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Hi, as you already know my name is George Edwin Johns, I am a native of the wonderful Upper Peninsula of Michigan but now live here in good ol' Alabama. I am 48 years old and married to a very wonderful lady to whom I credit a very large portion of my inspiration and creativity. Her name is Melissa (she prefers Lisa) she is my love, my partner, my muse, the mother of my son (Allen) and the most aggravating person I have ever known (only because she knows all my faults ;)
Lisa was born with a rare genetic birth defect called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita or AMC. Her condition is progressive and debilitating. When we first met she was so full of life and so determined to not be disabled, it was an inspirational experience just to watch her overcome obstacle after obstacle. Wearing full leg braces she could not only walk but even run a little. Even though her arms were stunted and fixed at the elbow and her hands were cupped and turned inward she could write with the most beautiful penmanship I think I have ever seen; not only that but she could also drive a car, type on the computer and even play the keyboard! But all that was twenty years ago, since then she has lost the ability to walk, to drive, to write and to play...her existence has dwindled down to the confines of a hospital bed in our living room. Her once flowering spirit now tattered and torn by the cruelty of time and circumstance. Forgive me friend if I sound somewhat disheartened it has been a long road from there to here and I must endeavor daily to understand and accept these things which I am powerless to change. Albeit her suffering does keep me focused on the things of the spirit. At times I feel captive to the constant struggle to decipher the enigmatic purposes and plans of God; how can her affliction work for his good intentions? It frightens me to presume that the only good from all her misery would for the purpose of my edification, and I feel guilt and shame and foreboding. This has caused me much disparity in my walk with God; perhaps you may have noticed it in my piece "An Exercise in Free Verse" in which I reveal my temptation to "shake a fist at the Almighty". Although I believe there is much company in that sentiment within all of us from time to time it still is quite unsettling to realize it personally.
I know I have written a lot here about my struggle with my faith and about Lisa but they make up so much of me (especially the poet in me) that by knowing these things I believe you will gain an even greater understanding of my work and how my perspective permeate my writings.
OK a few other details about me and who I am...I like to draw...portraits mostly. I enjoy very few vices...don't smoke...don't drink...no drugs! Oh! But I do like to gamble!! Well if you call playing the Lottery a few times a month gambling.
I have a pretty good dose of adult ADHD and I have a lot of problems with staying organized and finishing things. Actually I'm kind of a homebody, quiet, reserved. Taking care of Lisa is the most important thing that I do and it requires most of my time now. I have just recently come out of work due to an automobile accident I was in about eight years ago (2001). I was a Mail carrier and some careless driver ran a red light on the highway and took about two feet off the front of my SUV. I suffered a broken neck and a few cuts and bruises but with a little string, a little glue, a metal plate and some shiny new screws they put this Humpty Dumpty together again and I was able to continue working for another seven years. Eventually though, the pain and nerve damage worsened and took me out of the game. So! here I sit... waiting for my lawyers to bravely charge forth and beat the OPM dragon (Office of Personnel Management) into submission and win for me my disability rights. For now all I can do is join in with my fellow former mail route customers chanting
"Where's my check?...Where's my check?"
Other than that I'm pretty much as plain and ordinary as a person can get
P.S. I put Cactus as my religious affiliation thats sort of half Catholic half Baptist :)
- Location:
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United States
- Primary occupation:
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Retired
- Dream occupation:
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wealthy tycoon (any kind will do)
- Hometown:
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Munising, Michigan
- Schools attended:
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K-12 general ed. 1yr @ Northern Michigan U., various Flight schools
- I like:
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Quiet moments of reflection, vanilla icecream with cocoa powder sprinkles, my popcorn slightly burnt, drawing and sketching, writing poems and stuff, some TV and movies
- Favorite writers:
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I'm not much of a reader
- Favorite books:
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The Bible and various How to books, the Hobbit, some sci-fi
- Favorite newspapers:
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the buy/sell bulitin & the swapper
- Favorite magazines:
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Popular Mechanics, Popular Science
- Favorite music:
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40s & 50s big band, some R&B and jazz, the crooners and rat pack, gospel bluegrass and folk
- Favorite movies:
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Captians Couragious, Star Wars (trilogy), Lord of the Rings (trilogy), the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Favorite TV shows:
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mostly educational type shows like on the history channel or Discovery
- Favorite quote:
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"Stop that!" (my mom)
- Gender:
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Male
- Religion:
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Cactus