Oprah, Oct
22, 2012
“Be Encouraged!”
I remember just one of your shows well and it had this
statement within the context of you speaking to your “Grandma?” about the
troubles that you were having at one time in your personal life and she told
you “To be encouraged” and she spoke about the spirit and how during time of
great difficulties we must be encouraged in our life with our spirit guiding
the way. Yesterday those words came to me in thought when my “Niece”, Erin said I should write you a letter for help. It was a
good though and needed, remembering that I am blessed. I am also very ill, but
let me get to that in a moment: for I would like to tell you a little about my
family, and who I am to set the template for where I am today.
I grew up in Takoma Park Maryland Chicago
My story… Well I said my “Niece” in
quotes for she adopted me many years ago with several other kids on the street,
the troubled and many homeless kids, she said to write this letter, and she’s
got the right to mother me (on rare occasions). They all call me “Uncle Thor”
and now 8 years later their kids call me “Uncle Thor”. The way you become a
street uncle is being that one adult who looks after them, doesn’t judge them
and they are able to talk to about trouble. That’s when my story really starts.
I was a homeless addict living on the streets of Eugene Oregon six years ago. I
got accepted into the Culinary Program at Lane Community College in 2006 and
began going to school while homeless, waking mornings to dust the frost off my
sleeping bag, wake up the cat that waited for me every night and crawled into
the bag to keep my feet warm, put on my Culinary Uniform, stash my “Roll’ and
go to school. I would study at nights at the library or the park if it was a nice
day. I soon got a home but I had other battles still to over come. I entered
and graduated the Drug Court Program in 2007. It was during my time in Drug Court Lane County Drug Court
I asked my Chef Instructor later,
why did they keep asking me questions? He replied, “Your story inspires
people.”
I was in my 4th year
completing one A.A. in General studies, a class away from my A.A in Culinary
Arts, and well into the first steps to open my own Restaurant when my spine and
neck began moving, and I was hit by a car. I began getting help, but I just got
worse. I am a natural athlete even at 44, and ironically my last class needed
for my AA in General was PE in the winter of 2010, so I took track n field. I
was running on my own 3-5 miles a few times a week by the time term ended in
mid December. All the while I had begun having “Seizure/Spasm’s” down my left
side. I went from wearing a coat and tie, or other business dress and being in
the front of the class, the leader, to hiding myself and “them’ under my
hoddie. The Dr. Lin looked for a bleed in my brain no results. Everything
changes fast. December 18, 2010’ my spine shifts, and I began to
lose mobility. December 21, 2010 I was struggling down the road close to home
when my leg gave out and so did my whole body. I had my first full body “Spasm/Seizure”.
I was transported to the Hospital. Erin
and her man Devin came and took me home, carrying me up the stairs. 3 weeks
later while trying to get to school my neck let go in a gravel drive. As the
electric shock hit after the loud snap hit me; I hit the ground. I lay there
for a couple minuets and called Dad. School was done. I pulled out of all my
classes.
I learned to walk again in my
parking lot limping, chasing a small ball and had a PT that could me back
together. I finally jogged my first block after a several weeks of working up
to it. The money had long run out and the PT. I was on my own fighting a broken
medical system. I am poor.
I got inspired by one doctor, Dr.
Macha of the Slocum
Center Marathon , then to run in the Butte to Butte 10K July 4th,
and the all comes track meet winning the 100 and 200 yard dash in August. I
wrote to KVAL 13 news thanking them for hosting the event and how the staff
treated me during my episodes. I didn’t feel like a spectacle but an athlete.
They wanted to do an interview, and we met at my house august 13th
of this year, and I talked a little about my self, showed then my ribbons, and
said how maybe my story could inspire
others who were struggling or suffering. I went for a run right after this, and
got hit by a car in crosswalk. They never ran that interview, producer wanted
confirmation by my PCP, and he was not willing to be interviewed. They did
cover my next endeavor which all things considered is a better reason to be
interviewed, and a better cause with the same message, just this one lay in
action. I was contacted on FB by a mother who son Chris of “Team Chris
Simmons”. This little boy needed brain surgery and the family needed funds to
help with travel expenses, a yard/bake sale was the idea. I offered my help. I
used my contacts to get other local businesses, Lane C.C. Events and Culinary Center
My PCP doctor is in this broken system and
bound by its decrees. Last thing my PCP said to me was, “You’re just going to
have to live with it, and get some mental health help for the transition.” I
felt like looking around the room like “I know your not talking to this man.”
I am a very humble man. I am not
one to ask for help, but as in the way I said in “Divine Address Requested” TheEyeofThor.blogspot,
(and my book’ name) if you were to be my “Angel” sent by my prayers, who would
I, be to argue. Suffering and recognizing suffering, realizing how precious
every moment is, and not fighting just plain being thankful day to day, happy,
and to be encouraged is where I am. Giving what I can, full in-depth, and debt
paid the way I traveled to make it here, now, resting gently on this cliff of life
in broken body but triumphant spirit, heart, and faith transformed into better
man for the road finished or ahead. One more thing and the most important, for
if one person reads this and is inspired by it will have done it’s job.
Thor
Chef John Arthur Ernst
541-653-5332
