she left, at the time, it was the worst day of my life. I sank lower, ruining other relationships, ruining my credit and heading down the road to drug addiction. Five years went by, I quit crying but nothing else had improved.
I found myself at a dead-in career wise, and either working to try to keep my place up and together or working to try to pay for something. I was in a rut and sinking fast.
Then the magic started to happen. In the summer of 1998 while leafing through a copy of Outside Magazine I saw an article on how to find jobs in outdoor geared resorts. It talked about a website called CoolWorks.com that had job listings in and around state and national parks. I don’t know how or why but something inside of me told me that this is something that I could do. I had always wanted to go to Alaska, what a better way to spend a summer and get paid at the same time. I had never been on a computer before. I went to the library, sat down at a computer not even knowing how to type or turn the thing on, got on line and opened my first email account. I filled out a resume at CoolWorks. The only problem was it was late summer and there were only winter jobs available. Out of curiosity I shotgunned my resume out to some interesting sounding places. To my surprise I heard back from the sweetest lady named Rebecca at a snowmobile resort just outside of Jackson Hole. I had a friend that had gone out to Jackson Hole back in the 80's and had loved it. I said why not. It was only for 3months I could do anything for 3 months no matter how bad it was and it was half way to Alaska.
I remember sitting in my living room a few days before New Year’s Eve, truck packed, leaving all me “stuff” from the past in the care of others, filled with trepidation. I had heard horror stories from friends talking about how hard it was to find gas stations and how I had to be prepared for anything. Some thought I was running from my problems. I seriously didn’t know how all this was going to turn out.
As it turned out it was the greatest experience I’ve ever had. It was absolutely beautiful. I saw things and did things I never dreamed of doing. The people I worked and lived with were half my age but they drug me along, hiking in the snow, snowmobiling, sledding. I made life long friends, and even made an ill fated attempt at skiing. Ha,ha It seemed I reconnected with something I had lost along the way many years ago.
I enjoyed it so much I went back the next year. At the end of the season I went to Cheyenne Wy. To the Sierra Trading Post, went to there discount barn and bought a bunch of backpacking equipment. As I traveled back east I stopped at libraries and obtained a job up on Mackinaw Isl. That was both a great experience but it was also not a good one. I did do some hiking and bicycling but I was only beginning, but I had a glimpse of what could be. I had met people who were beyond rich and you would have never known it by the way they acted, I had also met the happiest people I had ever met and they had no more then what they could carry in their backpack.
I made it back to Spartanburg just before Halloween, filled with the vision of continuing going hiking and returning to a good life. But it was not to be, I quickly fell back into the life I had before. 5 more years went by. Things were getting bad. With out much thought or planning I packed what I thought I needed, got a job in the norther part of Colorado at a ranch called Rawah. Turning my back on everything I had known for close to 50yrs. I drove my battered little pick up truck back west. Rawah was another WONDERFUL experience. I hiked even more. Really rode horses for the first time, went rafting in a magical place called the Poudre Canyon or Cache de la Poudre. Fell in love with the towns of Ft Collins, Steamboat springs and a funny little community called Centennial Wy. Positive things began happening. I was beginning to live life again. A winter in Az and then back up to the Jackson Hole/ Dubois area. This is where I really started making changes in my life I really started going out walking and hiking, I bought myself a bicycle and started riding it. After a summer and then a winter living in the town of Jackson, a wonderful couple from a guest ranch in Colorado came up to visit me and offered me a job at the Bar lazy J.
I got there in May and just before the season started I came down with a nasty staff infection. I was in the hospital nearly a week. Jerry and Cheri were so wonderful, I don’t even think they knew what the menu was going to be. But they never ever questioned me about it. Because of their unwavering support I continue to reach new goals and bring my cooking almost to an artistic level. In no other setting would I be able to create and to teach myself to bake bread. That was all coming and to this day continues. At that time though I found out I had ballooned to 247 pounds and was a type 2 diabetic. I had to make some real changes. I started walking 3 miles a day. I quit drinking for a month. Things like pizza are now special treats. I pretty much give up tv for half the year and don’t miss it at all.
One day while driving down the road, I noticed a place that advertised massages. I have been a big believer in therapeutic massage and chiropractor. A week or so later I went in and met a wonderful lady name Marie that introduced me to reflex ology and raindrop massage that incorporates essential oils. It was wonderful and it was the greatest smell in the world. She also introduced me to a product call Red Ningxia . I quickly became a convert to Youg Living Essential oils. I started taking a series of products called restore your core. It consist of a shake. Now I’ve tried a lot of these weight loss shakes and most don’t have the best of taste but this one taste great it also has some vitamins with essential oils in them. The weight began to fall off. Now the other thing are essential to weight loss but the weight really started falling off when I started using the Young Living products. I got down to about 212 pounds
Good things keep happening. Its not perfect, nothing is and really to make positive steps in your life that’s the first thing you need to realize. Nothing is perfect, everything takes time, there will be bad times but if you handle it right it will make the good times that much sweeter and you try to plan for when the times are not so good. I have gained a lot of the weight back by not keeping with my plan but I have consistently kept off 15- 20 lbs for the last 3 years. I still could eat better and at times I drink a little too much. BUT, I keep exploring, walking and finding things to learn about. I keep plodding along. I don’t have a lot of money but in the past few years I have made friends all around the world. I have seen things and done things that I have never dreamed of. I continue to struggle with weight loss, mainly dew to laziness. But I my spirit and soul is richer then ever. I delve into life with the playfulness and curiosity of a 5yr old. Life is short and it can be, oh so very, sweet But it does take a little effort and a little bit of just saying fuck it I’m going to do this. The day my wife left, it was the worst day of my life, now it was the best day of my life. You just never know how things are going to work out. But you can definitely help it head down a good road.
There is much more to tell!
I plan to go in to
it in more detail. There are books of inspiration, quotes, products, music, recipes, exercises and much more to come, to improve your life as it continues on down the road. If you want to make a positive improvement in your life, then now is the time and I hope through my experiences both good and bad , I can help just a little bit. Peace, Love and living in the light