The story you are about to read is 100% true. I know because it is MY Story.

At age 8 my parents were killed in an automobile accident. They were drunk and because of thier alcoholic lifestyle they met thier end in a drunken state. The really bad part is that also took another completely sober family with them.

After that my Grandmother took me under her wing. She ran a little cafe in a tiny New Mexico town I will mention later. I spent my days either in school or in the kitchen washing dishes and earning my keep. We were not poor but we were not rich either.

As the years passed and my need to stand on a milk crate to reach the sink passed, I was given other duties. I peeled potatoes, diced veges, cut up chickens (after I rang thier necks) and so on. You get the picture.

My Grandmother began to notice that I had the uncanny talent of preparing just about anything she had on her menu without the guidance of a recipe. "How the Hell did you do that?" she would bellow! She weighed in at about 315 pounds and stood 5' 2". Her heart ws as big as her backside. My simple reply was, "I just watched you do it Gramma"

On June 5th, 1965, at 8:00PM I graduted High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At 10:15PM, June 6th, 1965 my dear Grandmother passed away from a massive corinary!! She was 58 years old. She worked 7 days a week from open to close in her little 8 table 6 stool cafe and left behind a legacy far greater than anyone could imagine. The day of her funeral there was standing room only at the funeral home. There were very few cars in her motorcade, the people who loved her were too poor to own cars. Hell, they couldn't even bring flowers to put on the grave.

You see, my Grandmother spent her life not only taking care of me but most of the poor families in our town as well. When all the legal stuff was taken care of with the lawyers I had to hire for her "estate" they called it, I was left with $3,000 and a small building with a kitchen 8 tables and 6 stools. Here I am 18 years old, never ever been anywhere else in the world, with a fortune (I thought at the time). What am I going to do?

That night I had a dream. My dear Grandmother was standing over me with a giant wooden spoon in her had. That was her favorite weapon. She was giving me that "Look" she had when she wanted me to pay attention when she was about to say something important. Little did I know at the time that what she was about to say would change my life forever.

"Donnie, she said (she is the only one who could get away with calling me that) "It's your turn to take care of those who have less than you" That was the first and last time I have ever heard or seen her since. Well, needless to say, I took her words to heart. "WRONG"! When is the last time you ever heard of an eighteen year old with a wad of money and property do the right thing.

It only took me a year to go through the cash and the money I got when I sold the cafe. I wound up broke and homeless. I was on the brink of ending my life when I stumbled into an alley in a town that I didn't know. I was sitting there in the alley among the garbage cans and broken bottles and the rest of the stuff when a car pulled up in front of me and a man got out. I thought to myself, "Good he is going to do the job for you. Now you will be out of your misery and people can get on with thier lives." I was really feeling sorry for myself.

This stranger, so I thought at the time, bent down and looked into my eyes and said, "Do you know anything about cooking?"

44 years later I am retired and hold the certification of a Master Chef. Sounds great, huh? "NOT". The culinary industry is one of the most underpaid and underappreciated in the entire working world. I have traveled to over 30 countries, worked in the most exclusive resorts on earth and in a short 30 seconds my career was over. I wil explain.

It was a sunny day in a small lodge in Arizona. I was the exec. chef and in my kitchen working on my inventory. It was the time of day when there were only myself and the GM (General Manager} were in the building. The buzzer rang at the loading dock door and I responded.

"Got a delivery for housekeeping" was the response in the speaker. I opened the door and recognized the driver. I checked the order in and he went on his way. Just as I was about to page the housekeeper she pulled up in her little golf-cart-type vehicle she used to carry around her supplies. "I'll help you load these if you want Sarah" i Said. "that would be great" she said. his was not part of my job description but what the heck, why not. I situated myself in a position where I could remove the boxes from the loading dock to the back of her little cart. Just as I reached for the first case of bleach she "Sarah the e" backed the golf cart up and ran over me!!!! Broke my legs, knees, ankles, and much more.

Been on disability every day of my life from that day forward. No pension, no retirement, no chance of ever completing my Grandmothers request. I spend my days now living on $1,000 a month, in a rental apartment that is for low-income folks. I can drive now with years of rehab but can't even afford a car. So you folks out there who are wondering what to do with your life. Do just the opposite of what I did and you will be fine.

The moral of this story is "Never ever waste what little you think you have. If you doyou will wind up with less than you started with"