Post by Susan Peabody on May 3, 2016 15:47:34 GMT
Frank Samuels and I met in an elevator about seven years ago. He is black and I am white. (Karl's father was also black.) Neither one of us thought this meeting would go anywhere, so we did not mark the calendar. Sometimes I really wish I had an accurate anniversary and other times I don't care.
What I like about Frank is that he loves me. As a codependent/love addict, love always went from me to them. Until Sandra, I had never been loved. I was 56. I will explain who Sandra is in another thread.
I like to refer to Frank as a savant. To me, a genius is good at everything, while a savant is a genius in one area.
Frank began playing the drums when he was 4 years old. If the show "Little Big Shots" had been on the air back in 1941, Frank would have been on the show
Frank left home at 17 to become a professional drummer, along with his brother Sol, and they both found success. Sol played with Ray Charles and Frank ended up with Etta James. He has also had his own band and one hit song. He is one of those rare drummers that sings as he plays. He also writes songs. I keep nagging him to finish the one he started for me. He likes all kinds of music, but his repertoire is mostly jazz and rhythm and blues.
One of the things that I do for Frank is to drive him to his gigs. His career has peaked of course, but in the SF Bay Area, if you mention his name everyone knows who he is.
Years ago Frank tried to quit and he ended up with a ulcer. The doctor told him that drumming was in his soul and he had to play for his health.
There is a lot of give and take in our relationship. I spend most of my time writing and he takes care of me. He cleans the house and cooks. I drive because he is blind in one eye. We work hard to compromise and communicate despite our age difference.
What I have learned from Frank is that some relationships need different personalities to balance themselves out. Frank is quiet and listens. I talk too much. It is compulsive. I am hyper active and he moves carefully from one place to another. He is laid back and I am high strung. But he has turned out to be an excellent role model for me. I talk about the importance of role models in my book, The Art of Changing.
I will be back to talk about Frank some more. I love him and he loves me. There are a lot of stories to tell, but I will put most of them in the forum called "Relationships."
What I like about Frank is that he loves me. As a codependent/love addict, love always went from me to them. Until Sandra, I had never been loved. I was 56. I will explain who Sandra is in another thread.
I like to refer to Frank as a savant. To me, a genius is good at everything, while a savant is a genius in one area.
Frank began playing the drums when he was 4 years old. If the show "Little Big Shots" had been on the air back in 1941, Frank would have been on the show
Frank left home at 17 to become a professional drummer, along with his brother Sol, and they both found success. Sol played with Ray Charles and Frank ended up with Etta James. He has also had his own band and one hit song. He is one of those rare drummers that sings as he plays. He also writes songs. I keep nagging him to finish the one he started for me. He likes all kinds of music, but his repertoire is mostly jazz and rhythm and blues.
One of the things that I do for Frank is to drive him to his gigs. His career has peaked of course, but in the SF Bay Area, if you mention his name everyone knows who he is.
Years ago Frank tried to quit and he ended up with a ulcer. The doctor told him that drumming was in his soul and he had to play for his health.
There is a lot of give and take in our relationship. I spend most of my time writing and he takes care of me. He cleans the house and cooks. I drive because he is blind in one eye. We work hard to compromise and communicate despite our age difference.
What I have learned from Frank is that some relationships need different personalities to balance themselves out. Frank is quiet and listens. I talk too much. It is compulsive. I am hyper active and he moves carefully from one place to another. He is laid back and I am high strung. But he has turned out to be an excellent role model for me. I talk about the importance of role models in my book, The Art of Changing.
I will be back to talk about Frank some more. I love him and he loves me. There are a lot of stories to tell, but I will put most of them in the forum called "Relationships."