Oona

So I have spoken before of Simbi, and that is how this next story has come about! I put an offer out to feature someone’s story, and the lovely Oona Winged Wolf (as she wishes to remain anonymous) stepped forward and we are exchanging stories of one another’s art!

Miss Oona lives in Aurora, MO. She is disabled and unable to work due to these disabilities, but she doesn’t let that stop her from living her life with joy and happiness. She says, “I am given the freedom to work my art and get to know others through my art. I can not really think of anything I would rather be doing although if my art began to support me so I no longer needed the disability check I would be quite pleased.”

Oona works with many mediums, but when I asked her if she had been afraid to try any mediums, she said no. Only finances keep her from exploring every art form available to us. She wishes to explore animation, but the software is too expensive for her, and she would also love to create the music for her YouTube channel. These are merely a couple of examples of art she would love to try, but can’t at this moment. “I don't let that get me down though, they are goals not barricades. I will one day be able to try them, just not right now. And I am ok with that.”

She is currently working on her digital art. This is a new form of art for her, and she had been having a blast with it! She has used a large variety of art mediums throughout her journey. “In the past I have painted with acrylics, drawn using whatever I could get my hands on and crocheted. The addition of digital art has really pushed my boundaries and expanded my skills. As to subject matter? I work primarily with animals: realistic, cartoony, and anthropomorphic.”

She doesn’t have any awards to speak of since she’s never entered any contests. For her, it’s enough that people love her art and commission her for projects. Which is pretty awesome! “My biggest achievement was when one of my pieces sold for $10, if we bring crochet to the table, my biggest sale was for a graphghan that depicts a lobster. I was paid $90 to create this.” There’s no reason for contests if people love your work, anyway!

When asked what inspired her to create her art in the first place, Oona stated, “At the risk of sounding cheesy, Life inspires me. The ever changing seasons, the colors, the immense variety of animals and people. I find it almost impossible to not be inspired!”

Oona doesn’t really have an end goal with her art. She uses it mainly as therapy for herself; it helps her to express her joy and her sorrow. “If others enjoy it - wonderful! If they don't? That's fine. Overall I do my art for myself. I'm not looking to get rich or become famous. I just want to put my heart and imagination out there for the world to see.”

I asked her what words of wisdom she had for aspiring artists, and let me just say that her words were inspiring to me, for sure! I sincerely hope that her words will bring you that same inspiration!

“Let me take a moment and speak directly to you, my fellow creative mind. Do not let anyone tell you something is impossible. There is nothing that we can not figure out how to do. It may end up being completed in a way some never even dreamed of but just look at all the technology we have today that was written off as science fiction as recently as the early 90s! If computers can advance as they have so too can you. Simply choose what you want done and keep trying different ways until you find the one that works for you. Lastly, everyone of us is an artist in some form: Mothers are artists of life, doctors are artists of medicine, and so forth.

Above all else, have fun.”  - Oona

Oona Winged Wolf

Holiday Shoppers

Halloween is over and now Christmas is in the air! Pay no attention to Thanksgiving, though! It's not like it's the greatest holiday EVER - we all know it is! Anyway, a lot of you are all out shopping early for holiday gifts, which is smart! Good for you! But please remember that a lot of these retail workers are still people and subject to human mistakes. Please remember that a lot of these retail workers are new to the job since companies need a few extra hands around for the holidays. Please remember to be kind and patient. These are just material items, it's not going to be the end of the world if you don't get exactly what you want, when you want it.

I want to bring this to attention, because I have started a seasonal retail job. I have already noticed the rude holiday shoppers, and this is in a CHRISTIAN based company! Yes, please imply that I am stupid because *your* check didn't run through properly. Thanks. No, there is not a learning curve to getting and staying hired as you so blatantly put it, Ma'am. Eye contact and pleasantness should be a common courtesy, should it not? If I ask you a question, don't cut me off before I have even finished with a rude and short, "I'm not interested", followed by the way of your hand and dropping your card onto the counter when my hand is outstretched for you. Your mother, too, did this. Just because I am currently working retail does not mean that I am less than you.

For your information, I am currently working TWO jobs. That's right, two! Plus, I have to make time to write my book, write my blog, get to yoga class (since this is my desired profession - asides from being a published author), make time for my spiritual studies, clean my apartment, make sure my bills are paid and food in the fridge, and make sure I get enough sleep in between all of that! You are not the center of the universe. Please stop acting like it. If we can have mutual respect for one another, that would be fantastic.

And yes, I am supposed to sell you certain products. I already know that you're going to decline, can you at least do so graciously? It's all one big act. You know it; I know it. So just play along nicely, and we can all be happy at the end of the day, alright? And while we're at it, tip your servers this holiday season! They only make $2.13 an hour, and a lot of them are single mothers who are going to school while trying to get their kids the best future that they can! And don't bad mouth single parents. You have no idea what they go through on a daily basis. *It is important to note that I am speaking of American server/waitress/waiters given the broad spectrum of my audience from other countries.

Make universal respect the theme of the holidays! Make unity the theme of the holidays! Make compassion the theme of the holidays! Make love and understanding the theme of the holidays! Be a light in the darkness! And when you see an injustice, please speak up!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Edward Vincent Dempsey Jr

I lost my grandpa on my mother’s side on November 3, 2015. His story is such an inspiration to me. He’s one of the big reasons that I want to succeed in life. I’d like to share the summary of his life and hopefully inspire some of you as well.

My grandpa was an orphan during the Great Depression. His parents were separated. His father died of an accidental suicide by forgetting to turn off the gas before he went to sleep. His mother actually did try to commit suicide, though I forget how. My grandpa and his two sisters were separated when they were taken to their respective orphanages. My memory of his time in the orphanage is fuzzy since I haven’t heard it since I was in high school. However, I can tell you that it was absolutely horrible. One part I do remember quite clearly is one day, my grandpa and a few of his friends in the orphanage decided to run away. They decided that they could find work for food, and they did. And then they found an abandoned house in a nearby neighbourhood where they stayed for a few days, each boy returning back to the orphanage one by one. My grandfather was the last to return, and thusly the nuns believed that he was the ring leader. He was beaten so badly that he couldn't get out of bed for days.

When he was finally old enough to leave the orphanage, he got three jobs. He was a grocery store stocker, he cleaned the printing press for the newspaper, and he set up the bowling pins at the bowling alley. He made $18 a week ~ $10 for rent and $8 for food. One day, a woman who owned a delivery business approached him ~ he made a point to mention that it was unusual for a woman to own a business at this time. She offered him a job as a driver, stating that he needed his license and driving experience. He told her that he had both, and she hired him in. My grandpa rode with one of the truck drivers to learn the route and to help unload the deliveries. One day the driver was sick and couldn’t come into work, and my grandpa had to come clean. He told the lady that he neither had his license nor driving experience. She had no choice but to fire him. But my grandpa was not disheartened.

Later that evening, he took his birth certificate to the legal office (I forget exactly where), and while no one was looking he took the pen that they used and and turned the slightly curved one ( 1 ) at the end of his birth year into a zero, making himself a year older. He joined the Coast Guard the next day and joined the Aviation unit. While in the Coast Guard, he became a pilot. From what I was told, he was amazing, too. When he left the Coast Guard, he flew commercial airplanes. That’s where he met his wife; she was a Delta flight attendant. They received a Coast Guard wedding in Dade, FL in April of 1966, and the pictures that I have seen are absolutely amazing! My grandmother had to quit her job, though; flight attendants weren’t allowed to be married back then.

So far, this is all I can find of my grandparents on my mother’s side. Hopefully, I can find more someday. I had hoped to find my grandparent’s wedding picture that was featured in the newspaper, but alas, I could not.