Just Finished Sleeping 6 Years On A Basement Sofa: The Happiest and Most Grateful Time In My Life
That’s the basement. That’s the sofa(new covers now). Yes, my legs hung over the the left arm of the couch.
I also never had a problem getting wonderful, full, and restful sleeps.
I know. This reality/image doesn’t square with an author who gives keynotes. In fact, you might make some negative assumptions about an adult who spent the better part of this 50’s sleeping in such a situation.
Also, you might also make some positive assumptions about someone who has written several books and travels all over giving talks/presentations on mathematics.
I wrote this blog for several reasons. The main one is that, while having a Hollywood series of failures/setbacks for the better part of a decade, I am — and continue to be — one of the happiest people I know.
I actually doubt if anyone is happier than I am. And, I also doubt I would have been in my current state of hardly sporadic bliss unless The Right Angle, a math store/school I was creating back in 2014, burned down — a few weeks before grand opening.
If you have read my books, you know all about how this event in my life — living through an impoverished lens — completely rejuvenated me to the point of being grateful on a daily basis.
While I was also divorced at the time, circumstances occurred where I would cohabitate and coparent with my ex from 2017 to 2023 — hence, why I slept in the basement.
I wrote all my books sleeping on this couch. I wrote my over 100 math blog sleeping on this couch. I created all my presentations/workshops sleeping on this couch.
Most importantly, I spent 6 beautiful years seeing my children everyday during their formative teenage years. My ex(Ann-Marie) moved out this past October — something that we all discussed as a family. There has been zero disruption, the kids continue to thrive, and we often have family dinners over here.
Life hasn’t always been easy. But, life has always been a blessing.
In 2024, my life is going to change in ways which I still can’t believe and imagine. But, what makes it all sweeter is that all of which will happen will not give me happiness — it will only add to it.
I got lucky in life. I went through hardship in the latter half of it, just when most of my peers are settling into their life with comfort and some semblance of wealth.
Comfort for me has been my kids, my writing, and my incessant desire to listen to music. My wealth has been the very same.
As we are in the holiday season, I hope you cherish and value the simpler things. With that, hopefully, you will also value and cherish the most important thing — time. How you spend it and with whom you spend it.
And yes, I do sleep on a bed now. Every night feels luxurious and everyday feels more vibrant.
Thank you, universe…:)
