The year I lost everything: it was, oddly, the best time of my life. I had survived Stage 4 cancer, lost my career, my apartment, my significant other, my life savings, even my beloved cat. And somehow, I never felt more free. It was as if I had a fresh new start. I swear I heard someone say : "Roll The Dice". I was 44 years old and starting over.

 

I packed a suitcase with my clothes and left the hospital. All my earthly possessions were in that suitcase. Then I headed for Harlem. I had never set foot in that part of town, but I was going there to live today. All the arrangements had been made. I felt nervous and excited all at once. It is seldom that we face a brand new life so dramatically. It is a rare occasion indeed. But this year, at age 44, would be the best time of my life.

 

I remember waking up each morning with childlike exuberance. It was all so new and unknown. As Bob Dylan said in his song "Shelter From The Storm" : Everything up to that point had been left unresolved.

 

I had a whole new life that year.  And oh, what a time it was. It was the time of my life.