On July 4, 1969 I went to Memphis for the first time and on October
12 of that same year I moved there until August, 1979 when I returned
to Florida, originally heading back to Miami Beach but heard, at that
time, it was in really bad shape and that I should plan to live in Fort
Lauderdale instead which is what I did.
I had just spent the best 12 years of my life and was now starting a
whole new phase, actually a whole new life. Within the first few years
of my new life I lost Flo who was the first person to ever love me
unconditionally, I was to lose both my father and mother, which I am
sad to say even 25+ years later I still feel nothing and I was to meet,
and lose, the love of my life.

I
would live in 4 different places, work in about 6 different ones, get
my dream car, a 1974 Chevy convertible that I would own for 23 years,
had my last alcoholic drink January 21, 1981 and 10 years later would
declare bankruptcy for the first time! It was in the middle 80s
that I made the decision that I wanted to live and be alone except
having friends. No more falling in love or being loved, just deep
friendships. I also  knew that the longer we were apart the harder it
would be for someone to live up to the idol I was making of him.

I
would celebrate Leap Year birthdays in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996
and travel to New York for the last time in 1985 when "A Chorus Line"
became the longest running show in Broadway history and  because of Bob
and his friendship with Buddy, who played Zach on tour, I was able to
attend the most exciting time I have ever spent in the theatre.

I
would write 6 books and one play and get 2 books published along with
writing a column for The Weekly News paper and a dining column for Out
magazine. I was changing my look with and without beards, with and
without mustaches, long hair, short hair and shaving myself bald. I was
back in the old pattern of gaining and losing weight living a
promiscuous life.

I
would lose 3 very close friends to AIDS and many acquaintances along
with some who would die of 'natural' causes. I would have a period
where I was deathly afraid of the phone which went away on its own and
I would be on the verge of homelessness for a period of time. I would
once again be amazed by myfriends coming through--one giving me $1500!!!--and I would repay them all back but in the end I had to, ashamedly
, declare bankruptcy. It would take time for me to get back on my feet
but I, once again, foolishly used credit cards recklessly.

In
1999 two things were to happen that would once again change my life and
set my path for the rest of my life. In June of that year I was
accepted to live at Gateway Terrace where I live now and would make my
life easier financially. On New Year's weekend I hadcongestive heart failure and spent New Year's Eve and the first day of 2000 in the hospital.

Life
constantly changes but the one constant in my life has been my positive
attitude and knowing who I am, faults and all, and my desire to wake up
every day. That would change, briefly, in 2008.