* He has his own wikipedia page.
* He swam for Eastern Kentucky University (Division 1 NCAA), where he was team captain, school record holder and Kentucky Intercollegiate champion.
* He’s a local dermatologist that has served as Chief of Dermatology of Orlando Regional Medical Center since 2003.
* He wrote a book called Lucky’s Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos. A copy of it resides in the Smithsonian Museum.
* He is a Guinness Book of World Record holder for having the largest collection of yo-yos, and his picture is on the cover of the Golden 50th Anniversary book edition. Consequently, a large part of his house is dedicated to housing them and now models like a museum. He also owns the largest all wood yo-yo. It rests in his backyard and is six feet tall and functional by crane.
* He has been featured on the following TV shows or programs: ”The Martha Stewart Show”, Nickelodeon’s “What Would You Do”, “Treasures in your Home”, “Weird Homes”, “The Ultimate Collector”, “Nickelodeon Sports and Games”, 「開運・なんでも鑑定団」(Tokyo Television’s 1# show), Disney Promotional Feeds, WESH News, WKMG News, Orange TV, and CBS Nightly News.
* He has the highest level of coaching certification given by the American Swim Coaches Association at Masters Level 5 and has served as a past president of the Masters Aquatics Coaches Association.
* He has coached the Orange County Special Olympics Swim Team since 1993. It’s one of the largest teams in the world.
* People gather at his house every single morning at 6:30 a.m., Monday thru Saturday, to participate in an event called Lucky’s Lake Swim.
* He was featured in the National Lampoon movie RoboDoc, and oh, he has his own independent film and production company, Lucky-Rose Films.

And that’s not all. Trust me. Lucky for us, he lives in Orlando and allows strangers into his home to interrogate.

Jana: So I’m looking over a brief list of your accomplishments and really don’t know where to start.  What facet of your life do you want to start talking about?
Lucky: I can go any direction. [Laughs] What peeks your interest?

How did you get the name Lucky?
That is an old college swimming team nickname. I wish I could say it had something to do with success with women, but it had to do with a pair of gym shorts. Everyone wrote their name at the bottom of their work out shorts to identify them when they went through the laundry. I don’t remember the reason why now, but they were gonna put “Lucky John” on there because my name is John. However, they ran out of room. So they put “Lucky J” on them. From that point on I was known by nothing else. The “J” got dropped over the years, and now I’m just Lucky.

Where were you born?
I was born over at Patrick Air Force base in Cocoa.

How did you end up in Kentucky for college?
I grew up in Kentucky. My father was a meteorologist. He actually delayed the launch of the first satellite for two days—that’s his claim to fame. He’s in the history books for doing that. [Laughs]

What made you move to Orlando?
I always wanted to come down to Florida. We vacationed here a lot when I was a kid. I thought Florida was The Mecca of the Universe, and I’m also a skin cancer surgeon. You go where the skin cancer is.

The reason I chose Orlando—and I had searched all the coastal towns—is because The Aquatic Center had just been built here a few years before. Sand Lake Hospital had also just been built and they didn’t have a dermatologist. I just thought, “This is a sign from God.”  [Laughs]

Let’s talk dermatology for a bit. As a Central Florida dermatologist, what is your most diagnosed skin issue?
Skin cancer by far. I’d say about eighty percent of my practice is sun-related problems. Even the cosmetic end of our practice is largely due to the sun.

How often do you recommend people get their skin checked by a dermatologist?
It depends. If someone’s had a problem with pre-cancerous cells or cancer, or something like that, they need to be checked on a regular basis. If someone has protected themselves from the sun over the years, and they do self-examinations, I’d say come in once every four years for a looksie. If they’ve had skin cancer in the past, I’d say at least come in once a year.

Should people that live in Florida be taught how to look at their skin?
That’s certainly wise depending on your skin type. If you’re African-American you don’t need to worry at all. If you’re blonde haired and blue-eyed and you work as a farmer, well, you’re only gonna have issues. Everyone should be aware of any changes to their moles. If a mole is changing or bleeding, you certainly need to get in to see a dermatologist.

This morning on The Today Show they said that any SPF over 50 is a waste of money. Is that true?
Yeah, the difference between a 30 and a 50 is miniscule. Anything beyond that is minimal, too. I believe they’re going to change the SPF rules so that it only goes up to 50.  I tell my patients if you put on at least a SPF 30 you should be fine.

Tell me about how Lucky’s Lake Swim started.
Very simply, we started swimming the lake. That’s part of why I wanted to move down here to Florida, I wanted to swim on an open lake. I started coaching at The Aquatic Center in ’89. There was interest in doing a morning workout and we couldn’t do it at The Aquatic Center, so we did it here. It started as three days a week, to three days a week plus Saturdays. When it got dark during the winter months, we stopped. Then people wanted to keep going and all of a sudden we were swimming in the dark. Then some guys asked to swim in the cold, and I was like, “Well, are you going to show up? Then yeah!” Now, we swim six days a week year round. It’s not going to advance any more than that. [Laughs] I need a day off, and that’s Sunday.

About how many people show up at your house to swim the lake?
Right now, this year, and now that we’re in the peak season, we average two hundred on Saturday’s. It’s pretty amazing. The whole front yard is packed with cars. They’re lined up and down the road. It’s jaw dropping to see.

What happens if you want to go on vacation?
It’s bigger me. [Laughs] We have a lot of guys that come everyday now. They’re regulars. They’ve swum the lake hundreds, even thousands of times, and they help me. I couldn’t do it by myself. We have so many people that come out on Saturdays that we actually put buoys up on the lake so there are no collisions. They help with signing the “Wall of Fame” and passing out the swag—that sort of thing.

How many people have signed your wall of fame?
You’re welcome to go out and count. [Laughs] It’d take an afternoon. There’s thousands.

And to get your name on the wall, you have to swim across the lake and back?
Yep, you get to sign the wall if you swim it once, and if you do something on a national prominence, or you’re on a college swimming team, or if you’ve done an iron-man distance triathlon, we add that under your name. It’s funny how just signing a wall is such a motivator for people to come out and take a swim.

What do you hope to achieve from this program?
I don’t know that I’m hoping to achieve anything. I’m just having a good time. I do know that it’s evolved into some great benefits. First of all, it’s getting people in the water to swim. And a lot of people have never experienced open-water swimming before. It’s neat to see someone come out who thinks it’s going to be a terrible experience, to then become a regular, like clock work, just because they enjoy it so much. Being a swim coach, I like to see that. Swimming is one of the few sports in life that you can do until the day you die.

One side benefit is that a lake restoration society has developed from this.  We’re raising money to help clean up the lake and keep it Florida pristine, if you will. Even more importantly, we’ve started this “Most Wanted” program, and through my donations and others that have matched my donations, we’ve raised $19,000 dollars for the Aquatic Center scholarship program, which has been great.

I read that Ripley’s Believe It or Not gave you credit for swimming a half-mile backstroke with your toe in your mouth. How did you even know you had a talent like that?
That was one of my first claims to fame. [Laughs] Like most things in life, it was kind of an accidental thing. I’m known for parody and being humorous to my friends. I was standing in the water stretching, and someone said, “Ew. Don’t put your foot in your mouth!” So, of course, I did.  Then someone said, “I bet you can’t swim that way.” I said, “I’m sure I can.” And sure enough, I could. So I had someone take a Polaroid picture.  I put the picture at the bottom of a newsletter, this was back before the Internet, and I put on there that I had set the Guinness World record for swimming with my foot in my mouth. It was a joke.

Well, the guys thought I was serious and were really excited about it. They told me I should really do it, and then I got to thinking. Swimming is not like the highest publicized sport on campus. So I started practicing swimming with my foot in my mouth on my mornings off.  I asked the coach several months in advance if we could set up a time to set this record. When it came time, he had forgotten about it. The guys had gone out and put up fliers everywhere. The story got picked up by news stations. Then somehow the radio stations picked it up. So we go into practice and the stands start filling up. My coach asked, “Does anyone know why the stands are filling up with people?” My teammates were like, “Well coach, don’t you remember? You told Lucky he could swim the half-mile with the foot in his mouth and set a world record.” He said, “Oh my god!” [Laughs]

By the end of it, he was happy. We filled the stands. We had more people there than at any swim meet. It didn’t get picked up by Guinness, but Ripley’s Believe It or Not did pick it up. I also was the funny story at the end of The Paul Harvey radio show, and in Kentucky that was big! [Laughs]

Do you remember the first time you picked up a yo-yo?
I don’t remember. I was a kid. You just grow up with yo-yos around. I remember in seventh grade there was yo-yo craze. I wasn’t the best kid in school but I was one of the better ones because I’m obsessive compulsive and I practiced.

I didn’t think about it much for years. Then what happened was I saw a yo-yo in a trick book. I thought that was cool. In medical school, all of our classes were in the same room, yet they gave us twenty minutes to change classes. So we all just stood out in the hallway and talked, some people drank coffee and whatever. I played the yo-yo. I went through the trick book and got reasonably good at it. Later, when I went on rounds on the pediatric floor I’d entertain the kids.  But still didn’t think too much about it then.

When I came to Orlando, and back then I was still competing in swimming a lot, I had a lot of down time. So I started looking in old antique shops and found yo-yos. I thought, “This is kinda cool.” So I started picking them up. About that time, that was the late 80’s, Tommy Smothers had just come out with this yo-yo man character. There was a newsletter called The Yo-Yo Times, and coincidentally I started getting that. I became fascinated by the yo-yo’s history. I was not of the era of the contest. They had ended before I came into yo-yo’s, and it was this fantastic piece of Americana that everyone was forgetting about.

In the late 20’s through the 60’s, the yo-yo man came to town and they had competitions and gave out patches and prizes. There weren’t any books about it, but the guys who had done all of this were still around. So I started calling them up and asking about the history. Then I had enough information that I started writing a few articles for The Yo-Yo Times, and somewhere a long the way people started referring to me as the expert on the history of the yo-yo, just because I had written some articles and done some research on it. Finally and ultimately, I wrote the book on collecting yo-yos and it ended up in the Smithsonian, which I think is pretty cool, especially since it was the first book I’d ever written.

How long did it take you to write the book?
Four and a half years. Now, there were down times [during that process] but mostly it was a lot of photo shopping. I didn’t have some of the yo-yos featured in the book in mint condition, so I tried to recreate the seals so that they were like the originals. I would spend sometimes three hours on one yo-yo photo just to get the seals right. It was a labor of love. My wife might describe it as something different. [Laughs]

How many yo-yos do you own?
The Guinness Record is 4,500 and something different ones. I actually have more than that. When I first got the record I just quit counting—it was too hard. I probably have in the neighborhood of 10,000 yo-yos but some of them are duplicates and different color variations. I don’t count those. I probably have close to 5,000 different types of yo-yos.

Did you contact Guinness, or did Guinness contact you?
I contacted Guinness first with a picture. They wrote back with specific instructions on how to properly fill out the submissions form. I guess I had done it wrong. They especially put attention to the photograph.

You see, there’s four different levels of Guinness. There’s getting the record and getting the certificate, and you may never get in the book because they only list two to three thousand records there. Then there’s the mention of the record. Then there’s getting a paragraph written about you. And then there’s the photograph.  I managed to get the whole thing the first time.

How did you manage that?
Well, we took a great picture. I took all my yo-yos down and put them in a pile. Then, I buried myself up unto my chest in them. It was a very, very, very cool picture.

In speaking to other people who have tried to get records, Guinness is not very good at getting back people about what to do exactly.  I have a French newspaper that I‘m on the cover of … somebody just happened to see it and bring it to me. They were using my picture to promote the 50th Anniversary Book in France. That was the ultimate coolness.

How much do you think your collection is worth?
I’d say $100,000 or more.  At one time, when yo-yos were really going off, right around the year 2000 or 2001, whatever its worth now was worth four more times then.  There are yo-yos now, matter of fact, I just got a box in yesterday full of six yo-yos, mint condition, and one of those yo-yos might have sold for seven to eight hundred dollars back in the day. I got them for fifty bucks a piece. Yo-yos are like stocks, they go up and down, pardon the pun.

Do you have to take out a special insurance on your house for them?
No, because the reality is, if the house were to burn, the loss is the history. Since I’ve sorta become the keeper of history, the loss would be more tragic than financial.

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a single yo-yo?
I’m not sure because I think my wife did it. I won’t spend a lot of money on a yo-yo. I might have spent $500 on a yo-yo once, that’ll have been it. It was historically very important and very old. These are historical pieces that museums would love to have because of their history, and I’m bidding against museums for some of these.

Do you have a favorite yo-yo?
Yes! It’s the first Flores yo-yo I found. It’s like the Holy Grail for yo-yo collectors. [Laughs] According to Steven Spielberg the Holy Grail is this big non-descript thing that is not ornate, and that would describe the Flores yo-yo. It’s just a simple yo-yo with a simple stamp that says Flores on it. The historical significance of that is that Pedro Flores brought the name yo-yo to the United States in 1928. They had made yo-yos before then but they were called bandalores. He did two things: he named it yo-yo and he started contests. That started the initial craze. He only made those yo-yos for two years, so if you find one you’re considered a Jedi yo-yo collector. I tell people that to be a true yo-yo collector you must find one out in the field, but most of the times people find them on E-bay.

Why did he name it yo-yo?
That’s what it was called in the Philippines. It’s been referred to as the yo-yo for centuries in the Philippines. It’s just been called something else in other countries.

Have you ever competed in a yo-yo competition?
Yes. In 1993, I competed in the first modern National Championships. In 1992, I was out in California and they had been running a state championship for years there. Essentially, everybody that was a yo-yo player was going to California for the state championship. They had a Duncan collection in the little museum there in Chico, California. I was in San Francisco for a medical thing, but I’d drive all day just to get there so I could go to this deal.

The guy running this thing ran was a super nice guy. We talked yo-yos after the event for a couple of hours, and that’s when I told him he should rename this thing the National Championships. He said, “I don’t have a right to do that.” I was like, “Yeah, you do. You’re it.” We talked about it and the next year he changed the name. I felt obligated to go, so I competed in it, but didn’t make it to the finals. But my wife, she competed in it and I believe, and if I’m not mistaken, she is the first woman to compete in the modern Nationals.

They didn’t have any women in the competition at the time, and they really wanted one. So she did it. She didn’t know the yo-yo at all. We were at lunch and Don Dunkin Jr. of the legendary Dunkin yo-yo family was there. He showed her a few basic tricks, and she was nice enough to get on stage and do them. The rest is history. [Laughs] Now, there are women who are in the Championships that are just phenomenal.

What’s the goal of a yo-yo competition exactly?
To win!

But what do you do?
The rules have changed. Traditionally, and in the first National Championship, you just had to perform some tricks in front of the judges and make them. There might have been a loop off towards the end but that was basically it. In modern competition, and since 1995-1996, yo-yos have changed and now have transaxles, which means they have incredibly long spin times. That changed the style of play. Now you can throw a yo-yo and do multiple tricks on one throw, which led to choreographed routines to music. I remember the first test of that, back in ’95 or ’96, I forget what they called it, but no one thought they would do it for real. They just did it for fun, and it was the most watched event. It became the thing, and now everything else has disappeared. You have to perform standard tricks to get into the finals, but once you get in the finals you do a three-minute choreographed routine.

What kind of music do people choose?
Most of the kids now are younger, so there’s heavy metal or some kind of pounding music, usually. Every now again, someone will throw in a classical piece. There was one song, one year that every kid played. Oh my gosh! It’ll come to me, but you just heard that song over and over … it was the theme to Mortal Kombat. You remember that? Oh my god. We laughed about it for years after that.

What is your favorite competition yo-yo move?
I can’t do it. [Laughs] The athletes that participate now are training five or six hours a day. They can do back flips while throwing two yo-yo’s at the same time. If you ever get a chance to see it, it’s amazing.

What would you like to do that you haven’t done yet?
Well, I just finished my novel. It’s an adventurous science-fiction piece, a fun and easy read.

What?! When do you sleep?
I sleep really well actually. I don’t watch TV. That’s my biggest time saver. Occasionally I’ll sit down with my boys and watch “The Simpsons” or something, but I’m more of a movie guy.

Is that because you’ve been in movies?
[Laughs] No, I’ve liked movies since before I was in them. But sure, I like the ones I’m in too.

What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?
I’m gonna go back to the platitudes that my three boys are my greatest accomplishments. It’s the honest to God truth. I like to incorporate them into what I do so that they can see what they can accomplish. The boys have done their own videos. They have one on YouTube, this Pong video, I think it’s hysterical and they did that when my eldest was just ten-years-old.

All three of them were in that National Lampoon’s movie behind the scenes thing I did. They’re in the Internet credits. They swim and play water polo. John, my oldest, he helps with the Special Olympics. I’m not trying to do all these things by myself. I wanna bring the family in to the whole thing.

What is the one word you want people to think about when they hear your name?
That’s a good question. [Pauses] I know the word people usually say, and that’s eclectic. [Laughs] I’m not sure if that’s the word I want to be known for. I don’t know. If I could think about it for a couple of hours, I’m sure I could come up with a word but for now you’ve stumped with that question.

*Interview Date: May 26, 2010

Want to sign your name on the wall? Go to LuckysLakeSwim.com to find out how.

Thankfully, Geek didn’t go that route. Instead, he whipped up a little ditty about me strolling by, and being fly, on the mission to find that guy, or something like that. It was funny and entertaining. “That’s cool of the guy to come out for the day and rap for everyone,” I thought as a I threw him a couple bucks and continued to make my way through east side of downtown.

I didn’t think much of it at the time. I figured rapping for strangers was something Geek did as a hobby, or perhaps an activity to get him out of the house. After all, he seemed to be having too much fun doing it. But then I ran into the entertainer the next day, and the next, and just about every other time I left my house to go somewhere. That’s when it occurred to me that I needed to know his story. So I took on the role of nosy neighbor and asked him for this interview:

*Below are excerpts found in Jana Waring’s Who’s That? Discovering Orlando One Interview at a Time. To read how this man survives by rhyming beats on the streets, buy the book now!

Are you prepared to answer my questions in rhyme?
All the way to USA baby.

Tell me more about being a wordologist.
Wordology is funk. Put together in chunks, with rhythms and rhymes that make people feel fine.  And no profanity ever comes to mind. So wordology is a theology, to make funk feel equal. That’s why my shows have an ongoing sequel.  So that’s what I am—a wordologist. I put words together to make people feel better.

How much money does a wordologist make?
Enough to do two things: 1.) stay at the po house, um huh, and 2.) stay out yo house.

What do you want people to take away from your performances?
Lots of merchandise so I can get paid! No seriously—hope. Hope that they can make it—that they can succeed. Don’t give up on life. You don’t have to be a butt wipe. Enjoy people. If something don’t go right, don’t take it out on your fellow man. We all had to go down the same lane, everybody had to be potty trained.  I don’t care your race, color, or creed, but knowledge with toilet paper and how to use it is what we need.

This past Sunday, Mayor Dyer declared November 16 as “Spinal Cord Injury Day” in the City of Orlando. It is no coincidence that the day doubles as my 10-year anniversary of living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). My friend Shelby Norwich and I worked hard to create a fundraiser called Project Vandalism.  What I wanted to do was keep myself busy on a day that can be tumultuous. Shelby, on the other hand (and I’m not sure why), took the opportunity to turn my idea into a thesis project for school. The end result was a two-day weekend event, a Rockin’ 80’s Party/Silent Auction at City Arts Factory held Friday night and then a “Walk Because You Can” around Lake Eola Sunday morning, where Orlando’s Mayor dedicated the day to SCI. The goal of both affairs was to raise money for a family to receive a wheelchair accessible van.

Another part of Project Vandalism’s mission was to bring awareness of spinal cord injuries to the community. As someone heading up the project, I was asked to share my experience of living with a SCI over the past 10 years, even though doing so pushes me far outside my comfort zone. Truth be told, I am still not comfortable sharing my personal writing, but for the sake of Dejon getting his van—the new SCI person we chose as the recipient of the donation and also the following interview after this article—and also because I need to fulfill a writing requirement for my independent study at Rollins, I’m attempting to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. I’m going to share my story.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 questions that I’ve been repeatedly asked during the past 10 years of living in a wheelchair. I will attempt to answer them as honestly as candidly as I can. One thing you should know about those of us with SCIs is that we are all different, much like how your kindergarten teacher used to talk about all the colors found in a Crayola box. Therefore, please don’t hold me accountable for speaking for all those that are injured. This is only my story and opinions, no one else’s.

10 Questions Over 10 Years

1. What happened?
During my summer break from college in 1998, I found a job performing in a stunt show called Intensity Games, located at Sea World’s former ski stadium. It seemed like a dream come true because finally I found a way to get paid to do something I loved—gymnastics, a sport that I’ve had an affair with since I was 5-years-old. The show was a combination of skiing and gymnastics (think tumbling and trampoline, not actual gymnastic apparatus like beam, vault and bars), split into two competing teams, Mountain Dew verses Pepsi, with each show an actual competition in front of a live audience. When the summer was over, I postponed my next semester at Florida State University to stay and continue performing—it was just that much fun.

Then during one of the stunts, it was a section of the show titled SLAM DUNK where we bounced off mini-trampolines, passed, flipped and dunked basketballs in hoops, much like you see mascots doing during NBA halftime shows, I fell from over 10-feet in the air to break my neck.  To be more specific, I was told my vertebrae C5 and C6 had sublexated, or switched places.  This is what I remember: I was on the stage. I had run and bounced upon a mini tramp and launched myself into the air. Just as I was preparing to catch the basketball so that I could dunk it in the basketball hoop, I realized that the ball my co-worker had tossed to me was unusually lower than usual. I was higher than the 10-ft goal and made the split second decision to reach for the basketball even though it was far from reach. The result was catastrophic—I landed head first on a hard, weathered, six-inch thick mat.

Many people have asked why I reached for the ball. My answer has always been, “I just did.” In reflection, I can attribute it to my performing in front of thousands of people.  I can blame it on a cautious effort to prevent hazard (it was best to chase down every basketball, loose balls gave potential to landing on them, which could have ended in injury to other team members).  I can say that that we were told to do everything in our power to make the show the best it could be and perhaps for a second I thought I was invincible, and I wanted to make miracles happen.  But mostly I think it’s what I already said—it was a split second decision.

Ten years later I can honestly say I am still comfortable with that decision, and the others—the choice I made to show up at work that morning, my decision to leave FSU and continue performing in the show as much as possible, my effort to put 100% into all my performances, and ultimately that split second decision to reach for the basketball instead of the basketball rim (Yes, it has occurred to me that reaching for the rim would have saved me. But I don’t dwell on it, what would be the point?). I had the time of my life working at that stunt show. And if ultimately I was going to end up paralyzed, I’d rather it have happened doing something I loved. And it did—I loved performing.

After the initial fall, I landed on my back with my arms and legs sprawled out to each side, like someone who’s attempting to make the world’s largest snow angel, except for there was no snow and my body wasn’t moving. I couldn’t pull any of my limbs back to me.  I recall feeling embarrassed that my arms and legs were positioned so awkwardly and I finally asked one of my co-workers to please pull my legs back together. This led to more shame because I was told that my legs had already been taped together. It was the first thing they had done once they arrived on the scene.

Lying there, I remember staring at the November blue sky and noticing there wasn’t one cloud lingering, only the warm sun watching, among the thousand or so people in the stands of the stadium. I imagine now that the guests of the park must have been shrieking in horror at such a scene, but I didn’t hear that. I only heard someone say softly, “Don’t move.”

I recall not wanting to move anyway. My body tingled and it felt like it was floating up, up, and around the stadium. It almost seemed liked I’d be able to turn around and look down upon myself, like the way death is animated on TV shows and movies. I assume this is the closest I will ever come to understanding what an out-of-body experience may feel like. After all, a part of me did die that day.

I remember feeling eerily calm and looking at those around me who seemed to be moving in slow motion. Only they weren’t moving slowly at all, they were running in circles and yelling frantic phrases such as “Call 911, now,” “Grab a backboard,” “Jana, how are you doing?” I am not sure that I said much at this time because I was entranced by two very distinct things: the burning sensation that was swirling around the lower half of my body and the weather. It was how I would define the perfect day—clear, crisp, warm and sunny.

I was in no pain or discomfort while I laid there, just confusion as to what my body may be experiencing. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, but clearly more than my breath had been taken away. Quickly and carefully, I was moved onto a backboard, moved away from the view of the audience, examined by an ambulance team, and finally airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center. When my helicopter landed on the hospital rooftop, doctors, or people in gowns that I assumed were doctors, were already present and waiting for me.

The following happened in no particular order: they (the people in gowns) drilled steel rods into my head for traction, they filled my arms with IV’s of steroids, they took X-rays and started conducting many tests, they talked to me and sometimes smiled, often sympathetically. At some point they told me my mother wanted to see me. I thought it strange she was at the emergency center already because it had seemed like only minutes since I had arrived. The reality was it had been hours.

“Don’t let her come in,” I told them. “She cannot see me like this.”

Just like they had intruding upon my body, they ignored my rights, and let my mother walk in anyway. She started sobbing upon seeing me. I began apologizing immediately.

“Why are you sorry?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered. But the truth was I felt like I had disobeyed her. “Be careful,” she had told me, for twenty years now. “I will,” I had always answered. But this time I hadn’t. I knew that by the way my friends had looked at me as I was being taken away on the backboard.

The last thing I remember about the ER room was my second CAT scan. In the middle of its process, I suddenly felt nausea and became afraid of choking on my own vomit. I called for help. Looking back, I don’t know how I did this because I was laying flat on my back, still restricted to a backboard, and I could not voluntarily move any part of my body from the shoulders down. This leads me to believe it would have been hard to communicate as well, but somehow I managed to flag down help. They came running, all three of them, and yanked me out of the dome-like machine, turned me (and the board) on the side, and demanded I spit and vomit on my own or else they would stick their hands down my throat and scoop it out themselves.

I successfully managed to throw up on my own, and then blacked out. I didn’t gain consciousness until three days later.

2. Are you angry?
No. And if I was I’m not sure who I would direct that anger towards. I’ll admit sometimes I feel cheated because even now, I still have vivid dreams about gymnastics. I miss that sport. I loved it, and yet, it didn’t love me in return. I had to work twice as hard as all my teammates to keep up with them. I was never as flexible as gymnasts should be. I discovered I had scoliosis in middle school and had to have surgery for it. After my surgery, I made a comeback when doctors said I wouldn’t. I quit shortly after my come back because my heart wasn’t in it anymore (at least that was what I thought). Then I became a gymnastics coach. I became a gymnastics judge and soon after a professional gymnast. And so ultimately, I feel like I’ve spent fifteen years of my life fine-tuning a craft that was destined to be taken away all together. It’s frustrating because I do not know what to do with all that knowledge. It’s like a piano player that dedicates a good portion of their life to the keys, only to have their hands chopped off in some freak accident.

Now, I stay away from gymnastics, even though I’ve been recently asked to become a judge again. I just can’t do it. If I can’t enjoy the sport as I once knew it, then I don’t want any part of it at all (except of course in the rare instances I can judge televised competitions from my living room). I feel childish for making such an admission, but it’s true. I’d rather find new passions and new loves—and I have. Still, I’m haunted by those gymnastic dreams.

3. Does being paralyzed hurt?
Yes and no. In the beginning, I remember having severe burning sensations. I am not sure if those feelings ever went away or if I just got used to having them. Today, I worry more about my back and right shoulder. It aches every day, some days worse than others. I imagine it’s from years of driving my wheelchair and van (I’m right-handed), and typing and eating at unusually high angles and so on. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, although, I don’t know if that helps or hurts me.

4. How are you always in a good mood?
I’m not, at least I don’t think I am. There are days I am terribly cranky, especially in the mornings. I’ve been known to throw out a few f-bombs while getting ready. It’s just that it’s quite a tedious routine to get ready everyday, and sometimes I become impatient. I’m always thinking ahead to what I should be doing—it’s frustrating. I never was one to plan in advance or have routines before I was injured. So I imagine I’d be irritated in the mornings, even if I didn’t have to physically transfer myself into a wheelchair each day.

I do acknowledge, however, that I have been able to cope with my injury well. I am lucky to have amazing family and friends that have contributed to that. When I was stuck in the hospital, I remember begging my nurses to stay up later than others. I wanted to be the last one to go to bed. The hospital curfew was 8 o’clock, which I thought was a ridiculous time for a 20-year-old to go to bed. I would argue, “My grandparents don’t even go to bed that early.”

I knew I wanted to be able to hang with my friends once I got out of the hospital, which I later explained to the nurses that meant staying up past 9pm and being able to take care of myself. I never wanted to burden my friends with my injury, and so everyday I worked harder than everyone else in therapy to learn how to drink, feed myself, and so on. I’m not sure I have ever told any of them, but my friends were my motivation. I didn’t want to lose them.

It may sound strange but there are days that I forget that I am a quadriplegic. Becoming one was certainly a lifestyle adjustment, but now that it’s happened—I just go and do. I find myself staring into full length mirrors because I am still fascinated by my body, even after 10 years. I’m not as adjusted as most of you are to seeing me and my machinery; I’m only accustomed to using it. So when I see myself sitting down, like for example on video from this past weekend’s events, I have to do a double take—I am still not used to this person. I remember myself very physically. Perhaps it was the years and years of watching myself in gymnastics videos. That gymnastics part of me still has a good ten years on the handicapped me.

5. Can she have sex?
You will notice by the way this question is phrased, it is usually never asked to me directly but instead to some lucky friend sitting next to me. I find strangers concerns for my sexual being entertaining. The answer, Mr. Curious, is yes, of course. Now, I suppose I should ask you the same the question.

6. Do you want help?
Many people over the years have voiced their internal struggle about when is a good/bad time to help me. This is a good question because even I have trouble defining my needs. By now, I’m pretty resourceful. If I need something done and I can’t physically do it myself, I’ll figure out a way to do it. I’ve turned wire hangers into handy devices that pick-up keys off the floor. I use my teeth to open soda cans (which I know my dentist frowns upon). Once, I found a way to make chicken nuggets in the toaster oven. I was starving, and it was a do or die situation. I’m going to brag a little here … I continually impress myself with my imagination when it comes to invention.

At the same time, I don’t mind asking for help if it’s available. I choose having nurses each morning and aids at night because I like to get the handicap things done quickly so I can use my time wisely. But that’s just me—not all handicaps are like that. Some pride themselves on their independence. I’ll leave you with two scenarios: If my shoe falls off in the middle of the street while I’m crossing the road and there are cars coming (and this has happened), it’s a good time to offer some assistance. If I am feeding myself and you grab my fork to do it for me, you may end up being stabbed.

7. How has being paralyzed changed you as a person?
I am certainly more confident. Having vulnerabilities on display for everyone to see kind of gave me an “I have nothing to lose” attitude right from the start. I started just going for it—saying how I felt, doing what I wanted, acting in the way that best suited me. There was no where for me to “fit in” anymore. Remember, I was just twenty when this happened, so I was forced to become comfortable in my skin early, earlier than most people I think.

Being paralyzed also forced me to look inwards for what was next. I never would have guessed I’d be getting my Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies now, or that I’d want to read and write and eventually have my own book shop, or that I had a sensitivity for other people and that I would want to help them, anyone, if I can. As soon as the future—my future, the way I had planned it—was taken away, the pressure was too. I’ve been fortunate not to be locked down to some 9-5 job, and I’ve used that time to study, be creative and search for what is meaningful in life.

Many people only know me in a wheelchair and I find that unfortunate. I’m often asked which me is better—the one standing up or sitting down. My answer is neither, or better yet, a combination of both. The physical me never showed what was on the inside, while the handicap me does nothing but expose that inner strength, and sometimes I think that can be intimidating.

8. Is there a chance you’ll ever walk again?
Not unless a medical breakthrough happens. I am hopeful that stem cell research will be pursued in our country now that the ban on its research will be lifted with the inauguration of our new president. And of course if a cure does come about in my lifetime, you better believe I’ll be the first in line to try it. However, I made the conscious decision a while back not to divert all of my attention on a cure and so I hardly follow the research and its progress. I don’t want to miss out on opportunities of life now because I’ve devoted myself to the possibilities of tomorrow. In other words, I try not to think about the life I might have one day but rather the life I have right now—and that works for me.

9. How long does that thing go for?
I’ve been told my wheelchair will stay charged for up to twenty-eight miles, however, I cannot actually provide any credible source to back that statement up.  So it’s possible it’s false. I do know that my chair goes for days before it needs charging, although I plug it in every night before I go to bed. The one time I did run out of juice, someone had to push me home to an outlet. It wasn’t a big deal, just a hassle.

10. Do you realize what an inspiration you are for everyone else?
I never know how to respond to this question. The way I see it is that I went to work one day and never made it back home the same. I didn’t have a choice in the matter. But now that I’m here—a quadriplegic that is confined to a wheelchair—I am committed to making the best of the situation. So I appreciate those of you who acknowledge those efforts, but I hardly think they’re worthy of being called inspirational. I’m just doing what I was taught—I’m not giving up. I do not think that it’s a “gift” necessarily, but more that I simply don’t know how to do anything else.

Phew. I survived and made it through the 10 questions. Thank you for taking the time to read it. Please also take the time to read Dejon’s story.

Fast forward to a month or so later, both of us had appointments with our Liberal Studies director at Rollins to discuss our thesis projects. I knew what I wanted to do; I had set-up this web site years ago with hopes it would become my graduation ticket. I was surprised, however, when Shelby asked me, “How would you feel if I used your van idea as my thesis project?” I was stunned that someone wanted to take on such a project, nevertheless do it in my honor. I was also unsure how this could fit into the guidelines of our creative thesis requirements.
“Are you serious? I’d feel awesome,” I replied.  Shelby is like the unnamed Mayor of Thorton Park. If anyone could pull it off, I knew she would be the one.
“Great. I’m meeting with Dr. Smithers in two days.”

Since that conversation, Shelby has titled the fundraiser Project Vandalism; she’s established many events to raise money for the cause; she’s connected almost everyone that lives and/or owns a business downtown to the project (including Mayor Dyer); and so far, she’s risen over $10,000. My little idea has turned into a two-day, three-ringed circus and the thought of this overwhelms me. I cannot think of a better way to say, “Thanks everyone, and the community, you have given me an excellent ten years and now I’d like to pay it forward,” than to raise money and buy an accessible van for a deserving family.

Part of Shelby’s thesis is that she journals the PV events, but also that she journals what she learns about Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) along the way. So I took Shelby to a SCI support group meeting at Lucerne Hospital (I didn’t think it fair that I be her only model. After ten years, I am very acclimated to my injury, spoiled even. I was also injured on the job, therefore, I’ve always had my own van—my own everything for that matter.) I had tried to prepare her for what she was about to see, but it’s usually not possible, not even for someone like me who has personally experienced it. Persons that are newly injured and their privacy are violated in such a way, that they will share their new feelings of desperation and frustration with anyone, even strangers. Their appearance also can be shocking. They are shaking, from shivers or unwelcomed muscle spasms; they’re legs are wrapped in bandages like mummies to encourage blood circulation, they are bed-bathed but not showered, gowned, pale and overall, sickly looking. Within minutes of the support meeting starting, I looked over at Shelby. It was already too late. She was shaking her head at me, sobbing, but obviously trying not to. I had expected that. What neither of us had expected was to meet the family we would eventually want to purchase the van. As quick as we exited the hospital, Shelby blurted, ‘We have to buy the van for Dejon.’ I answered without hesitation, ‘I know.’

Dejon and Angela have been boyfriend and girlfriend for over ten years, they’ve been a couple since the young father was just 13. They have a 7-year-old son together named Tony and a one-month old girl named Liliana (The newborn came days after we met Angie.) On June 14, 2008, Dejon was in a car accident that left him a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down, with little to no movement in his arms. As he told us his story, we were captivated by him. It wasn’t necessarily the way he was injured—because everyone who gets injured has a good story—but were impressed by his overall attitude, his will to live and his unconditional love for his family.

This interview was conducted in the living room of Dejon’s apartment; it’s the only room that his tilting power wheelchair fits in. Like other out-dated apartments, the doorways are too small for his machinery and new lifestyle. While I interviewed Dejon, Angie sat on the couch holding Liliana and Tony sat on his father’s twin sized hospital bed watching attentively. I’m often asked the reasons why we chose this family, and I hope this interview showcases that. More than an explanation though, I hope this interview is an inspiration for more community projects like PV. It’s as easy as starting with a simple idea, and then finding someone who believes in it. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to Project Vandalism, and thanks to Shelby for believing in me. Being a part of this whole process has become another reminder of why I wake up each morning; and also why I love living in my community.

Jana: To begin, will you please share the story of how you got paralyzed?
Dejon: I was out driving one day with a friend and we went to another friend’s house. We cleaned out the car; then got in the car and I said [to my friend], ‘I’m tired of driving. Do you want to drive?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’ll drive.’ We were in a Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006, Saturday afternoon. We went to Wendy’s, and then my friend had said he had some running around to do. I wanted to go home and chill with my girlfriend. So I told him, ‘Let’s go get your car so you can go do your thing.’
I guess he had a girl waiting for him or something, because he was real anxious to get to his car. He started driving really fast; I didn’t pay it no mind though and just laid my chair back. I told him, ‘Wake me up when we get to your house.’ And we never made it to his house. When I woke up, I was in ICU.

When you woke up in the ICU, what were the first thoughts to come to your mind?
‘What am I doing here?’ I kept hearing, ‘Beep … beep … beep.’ I saw tubes everywhere. I saw my girlfriend, Angela. She said, ‘You know I’m going to be here everyday, right?’ I saw my grandmother. She said, ‘Dejon, do you know that I’m your grandmother?’ I tried to talk but I couldn’t. I was wondering why I couldn’t talk; then I just went back to sleep. I woke up again and saw a bunch of friends. ‘You alright man … you going to be alright,’ [they said.] I went back to sleep because I couldn’t talk. I tried to get up outta that bed, but I couldn’t move. It was a weird feeling.

The reason why you couldn’t talk was because you had a trach in your throat?
A ventilator, yeah.

At one point did you realize the seriousness of your accident?
Probably like a week after being in ICU. When the nurses [originally] told me, I didn’t believe ‘em. They kept saying, ‘You’re paralyzed and you might need a ventilator for the rest of your life. You were in a bad accident.’ I kept saying, ‘No, no!’ I kept trying to spit out the tubes and moving my head—all I could move was my head and shoulders then. I wasn’t moving my arms yet. They had to hold me down and strap the tubes to my mouth.
Angie told me, ‘You got in a real bad accident. You’ll be better after awhile, but right now, you have to be like this.’ I kept asking her, ‘Why can’t I feel anything? Why can’t I get up?’ One of my friends asked, ‘When you were in ICU …’—I was in ICU for twenty days—‘you woke up and your eyes were so big and wide. Why?’ I said, ‘Because I swore it was a dream.’ I was in shock. I never thought this could happen to me. Not me—not Dejon.

Is your injury permanent?
[Pauses] Yeah … I think so. They say I’m a C5-6. I don’t really know too much about it; I’m just now learning what it all means.

When they told you that you were paralyzed—and it had soaked in—what thoughts came to mind then?
‘How am I going to get through life like this? How am I going to get around? What are people going to think when they see me? How am I going to take care of my kids? Is my girlfriend going to leave me?’ There’s a bunch of thoughts—a million thoughts.

How are you coping with it?
Every day gets better. I don’t cry anymore because I’ve accepted it, but it’s still hard. ‘Babe, can you turn me over? Can you fix the pillow?’ You know? I’ve always been independent and now I have to ask for everything I want. ‘Can I get a drink? I’m hungry; can you feed me?’ You know?

Yes, I know—I do know.
It’s hard.

What did you do before your injury?
Work—I was a welder.

How has being paralyzed changed that aspect of your life?
My hands aren’t working right now; I need to get my wrist extension back. Maybe if I can get my wrist back [and functioning], I can work. But right now, I can’t hold a rod—or anything for that matter. And the heat, I probably can’t take all that heat now. So yeah, it’s changed; I need to find a new trade.

Can you tell us what a typical day is like for you right now?
I wake up—depending on what time I have therapy—and Angie gets me dressed; she gets me breakfast; she brushes my teeth; she helps me get in my wheelchair. Then, she gets Liliana ready; feeds her. Then the bus comes and I go to the rehab center. I do two hours of therapy everyday. I wait for them [Lynx transportation] to pick me up; I come home; I watch TV and talk on the phone; I go outside and ride around the neighborhood; I come back in the house; I talk to Angie; I get put in the bed; and then I do it all again tomorrow.

What are you going to do when therapy ends?
Just try to get stronger by working out. I’m going to find resources and network; I need to find out about people like me. I’m going to try to find a job, something I can do. I got to keep moving forward. I’m already on the bottom step, now I just need to keep climbing up.

What is the most frustrating part of your day?
Asking Angie to do everything. It’s frustrating because she has the baby—she has to take care of the newborn baby—and she has Tony, but he can basically do things on his own. She has to keep him in line though. Then I have to ask her to get me up and put my shoes, my pants, my shirt on, then get me in the chair, get me something to drink … it’s frustrating. Sometimes I’m thirsty or need something when she’s helping the baby—but I’m going to let her do that—that baby comes first, you know? It still frustrating that I can’t grab the cup and get me something to drink, or go in the kitchen and cook me some food while she does that.

Nevertheless, you probably want to help her with Illiana.
Yes! I can’t just hold her and say, ‘I got it for right now. Go take a nap … or a bath.’ You know?

Now that you’re paralyzed, what are the things you miss the most?
Walking around and running with my son, driving around, going up stairs—it’s the little things—standing up in the bath, jumping on my bed or throwing myself down, legs off the bed, rolling around—I miss that stuff.

Can you describe what it is like to use the Lynx transportation system?
It’s the worst. Lynx—you have to be ready an hour ahead of time, two hours ahead of time from where you’re trying to go. They come whenever they want to come. If they set a time at 1 or 1:30, they might come at 2—and you just have to deal with it. It’s the same thing after you finish what you’re doing, they may be there an hour late or twenty minutes early, but you have to be ready for them.

Have they ever left you behind?
Yeah, the very first day. I wasn’t even in therapy yet, but I had to go to the doctor. The guy asked, ‘How much people are there?’ Angie told him, ‘Two—me and him, but I also need to bring my baby; I have a newborn.’ He said, ‘The baby is a passenger too, you’ll have to pay for it.’ We said, ‘OK.’ But he didn’t think there was room, at least that’s what he called and told his boss. My brother was here, luckily. So he was going to go with me instead. He [the driver] said, ‘Fine, you have five minutes to get out.’ I didn’t have a shirt on. Once I got that on and was to the ramp [at my front door], he was already putting his ramp up. He said, ‘Your five minutes are up and I already called in a no-show.’ So we had to call for another ride; and he left. It’s very frustrating.

Especially considering how long it probably takes you to get ready in the morning.
Yeah. It takes an hour, and that’s just to get the wrap on my legs, my shoes, pants and shirt on.

What would it mean for you and your family to have your own means of transportation?
It would mean the world. We could go out when we want to. We can go places, like out to dinner. We wouldn’t have to pay for a Taxi or wait on Lynx. We could get around when ever we needed to—it’s freedom all over again.

How have the kids adjusted to your injury?
Liliana doesn’t know much right now, and Tony, he’s been a real big help. At first he wanted to know where his Dad was at, when I was in ICU. He asked, ‘Where’s my Dad at? And why isn’t he here on Father’s day?’ Now, he’s just a big help. I’ll ask, ‘Babe, can you put another pillow under my head?’ But Tony will come running to do it. He says, ‘I know you’re going to get better Dad.’


Liliana and Tony

Tony, what do you think about your Dad and the things he’s going through right now?
[He smiles real big.] I think he’s funny … and he asks me funny questions.

[I turn back to Dejon] And what about Angie? Where do you think you’d be without her?
I don’t even know. I ask her that all the time. ‘What would I do without you? What would it be like? Would I strive to be better? What would I do? Who would help me? Who else would do this for me? Would I be in Florida? Where would I be? What would happen to me? Would I be in a nursing home?’ I always ask, ‘Where would I be?’

Do you have family here?
Brothers and sisters—the rest are in New York. They wanted me to come up there so they could help me, but every building that someone in my family lives in has stairs, except one. Only one building has an elevator. It’s not wheelchair friendly at all. I’ve told them Angie needs help, because we don’t have any other help—no nurses or aids … nothing. They said we can come up there but I don’t see how that’ll work with one aunt having an elevator. I wouldn’t be able to see my grandmother, unless they lifted me up stairs. That’d be too hard.

If you don’t mind me asking, what is your financial situation right now? And what kind of strain has put on your family?
A big one. I used to help; it was me and Angie. We both worked. Now she does everything; she carries the whole burden on her back.

And she’s taking care of all of you?
She’s taking care of all of us—all three of us—all by herself.

What are three things that you think people should know about spinal cord injuries?
One is that you have to be strong. That’s the first thing—to be strong and don’t give up. The second thing is you have to learn to adjust. It’s a different life, but it’s a life and you’re still around. The third thing is to be patient. Everything isn’t going to happen in a blink of an eye, even though we got injured in a blink of an eye, we’re not going to get better in one day. You have to be patient, and patient with the people who are helping you because they don’t have to do it.

What inspires you to keep getting out of bed every morning?
My kids—that little girl Liliana—she makes me get up and push. When I’m at therapy, she looks at me with eyes wide open and I push myself. I have to get better, just for her … Tony … and Angie—they make me.

If you could go back to your able body—like back before any of this happened—what’s the first thing you would do?
Hug and kiss Angie; throw Liliana up and around my neck; tell Tony, ‘Let’s race;’ I’d take a long shower; dive in a pool … I’d do a lot of things—that day would never end.

Is there anything you’d like to say to those who have donated to Project Vandalism?
I’d like to say thank you. Even though I don’t know you, I love you. Thanks for helping me out; thanks for even just the thought. When you had called to tell me that you wanted to donate a van to me, I asked Angie, ‘Why are they donating it to me for? Because I’ve never won anything in my life.’ I always lose win I gamble. So it’s a blessing. Thank you—thank you to you, and everybody, for everything they’ve done … every penny.

And will you be at the party to celebrate with us?
I will be there … probably the first one there … I have to get there early, you know? [Laughs]

*Interview Date: October 18, 2008

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The last time I told someone I had my tarot cards read, they replied, “You believe in that crap?” The answer is yes I do—I am a sucker for tarot card readings. And when I say sucker, I don’t necessarily mean it in the way most people say it to me after I confess that I pay for tarot card readings. I am sucker because I understand how silly it may seem for someone to invite a psychic stranger into their personal life, yet I have no problem doing so. In fact, it’s become a “thing to do” when traveling, like watching a sunset on the beach or touring the Empire State Building. I am comfortable with the idea that I gravitate towards neon signs that say PSYCHIC READINGS HERE, even though most people may not be.
     So it should come as no surprise that I sought out Judith at the Downtown Orlando Farmer’s Market. The sign Psychic Tarot Reading was all it took for me to rummage through my purse for some cash. Luckily, I had some on me because Judith’s card reading, more than any other I have had before, brought some good insight into my life. No, she did not predict my future but instead confirmed ideas and thoughts that had been already floating around in my head. Because I say, “Yes, I believe in that crap,” when I’m questioned about tarot card reading, I asked Judith to do an interview with me with hopes she could explain tarot cards better than I can.  
     What was most interesting about Judith’s interview was our conversation after the recorder was turned off. I sat with her in the booth for an hour, only after she called me out for having a rose and pink aura.  I would like to tell you more about what that means but that’s personal … and I only tell strangers those sorts of things.

Jana: What are tarot cards? And what can a reading provide someone?
Judith: What are tarot cards? Tarot cards are a means of guidance. They’re a tool that dates back to Egypt. What can they tell somebody? They’re not fortune-telling or predicting kinds of tools. They give verification of what you are already know. There are some things that you may be struggling with—that you kind of know in your heart—and when somebody you don’t know tells you … you really need to look at those things. So I think they are a guidance tool more than anything else but sometimes there are messages that aren’t about guidance. If those messages want to be received, they’ll come out.

When was your first tarot card experience?
When I was a young teenager, like 14 or 15.

Can you describe what happened?
I bought some tarot cards at a university book store. I don’t even know why I was there at that age, but I was.

Do you remember what university?
Syracuse. I bought the cards and had a bunch of friends come over, opened them up and went, “This is pretty cool.” [Laughs]

At one point did you start giving readings?
I pretty much didn’t do a whole lot with them [the cards] after that. I was using other tools. About 15 years ago, I took a tarot class from a woman that is here locally. Her name is Kim Way. I did it mostly because—I think—I was a little skeptic. Also, a friend of mine wanted to go [to the class] but she didn’t want to go alone. The first time I went, I was like, “Hmmm … I don’t know about this.” But I kept going back; my friend didn’t. Then Kim and I became very good friends and the rest is history.

So Kim is like a mentor for you?
She is absolutely a mentor.

How did you know that reading tarot cards was something that you had a gift for?
I suspected it, but Kim kind of clarified that for me. She made me read other people’s cards that I didn’t know, but that had known her or taken her class. Based on that feedback, I thought, “Maybe this is something I do need to do.”

Can anyone give readings?
Yes.

So it’s just a matter of learning the cards and what they mean?
No. I mean, actually you can do that and probably give a really good reading. If you read a book, you could say, “This means this and that means that.” Everyone is intuitive and I think everyone is a psychic; it’s just a matter of closing everything out and getting in touch with it.
     I think anyone can read tarot cards. The problem is that most people are so preoccupied with outside stuff that they don’t listen. It’s kind of like, you know, what your gut tells you. It says, “Don’t go there or don’t do that,” and then you go there or do that. Then you’re like, “Why did I do that when I knew I shouldn’t have?”

How many years have you been giving readings?
Um … tarot card readings? Probably for 12 years. But photograph readings, [I’ve given them] for as long as I can remember.

What is a photograph reading?
Looking at a photograph and picking up on energy.

OK. Yeah, I wanted to talk about sensing energy. Do you see colorful auras around people?
Sometimes. There is atmospheric energy and there is imprinted energy, stuff that is so powerful that it is an imprint and it is not coming from spirit.

Do different colors mean different things?
Yes, different colors have different meanings.

Has there ever been a time when someone has gone mad by what you have told them?
No, and that is because I’ve been lucky. I don’t give gloom and doom for one thing. If somebody wants to know something and they are supposed to receive the message they will. Shoving something negative down somebody’s throat that is negative … I think some people do that, I mean, I’ve heard about people giving those kinds of readings. I can’t imagine why … it just blows me away. It’s not about gloom and doom.

What condolences can you offer skeptics or people who may think you make these readings up? I mean, you mentioned you were once a skeptic. What moment changed that for you?
I think personal experience; it was my up bringing, coming from a very devout religious … there’s not that much of a difference in thinking tarot cards or mediumship works and believing in a “there after.” You still believe there is something more. It’s an easy line to blur.

So if someone isn’t open to a reading, it probably isn’t even worth taking the time to read their cards.
No, it’s not. I’ve read people that are skeptics, and during the reading they’re like, “That’s not true. I’ve never done that. Nope, that’s not me. You’re wrong.” It’s like, OK then. Why are you even here? Why did you come here to get a reading? That happens a lot. But then, their wife or husband is standing there saying, “That’s them. That’s them.” So I think it’s all part of the road to not being a skeptic. People get their feet wet and then they grumble about it. But they are there and they are getting there feet wet. So they’re looking.

What is the most common life element people want to know about?
There’s a couple—love, money and job. It’s all about the material world; it’s all about security. Very few people want to know about where they’re going spiritually or if they’re on the right road with their spiritual beliefs, whether it is traditional or not. They want to know about love and is he cheating on me? Is he seeing somebody else? Is he lying? Am I going to get a promotion? Am I going to get a job with more money? It’s mundane stuff.

Do you ever become emotionally attached to your clients?
No, because I don’t remember the readings. And a lot of the time if someone comes back I don’t remember because at that particular moment, I am translating what is on the cards. And when it’s done I don’t keep that. If I carried that around with me, with as many people as I read, I would be a total nut. So after I read the cards, I put them away and it’s done. Now, if they want to talk to me when I’m not looking at cards, then maybe I might remember something.   

Do you dream differently than others?
I think I pay more attention than a lot of people. You know, I’m big on … I pay attention. If I keep dreaming about the same animal, that animal is going to mean something to me. I’m going to figure out why it keeps coming into my dreams.

What are your expectations from someone who wants a reading done?
That they walk away with something that they needed to know, and it might not be the thing they thought they needed to know. The person might want a reading because of love or money [questions] and it might not come up in the reading. But instead I hope they can walk away with what does come up and embrace that little bit of information.

Is it hard to make a living reading tarot cards?
Yes. [Laughs] Yes!

Do you pay taxes?
Yeah. It’s hard to make a living because it’s never a set thing. Like, today it’s raining and [the market] is done. With a conventional job, you can earn a certain amount per hour, minus taxes, plus health benefits. When you’re self employed, you have to pay taxes and insurance with no guarantees.

On average, how many will you do during the Sunday Farmer’s market?
That’s a difficult question. We’re in Florida, it’s seasonal. In October and November, I may read 40-50 people in a day. In July and August, I may read 5.

When was the last time you read your own tarot cards?
I don’t read my own tarot cards.

When was the last time you had them read?
Actually, I get them read quite often. I’d say three weeks ago. Most of my friends read tarot cards; they work at Avalon, the Dandelion and Café Tu Tu Tango. So when we get together, we read each others cards.

Where do you see yourself in the future?
Reading tarot cards. I enjoy mediumship, that’s where I’m headed.

Interview Date: August 31, 2008

* If you’d like to have your cards read by Judith, visit her at the Downtown Orlando Farmer’s Market every Sunday from 9-4p.m. You can also book her for private readings and parties at    407-314-1891   .

Page 15 is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping inner city kids discover their voices through reading and creative writing. It’s also a foundation that my best friend Julia has dreamed about doing since we ran laps around Lake Silver for high-school soccer practice. Nearly fifteen years later, she has made the foundation become a reality.

The Page 15 kick-off is a five-week camp that starts this summer at the Urban Think! Bookstore in Thorton Park. Five groups of kids will meet for one week at the bookstore, for a total of five weeks, to write their first children’s book. They also get the chance to design the cover of their book as told to a professional illustrator, experience a reading of a children’s book by the author himself and cooperate with a musician in writing a class song. When the camp started with its first group, a brilliant but wild bunch of kindergartners, I was there to help Julia corral the young writer’s.

The highlight for me was interviewing each child for their Author’s Bio found on the back of each writer’s book. The interviews were only meant to be short, but when a couple of the kids started talking I just couldn’t stop. And so I pressed on with more questions until they were ready to end the interview, which wasn’t long. Below are interviews from Justin and Graham, two very talented young men. I can only hope you enjoy the interviews as much as I enjoyed conducting them.

Justin’s Interview

Jana: Do you know what this is called?
Justin: No.

It’s a recorder. Do you know what it does?
No.

It’s going to record our voices. OK?
OK. And then you’re going to put it onto paper at the end.

You got it. How old are you?
6

Where are you from?
Orlando

How long have you lived in Orlando?
100 hours

What do you like about living in Orlando?
I like my X-Box and my PSP game.

What do you not like about Orlando?
Somebody ruined my perfect life.

Somebody ruined your perfect life?
Yeah, that’s right.

How did someone ruin your perfect life?
Because I always tell them something to do … but they don’t do what I do.

Oh, you mean they won’t do what you tell them?
Yeah.

Got it. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to talk to Mommy; she can take me to the game store.

Have you ever been to Disney?
Yes, I did.

What did you think about it?
It was so good. I went on the Peter Pan ride and then I screamed like this, “Kapoo-whoo kapoo-whoo.” I did.

What is the first thing you think about when you wake up?
I just scream and then I run. And then I push Courtney, and then I lock her up under my pillow. She says, ‘Boy, I’m gonna slap you in the face.’ And she does.

Who is Courtney?
My girlfriend. She always keep on slapping me in the face all day.

Are you in school right now?
Yes.

Are you in school or are you in camp?
[Laughs] I’m in camp.

Do you like camp?
Yeah.

Are you going into the first grade next year?
This is not school. This is camp!

I know, but next year are you going into the first grade?
I don’t know.

OK, well what do you think school will be like next year?
I am not going to school. I want to stay here all day, OK? I don’t want to leave here because I like this. And I like what you do.

Well OK, and thank-you. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
Hmm. I want to be [pauses] spider-man.

How are you going to go about becoming Spider-man?
I’m going to climb up the walls and I’m gonna spin my web. Then, I’m gonna fly up and catch a bird. Then I’m gonna fly down and give the bird to Mommy. And then I’m going to get the bird a cage.

Do you know who the president of the United States is?
Yes … president Daddy. My Daddy is president.

Who is your hero?
Courtney because she always wants to throw me into the pillows.

Courtney? That’s your girlfriend, right?
Yeah, I know. That’s all … that’s all the question’s I got.

You mean answers? Well, can I ask one more question?
Yes.

How about three more questions?
No, I like one.

Name three things you’d like to do this summer.
I’d like to get a cake, and then I’d like to put the cake in … that is not my question [laughs]. I am just kidding. I’d like to have nice stuff, and I’d like to do good, and I’d like for everybody to do what ever I say.


Graham’s Interview

Jana: Do you remember what this device is called?
Graham: A phone?

No, it looks like a phone. What is it?
I don’t know.

It’s called a recorder. Do you know what it is going to do for us?
Call somebody?

No, it’s going to record our voices. So go ahead and say your full name into the recorder.
[Pauses] I don’t have a full name.

OK, then just say your regular name.
Graham

And how old are you Graham?
5 ½

Where are you from?
Orlando, Fl

How long have you lived in Orlando?
For 100 million days.

What do you like best about living in Orlando?
I like my new baby sister … baby Sarah.

What do you not like about Orlando?
That we had to move to a different house and I still miss the old house.

If you could go anywhere in the entire world, where would you go?
I would go back to the time of the dinosaurs and fight the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

What is the first thing that you think about when you wake up in the morning?
The first thing that I think about when I wake up is checking on my pet tadpole.

Does the tadpole have a name?
Uh hmm, his name is Taddy.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Max

Are you in school right now?
No.

Are you in camp?
Yes.

What do you like about camp?
I like making books for my mommy and daddy.

Are you starting kindergarten this year?
[He shakes his head yes.]

What do you think kindergarten will be like?
I think it’ll be, like, a lot of homework and you will go on a field trip to the zoo.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A fisherman. And then when I’m finished being a fisherman, I’ll be a horse rider … and then a zookeeper.

How are you going to go about becoming a fisherman?
I’m going to catch a lot of fish—maybe even a saw-fish.

Do you know who the president of the United States is?
The person that … I don’t know.

Well do you know what the president might do?
He might tell people to do good things.

Who is your hero?
[Pauses]

Do you have a hero?
Um, no … wait, I do have a hero. It’s the girl that was wearing a white shirt yesterday; she helped me not throw up.

Miss Julia?
Yeah.

Why were you going to throw up?
Because I went too fast on that blue thing that goes around and around. [He is referring to the blue spin bucket at the playground in Lake Eola Park.]

Name three things you are going to do this summer.
I am gonna go to Montana for my birthday. Two, I am gonna go to Maine. And three, I’m gonna go fishing with Cole.

What is your favorite food?
Chicken nuggets and French fries … I’m thirsty.

To learn how you can donate or become a part of Page 15, please visit www.page15.org.

* Interview date: June 11, 2008

Finding a homeless person in the park is easy. Finding one that is willing to share their story is a bit more difficult. Because Robin was reading when I found her, I assumed she would have a voice. I hoped that she could give a true account of her lifestyle, unlike someone who may have a mental illness. I approached her with two sodas and ten bucks.

Robin accepted my offer to interview her with no inhibitions. She was much more gentle and kind than I had imagined any homeless person would be. There were times during this interview when Robin smiled and laughed, though it seemed more likely that she wanted to cry. Mostly, she spoke effortlessly.

It’s hard to ask someone to open up to you without feeling an obligation to help them. I think of Robin often. I use to see her downtown all the time. Then one day it stopped.

Jana: So Robin, where are you from?
Robin: Originally, New Jersey.

New Jersey? What made you come to Orlando?
[Laughs] I don’t know. It was a wish and a dream I guess. I came here in 2000 and just never left.

What did you come down here to do?
I guess to just get away … from Jersey … from everything.

What were you trying to get away from?
Nothing, I guess. Nothing … I just thought a change would be different.

Do you have a home?
No.

Where is your home?
Basically, where we lay our heads. [Laughs] We’re usually up by Princeton, not down in this area.

So you only come into the city during the day time?
Yeah.

How did you lose your home?
I didn’t really have too much of a home when I first got here to Florida. It’s like, you work, get a room, work, get a room. Basically, we were living in motels … and workin’.

What kind of job did you have?
I was working in labor pools. You know, construction clean-up, dishwashin’ and things like that.

Did you lose that job?
No, the labor pools closed down. Then jobs got scarce.

I’m not sure I know exactly what you mean by labor pool. Could you help explain that to me?
It’s daily labor with daily pay. You work and you get your check at the end of the day. They call it labor pools because they contract you out to other businesses. Like a business will contact a labor pool, and then the labor pool will send you out. They pay the labor pool, um … I don’t know how to put it, but basically, they pay the labor pool double what you’d get. You still get your minimum wage but that labor pool gets like $13 an hour.

Are you looking for another job?
That’s what I’m currently doing now because I just stopped drinking two months ago. I’m trying to get my … everything together.

What makes it hard for you to find a job?
Um, now … well with being a convicted felon, that’s the hardest thing.

What did you do to become a convicted felon?
Robbery with subsequent force. It would have been petty theft but she touched me.

Can you describe a typical day for you?
When I’m not working, basically, I wake up, come and hang out here. Then when it’s time to go for lunch we find a place. Then hang out here until about 7 o’clock, then we head back to go lay down.

What do you do to keep your mind busy when you’re hanging out?
I read. Here and there I’ll listen to music, things like that.

What do you read?
Everything. I read mysteries … I don’t like love stories.

I’m not too much into reading love stories either. [Laughs]
Yeah, I like mysteries. I have Reader’s Digest. Sometimes, I just like magazines. I like reading books. I don’t like carrying them around with me all day. I might put it down and lose it.

Have you met a lot of friends out here?
I can’t say they are friends. I can say they’re more like acquaintances. There wouldn’t be anyone here, except my boyfriend, that I’d trust my life with … besides the man up above, that’s it.

So your boyfriend is like your family?
Down here? Yeah.

And is he also searching for jobs and a home?
Yeah.

Where did you meet him?
Here in Florida. Right here.

Like here, right here on this park bench?
Oh no. [Laughs] Basically we started interacting because we worked the same labor pools.

What about other family? Do you have any children?
Four.

Do you ever talk to them?
And a grandson. I haven’t talked to my kids in … last year was the last time I talked to them. I need to get their numbers all back because someone stole my bag.

Do you miss them?
Yeah.

Where are they?
Back in Jersey.

How do they feel about you being here?
My younger kids don’t know where I’m at. My eldest daughter knows I had a drinking problem. I’m not saying that’s the whole problem … I just can’t blame it on that.

Have you been living this lifestyle since you moved to Florida?
Yep, for seven years.

What is your favorite time of the day?
[Laughs] Night time—when it’s time to lay down. To me, the best time is when the day is over. It’s like, okay, maybe the next day will be better, something better will happen.

Do you have any hobbies?
Here, I don’t really do nuttin’. When I was up north, I did crafts and I knew how to crochet. I still do know how. Here, it’s like, um … you got … a rut …you’re here, you’re just here.

Do you think the city does a good job of taking care of you?
[Laughs] No!

What can the city do to help you get back on your feet?
They need to … well for one, housing. Housing is the biggest thing [wrong] out here. As you can see, everything that is going up is a step away from low-income housing. Then when they talk about it in Orange County, about having lower income housing for the needy, they’re talking about nurses, firemen and people like that. Well okay, what about the people on Welfare, Section 8 and things like … well we’re a couple and we are trying to struggle. And even if we work on a daily pay, it’s a little over $100. A room is $60 a night. What can we do with that $40? You gotta eat, get to work the next day … and I smoke cigarettes because I stopped drinking, so all the money is gone already. It’s like a never ending cycle.

The City of Orlando wasn’t this bad when I first got here. But I understand it ain’t just the city, it’s the homeless themselves. Some took advantage of the things they were given. Like, you used to be able to go to certain places and get bus passes to go to the doctor or something. Then people started taking advantage and getting, like, ten bus passes and selling them. You used to be able to sit in this park and eat, the churches would come around. But they stopped that because people abused it. They left their garbage all over the place. The bottom line is you’ve got to help yourself before anyone else is really gonna help you. I sit here and I can have a pity party, like, ‘Whoa is me.’ But then I’m still sittin’ here. I ain’t doing nuttin’. I ain’t getting up and putting in applications. The only way I can do it is to put it in God’s hands. In due time, I will get that job I need.

It seems like you’ve mastered this lifestyle. Do you ever feel afraid you’ll never be able to leave it?
You mean ever have a regular life?

I’m not sure anyone knows what a regular life is. Are you happy where you’re at?
No. I want to rent a place, an apartment with a clothes line in the back so I can hang up clothes. These are things I used to do. To me, that’s a normal life. To be out here, shuffling through a park and maybe get some money together for a room is not normal. Normal is having that key to go open that door, so you can go in and lay down and watch TV if you want—to come and go as you please. Even in shelters, you can’t do that. Once you’re there, you’re in until the next morning.

What’s your biggest fear in living this lifestyle?
Nowadays, it’s the way the young people are actin’ up with the homeless. Sometimes it doesn’t matter the weapons you got. You have to sleep with one eye open. They can find you anywhere. You know, I don’t fear it so much but it’s getting crazy out here. The fighting, the people carryin’ on … when I first came down here it was like a thrill. But now, I’m too old.

You had mentioned before that somebody had stolen your bag. Is crime a problem for you?
Oh yeah. Stealing bags and stealing clothes. Sometimes it’s weird because they can’t even fit in the stuff but they’ll take it, just to take it.

So is this all your stuff, right here? Is this all you have?
No, no, no. We put that up. I’m not one to carry all my stuff with me everywhere. If that was the case, I’d need two shopping carts. [Laughs] We ain’t those people that walk around with the shopping carts, you know? That’s like, “Hey, [look at me] I’m homeless.” They want everyone to know that.

A while back the city mandated that those who ask for money need to have a Panhandler’s License. Do you have one?
With the grace of God, I’ve never panhandled a day in my life. I’d go without. But some people—believe me—they make good money. [Laughs] They probably make more money than you make in a days work.

I bet. Do you like the way the people that come into the park look at you?
You know what, not here. When we sit here like this or when they feed down there by those blue chairs on Wednesdays, the people go by. They know. They looking. They be looking like, “Uh hmm … you’re homeless.” Some people don’t care. We get a lot of people, like church people, who don’t look at you any different. They’ll look at you like you’re their own child. Then you got some people around here with their nose up in the air. If you were passed out on the ground, they’d probably walk over you. You know? They’re probably like, that’s one less homeless person we got to worry about out on the street. But not all homeless are bad.

When was the last time you had a home cooked meal?
Oh we get ‘em. [The boyfriend who I thought was asleep appears to have been secretly paying attention. He says, “Yesterday.”] Yep, Monday … yesterday. We go to church, Calvary in Winter Park, and they have a program. We have Bible Study, drink coffee, eat donuts …

Do you ride the bus there?
No, they pick us up.

Sweet, so what’s for dinner tonight?
[Laughs] Sandwiches. Salvation Army. They used to serve really good food, but people complained about that. So they turned around and made it a soup line. You see, we got Daily Bread, that’s Monday thru Friday and Sundays, okay? We got The Salvation Army, that’s Monday through Friday. That’s dinners, Daily Bread is lunch. Now Saturday, you have The Ripple Effects, that’s underneath the bridge of the 408, and after that we know all the churches that we can branch out and go to.

So we know where to go but it ain’t the city doin’ that. That’s the churches doin’ that. The city don’t have so much a hand in The Sali [The Salvation Army] or Daily Bread. They might give it a place … but, like, when that park opens across from Daily Bread, Daily Bread’s gonna have to move too. They’re not gonna have seventy-five homeless standing in line for food next to where the kids are playing down right by the fire department.

As a mother, do you understand why they might move it?
Yeah, oh yes I do. I know they’re going to move it, just like they’re going to move The Coalition. They’re knocking everything down on Parramore.

But do you agree with it?
Yes I do. But they need an alternative. Look at all the empty warehouses. They need to be converted into something to help, and have it regulated, even have security. I mean they even breathalyze people going into The Sali now. The city can do something. They can have it on paper, and it’ll look so good. And then the city’s like, “Oh well, I don’t know.” So it goes on the back burner, and then it gets so way on the back burner, it ends up burning up.

So where do you see yourself next year?
Oh next year, I see myself working and in a place. I don’t think it’s going to be here in Orlando. I’m tired of Orlando. We want to go to South Carolina to see his parents [the boyfriend corrects her, North Carolina] … North Carolina. Then eventually I’ll go to Jersey to see my family.

What do you miss the most about not having a home?
Security.

*Interview Date: 7/10/2007