This is a repost from last year to remind myself and set a fire under my a...
JD - Life's Bucket List Done To date
This is a work in progress that I will keep updating. I did it to look back to see where I've been so I can see where elese I want to go. It's not complete but it's a snapshot of my life.
Some Highlights - Moments in my Life - A Story of who I was, who I became, turning points, forks in the road and what I've done. Cha Cha Changes.......
Growing Up - South Bronx:
Grew up in Mott Haven section of South Bronx - "One of the poorest areas in America then and now"
Almost got thrown off Willis Ave Bridge between Harlem and Bronx @ Age 13
Dropped Out of High School at age 15
Studied Kung Fu Wu Su @ age 15. became student instructor
Designed and created own pants styles @ age 15
Had a gun put to my head 5 times - never shot
Lower East Side
Lived on 4th St and Ave A in Lower East Side in the 70's
Killed a rat with a stick in my Lower East Side Apartment
Observed the Blackout in 1977 on LES
Education;
Dropped out of HS at age 15
Received GED - General Education Diploma at age 24
Graduated Empire State college with a BA
Attended two years of MA program @ CCNY
Radical Years;
Became a leader in a Maoist Party @ age 25
Led a youth tour to the People's Republic of China in 1978 at age 25
Walked on the Great Wall in 1978
Became an ex-Maoist @ age 28
Working Life:
Worked 1st job as delivery boy @ local grocery @ age 13
Worked in Paint Factory as shipping clerk in the South Bronx
Worked in Chinatown as a shipping clerk
Worked in Post office as a Mail Handler for five years
Worked as a substitute teacher in the Bronx for 3 days
Worked as an Oral History interviewer for Lehman College
Drove a gypsy cab in the Bronx for 1 week - the summer that there was a wave of murders of gypsy cab drivers in the Bronx
Drove a truck for one week
Trained as a phone installer for NY telephone company
Wrote as a Youth Organizer in the Northwest Bronx
Worked as aerobics instructor and salesman for Jack La Lanne for 1 year
Worked as anti-arson organizer with The People's Firehouse in Brooklyn
Worked as a Research interviewer
Worked as a loan office for mortgage company in LA
Worked as a counselor for runaways @ Covenant House in LA
Worked as a overnight counselor at a mental health home
Worked as a counselor at a Food Shelter in South Central LA
Acted in theater, murder mystery dinner theater and films
Worked as a production manager on rap videos
Worked as a rep for music video directors
Worked as a line producer on feature films
Worked as a producer of feature films
Oral History;
Worked as an Oral History Interviewer with Bronx Oral History Project @ Lehman College
Conducted over 12 interviews that are part of Bronx Oral History Collection
Interviewed Oral Historian Studs Terkel
Was interviewed by Studs Terkel and interview appeared in his book "The Great Divide"
Acting;
Acted in Murder Mystery Dinner Theater in LA and Palmdale
Acted in 10 Theatrical Plays in New York and LA
Performed in play based on interviews conducted entitled "The Bronx Speaks Up"
Wrote and performed autobiographical piece entitled "Goodbye My Friend" in honor of friend/girlfriend Cookie who died of AIDS @ LA theater
Acted in over 10 feature and short films
Filmmaking:
Created, Produced and Hosted 12 Public Access Show's "Take Two"
Created, Produced and Hosted 10 Public Access Show's "Bronx to Hollywood"
Filmed and directed documentary "V" about Puerto Rican female basketball player from Far Rockaway, NY
Produced/Line Produced 15 features, 4 shorts, 8 music videos, 2 commercials and training videos
Filmed feature films in South Carolina, Georgia "Who's Your Caddy?" and New Mexico "Unspeakable".
Line Produced a series of training videos with US Marine Corp @ Camp Pendelton, Beuford SC and Quantico VA
Motivation:
Walked across hot coals over a dozen times @ Tony Robbins' Fire-walks
Attended 2 week Tony Robbins Seminars in Maui 2 x
Writing:
Wrote monthly article for Bronx radical newspaper "White Lightning"
Wrote Drama Screenplay "Waiting for Fidel"
Wrote autobiographical theater piece "Goodbye my Friend"
Wrote short film "Goodbye My Friend"
Created and wrote a daily Motivational Blog - "The Glass is 3/4's Full" since 2007
Created and wrote a Irish-American Blob " Duffy Square"
Wrote 1st draft of my memoir "Black irish - Not Your Average White Boy"
Wrote and created Doc series and Non-Fiction Book "American Dreamers'
Family:
Got married in Long Island NY 17 years ago
I held my daughter in my arms and cut her cord when she was born
Attended many Mommy and me groups with my daughter
Rode horses with my 3 year old daughter on top of Hollywood sign
Vacationed with family in Maui
Vacationed with family in Santa Fe New Mexico
Had snowball fights with my daughter in Santa Fe on her first encounter with snow
Attended family reunion in Foxford Ireland St. Patrick's Day 2008
Rode horses with my daughter thru Ashford Castle and the standing sets from John Wayne's "The Quiet Man" 2 separate times.
Read to my daughter almost every night since she was little
Created and wrote in a series of Journals for my daughter that capture the Magic
Travel:
Walked on the Great Wall In PRC in 1978
Traveled and visited the following States: 1. Oregon, 2. Hawaii 3. Nevada 4. New Jersey 5. Connecticut 6. Mass 7. South Carolina 8. Colorado 9. Vermont 10, Mich. 11. Illinois 12. New Mexico 13 Georgia 14. California 15. Penn 16. Utah 17. Texas 18. Ohio 19. Florida 20. Virginia 21. Maryland 22. Indiana 23. Wisconsin 24. Washington and Wash DC and Puerto Rico
Traveled and visited the following Countries: 1. China 2. Yugoslavia 3. Dominican Republic 4. Mexico 5. France 6, Bahamas 7. Canada 8. Ireland 9. Northern Ireland 10. Malta
Visited friend in Dominican Republic and stayed at Casa del Campo Resort
Rowed a row boat in San Francisco Harbor
Vacationed with girlfriend in Puerto Rico
Vacationed with girlfriend in Quebec
Went on Helicopter ride in Maui
Went Scuba Diving in Maui
Scouted for movies in the Bahamas, Eleutria, Tijuana Mexico, Puerto Rico and Vancouver Canada
Stayed @ El Convento Hotel in Old San Juan Puerto Rico
Visited parent's country Ireland 2 times in 3 years reuniting with my Irish family from 5 countries
Stayed in Presidential Suite @ Ashford Castle, Cong, Ireland
Reading:
750 -1,000 Books on
Acting
Film
Memoirs
Fiction
Empowerment/Motivation/Success/leadership/Entrepreneurship/Business
Non-Fiction
Theater:
Saw numerous plays on Broadway and off Broadway including some of the following:
Glen Garry Glenn Ross
Cuba and His Teddy Bear starring Robert Diniro
Contribution:
Volunteered @ Anthony Robbins Foundation Youth leadership Camp
Volunteer @ Operation Gratitude
Public Speaking:
Overcame extreme shyness
Gave 1st public speech in 1970's in Chicago
Spoke of Filmmking Panel for Flash Forward
Gave warm up speeches for sales seminars for Tony Robbin's reps
Joined Toastmaster and gave 3 speeches
Like Helen Keller said "Life is a Daring Adventure or It Is Nothing". My life has been a Daring Adventure and the adventure continues as I continue to create and recreate myself
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