I grew up in the nation's capital. I wanted to be a DEA agent. I was in college studying criminology. it was the height of the crack epidemic and Washington DC, the nation's capital, was also the crack capital of the world. The cocaine capital.
It was everywhere and I observed it firsthand. it was devastating to watch so many friends get utterly destroyed firsthand and be completely helpless to do anything about it. it was even more devastating because of what my lofty inner goals were.
I remember my Greek friend ripping American money up and laughing maniacally saying that America has no idea what's happening and what is coming their way. He was being theatrical and dramatic to get other people's attention, in particular the American citizen sitting around him at the fraternal order of Eagles where we were together, where he was a member. Where I made sure he became a member above and beyond some of the voices that were against it. those same people I riled against when I visited the black elks next door and invited them over, leaving some of our members Jaws on the floor as I walked into our building with black people. 1997. How despicable.
If you need to be change for the simple reason because it's only the right thing to do, stand up and make it happen or shut up.
We were definitely not groups of Democrats and Republicans, we were all Americans learning how to do the right thing together. Sometimes we did the wrong things with the right motivation and we're just simply misguided but learned through the process and made amends and moved forward more efficiently after.
I pushed hard during those days for women to become equal members because they weren't even looked at as members even though they were members of The Ladies auxiliary. Today women in the Eagles are equal members across the board and have been and that was long long overdue.
I utilized executive power, when I was president at the fraternal order of Eagles I demanded that we have a joint installation of officers and I did that after a vote that was not favorable. when I started executive order they were quite shocked that I knew what I was talking about and that indeed I was correct.
I always stood for transparency, and I touted this and repeated it like a very bad commercial !!!
I was a stone's throw from Washington DC, in Alexandria, Virginia and I had gotten to the place I had worked really hard to get.soon however, I would resign and turn my back on everything having become married and feeling that now there's only one place to put all of my energy and focus, and therefore I could hold my obligation, this Earth to office I took, no longer and had to resign.
Back to my friend which I had the nickname Billy, well Billy said that he thought the United States was headed in the wrong direction and this is why and we used to talk to you about this night after night essentially as we would do body work on automobiles. I was 18 and I laughed a lot as I sipped beer and so did he, but instead of sipping he would guzzel. see he had a broken back that he broke working on a car's using a frame stretching machine and I would help him because I was young and healthy even though I had some back problems already they weren't anything like his. Later I broke my back and would be in worse condition than him in my life. My life is just weird like that.
He didn't say this (about watching United States careful when comparing it to the city of Union back in the 80s) in a hateful way as you might think, he said this in a way that he was very hurt and crushed inside. he loved the United States and he was watching it start to fall just like he watched Greece.
He watched Greece get pummeled, he then moved to United States and became a citizen and started watching what he said was the same thing all over again. He's to tell me to look at the Soviet Union because when you start seeing those things happened here... you'll know. What he meant was, because it was the 80s, is look at what's happening there in the Soviet Union as they are about to fall. They fell.
He has been right 100% thus far !
This old beautiful Greek man with the biggest heart of anybody I've ever seen in my life.
I miss you Billy, I miss you Vasilio Voliotis. I pray you're at peace my friend, I pray you're at peace.
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