Time is the original currency. Wealthy are those who spend it with loved ones. A lesson I have learned the hard way.
Gramma Jo is 92. She was born in Motherwell Scotland and grew up in an orphanage in Southern Illinois. Her father, an engineering scholar, died in the coal mines when she was young and her mother could not support her children. So Jo and her three sisters and two brothers grew up in the orphanage. While there were happy memories, there was also the loss of a normal childhood with family and a home. Jo later moved in with her mother when she was in her late teens. They lived in a small apartment above a fish store across the street from a church on Grahm road near the Fox Theater. She would take the bus to work downtown at the Department store Monday through Friday. On the weekends her and her sisters would bus to Soulard Market for the groceries they were allowed to buy during the war, and go see a movie at the Fox with stars like Gretta Garbo, Betty Grable, Humphry Bogart, Shirly Temple, and Clark Gable. One night a man looking like Humphry Bogart arrived on her front step, they fell in love, and were married in the Church across the street. The reception was held at the golf course that the man worked at, Meadowbrook in Overland. The two later moved to the area where they raised 4 children in a tiny two bedroom house near the golf course and the man's parent's. It was an American dream. But all dreams change when reality awakens.
Her husband passed away, followed by her brothers. She lost a son and a daughter. Religion tore some of her grandchildren apart from one another. But she has remained in the same home ever since. She loves birds and gardening. She used to have a huge bean and tomato patch in the backyard where one of her boys would chip golf balls. Her grandchildren now make sure to plant something each year. She enjoys sitting on the front porch and watching the bird bath be visited by birds of the many seasons. And she will repeat stories of her youth and in the news if you listen.
I listen.
Life is not without it's difficulties. The house is often cluttered. I have heard it said that it is a generational thing, that those that lived with so little like to have a little mess around to feel like they own something. I do not know. I try to keep up and clean but the clutter comes fast while I am away. I am always here now.
I was asked by family, "Can you take care of her? Keep an eye on her. Her eyesight is weakening, the house is unkept, and her conversation is off." I agreed and have been here ever since. I have seen the problem that adds to the concern. The Television is on over 14 hours a day. I approached family about this but they insisted it was ok for her to have the tv on. Over time, she has turned it on less while I have spent time with her. She cleans more now. She talks more now. And despite severe arthritis she even goes outside to watch the birds and tidy the yard more. I am thankful I am here. But it takes time and focus, compassion and patience.
My day is simple. I wake up and clean the house. Somehow there is tons of tissue around. Somehow every dish and utensil is used throughout the day or during the nights. Sometimes she is up at dawn and the tv is already on. Sometimes she is up earlier and it begins then. Either way, she goes to bed around 6 and that is when the house is quiet. My day begins at different times too. But it always begins with cleaning. Sometimes I do so at the neglect of taking care of my own possessions. But I try to tidy the house so as to invite other family over and visit Gramma.
After I clean, I write. I write long handed in a notebook. Pages that you will never see or read. Personal notes and goals. Improv class reminders. Stories from dreams, days of yesterday, and for screenplays in the future. I have taught myself to format screenplays and that itself is a code one must learn, embrace, and practice. That itself takes time.
After I write, I check on trades. I have taught myself to trade. I am humble in finance so I trade for pennies on a hundred dollar forex account. It is so small by many people's standards. But I am still learning. I have learned from training that it is all about risk management. Once my winning percentage is in the 80%, I will risk more. But right now I only risk about $20 a trade to make 20 cents or so at a time. I excel in technical analysis and charting. I have made charts that I later see have been correct, but for whatever reason i did not make the trade or risk more. Never the less, I have enjoyed learning. This too takes time.
After I check trades, I sign on to Steemspeak and @Steemit. I used to try and do it at the same time. But there is so much happening that I get distracted. I know some will not believe me when I say I respect and admire them. I know many think I am grovelling when I am kind. I know that when I am sarcastic or satirical that some are offended. I know that because I am not a coder or master investor, my opinion matters little. But I am fine with that, whether you believe me or not, it does not matter. I have learned that one can never begrudge another person's success. I have taken it to a different level. I celebrate your success, I am happy for you. I have lived with NBC superstars, bar tended late nights with movie stars, and called celebrities friends. They know I do not accept charity. They know I am not perfect. They still welcome me when I am in town to sit in on shows and play the stage and talk improv til dawn. They know I am happy for their success and that I will be fine. We all reach our inevitable success and realize our true value over time. So it does not matter if you think I am "too kind" when I show my appreciation. Especially when I hear so many people voice their request for positivity. It does not matter if you think I am "pissing in the pool" when I share Chicago sharpen'd satire and sarcasm because I know I am always making fun of myself first. If you take offense, I do not care, because I know I mean no harm. I am only using comedy, commenting on my human condition, to laugh at myself. And learning to laugh at oneself, sometimes take time.
And then there are my dayjobs. I am an improv teacher and performer by expertise. I practice a living art unconnected to the blockchain at this time, even though I see so much potential for their coexistence. I would love to teach a workshop at the next Steemfest. I think it would empower some smiles in of all you wealthy and passionate folks. For now I teach a few teams in town and make my way the hour commute each way to do so. Time. I absolutely love improv and putting in the preparation for rehearsals. I have some talented fun students and if I make it to a show, each night is it's own gem that comes and goes leaving a glow of human connection for both audience and player. But that is not all, I also work at CycleGear on the Rock Road. The Motorcycle world is another passion of mine that I am still learning about. They talk about bikes the way Inertia and Seablue understand code. So many moving parts to learn to make up the simple fun ride. And just like there are so many coins, so too are there so many types of bikes. Hell, Harley Davidson has a fleet full of variety and just trying to find the right part is it's own invested search. Some days, I just want to show up and change tires all day. A simple repetitive job, the kind of job my brother calls, "Puttin the puddin in the cup."
Throughout the day I check in on @Steemtrail. I really like what Rick and Joe are doing there. I have seen some very prolific bloggers and curators and read their posts. Takes time. I check my voting power and don't vote too heavy cause I want the power i do give to mean something. So sometimes I loose track of time commenting, reading, and sharing on social media. I'm a fan of so many that it would look like link bait if I listed them. But I share their posts. I want to learn more about VivaCoin, Peerity, Quatloo, Dr Phil Bot, Eos, Tazos and the list goes on. Yet the learning takes time. And all the while, throughout it all, I check in on Gramma Jo.
She just made some Tomato soup with cheese and crackers. She told me about the birds that visited today and how the flowers are blooming and talks about the prices of groceries and garden seeds. She saw on the news there was a problem with the computers in London and asked if I was ok. She knows I check the markets during London's opening for breakout trades. I even told her once, "I'm only looking for breakout trending trades." She replied, Whatever you wanna do. I can't help but smile and think given a different life's path, she would have been a great accountant, even a market maker. But she is priceless either way. Sharing a story about your gramma might not pay in dollars or satoshis. But I don't care. I love her. And writing this out, this fraction of how i feel, has been it's own reward.
So why don't I post more on Steemit? Because I am busy appreciating what I can while it is still here. Steemit will always be here. But those moments where I can rub my Grandmother's back and listen to her voice, I will hold on to for dear life. I don't post all the time because, I am not a Saint. I have lost so much time I could have shared with my Gramma Lucille and Grampa Ben who have passed away. I have been selfish with my passion for learning and calling to help others. I now have a chance to mine some happiness with my Gramma Jo. I am thankful for these days and already wondering how I will feel when I return to Los Angeles to reunite with my 16 year old team, The Reckoning. But I will return. In time. I will bring you with me, should you choose to follow. I appreciate every upvote and satoshi I recieve from steemit. I appreciate every satoshi I might pick up on a trade in Bittrex or OpenLedger. I appreciate every Trail and reward from helping Steemtrail. I am a mark for VOTU and am thankful for their generous rewards that they shared with me for sharing their content with other social media. I am thankful for each penny I pick up on FOREX. The day will come when the money will catch up with how wealthy and blessed I feel inside. Blessed to be close to Gramma Jo, the little Scottish girl living the rich and simple life in North County. So if I am away a day or two, it's ok. I'm hoping you are surrounded by love and family. God Bless Papa Pepper for sharing so much of his welcome abode as a reminder that it's ok for some of to diversify our time with life experiences. Hats off to all you prolifics here. Hats off to all your inevitable successes.
I have stopped a few times to help with laundry and hang out with Gramma while writing this. I'll stop for now, add some photos, then go see how Gramma is doing again. It feels good to work hard and then just sit with a loved one. I'll give her a hug and listen to what else she's been up to during the day. Then I'll go and water the garden. See you soon friends, be blessed.
may your hearts receive all the upvotes in the world