>I often make reference to the journey of life being a process of
> elimination. We each have to discover what we are not first.
>
> To illustrate Im not talking hypothetically.
>
> In my twenties, I had an enormous motivation to 'make a difference' by
> actually turning a passion into a viable vocation. It worked
> brilliantly. Beyond my wildest dreams, after spending the first part
> of my adult life feeling like a willing prisoner walking into a cage
> each day. Some of my 'inventions' became and still are mainstream in
> the fitness business I was more intrigued than 'proud'.In fact the
> system I developed is now used by Fitness First, (the m.d actually
> was born five miles away from me back in the UK).
>
> It grew extremely well, to such an extent I sacked my first accountant
> for nearly sending me broke because he didnt understand the subtleties
> of what was then, a new industry.
>
> I built the first co ed club in Aus, met the 'pretty woman' (she had a
> remarkable likeness to the J.Roberts. version). I never wanted
> children until I at least started to enjoyed the work I did. We had
> two.
>
> I found a new accountant who was familiar with the industry, but
> unfortunately (don't use that term any more), he was also secretively
> a 50%% owner of my opposition, and directed me accordingly. He
> persuaded me to sell out to the opposition, which I did, providing
> substantial vendor finance.
>
> The new owners went broke and brought me down with them. The 'pretty
> woman' left.
>
> I started up a year later, and built up the most successful chain in
> Aus, and after eighteen years in total, decided to sell to my bank
> manager. The vocational part had disappeared, what with 11 clubs to
> run, and a staff of 160.
>
> I provided vendor finance to the manager, but kept hold of one of the
> buildings so I could re enter if he had problems, and also have a
> source of income for the future
>
> He actually colluded with the bank (he used to be their state manager)
> who owned the mortgage, to sell the building from under me, and then
> he defaulted.
>
> I have managed to hang on for ten years, waiting to get my time in
> court which was due early this year.
>
> I have just discovered that my lawyer has not fulfilled his obligation
> to get me into court,after twice assuring me that we were on track,
> and I have now lost my chance for a successful outcome. Perth is a
> small town, and the bank and his practice will be there long after Im
> gone. Hes a family man with big commitments, so I hold no grudges.
>
> Why am I talking of this?
>
> The one truth I "know" is that reality is never what happens to a
> person, but how we each handle events. Friends cannot believe my
> appalling luck, but I also know there is no such thing as luck. I have
> only briefly touched on the amazing coincidences, enough to convince
> any sceptic.They convinced me :-)..( I could write a book just about
> the 'pretty woman' episode alone.).
>
> I can now compare my understanding of life from many different
> perspectives, but I have never felt so free and unencumbered as things
> unfold.
>
> I had strong impulses to create what I imagined to be the
> circumstances to live a great and fulfilling life.
> Had I have not been 'compromised' I would have had my daughters and
> siblings in homes without mortgages, and a very healthy income from
> the building. The company was subsequently taken over by a Chinese
> backed public company, which would have strengthened my position.
>
> The excitement of the unknown that I now face, combined with a
> knowledge that everything moves as it should creates a zest for life
> that many spend their whole life seeking.
>
> Never circumstantial, always attitudinal.
>
> The new name of the clubs ? "Zest"....
>
> Youve gotta laugh :-).
>
> BOfL
>
>
And another brief history. I have an uncle who was asmatic when a child.
He grew up introverted and skinny. He was so shy he would bow his head to
you when you spoke to him and slowly back up out of the room if he could.
He eshewed all social situations and of course, there was to be no 'pretty
woman' for him in his life. At a ripe old age of 28, he started to drink.
He probably understood the odds by then and saught some sort of consolation
and it turned out he had the desease and spent the rest of his life battling
hard core alcoholism. He banged around from job to job and wrecked cars and
eventually had his license revoked, whereupon, he had to find work close
enough that he could 'walk'. He ended up painting houses and doing odd
jobs for a living as it was all that would allow him to go on extended
'drinking binges'.
I often thought of this uncle, as when I was growing up, he still had some
vitality to him and I remember sharing times of building snowmen and sliding
down hills on garbage can lids and lighting off whole bags of fireworks for
4th of July celebrations. He was only a few years older than me and I
looked up to him as a kid. Junior, which is what we all called him, was a
good hearted soul; a kind man...but so so so shy. As the hard core
alcoholic, the family and entire world turned against him. He became that
most horrible of all human fates...a burden on others and existed in what I
assume to have been a constant abject misery.
It was not all bad times of course. He became an avid fisherman and would
build cayaks in between his drinking episodes. He finally died last year in
his early 60's. I dare say, I would wager that he never even kissed a girl
his entire life but existed in a silent torture of aloneness and disrepair.
