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- A New Day Is Dawning
As I sit at my desk to write this story I am doing so with the light on, not because it is dark outside, but because for almost a month our apartment block has been shrouded in scaffolding and protective covers for a light refurb.
Three times we have seriously considered moving out to a hotel, such is the smell of fresh paint. One of our close neighbour’s complained of feeling high from the fumes. Fortunately, the workers are near the end and we are close to stepping out of the darkness and artificial light into natural sunlight.
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At the same time, on another digital platform, one on which my stats have previously risen to spectacular heights, there has been a sudden drop to almost zero. It’s like I have been put in jail as part of some Kafkaesque scenario. I do not know why that has happened, though I have my suspicions. Again, I am in the dark. The devil moves in mysterious ways, but fortunately, so does God. The only thing I am sure of is that, as the philosophical Beatle George Harrison once sang so beautifully, All Things Must Pass.
In the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the world is being torn apart by violent conflict. Likewise, in the United States of America, there is a political conflict which is threatening to tear that wonderful country apart. However, I firmly believe that the innate goodness of the people will win the day, sooner rather than later, at least in the case of the USA.
It is at times like these I am always mindful of what JFK said about how all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. I am happy to report that I see a great many good men and women doing great things here and beyond to set things right. Well done all of you. I wish you all that you wish for yourselves and your fellow countrymen and women.
As for me and my little inconsequential battles, I have to say I feel truly inspired by each and every one of you who have chosen to support me on my life and writing journey. I do my best to return the support, at least in terms of likes and encouraging replies. There are so many I would love to do more for by taking out some paid subscriptions. Unfortunately, my financial circumstances do not allow me to do that. Words are the only currency I have no shortage of.
I am a seventy-year-old pensioner who is being short-changed by a British pension system I spent fifty years paying into. Because I have chosen to live in East Asia, I am not allowed any pension rises. That means that after four years of living here, my pension is now fixed at less than half of a full pension. That comes to barely $400 a month, plus a very small Spanish pension of about $100 a month. That is nothing less than scandalous, even more so because I am one of 500,000 ex-pats in exactly the same position. I mention this not to seek sympathy, but for people to know why I cannot be a paying subscriber. It is most certainly not because I do not appreciate anybody, I do, very much so.
As I have mentioned before, for the past two months I did OK on Medium. I never earned thousands, but a few hundred made a big difference. Now that has all gone and my stats, and therefore my monthly income, are on the floor. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I have two beautifully recorded albums out on Bandcamp, the second of which features none other than the great Bon Jovi producer cum guitar virtuoso, Mr Lance Quinn. Sadly, sales of the albums disappeared when Covid came along and killed Stone-Dead all live performances. They have never taken off online due to a lack of money for promotion purposes.
Lance is a very modest, unassuming pro who has spent his entire professional life hiding his light under a bushel. Let me tell you, he not only broke Bon Jovi with his first breakthrough album, but he then went on to produce a whole host of famous names like the Ramones, Frankie Valli, Engelbert Humperdink, Petula Clark, Gloria Gaynor, Danny Gaton and the legendary Robert Gordon. In the video below you can see Lance on guitar extreme left wearing glasses, with Danny Gaton to his left.
Lance also completed the last posthumous Jimi Hendrix album, when nobody else would touch it.
“I told them to give me Jimi’s guitar, strings, amp, everything just the way he had it,” he told me. Then he went into the same studio and filled in all the incomplete guitar parts.
Another great story Lance told me was about the day when Jon Bon Jovi called him to tell him about a rather special Christmas present. BJ put Lance forward to accompany BB King in a performance at the Whitehouse for President Bill Clinton, who amazingly remembered Lance from their days as undergraduates. I feel very highly blessed and privileged to have been a co-producer, singer-songwriter, fellow band member and duo other half with Lance. I worry a lot about him because these days he is getting on in years and is not in the best of health where he lives in Florida.
Here is a piccy of Lance and I performing in Spain a few years ago, him with his Fender and me with a mic. The other guys are some of the best musicians in Spain.
Here’s a great picture of Lance on stage playing his favourite Fender live in the south of Spain. Image by Guitar maker Charly from Cadiz.
In the more recent past, after Covid 19 brought my musical career to an abrupt halt, I was forced to become a writer online. Like everything else I have ever done, I went at it with all of my heart and soul. Within a few months, I became a Top Writer and Senior Editor, most notably for Illumination, under the pen name of Liam Ireland and mentorship of Dr Mehmet Yiliz.
Over the past four years, I have quite literally edited tens of thousands of stories by other writers, many of whom needed a great deal of help. Somehow, I also wrote over a thousand stories and self-published twenty-seven books of poetry and prose on Amazon.
Looking back, I have so much to be thankful for. I also feel deeply grateful for what I have in the present and look forward to a future filled with good things. If there is any word of advice I can give to anybody it is just to stick at it, never give up. You will never score a hit with things you didn’t do.
My two albums, only $5 each, can be found on Bandcamp under the artist name xpireddaze. Click on the following link, then enter the artist's name.
For my books on Amazon click on the link below.
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