Living in Hollywood with a single mom who was trying to support herself and her three kids was hard; especially with all of the kids in school and a mother that was, by necessity, not home much of the time.  Lucky for us, and due to our close residential proximity to Hollywood Boulevard, Uncle Mann really came in handy.  Uncle Mann must have been a rich guy, after all he owned the 2 biggest, coolest theaters on the Boulevard.  I assumed he must have owned all the rest too, the ones we passed daily walking back and forth to school.

My sister worked for him; so you could say that’s how we got in good.  We spent hours on end, sometimes in a single day, fixated while Uncle Mann regaled us with Historical Dramas and Science fiction and Fantasy.

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Going into a new school in a new city, state and way of life was not without its challenges, particularly for a 12 year old.  Luckily, and almost right off the bat, I acquired the services of a motivational coach.  Seeming to perceive my need, fellow student Shawn was obviously attracted to the pathos I projected.  I was meek and scared, afraid of being picked on or beat up by some bigger kid, maybe even some messed up gang member.  Shawn showed me right away that fears, like fairy tales, can sometimes come true.

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