Central City East : Downtown Los Angeles

It might be I might be leaving skid row in a couple of weeks or a couple of months. Time and weight are telling me it it is time to go. Interesting that I have lost almost 50 lbs and my thinking is also changing , not just my body's proportions. The way I am thinking now is that it is time to explore the world. The first thing that needs to be done is to change my location in Los Angeles and try and make a little money. It is so strange to see myself making money and surviving that way. My business can make it anywhere. Everywhere you go people need websites and hosting.. NO biggy...But mine will be a silent skid row success story and I am one of those who took the risk to not be one of those who was dying to get off of skid row. That is usually how one leaves skid row . Many people have to die to get off of skid row. Where I may be moving next is not far from skid row , but in a way it is as far away as one can get from skid row. I will let you know. It almost feels like I am abandoning the efforts there, but many people live outside of skid row and do very well at doing things to make it better for the people there. But to be honest with you ,I will be free where I will be living. Market rate rents allow for this.

To be free is one of the most important things in the world. I think I will be happier there than anyplace else..and then I can move on to traveling and just enjoying life in shape physically and emotionally. It was the place I had been living that was causing a lot of my physical problems. I no longer need an oxygen tank with me nor the concentrator. I will still use a CPAP machine in the evenings, but we shall see if I don't need that anymore in the future. Emotional stability has been achieved as a result of the remission of my diabetes as a result of the gastric bypass surgery. I won't say it is cured because I know my diabetes was the result of the intravenous prednisone treatments due to a different illness. Watch the video to see the amazing things the Midnight Mission does.




One thing I am grateful for is the Midnight Mission allowing myself to stay in the transitional program in my own room and with air conditioning this summer during my recuperation from the surgery. It has been an experience. Boy ! Has it been an experience.... The Midnight Mission is a temple..It is a temple to the idea that, just because someone needs help, we as human beings still have our free will to choose our own religions and think freely,instead of being forced into one religion or other . This is one reason I will give half of all of my profits to the Midnight Mission and it's programs. Where there were those who were willing to toss me away , they were the first to want to take me in , although my illnesses had climaxed to the point of intractability. Now I am calm inside, my illnesses have calmed and, now I have to push myself to get out there and live life. Living at the Single Room Occupancy Housing Corporation Hotel was stressful, there was no help, drug dealers ran the hotel, security guards were paid off , and managers, if not paid off, were afraid and let the prostitution and drug dealing run rampant in the hotels. I am glad I left when I did.

Downtown was so good to me while I was at SRO. Downtown looked out for me ,and amazingly it was the gay community that did so much for me while I thought I had not other options. Thank you for all you have done. I love everyone of you. Others who were always those to step up first to help were Orlando Ward and Kathy Ward. Don-Noyes More and Christian Martinez, Councilwoman Jan Perry , Eric Richardson ,and many others who want to remain anonymous were also there.. you I will never forget and pray for.

Now I have to make a decision that will get me out of the skid row fray. I am the type that must have a purpose and the purpose looks like job creation. It is what is needed...