John and Debbie's Divine Intervention Love Story

DEBBIE'S SIDE OF THEIR STORY 

In 1969, while a freshman in high school, I became attracted to a quirky sophomore boy in the back of my mass media class. I admired his wit, unabashed attitude, and easy-going personality.  I entertained thoughts of us connecting and becoming romantic. But that was short lived. 

I was standing in front of our class one day when he passed by. I was a tall girl of 5” 10’. I saw that he was much shorter. Even though I really liked him, sadly for me, that was a deterrent. Likewise, I felt he wouldn't want to get involved with a tall girl. With that, I lost interest in him. We had no classes the next semester and I forgot about him.

On my first day of Drama class as a sophomore, I was repelled by a junior boy in the class. He appeared to have an attitude of being elevated and unapproachable. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that he would be important to me someday.  

 I didn't recognize him as that quirky boy from the year before. As a junior his face, hairstyle, glasses, and style of clothes, had changed. I found no attraction to him during that class. But it was mutual, he had absolutely no interest in me either!  

A few days later a friend told me that she envied me. I had a class with “Ozzie” which gave me a chance to get close to him. I had heard kids gossiping in the halls about a boy nicknamed “Ozzie”, “Ozz” for short.  Admiring him as a school celebrity because he had been playing guitar and singing in profitable bands since he was fifteen. He was currently the singer in a band called Rosewater which had a promising future. For that, I had respect for this “Ozzie” and the other members of the band. Unlike most boys in school, they were actively pursuing their goals, as was I.  

I had been engaged in a variety of sales businesses since I was eight. At the age of eleven I saw the potential of a homemade product which I knew I could easily sell. I talked my mom and sister into making the product, and I sold it door to door. It became a thriving business. I was also a singer, songwriter, photographer, poet, and on my way to becoming a published freelance writer. Among many projects and goals, I had written my first song and was working on a second.  

Since we could be valuable to one another, I decided to find out who “Ozzie” was in the class. He was in a band, and I wrote songs. My skills in marketing and sales would be perfect for promoting his band. We obviously shared an interest in acting too.  

I wasn’t too surprised to discover, maybe due to having celebrity status, that the smug looking boy was “Ozzie”. But due to my extreme shyness and lack of nerve, I couldn't bring myself to approach him.

I had applied for Drama to push past being introverted and shy and to add acting to my list of talents. I credit my focus on impressing “Ozzie” to get his attention with fueling my dedication to giving the best performances I could.   

I laugh now, but I was overly nervous each time I had to act in class. It was because the students faced the performing area of the room and “Ozzie’s” desk was in front of me and only a few feet away. In giving it my all, alas, I failed to impress him, nor did I get his attention enough to consider talking to me. But my acting was so perfect that our teacher asked me to join his traveling summer troupe as a lead actress!  So, there was that.

I was a junior and “Ozzie” a senior when we were together again in Drama II. This time I was developing an affection for him. I couldn’t help being drawn to him.  Yet I remained too shy to start a conversation with him, and he still had no interest in me.  

Finally, during one class he did acknowledge my performance and spoke out. Except it wasn’t directly to me. 

I had the role of the mother in The Bad Seed. I was 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 to ask 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, he commended me for giving it my all. He also credited 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?  

It was October and “Ozzie” informed the class that his band was having a concert that night. I had no plans to go. Why should I? Other than calling out compliments to each other in class after giving a good performance, he showed no interest in starting a conversation with me.

When class ended, I wasn’t aware that “Ozzie” was standing in the hall. He was asking students as they were exiting if they were going to his concert that night.  

When I heard “Ozzie” call out my name as I was walking out of the class, I was taken by surprise.  Being excited that he was finally talking to me, I heard myself instantaneously agreeing to go. 

I watched him give me a huge smile to show he was happy with my answer.  

For a moment I paused. I was waiting to see if he had more to say. But he looked past me at others exiting the class to ask if they were going to his concert. I realized he wasn’t trying to start a conversation. He was seeking concertgoers.   

As I was walking past “Ozzie” to leave, I saw that he was shorter than me! A shorter boy was still a deterrent for me.

I had told “Ozzie” I would go to his concert, and I kept my word. My childhood friend and neighbor, Donna, was happy that I was going with her after all.  

Donna and I were seated, and waiting for the concert to start, when Steve, our neighbor, came over. Steve wasn’t a fan of “Ozzie” and had always been repulsed by me. I was a plain Jane, no makeup, tomboy in contrast to his flamboyantly feminine personality.   

Steve said, “Look around. Every girl came dressed up, hoping to fulfill a fantasy of seducing one of the band members as a trophy." He then asked me if I had a choice, which band member would I date? I answered “Ozzie” because he was the only band member I knew. I soon regretted having answered. He scoffed. “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.  

Steve was right on one point. I was surprised it hadn’t crossed my mind before. Band members do attract girls who throw themselves at them. As I contemplated that thought, I started seeing visions of “Ozzie” sleeping with any girl who pursued him. That killed any notion of ever dating him. I wouldn’t want such a depressing relationship. Always wondering if he was cheating.  

It struck me that I may not want to work with him either. He would likely be more interested in the girls pursuing him than in collaborating with me on music.  

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 quite good too!  

In November, a few weeks after the concert, my life was thoroughly shattered. In September my maternal grandfather had died horribly of lung cancer. The next month in October my maternal grandmother had died of throat cancer. Then on November 18, 1971, my father was brutally murdered. I was told later that I was so mentally dazed at my father’s funeral that I kept inquiring as to who was being buried this time?  

I never blamed God for their deaths, as too many people do. I also immediately forgave the boy who murdered my father. I wished him no harm and Prayed he would one day find God. 

After the funerals of my Grandparents, just weeks before my father’s murder, I was compelled to write a Prophetic poem about death. My father understood the importance of the poem and wanted me to work on getting it turned into a song. 

Due to my father’s last wish, I decided I was going to finally approach “Ozzie” and ask him if he would work with me to turn the poem into a song. I had also written two songs he might be interested in performing.  

With nothing left to hold me in town, I also planned to ask “Ozzie” if he would like to leave Ohio with me. We could travel and go wherever he could get good paying gigs and perform my original songs.   

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to speak to “Ozzie”. My father’s brutal murder, and the gruesome details, had been plastered on the TV news and in the newspapers in Ohio and West Virginia where it happened. His murder was just as hard on me as the students at school. They didn't know how to cope with it, or with me. Feeling it was better for everyone, I dropped out of school.  

I didn't get to finish Drama II and I never saw “Ozzie” again back then.  The timing for us to be together was not right at that time. 

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.  I soon lost a fourth person as well.

I had become involved with a boy I believed I loved. But as a generational Prophetess, I was given a Prophetic sign to let me know that we were not destined. My first thought was of his car. I told Donna and together we urged this boy to get rid of his dangerously small VW bug. 

he laughed and dismissed my Prophesy. I never got to see him again. He was beheaded in his VW after being struck straight on by a drunk driver.  

Before I continue, I should insert something about myself so the events in my life can be understood, including my Prophesy to this boy.  I was born a generational Prophetess. The gift of Prophecy and some Spiritual abilities have always gone to one person in each generation of my lineage. I was that person of my 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 Guardian Angel, who is my protecter and guide. When I am given a Prophecy, it is certain to pass. 

I have kept my gift from my public life, until now. But I can no longer remain private, 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. 

Some may not believe what follows, and others may relate due to the workings of God in their own life. But no one can dispute the events which led to “Ozzie” and I being brought together when the timing was right. It's reader's choice to believe these events to be divine, or just a series of incredible, perfectly timed, coincidences.  

From living wayward and reckless since leaving school, I finally felt bad for all 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 and moved on, I designated him to be my role model. From then on, I used his determination with his goals to help me keep focused on my own.  

I returned to school as a junior again. I had already become a published freelance writer at 16 and then again when I returned to school at 17. I had also paid a music company to write the music for my father’s poem and record it. I was offered a contract for the song but turned it down. It became clear it wasn’t a song, but a private prophecy to my father. He knew my gift and that’s why he was drawn to the poem and heeded what it said.   

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 cover band. But God would not allow it. He showed me that joining that band would eventually lead me into the music industry. He then showed me the downward spiral that would result from it. I was obstinate and assured Him that I was strong willed and would not allow what I was shown to happen. I asked God to trust and let me prove myself. But what will be, will be. Nothing I believed I could do would have changed the future I was shown. Since I would not be reasoned with, God, in that moment, stripped me of my singing voice. Argument solved.  

I have never resented God for taking my beloved ability to sing. He truly knows what is best. Being the 1970s, only God would have known the present and future of the music industry. I am grateful today that He did take my voice. 

The promising career “Ozzie” had in the band Rosewater was also taken from him. The band had opened for Phil Keaggy with Glass Harp. Wild Butter also. The band would have eventually gotten into the music industry. But with no clear reason the band dissolved. “Ozzie” continued his career in various cover bands while developing his talent to write original songs on the side. 

We were decades away from Indie music careers being easily possible, wherein, the timing was going to be right for “Ozzie” and I to be together. 

I finally left Ohio in 1979 when I got married and moved to Texas. I continued to keep “Ozzie” as my role model. Throughout my journeys in life, I used his determination to continue rocking in cover bands to keep me motivated with my own goals.  

My first marriage was for the wrong reasons, and for that, it failed. Not that I didn't try to make it work. Christ also tried by having a three-day visitation with my husband. It was such a shock to be confronted by Christ that my husband did became the person Christ instructed him to be if he wanted to stay with me. But it didn't last. He reverted and became an even worse person. I was permitted to take our daughter and leave him. 

I still had “Ozzie” as my role model. When I would ask Donna if “Ozzie” was still performing the answer would be that indeed he was. For a time, he was with a band that recorded a CD which included a few of his songs and collaborations. One of the songs was used in a movie.   

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, controlling, and a compulsive liar. After 20 years in the Air Force he would have retired as a mere Staff Sergeant if not given a “gratuitous” Tech Sergeant grade at the end. Since he had no real achievements in life, he was overly jealous of anyone successful. That included me, our children, and his first wife. 

Raised in NYC in Catholic school he believed in Prophets but refused to acknowledge me as one. For as many times as my Guardian Angel saved our lives from harm or death and let me know whenever he was lying to me, he brushed off every incident as mere coincidences. 

When I had to tell him my Guardian Angel warned me to cancel our annual trip home to Ohio and NYC he was infuriated. He refused to believe that anything was going to happen. Our boys knew when I was told something would happen, it would, and they refused to go. 

He first declared he would go alone but later decided not to go either. This was during the week of 9/11/2001. Thankfully, his aunt, who was in one of the buildings at the time, is alive today because she ignored instructions to remain in the building and fled. 

In 2004 I was told about a Spiritual sign to watch for. When it happened, it signified that I was allowed to file for divorce and break free from his controlling, belittling, abusive, and dismissive behavior. 

When he started to become unhinged, I saw the sign. It was no longer safe for me, my daughter, nor our boys, to have him in our lives.   

“Ozzie” and I had no idea that our lives had been playing out almost parallel to each other. Whenever something happened in my life it happened in his life too and around the same time. Our first and second marriage. Our first child. Both starting over late in life with 2 boys in our second marriage which were born around the same time. We were both in toxic situations in our marriages and divorced around the same time.  

Divorcing my second husband was horrific. My life was destroyed and that of the children with what my husband and the Judges, who sided with him, caused us to endure for six years. It caused the children to no longer have anything to do with him, or with me. 

God was not happy with me either for allowing this husband to change who I was. I had denounced a life of materialism as a teen, but my second husband was highly materialistic. To keep the peace for the sake of the children, I had allowed him to control me and change me into someone materialistic. Worse, I had let him use his disdain and criticism of my calling as a Prophetess to keep me distant from my Spirituality.  

For penance God made sure that I lost the quarter of a million-dollar family home and literally everything I owned. After 35 years of raising children, I was left alone in the world and eventually living out of a little Geo car. 

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!  

At times, my punishment felt as if I was being knocked face down in the dirt with my back stepped on until I would agree to let go of who I had become. But it was all I knew at that point. Reinventing myself after 20 years of being controlled seemed as difficult as stopping an addiction. What seemed even harder, I was told to return to the Godly child I was as a teen!

One night I had grown weary. I began crying down to my soul. I was recalling every regret in my life, and there were so many. If God was not pleased with me either, why not just erase me from existence? But I knew that wasn’t an option. It was time to accept that God had plans for me. Work that I was still meant to accomplish.  

I worked harder at reconfiguring my life and path. When I finally found my way back to where God needed me to be, He lifted me back up in Glory and with a purpose.

I was also given a reward. The engine in the used Caravan I had bought during the divorce had blown up and I was living in a little Geo car.  That was causing health issues for always being in a sitting position. My Guardian Angel told me that God was talking to my sister’s heart to send me money to buy a better vehicle. One in which I could lay down to sleep. I bought another Caravan with the money and put an air mattress in the back.

The new license plate I had been given for the first Caravan had been transferred to the Geo and now to the second Caravan. It read A60 OZZ. I loved that it was so easy to remember and that it also seemed, in a strange way, to speak to me in a comforting manner.   

I never got mad at God during the hard time He was putting me through. It wasn’t just punishment. It was also a necessity that I lost everything I owned, my children, and my responsibilities. It ensured my submission to uninterrupted one-on-one time with Him. 

When you are going through your hardest times or facing punishment, that is when God is with you. He is molding you and preparing you for a better life, and/or a return to a former state of happiness. 

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. 

I had become comfortable with being alone and traveling in my Caravan. I had no desire for a home or possessions, as in my vow as a teen. I was thoroughly enjoying my free and spontaneous life with God. 

I did have some idea as to what lie ahead. During the divorce I was told that another man, the right man this time, was going to come into my life. I just wasn’t aware that God had given me a Prophecy nine years in advance as to the time it would happen and the name of the man. It was on my license plate!  A60  OZZ. 

It was October of 2012 when I was told that the man I was always meant to marry was in my past. I was to seek him. He needed me. He was Praying to find me. Obviously, this was 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 as a teen lived in Ohio.  

My first thought was of “Ozzie”. But 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. 

I drove to Ohio and stayed with Donna. She suggested I use something called Facebook by showing me its potential for finding and connecting with the man I was meant to be with. We looked up several men from HS on her account, but they were all married. 

At a motel stop on the way back home in October I opened a Facebook account. I connected with many old friends from my HS.  

Back in Florida on November 27, I finally decided to look up “Ozzie”, out of curiosity. He was single and listed himself as John “Ozzie” Oswald. Some classmates were still calling him “Ozzie” or “Ozz”. But since he listed himself as John, I began addressing him as John.  

I sent him a friend request and he accepted. I decided to try sending him a message also. I wrote, still playin, because I had seen posts of photos of him in different bands. 

 I didn’t receive a reply. Obviously, nothing had changed. He still 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 an acknowledgement from him, which felt encouraging. But I was also confused. 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.  

God began to give me Prophecies of the future of the world. Like clockwork I would get a new prophecy every day, in the same place, at around the same time. As with all prophecies, I documented them.  I asked God if He felt that I was strong enough to go through what I was being shown on my own? Or was that why I needed to find the man from my past?  I got no reply.  

In almost a year and a half of being on Facebook, I had reunited with 4 men and none of those relationships worked out.   

In March of 2014 the time was finally right for God to give John and I a divine intervention using Facebook. It was a divine Poke, as we now affectionately call it. John received a Poke that I didn't send and I received one that he didn't send. That Poke was to connect me with the man I was told to find. For John it was the answer to his Prayers to be connected to the woman he was always 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 Poke showed as having been returned to him. 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 another 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. I returned his Poke and the many Pokes that followed over the next few days.  

March 23, 2014, I was sitting at 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 these years? I weighed whether I should care. Yes. Yes, I enthusiastically did.

Eager to read his message, I wondered what his excuse was going to be for not acknowledging my message of “Still playin” until now.

His answer was, Sure am! (OOPS! Did I overlook this 1.5 years ago?!?!) 23 pokes, wow!  

I burst out laughing. His message just struck me as hysterical. I found his use of 1.5 to be quirky for how long he had overlooked my message. I decided to have some fun with this and tease him. I felt he deserved my sarcastic reply which read, LMBO! Slow in replies, are we?  

He answered, Not usually but…….sorry  

I teased 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 messaging we became enamored with one another. Our messaging turned into daily marathons. We then switched to phone conversations that continued even after we had gone to bed. We wanted to listen to each other’s voices until we fell asleep.  

I learned that John was not smug at all. His personality was very warm and caring. He wasn’t even aware 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 anyway. He only liked plain, down-to-earth girls.  

In proof, I discovered the reason 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 the timing wasn't right for us back then.  

We came to realize that God knew what was best. Considering our personalities and temperaments as teens, combined with God not allowing either of us to enter the music industry, it would have likely led us to frustration, conflict, and ultimately separation had we become involved back then. We also conceded that we needed to go through what we did in our lives and marriages. It gave us the time needed to learn, grow and vent our frustrations to appreciate finally being with the right person.  

Jesus appeared before John and John agreed to turn himself, and his life, fully over to Him. John was ready and willing to work with me for 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 throw me off my path. Doubt was being seeded in my mind to cause me to worry.  

One night I was overwhelmed with negative thoughts and I started to cry. I had been hurt enough in life. What if this was another disappointment? My Guardian Angel heard me and assured me John and my connection had been Ordained. The only thing that could stop our union would be if I did something to ruin it, as I’m prone to do. I was told to stop crying. Everything was going to work out.  

The next morning when I woke, I was told very sternly, by a voice I knew well, to get up and go look at my license plate. I pondered the command because having that plate for 9 years I knew exactly what was written on it.  

During the divorce I had bought a Caravan after losing the marital van. When I went to the DMV for a license plate the woman looked through the plates and gave me one that read A60  OZZ. She felt that it was meant for me. When she handed it to me, I hugged it in utter joy! Buying that 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 had let me know 9 years ago that I would be reunited with John and when. I was then given a full visual of the message on the plate. A 60 year old Ozzie.

I quickly did the math to determine John’s age. Yes, yes, he was 60! God had indeed planned this. John and I were going to be together!  

In the weeks that followed I made a couple of videos for John to confess my feelings for him. I also informed him of my life with God. I let him know that I was gifted. I went on to explain my license plate and showed it to him in the video. Being a man who was also devoted to God, learning that I was gifted didn't scare him off. He didn't doubt the license plate as coincidence either. He was thrilled. This also proved to him that his Prayers were heard and answered by God.    

His reaction was a welcomed confirmation to me that he was the right man. He did not dismiss me, nor call me crazy, when telling him my Prophesies about the future. He was very open to me being gifted. In a short time, he found himself thankful to my Guardian Angel for helping him.  

My Guardian Angel 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 being wrongly arrested for one. 

When John was able to call me the next morning, he found that I wasn’t mad. I already knew what had happened. I relayed what my Guardian Angel had to tell him. The reason he passed the breath test but couldn’t 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 my Guardian had further instructions for him. If he wanted his relationship with me to continue then he must agree to never drink and drive again. If he did, his relationship with me would be taken away. He agreed, and our relationship became even stronger through his promise. 

My purpose now was to use my skills to help John fulfill the career he was meant to have.

We have come a long way from our start in Ohio. While there we had both been Blessed in the beginning of our careers to get feedback from the Spiritual person whom we most admired. John had become a fan of Phil Keaggy, also born in Ohio. John got to open for Keaggy with his Rosewater band and learned that Keaggy thought Rosewater had potential. I was a fan of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, another Ohioan. My third published freelance article which appeared in Grit Magazine touched his heart and he asked my permission to relay it to his radio audience. 

Having both kept our lives on God’s path we were reunited to work together for God. 

John made the decision to be the one to move down to me so that we could get married. The rest, as they say, is history.

I created and formed our Indie project Breaking Barriers Reality Show in 2016 to showcase each of our talents. Our lives, marriage, and work is being chronicled in our show on 2 websites, a youtube channel, and social media presence. There is much more to come. 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!