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FORMER CLASSMATES/LONG LOST SOULMATES
REUNITED 43 YEARS LATER BY DIVINE INTERVENTION
John and Debbie's Divine Intervention Love Story
DEBBIE'S SIDE OF THEIR STORY
I first became aware of John while I was a freshman in High School in 1969. He was that quirky, older sophomore kid in the back of our Mass Media class. I was attracted to his wit, unabashed attitude, and easy- going personality.
I once pondered what it might be like if we connected and became romantic. But as it happened, I was standing outside of the class one day when he passed by me. I was a tall girl of almost 5” 10’. I saw that he was much shorter. Sadly, for me, that was a deterrent. I felt he wouldn’t want to get involved with a taller girl either.
On my first day in Drama 1 as a sophomore, I was repelled by this smug looking junior in the class named John. To me, this boy gave off an air of feeling that he was someone elevated and unapproachable. Still, I couldn’t shake a feeling that he would be important to me some day.
I didn’t know until we reunited in 2014 that this John was also that quirky kid in mass media, and then second semester art and creative writing. As a junior John’s looks from his glasses, hairstyle, and clothes, had completely changed. With his deep-set eyes and pug nose he now looked like a cocky version of Michael J. Pollard from the recent Bonnie and Clyde movie!
I had no attraction to him. Certainly, no thoughts of romance during that class. But it was mutual, he had absolutely no interest in me either!
A few days later a friend said she envied me for having a class with “Ozzie”. She wished she did too as a way to get close to him. But I assured her, there was no one named “Ozzie” in my class.
She explained that his name was John Oswald, but everyone called him “Ozzie” or “Oz” for short.
I had heard kids gushing about a boy named “Ozzie” like he was a celebrity because he had been playing guitar in hired bands since 15. He was currently the singer in a great sounding band called Rosewater that had a promising future.
From that, I had formed an opinion of respect for this “Ozzie” and the other members of the band. Unlike most boys in school, they already knew what they wanted and were actively pursuing their goals, as was I.
I had been engaged in starting sales businesses since I was 8 years old. By the age of 11 I saw the potential of a homemade product that I knew I could easily sell. I talked my mom and sister into going into business with me. They made the product and I sold it. It became a thriving business. I was also a singer and songwriter, photographer, poet, and on my way to becoming a published freelance writer. I had written my first song and was working on a second among many other projects and goals.
I decided to find out who this “Ozzie” was in my class. We might possibly be helpful to one another! He was in a band and I wrote songs for a band. I had also been developing my skills in sales and marketing since 8. That was going to be valuable to me for promoting my talents and it would be perfect for promoting his band too. We obviously both had an interest in acting too.
It was a small setback for me to discover that “Ozzie” was that smug looking boy in class. It made sense as to why he might appear smug, especially if he was letting it go to his head that he was a school celebrity!
I had applied for Drama 1 to push past my introversion and extreme shyness long enough to add acting to my list of talents. I credit my focus on impressing “Ozzie” with fueling my dedication to giving the best performances I could. I had hoped he would realize that we both had talents which could work well together.
I laugh now, but I was overly nervous each time I had to act in class because “Ozzie’s” desk faced me and was only a few feet away. I worried whether or not he’d be impressed by my acting ability. Was he even going to pay attention to my performance?
Alas, I did fail to impress him enough to get his attention. But my acting was so perfect that I did impress our Teacher who asked me to join his summer traveling troupe as one of his lead actresses!
When I became a junior, I applied for Drama II. “Ozzie”, now a senior, was again in my class. During this class together my respect for him grew. I also found myself being drawn to him.
Even if it wasn’t for my unwarranted lack of nerve to do so, back then it wasn’t respectful for a girl to approach a boy for any reason. Additionally, his seemingly unapproachable attitude caused me to remain too shy to start a conversation with him and he still had no interest in starting a conversation with me.
Finally, during one class I did see that I caught his attention, sort of, when he discussed my performance with the teacher. I had the role of the mother in The Bad Seed in the extremely tense scene, wherein, she confronts Rhoda.
The girl playing Rhoda was visibly frightened by my intensity. Additionally, she hadn’t bothered to learn her lines and had to constantly break the scene in asking for her line.
“Ozzie” called out to the teacher during one of her breaks in scene. He was agitated. He felt that someone who didn’t learn their lines was being unfair to students who came to class to act.
In pointing to me, he told the Teacher that he commended her (me) for giving it her all. He also accredited me for being able to stay in my tense character throughout the breaks. He felt it would have been a great scene if not for the constant interruptions.
The Teacher agreed and called off the scene and instructed the girl to learn her lines next time.
I took to heart that he at least acknowledged me and liked my acting. Maybe it was a start for him to talk directly to me next time?
October came and “Ozzie’s” band was having a concert that night. I had no plans to go. He still had no interest in saying one word to me, so why should I have an interest in his concert?
I wasn’t aware that “Ozzie” was standing outside of the class asking each person as they exited if they were going to his concert tonight.
When I heard “Ozzie” call out my name as I was coming out of the class, I was taken by surprise. He was talking directly to me in asking if I was going to his concert. I heard myself instantaneously agreeing to go. By his smiling reaction and in telling me he was thrilled, I had hoped that this was the beginning of a first conversation with him!
For a moment I thought he might even be asking me out as his date to the concert. Before I could ask his intentions, I heard him call out to others as they came out of class. I realized then that he was asking that of everyone, not just me. So, I started to walk away.
As I walked past “Ozzie”, I saw that he was shorter than me! That was still a deterrent to me.
I had told “Ozzie” that I would go to his concert, so I kept my word. My childhood friend and neighbor, Donna, was so happy that I agreed to go with her after all.
Donna and I were seated, and waiting for the concert to start, when Steve, our arrogant and vicious neighbor, came over. Steve wasn’t a fan of “Ozzie” and had always been repulsed by me. He felt that I was more of a boy than him for being a plain Jane, no makeup, tomboy in contrast to his meticulously feminine personality.
Steve asked me which bandmember I would date. I’ll always have an attraction to drummers, but I answered “Ozzie” because he was the only bandmember that I knew. I regretted having answered at all. He laughed and said, “Look around. Every girl here came dolled up, hoping to fulfill a fantasy by attracting one of the bandmembers to sleep with her. Now look at you! When “Ozzie” could have any pretty girl here, why would he ever consider a dull, boyish girl like you?”
I considered the source and brushed off his comment. However, what he said did give me something to mull over during the concert.
He was right on one point. I was surprised this hadn’t crossed my mind before then. Bandmembers do attract girls who throw themselves at them. Seeing “Ozzie” as a bandmember for the first time, I contemplated that thought. I had visions of him being eager to sleep with any girl who pursued him. That certainly killed any notion at that time of allowing myself to ever develop a crush on him. Even if not for my Spiritual restrictions, what a depressing relationship that would be. Always wondering if he was cheating.
I also realized that I might not even want to work with a boy who would engage in such behavior. Plus, spending all of his time with girls who chased after him would prevent him from having time to work on music with me.
After those thoughts swirled in my head, I put “Ozzie” out of my mind. I spent the night looking past him to watch my favorite player in a band, the drummer. He was really good too!
In November, a few weeks after the concert, my life was thoroughly shattered. I had lost my maternal grandfather in September, and the next month my maternal grandmother in October. Then on November 18, 1971 my father was brutally murdered. I was told later that I was so mentally distraught at my father’s funeral that I had to ask who was being buried this time?
I never blamed God for their deaths. I also immediately forgave the boy who murdered my father. I wished him no harm and Prayed he would one day find God.
I had written a Prophetic poem about death after the funerals of my Grandparents, just weeks before my father’s death. He understood the importance of the poem and wanted me to work on getting it turned into a song, which I did.
I had intended to finally approach “Ozzie” and ask him about working with me on the song along with two other songs I had now written.
I eventually planned to ask “Ozzie” if he would like to leave Ohio and go on exciting adventures together. Traveling to new places where he could get better paying gigs and perform original songs.
But I never got the chance to speak to “Ozzie”. My father’s brutal murder, and the gruesome details, was plastered on the TV news and in the newspapers in Ohio and WV where it happened. His murder was just as hard on the students at school. They didn’t know how to cope with it, or me, about it. I felt it was better for everyone if I dropped out of school.
I didn’t get to finish Drama II and I never saw John “Ozzie” Oswald again back then.
By dropping out of school at 16 my personal life became unstructured and often reckless and self-destructive. I had found it difficult to regroup and carry on after losing the 3 most important and influential members of my family.
In short time, I also lost a boy whom I believed I loved. But it wasn’t destined to be. Instead, I was given a Prophetic warning. I told Donna and together we urged this boy to get rid of his dangerously small VW bug or perish in it. He dismissed my warning. That was the last time we saw him. He was decapitated in that VW when he was hit head on by a drunk driver.
Before I continue, I must insert something about myself in order for most events to be understood, as my Prophesy to this boy about his VW.
I have kept it from my public life that I was born a Prophetess. But that is about to change as God wants me to reveal the way He works by writing my life story, as I was born to do. The book is tentatively titled, GOD’S KINGDOM UNVEILED THROUGH THE LIFE OF A PROPHETESS. A Deep Dive Reveal Of The Way God Works In A Person’s Life.
The gift of Prophesy and some Spiritual abilities has always gone to one person in each generation of my lineage, and I was that person in my generation. My Grandmother who passed was the one in her generation.
I grew up with it being as natural to me as breathing that God, Christ, and Archangels, spoke directly to me, or through my almost ever-present Guardian Angel who (as all Guardians), has been my personal protection and guide.
Psychology explains the difference between a schizophrenic and a Prophet hearing voices. A schizophrenic is told they should go to a certain place because an alien is there and wants to talk, but it isn’t. A Prophet will hear that they are not to go a certain place because a disaster is about to happen, and it does. As when I am given a Prophesy, it is certain to pass.
Some may not believe what follows, and some may relate due to the workings of God in their own life. But no one can dispute the events that occurred in order to bring “Ozzie” and I together when the timing was right. It’s reader’s choice as to whether or not these events are believed to be divine, or a series of incredible, perfectly timed, coincidences.
From living wayward and reckless since leaving school, I finally felt bad for all of the times my Guardian Angel had to save my life. It was time to get control of myself again. Since I had always respected “Ozzie”, who had now graduated, I designated him to be my role model. From then on, I used his determination in his goals to help me keep focused on my own.
I went back to school. I had already become a published freelance writer at 16 and then again when I returned to school at 17. I had a music company record my song in honoring my father’s wish. I was offered a recording contract, but turned it down. It became clear it wasn’t a poem, but a private Prophesy to my father. He knew my gift and that’s why he was drawn to the poem and heeded what it said. Another new song that I wrote was also recorded and I shelved it.
Unfortunately, trying to go back to school didn’t work out and I dropped out again to work full time on my diverse career.
Having loved being a performing singer since childhood, I had accepted the position of replacing the departing lead singer in a promising band. But God would not allow it. He told me that joining that band would eventually lead me into the music industry. He then showed me the downward spiral that being in the music industry would take me. I was obstinate and assured Him that I was strong willed and would not allow myself to go down the path shown to me in that Prophesy. I asked that God trust and let me prove myself. But what will be, will be what is Prophesied. Nothing I believed I could do would have changed it. Since I would not be reasoned with, God, in that moment, stripped me of my singing voice. Argument solved.
I have never been mad at God for taking my beloved ability to sing. He truly knows what is best. Being the 1970s, no one but God would have known the present and future of the music industry and what would happen to me had I been allowed to become involved in it. Knowing what I know now, I am grateful that He did take my voice.
Any promising career “Ozzie” might have had in the band Rosewater was also taken from him around the time he graduated. Rosewater, had opened for Phil Keaggy with Glass Harp, and Wild Butter and were performing their own concerts, all of which could have led them into the music industry. But with no good reason the band dissolved. “Ozzie” continued his career in mostly cover bands while developing his talent to write original songs on the side.
It was a time of limited abilities back then and few alternatives to the music industry. So, God continued to prevent us from being able to go down that path. We were decades away from Indie careers being easily possible. It wouldn’t be until then that the timing would be right for “Ozzie” and I to be together.
Reluctantly, without the details at this time, I married my first husband. I finally left Ohio in 1979 when we moved to Texas. I continued to keep “Ozzie” as my role model. Throughout my journeys in life, I used his determination to keep rocking on in bands to keep me motivated with my own goals.
My first marriage should have never been and it didn’t work out. Not that I didn’t try. Christ tried too by having a talk with my husband. It was such a shock to him that he did straighten up for a while and became reverent after everything Christ had said to him. But it didn’t last and he reverted to an even worse person than he was before. I was allowed to leave him and I did.
I came to believe that my second husband was a sociopath, or at the least a narcissist. A real charmer who was highly materialistic, manipulative, and a compulsive liar. He was overly jealous of any one more successful, to include his children, me, and his first wife.
He believed there were Prophets, but not that I could be one. As many times as my Guardian Angel saved our lives or warned me when he was lying to me, he brushed it all off as mere coincidences. The same with my Prophesies.
When I had to tell him that my Guardian warned us that we had to cancel our annual trip to Ohio and NYC he was infuriated. He refused to believe that anything was going to happen. Our boys knew better. If I was told something would happen, it would.
He first declared he would go alone, but must have later felt fearful as he decided not to go either. This was during the week of 9/11/2001. Thankfully, his aunt, who was in the building at the time, is alive today because she ignored instructions to remain in the building and fled.
Again, without details, to keep this condensed, I was given a Spiritual sign in 2004. It signaled that I was to file for divorce from this controlling, abuse, dismissive and belittling man. His abuse was becoming worse and it was no longer safe for me, nor the boys. The full details will be in my book, since it is relevant more to that.
I had continued to keep “Ozzie” as my role model. When I would call home to my friend, Donna, I would ask if “Ozzie” was still performing. The answer would always be that he was. He had also started writing songs and at one time was with a band that recorded a CD that had a few of his songs and collaborations on it. That gave me encouragement to keep up my own career. Including the times that it became difficult due to circumstances as marriages, living locations, divorces, and children to raise.
I had no idea that “Ozzie’s” life had been playing out almost parallel to mine. Whenever something happened in my life it would happen in his life too and around the same time. Our first marriage. Our first child. Our first divorce. Our second marriage. Starting over late in life with two boys who were born around the same times. We were both in a toxic situation in our marriages and divorced around the same time.
My second divorce was horrific. It destroyed my life and eventually that of my daughter and our sons. They will no longer have anything to do with me or their father after what he and the Judges caused them to endure.
God was not happy with me either due to the person I had become in my second marriage. I learned later that God made sure that I literally lost everything I owned and was having to live in my little Geo car.
Having denounced a life of materialism as a teen, I had married someone highly materialistic. To keep the peace with him, for the sake of the children, I had allowed him to control me, change my character to please him and worse, I had let him use his distain and criticism of my Calling as a Prophetess to keep me distant from my Spirituality.
God, as a Father, only punishes the ones He loves. Heb. 12: 5-8. Tough love does have a way of straightening out a person!
It felt like I had been knocked face down in the dirt with my back stepped on until I would agree to stop fighting my desire to hold on to whom I had become. But it was all I knew anymore. Changing myself after 20 years seemed as difficult as stopping an addiction. Moreover, I was commanded to return all the way back to the Godly child I was as a teen!
One night I had grown tired of fighting. I was crying down to my soul. I was recalling every regret in my life and in that marriage, and there were so many. If God was not pleased with me either, why not just end me? But I knew enough to know, that wasn’t an option. It was time to accept that God must have plans for me and things I was still meant to do.
I worked on readjusting my path and when I found my way back to where He needed me to be, He lifted me back up in Glory.
I was never mad at God during the hard time he was putting me through. I needed to lose everything I owned, along with my children, and my responsibilities so that I could spend uninterrupted one-on-one time with Him.
I know now, as proof, that when you are going through your hardest times or facing punishment, that is when God is with you. He is molding you and transforming you so that you can emerge into a better life or return to your former happy self.
I was indeed in a euphoric state of relief once I returned to the virtues, Spirituality, and the unwavering participation in God’s Calling that defined my teenage years. To prevent myself from sliding back into a life of possessions, I made the decision to keep living in my little Geo. Later in recognition of my progress, God used a divine intervention to give me the money to buy another Caravan so I’d have more room.
During what was about 3 years, I traveled in my Caravan and enjoyed my free and spontaneous life with God up until I was reunited with “Ozzie”.
I did have some idea as to what was ahead. During the divorce I had told my sons that I knew that another man, the right man finally, was going to come into my life. Little did I know then that God had given me a Prophesy during the divorce of the time it would happen and his name on my license plate! A60 OZZ was on my plate for 9 years. It was on my first Caravan, transferred to my Geo, and then to my second Caravan.
It was October of 2012 when I was informed that a man was indeed in my future. The man I had always been meant to marry was in my past. I was to seek him. He needed me. He was Praying to find me. Obviously, this is why it was so important that I returned to my mindset as a teen. But I lived in Florida and all the boys I knew back then lived in Ohio.
My first thought was of “Ozzie”. But had I brushed that off thinking that if he had no interest in me back then, he surely wouldn’t now. Besides, what would be the odds that he was single? Yet, I felt that he was.
When I took my annual trip back to Ohio I stayed with Donna, as always. But we didn't run into any men that I used to know. Before leaving, she suggested that I get on Facebook so we could stay connected more easily when I returned to Florida. I had never had an interest in Facebook, but then she showed me its potential for helping me connect with the man I was meant to be with. She used her account to look up several boys that I remembered, but they were all married men.
At the end of October, while stopped at a motel on my way back to Florida, I opened a Facebook account. The first man I looked up was a boy I had an attraction to in school. But he was with someone.
November 27, after having returned to Florida, I finally decided to look up “Ozzie”, out of curiosity. He was single and listed himself as John “Ozzie” Oswald, but some classmates were still calling him “Ozzie” or “Oz”. Since he listed himself as John I began addressing him as John again.
I sent him a friend request and a message. I wrote, still playin 😊 because I could see that he was by posted photos of him in bands and playing at events.
I got no reply. Obviously, nothing had changed. He was still a snob who had no interest in me. The likely reason he accepted my friend request was just to add me to his audience base, which turned out to be true!
But then, in December, John posted an overly enthusiastic Birthday Greeting on my wall. It was at least acknowledgement from him, which felt nice and encouraging, but I was also confounded. Did he send this greeting to everyone or was he trying to get my attention? There was still no answer to my message so I blew him off once more and moved on.
It was about this time, 2013, that God began warning me of the future. It became a given each day as to where, the time, and how I would receive a Prophesy. I would log them and email to verify the dates.
This went on for months. I was not being shown a bright future. I was told how to stay righteous and be safe to endure. I asked God if he felt that I was strong enough to call on my strength and go through what was coming alone? Or was that why I needed to find the man from my past?
A lot of those Prophesies have already come to pass. I knew what was going to happen in 3 years in the 2016 election and why Hillary wouldn’t be able to win. Later, when all of the so-called internet Prophets claimed Trump would win again in 2020, being a true Prophetess I knew Biden was going to win and what would happen afterwards, and did.
In order to not be alone in 2020 and beyond, I needed to find that man from the past. But, in almost a year and a half of being on Facebook I had reunited with 4 men and none of those relationships worked out. Donna started angrily telling me that I should stop searching and be like her and not need a man in my life. But as I told her, when God tells you to do something, you do it!
It wasn’t until the beginning of 2014 that the time was finally right for God to give us a divine intervention. It was a divine Poke, as we now affectionately call it. John received a Facebook Poke that I didn’t send to him and I received one that he didn’t send. That Poke was for me to connect with the man I was being told to find and to answer John Prayers by being connected to the woman he was meant to be with.
When I saw John’s Poke my thought was to ignore it, and I did. But then when I had returned all the Pokes on my list that day his showed as having been returned even though I had skipped it. I thought it was no big deal as he would likely ignore it anyway.
Several days later when I checked my Pokes, I saw that I had received a return Poke from John. I admit it. Seeing it kind of gave me a thrill. I decided that if he was going to show some interest in me then I had nothing to lose and returned his Poke and the Pokes that followed over the next few days.
March 23, 2014, I was sitting with my laptop, having breakfast. I saw that I had received a Facebook message from John! I was stunned. Had our Poking caused him to start a conversation with me after all this time? I weighed whether or not I should care. Yes, I enthusiastically did. So, I was eager to read his message. I wondered what his excuse was going to be for not answering my message all this time which read, Still playin 😊. His message answer, Sure am! (OOPS! Did I overlook this 1.5 years ago?!?!) 23 pokes, wow!
I busted out laughing. His message just struck me as hysterical. I found his use of 1.5 to be a funny realization of how long he had missed my message. I decided to have some fun with this and chide him. I felt he deserved my sarcastic reply which read, LMBO! Slow in replies, are we?
He answered, Not usually but…….sorry
In the second half of my reply to him, I chided him again and wrote, Good to know you are still playing. I finally saw that you were on your wall. You know, cause waiting for you to answer a message…….lol.
From the time we started talking we became enamored with one another. Our messaging turned into daily marathons that even continued after we had gone to bed. We needed to listen to each other’s voice until we fell asleep.
I had learned that John was not smug at all. His personality was very warm and caring. He wasn’t even aware, until then, that many at school saw him as a celebrity. When I told him about the incident with Steve, he wasn’t surprised, considering the source as well. He told me that Steve was wrong. He only liked plain, down-to-earth girls.
In proof, I discovered the reason as to why he never took notice of me in school. Ironically, he was preoccupied with a plain Jane girl named…..Debbie. He couldn’t pursue her because this Debbie never took an interest in him. I teased him that his heart was letting him know that he wanted to be with Debbie, he just had the wrong one!
But, God only does things in His time, and when He knows that the time is right. My singing voice was taken from me, but I did go on to have a diversified career utilizing my other talents which is valuable to us now.
John kept rocking on in music, but he had been limited to playing in mostly cover bands. There was no youtube or easy means back then to establish an Indie career.
It became clear to us in considering our personalities and temperaments, combined with no ability to go far in music, that it would have likely led us to frustration, conflict, and ultimately, separation.
We also realized that we really did need to go through what we did in our lives and marriages. We needed that time to learn, grow and vent our frustrations. We understood now what it took to get here and to appreciate it and each other in being with the right person, our soulmate.
Being brought together at this time resulted in us immediately falling in love and willing to work together with God and for Godly purposes, on a career in music and more.
We collaborated on our first song over the phone called, Good Kinda Crazy which described the way we had become so insanely attached to one another.
Things were going so well for us that it attracted the dark side in anger. Being gifted, it wasn’t uncommon for me to be attacked by dark forces to force me off of my path. Doubt was being used to cause me to worry.
One night I was besieged by negativity and I started to cry. I had been hurt enough in life and in trying to find my soul mate. What if this was another disappointment? My Guardian heard me and assured me that John and my connection had been Ordained and was going to come to pass. The only thing that could stop it would be if I did something to ruin it, as she knew well that I’m prone to do. I was told to stop crying. Everything was going to work out.
The next morning as I was waking, I was told very sternly, by a voice I knew well, to get up and go look at my license plate. I pondered why because in having that plate for 9 years I knew exactly what was written on it.
During the divorce I had bought a bronze Caravan because I knew that the marriage vehicles would likely be taken in the divorce. When the woman in the DMV had looked at the license plate she was about to give me she paused. She said I don’t feel as though this is the plate I am meant to give you. It’s blah.
I thought it was odd when she had gone to the back and come out with another plate. She marveled at the writing on it and found it quite interesting A60 OZZ. She thought this might be a better plate to cheer me up. When she handed it to me, I hugged it in utter joy and my son, who was with me, laughed at my reaction. But buying the Caravan was my first step in freedom from my ex and this plate, with its seemingly encrypted message, felt as though it was Prophesying a great future for me.
I did as I was told and went to the back of my Caravan and looked at my plate. I even read what was written out loud, A60 OZZ and shrugged.
God explained that He did indeed give me a Prophesy on this plate 9 years ago. He had let me know that I would be reunited with John and when. Out of the times we could have connected it wasn’t to happen until we would be right for each other in our attitudes, personalities and ability to work together. He then showed me in a visual what my plate actually said. A 60 year old Ozzie. I quickly started thinking to determine John’s age. Yes, yes, he was 60! This was the sign I needed. John and I were going to be together!
In the weeks that followed I made a couple of videos for John in confessing my feelings for him and informing him of my life with God. I went on to explain my license plate and showed it to him in the video. I eventually let him know that I was gifted and what I had been terming as “fate” to describe us was actually Prophesy from my gift. Being a man who was devoted to God, that didn’t scare him off. He didn’t doubt the license plate as coincidence, he was thrilled. This also proved to him that his Prayers were heard and answered. Writing on that plate had confirmed that our relationship was real and Ordained by God.
His reaction was a welcomed conformation to me that he was the right man because he would not dismiss me, nor call me crazy, when telling him the Prophesies still to come about the future. He was very open to me being gifted and shortly after found himself thankful to my Guardian Angel for telling me what to do to help him.
My Guardian had told me one night not to expect my usual call from John after getting home from a gig. John had confessed to me about having had DUIs, but I was told that this time he was going to be wrongly arrested for one.
When John was able to call me the next morning, he found that I wasn’t mad, but already knew what had happened. I relayed what my Guardian Angel had to tell him. The reason he passed the breath test, but wasn’t able to pass his vision test was due to his medical condition that was unknown to him. He was to see his doctor and be diagnosed and take that proof to the court.
He did as he was told and his DUI case was thrown out. But she had further instructions for him. If he wanted his relationship with me to go on then he must agree to never to drink and drive again. For if he did, his relationship with me would be taken away. He agreed, and our relationship became even stronger for it.
Having no way to advance outside of the music industry, John’s life had remained in mostly cover bands, while I had gone on to be Blessed to have so many varied accomplishments. I realized that one of God’s new purposes for my life was to use my skills to help John fulfill the career he set out to have. I had fulfilled my time; it was now his time.
We are aware that despite everything, we have been in God’s Grace and on the path He set for us. As rarely happens, we were Blessed at the start of our careers to meet, interact and get feedback from, the Spiritual person whom we most admired. John had become a fan of Phil Keaggy, also born in Ohio, after seeing him perform. Soon after John got to open for Keaggy in Rosewater and learned that Keaggy thought Rosewater had potential. I was a fan of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, another Ohioan. My third published freelance article touched his heart and he asked my permission to relay it to his radio audience.
Having both started on a Spiritual path we were now ready to work together for God.
John made the decision to be the one to move so that we could get married. The rest is, as they say, History. I created and formed the Indie project Breaking Barriers Reality Show.com to showcase each of our talents. How we evolved in our relationship from there is chronicled in our show. We have the website, along with youtube, our social medias, soon to be Locals, and more platforms where we have, and will remain, independently Indie. Stay Tuned!
JOHN'S SIDE OF THEIR STORY
"Mr. John C Oswald" (in my Rod Serling voice, which is one of the many voices that I do) is how I usually identify myself on my voice mail greetings, that's me. I'm also known as Oz or Ozzie, a nickname that my older brother and my dad were both called. As a little kid I had hoped that my friends would call me Ozzie once I was out and about in the world. This was the case and I was more than happy to carry on that family nickname.
My parents got divorced when I was one year old. So, I do not remember my dad living in the same house. Though I did spend every Sunday with him, many times going fishing, until he moved to Arizona with his second wife when I was five. Around that time my older sister got married and moved out. It seems odd now, but I don't remember getting much comforting or consolation about those major changes. I wonder if was that to toughen me up? Of course, how tough do you need to be at 5 years old ...
After that I grew up with a mother who worked several sales jobs. She married twice and divorced twice. The first husband being my kid sister's dad. From the time I was 11 there were no more father figures in the home, which was a welcomed improvement over the step dads. But I can at least say that I owe my love of piano from my first step dad. My siblings were a brother who was 13 years my senior, a sister 11 years my senior and a sister 3 years younger.
As a kid I had quite the imagination. I loved to play Zorro, Superman, Davy Crockett. We had a barn with a loft where I would stand with the door open and pretend that I was Colonel Crockett at the Alamo swinging at the enemy with a toy rifle (or hey, a board) and knocking down their ladders. One time I climbed a tree outside while wearing my Zorro cape. My older sister was on the phone and was hearing this little kid's voice yelling "Help", each time the voice was getting a little weaker. She ran outside to find I was stuck in the tree with my cape around my neck.
My mom was a wonderful seamstress and made a lot of great garments for me. She even made a Superman S for me by copying the design perfect right from the comic book. She then sewed it onto my light blue sweatshirt. Well, one day when I went to the barber, I surprised and embarrassed my mom. I ripping off my jacket and underneath was the Superman sweatshirt and a red towel I had tucked into it as a cape! I ran around the shop showing off as Superman. The barber got a laugh out of it.
My religious upbringing, I guess was a little unique. As a little kid I was sent to Sunday school down the road. I also went to their vacation Bible School and learned about Jesus on the cross, sin, heaven and hell. It all rang true. I don't care if I was a little kid or not. When it comes to Faith you just "know". Yes, it's a strange phenomenon. There are people that don't understand that and want "proof". But needing proof means a lack of faith. My family, right in the same house, was divided on that. My mom, younger sister and I were the believers and it seems that the other two weren't. My mom was from Kentucky and used a lot of Country swearing. One day she was really swearing away. I was afraid she was going to go to hell for it. So, I got in the Bible and found the Ten Commandments. I wrote down the chapter and verses and then wrote her a note saying Mom, if you know what's good for you, read this : ____." I thought maybe she'd be mad but she was touched and so delighted that I cared about her soul. She passed in August 2010. Writing this reminds me how much I miss her.
When I was age 13, instead of sending us to church, Mom returned to the Church of Christ and took my younger sister and me. I was active in the church, taking part in passing out the wine (okay, it was grape juice at this church), and the cracker type things.
Now, there are people from different eras of my life that will be surprised to read this because yes, I have gone astray here and there. I have not always been the most reverent person, certainly not the role model I should've/could've been.
Music has always been a great love of mine. I remember "Hound Dog" from 1956 when I was 3 years old. I loved the sound of Frank Sinatra's voice. My older brother brought home a stereo. I learned the joys of hearing, Ooo--- the bass and drums on the left speaker, the piano in the right speaker. Fascinating! I heard jazz songs like "Sleepwalk" by Santo and Johnny. "Scotch and Soda" by the Kingston trio really captured my imagination. I pictured myself with a guitar singing that to a girl on a park bench.
Hey, this was even before those guys from Liverpool with funny haircuts and bangs (which I thought looked like Moe from The Three Stooges) made their big splash on The Ed Sullivan show.
I had found a guitar that belonged to my mom in a closet. I took it out and was imitating John Lennon in our bathroom mirror (attempted to anyway). I began to swing the guitar around and I accidently banged the neck of it on the wall thus breaking off a tuning machine. Hey, perfecting my craft I had to keep at it. The next time I took it out I accidently broke off another piece. Eventually this guitar was destroyed. I have sort of a hunch that this might be the reason it took me three Christmases of asking for a guitar to get one. Okay, I'm sure of it.
At 13 years old in 1966 I got my first acoustic guitar. I played in a few bands, some of which I had a hand in forming. Initially I played pretty awful lead guitar. Then gradually by the summer of 1969 I got better after learning some Eric Clapton solos which are so melodic you can sing them in your head. Then by an understanding of the blues scale that I gained from hearing Johnny Winter. After that I was a competent player for my experience thus far. In my first professional band at 16, the drummer, a friend of mine, had been the main lead singer. Then I took over and discovering the ham in me as singer. Speaking of hamming I was active with the Drama department at school in "Everyman", Stalag 17.
It was in late 1970 when we formed the group called Rosewater where I took over as lead singer from the drummer. There was a concert we put on at the Lynn Theater in Akron that was monumental to me in experiencing the power of touching people with music. It touched PEOPLE. There were no categories of hip or not hip, cool or uncool, etc., it was about PEOPLE. If I took away anything from that night, that was the most important thing. There was this all-encompassing Spiritual high I was on.
Before Rosewater broke up while we were still in High School, we had played at many school dances, venues, and had once opened for Phil Keaggy with Glass Harp and Wild Butter.
In 1972, although I had plunked around previously on piano, I got serious and started piano lessons. This was mainly to add a little versatility to my performances. I always kept singing as the main focal point and used the playing of instruments as an icing on the cake type thing. I wanted it to be seen as, So, he sings... and then later in that set: What?! He plays guitar too?! Sometimes Harmonica?! I came to find that I got complimented on the guitar and the keyboard playing so I kept them up. Later on, while in a country band some of the players enjoyed the way I played…what they termed, that thar French harp.
In early 1974 I hooked up with some musicians who played this innovative genre of jazz/rock/funk fusion. It was a great experience which really changed my outlook on playing and gave me an understanding of arranging, counter rhythms, and about creativity. Two of the guys now have a killer jazz group, HAT (Horns and Things) that play the Akron/Cleveland area.
This is around the time I started writing songs. Throughout my whole adult life, I kept playing and would always convince the band to include a current original or two of mine. At different times I was a full time or part-time musician. There would be the occasional occupation where I wouldn't be available to play every night but I would still write. I have worked many jobs, from city worker, maintenance and the Developmental Deficiency field. Married or single I have always been active with music.
Two marriages produced four wonderful people. A son and a daughter the first time around, then two sons in my second marriage. They all have musical abilities! CJ, the oldest is a singer/songwriter and promoter. Roxane has the voice of an angel. Early on she showed natural ability on the piano and the violin. Jesse can play some killer guitar which just came naturally to him. Jamie is ridiculously talented as a drummer. One time as a teen he banged on a telephone pole, a pan and a bucket and made it all sound like a set of drums! A fine songwriter too.
Throughout the years I have branched out into many styles. I have played '70s danceable rock and funk, country, '80s rock, blues and of course original compositions of all of those styles. I have also had tribute acts such as Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra which I still do today.
It was time to put this diversity of experiences to good use and now...
Thanks to my God given talent, His molding of my life with the variety of learning I was able to receive, and now with His Divine Intervention with Debbie, I am one half of a team called Breaking Barriers with my fine wife Debbie.
This happened because Debbie and I were reunited 03/23/2014 by a Divine Intervention found in, yes, Facebook. I don't think Divine Intervention and Facebook are often mentioned in the same sentence; still, it was meant to be. I was curious about 23 "pokes" from a person who had occasionally caught my attention the past few months. This was someone it seemed I should know (from a festival I played ?), a person I maybe threw out a comment to once or twice on Facebook, a woman who hmmm--- seemed pretty cool from reading some banter with her and an old schoolmate or two (did I know her from school?). Nevertheless, I had previously concluded that I should have some dialog with one Debbie Diane Straight. Having this reason to contact her and investigate the mysterious 23 "pokes" served as a nudge I apparently needed to send a message.
At the time I didn't understand how this poking thing worked. I thought she did 23 in a row I and went to Messenger to comment on it. I get ready to write and see a message from Debbie from late 2012. Oh no! A year and a half before?! I remembered that message and thought I had replied. She had asked if I was still playing music. That was late 2012 when I was still swearing, I didn't need to be in touch with the whole world on some fancy schmancy phone with which you could do email, Facebook, and your laundry (well, ok THAT would be worth it). My curmudgeon attitude was, "Stinkin' 21st century with your blasted technology!" So I'm thinking maybe I was on the Library’s computer and needed to leave, got distracted, didn't reply. Seems a reasonable excuse anyway...
In this message to Debbie I referred to the 1.5 year delay in responding. Saying 1.5 struck her funny and myself too. From then on speaking of time frames with digits (silly stuff like .75 hour rather than 45 minutes, etc.) became an inside joke between us. (Oops, now you know!) When I told Debbie I thought I should know her she laughed and reminded me that we had a drama class together in 1970-71. I realized ah-HA! I remember a Debbie Straight in that class! Her Facebook name including middle name Diane threw me off. This was a Sunday morning this Facebook marathon chat started.
Looking back, our dialog immediately had a remarkable intimacy about it. We talked about a million things. We talked about High School days, friends & family, things we'd experienced the previous 40+ years. She told me I was her role model for her endeavors. This blew me away that I was an inspiration to her! Any artiste type would be ecstatic to hear that. Talking about her poetry, my performing in bands, her writing, my songwriting, things we had in common as parents: WOW!!! It was such a thrill to connect with this fellow creative mind. I told Debbie I regretted that we didn't speak more back in high school. About twelve hours later, signing off I'm thinking whew---, she's great. We could help each other out creatively. Will there be romance? Let's see...
As time went on all these wonderful things came to mind that was opening me up to this. I remembered that a few months before there was this mysterious “gypsy fortune teller” type post that somehow posted on my wall that read someone from the past would reemerge, someone I had made an impression on, influenced in a positive way. I came to realize that particular someone was Debbie, her saying I was her role model.
Also, I had a realization that maybe my prayers had literally been answered. By that point in my life what I wanted was a nice girlfriend and to do great things with music.
I (we?) remembered that Debbie and I had a class together even before Dramatics. It was Mass Media. One day I was chosen to play DJ in front of the class. A classmate named me Handsome Harvey Hornsworth. I wore these (eww---) horned rimmed glasses at the time. I joked a little with a corny intro for "Smile A Little Smile For Me Rose Marie" making it sound all deep. That got some laughs but I went on and played these album cuts from The Doors, Blood Sweat & Tears, non-teeny bopper stuff. These were songs, say, if you just listened to AM radio you certainly wouldn't have known them. These kids were moaning, complaining about my selections. I remembered this cool female voice from the middle of the room saying, "Hey, I think it sounds pretty good!" Of course, like a knucklehead I didn't thank her for the support.
We chatted on Facebook every day. I found out that Debbie is a great photographer and artist. I had posted this picture that my friend had taken of me with my new bass guitar. She saw some potential in the photo and WOW! She came up with 3 great artistic versions of it! It touched me that she was moved by that photo that she would spend time on it and I was excitedly drawn to her even more.
She forwarded one of her nature videos of her in the woods with wildlife, which is now a favorite. I was captivated by her narrating with such a wonderful voice. She radiated this quality of such a loving person. (Ahemmm...I DID speak up this time & complimented her voice.) I thought, "Well, there's a voice I wouldn't mind hearing more of!". OK, that's what I said thinking out loud. However, on a deeper level I knew it was something much bigger. I was falling in love with this schoolmate that I hadn't noticed back in 1970.
Oh yeah, I would later find out that she was the one with the cool voice that day that came from the middle of the room in Mass Media class.
As I say, we were in contact absolutely EVERY DAY... almost...There was a weekend festival in mid-April I played in the hills of West Virginia with really awful phone reception and I found that I missed her... badly!
There was also a break in the communications one day in the middle of May.
When we connected the next day all these factors came together: my being her role model, my praying for a mate, the mysteriously posted prediction of someone reentering my life, (did I mention her voice?), her voice.
She sent me a video she made which showed me this sign God had given her 9 years ago. She showed me that her license plate had my name (well, nickname OZZ) and my age at the time.
Yup! This is it! Prayers answered! This was meant to be!!!
That particular evening, we finally talked on the phone for the first time (ah---to have this beautiful voice to converse with). We decided let's give it a go as a couple. Oh, by the way, we were 1,200 miles apart with me in Ohio and Debbie in Florida.
So intense was the happiness and fulfillment I felt that I was compelled to do what I call, well, a backwards deal with God. People will Pray and promise to straighten up, do better, etc. if God would maybe, take away a disease, save a loved one’s life, that type of thing…Well, I did the opposite where in tears I was Praying thanking God for this person I now have to love and in return I would be more dedicated, more in touch with Him and do His Will.
The summer of 2014 we had constant contact. If it wasn't on the phone talking or texting it was Facebook. By August we're sleeping with the phone on. We reference this in our first collaborative song, "Good Kinda Crazy". It was evident we had to physically get together.
October 2014 I relocated to Florida. 03/23/2015 (yes, the anniversary of our first, and all day, Facebook chat) we marry!