For my 7,000th post, I give you.....my profile:
Robace...
Most of my youth was spent as a typical middle child. I was blessed however to have a unbroken family, but the thrill of my life was my Mexican grandmother Esperanza, lived with us for the first 10 years of my life. Teaching me about my heritage, about life and how to balance myself. After she moved out when we came back from Japan, things kind of went downhill for me.
I never quite fit in anywhere. I was smaller than all the other kids no matter where I was, also hampered by my birthday in July I was always one of the youngest in my classes. At an early age I was diagnosed with Asthma, which also hurt my development, that along with a long list of allergies kept me inside a lot and turning to indoor projects to keep myself entertained while everyone else was outside playing, which usually meant when I was around people I talked to them A LOT. Now I eventually outgrew the asthma (which they then defined as childhood asthma) but I was still smaller and my mother kept a stern eye on me, overprotecting me to a point. Even as a junior in High School I stood only 4 ft 9 inches tall and 95 pounds. I was a good student, for the most part. Back in elementary school I was in what they called the Gifted Program for Exceptional Intelligence, which singled me out for a lot of ridicule. It was back then I learned something that carries me to this day, laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and the world will taunt you. I fought off the bullying by taking it with a smile and never taking it personally.
My senior year in High School was difficult but I had finally grew to minimum military standards of height and weight. My father had been sent away for reasons still too personal to talk about now, but regardless with my older brother away in college I was the man of the house at 17. With my mother distraught and little sister still needing help I pretty much let all my grades slip so I could work and go to school. Two jobs and school took a toll on my schoolwork. I had all the backing to get an appointment to the Air Force Academy, but alas my GPA had slipped to .25 below the requirement to get the appointment I had worked all my life to achieve. So instead I enlisted in the USAF, which began a totally new phase of my life.
I had never dated in High School. Yeah a few girls I was friends with, but overall I never even kissed a girl until Tech School in the Air Force. Her name was Katie, I still remember her. But after that taste, and my new attitude and confidence I was on overload. After the first Persian Gulf war (Operation Desert Storm) had to get out of the military due to some medical issues which make sense now, but did not then. I dated A LOT of women, hung out with a lot of right and wrong people. I made a lot of bad choices and combining bad choices and the wrong people, landed me in the county jail at one time for 30 days. I went through some tough times for a while, which wound up finding me homeless and wearing everything I owned, sleeping under Interstate 90 in South Dakota...in November.
Finally a good friend (you all know him as Arstine) and his grandmother (my adoptive grandmother) saw there was good in me and took me into their home. There I cleaned myself up, stopped hanging out with the wrong people, went to college and finally made something more of myself. Finally in 1995 after growing up a lot, my family convinced I was no longer someone that would hurt those around him, I moved to North Carolina where my brother and his wife were.
In September of 1999 I met...HER. She got pregnant in October, we married in December. I was in love with her. A lot. Even now, though I make fun of it, it still hurts. I guess that is how I get over the pain. But more on that later. In July of 2000...my first daughter was born. I was finally happy. I had everything I thought I ever wanted, until September of 2002 when my second daughter was born. Then I knew I had everything I wanted. But then things were not good between me and HER. She was constantly lying, abusive (punched me several times, not in a good way....out of anger), and treated me badly. But I didn't care at that time. I was loyal and I married her and as long as I had my little ones, I could withstand anything. But in March of 2005, I had been out of work since the previous November, HER started wondering why I wasn't working (though she had asked to work and for me to stay home and watch the kids) and why I was saying I was in pain all the time. This strained our relationship, with me constantly in pain and no idea why. Finally in September HER told me that HER could no longer deal with my condition and she wanted a husband that could take care of her and so, she left me and took the kids...and I had no where to go except back to my brother and sister in law.
One of the greatest things I do is host Robace Radio on TMF Radio. It allows me to give everyone a little part of myself. And as long as I can make one person laugh, I feel I did a great show. The show is not about me, even though it is called Robace Radio. Kind of weird now that I think about it. But the show is just a way that I can give back to the community that gives me so much. It allows me to explore all those creative ideas I have in my head, while at the same time make some new friends I didn't have before.
On a personal level I volunteer a lot, I work with other Vets, at the DAV and VFW. I serve holdiay meals to vets and the families of those overseas. Also I go to military bases, where I still have great contacts and help with meals, serve the meals and distribute toys to the children of our soldiers serving overseas. It keeps me connected to my military family, and something I do because I love it and love them. Seeing other happy children takes the sting out of not having mine around all the time.
I said this in another thread, and it bears repeating. To me wealth is not measured by what you have, but by who you have. And if wealth today were measured by friends, I would be richest man on Earth right now, thanks to this community.
Thank you for reading this, my 7,000th post, and leave any questions or comments, and I promise to answer every single one.
Rob
Robace...
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
Born July 11, 1972 in Tuscon, Arizona. My mother was born in Mexico City, Mexico and my Father in Lima, Ohio. I have 2 sisters (1 older, 1 younger) and 1 older brother. My father was in the Air Force so we moved quite a bit, but not as much as other military families. 5 years in Arizona, 5 years in Okinawa, Japan and 7 years in Panama City, FL. Most of my youth was spent as a typical middle child. I was blessed however to have a unbroken family, but the thrill of my life was my Mexican grandmother Esperanza, lived with us for the first 10 years of my life. Teaching me about my heritage, about life and how to balance myself. After she moved out when we came back from Japan, things kind of went downhill for me.
I never quite fit in anywhere. I was smaller than all the other kids no matter where I was, also hampered by my birthday in July I was always one of the youngest in my classes. At an early age I was diagnosed with Asthma, which also hurt my development, that along with a long list of allergies kept me inside a lot and turning to indoor projects to keep myself entertained while everyone else was outside playing, which usually meant when I was around people I talked to them A LOT. Now I eventually outgrew the asthma (which they then defined as childhood asthma) but I was still smaller and my mother kept a stern eye on me, overprotecting me to a point. Even as a junior in High School I stood only 4 ft 9 inches tall and 95 pounds. I was a good student, for the most part. Back in elementary school I was in what they called the Gifted Program for Exceptional Intelligence, which singled me out for a lot of ridicule. It was back then I learned something that carries me to this day, laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and the world will taunt you. I fought off the bullying by taking it with a smile and never taking it personally.
My senior year in High School was difficult but I had finally grew to minimum military standards of height and weight. My father had been sent away for reasons still too personal to talk about now, but regardless with my older brother away in college I was the man of the house at 17. With my mother distraught and little sister still needing help I pretty much let all my grades slip so I could work and go to school. Two jobs and school took a toll on my schoolwork. I had all the backing to get an appointment to the Air Force Academy, but alas my GPA had slipped to .25 below the requirement to get the appointment I had worked all my life to achieve. So instead I enlisted in the USAF, which began a totally new phase of my life.
ADULT LIFE/ MILITARY AND SOUTH DAKOTA
I went through all the things necessary to become a member of the US Air Force, and was stationed at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. I immediately had my mother and little sister move in with me. There, after a "sprucing up" lets say in Tech School by a good friend (Vic, your still my bro man.) who taught me how to dress, act, dance and socialize, I moved into what will forever be known as "Acehood". I got that nickname for the way I was able to dance and it stuck with me. Rob Ace, was born. I had never dated in High School. Yeah a few girls I was friends with, but overall I never even kissed a girl until Tech School in the Air Force. Her name was Katie, I still remember her. But after that taste, and my new attitude and confidence I was on overload. After the first Persian Gulf war (Operation Desert Storm) had to get out of the military due to some medical issues which make sense now, but did not then. I dated A LOT of women, hung out with a lot of right and wrong people. I made a lot of bad choices and combining bad choices and the wrong people, landed me in the county jail at one time for 30 days. I went through some tough times for a while, which wound up finding me homeless and wearing everything I owned, sleeping under Interstate 90 in South Dakota...in November.
Finally a good friend (you all know him as Arstine) and his grandmother (my adoptive grandmother) saw there was good in me and took me into their home. There I cleaned myself up, stopped hanging out with the wrong people, went to college and finally made something more of myself. Finally in 1995 after growing up a lot, my family convinced I was no longer someone that would hurt those around him, I moved to North Carolina where my brother and his wife were.
ADULT LIFE/NORTHCAROLINA
I moved to North Carolina, and settled into a relatively normal life. I had a good job, had a good life and really dived into the internet posting on AOL, on USENET and of course on the newsgroups. I made a lot of friends back then, and I feel bad that I lost touch with a lot of them. I was going by Ace919 at this time pretty much, and even had several of my earliest stories put on several websites. I was not dating as much when I got to North Carolina, but I was more into my fetish and was very open about it. I was lucky to have those I dated have no problem with it which on one hand made finding women a little more difficult, but the relationships were better when I had them....well for the most part.In September of 1999 I met...HER. She got pregnant in October, we married in December. I was in love with her. A lot. Even now, though I make fun of it, it still hurts. I guess that is how I get over the pain. But more on that later. In July of 2000...my first daughter was born. I was finally happy. I had everything I thought I ever wanted, until September of 2002 when my second daughter was born. Then I knew I had everything I wanted. But then things were not good between me and HER. She was constantly lying, abusive (punched me several times, not in a good way....out of anger), and treated me badly. But I didn't care at that time. I was loyal and I married her and as long as I had my little ones, I could withstand anything. But in March of 2005, I had been out of work since the previous November, HER started wondering why I wasn't working (though she had asked to work and for me to stay home and watch the kids) and why I was saying I was in pain all the time. This strained our relationship, with me constantly in pain and no idea why. Finally in September HER told me that HER could no longer deal with my condition and she wanted a husband that could take care of her and so, she left me and took the kids...and I had no where to go except back to my brother and sister in law.
ADULT LIFE/GEORGIA
Well I moved back in with my brother and sister in law, and though I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder of unknown nature in May 2005 (which HER did not believe, she thought I was making it up or it was only in my head) things went downhill fast. There was periods of time I could not sleep for days because of the pain, I was in a wheelchair, and I was deteriorating fast. Finally a neurologist in Athens started pinpointing what my problem was and I began treatments. I still had a lot of pain that would never stop because of my nerves being constantly inflamed, but the treatments allowed me to work again and feel a lot better. In late in 2006 HER had run into a lot of trouble with the law and other issues and my children came to live with me. It was at this point I realized how happy I was without her and the pain, while still there is not as much as it once was. I love my children. They are the reason I worked so hard, endured the pain and treatments and still do. For them. I was blessed to have them in the first place, and have put them first in my heart and in my life. Finally last year it was determined what was wrong with me. It was determined I have what is known commonly now as "Persian Gulf Syndrome". I have pretty much all the symptoms and they say it was caused by the medication we were given before we went to Iraq, and some of the things we dealt with there. So now I am at least being financially taken care of and medically taken care of.MY LIFE NOW
Well, here I am at 36. Not where I thought I would be. But I am doing the best I can, so my kids can have everything they need. I miss them terribly and honestly, I am lonely most of the time nowadays. Its difficult to find someone to share your life with, I had that once. And now I find it harder being a divorced dad of 2, with a medical condition. I have friends, I have ladies I socialize with, but its not the same to have that one person who you can laugh, cry, and grow old with. I do treasure the forum here. Since 2006 I have become a lot more active in the community and NHLee in 2008 was other than the birth of my children, the greatest experience of my life. It opened me up more to some wonderful people who accept me for who I am. Annoying as I can be, as TALKATIVE as I can be, and as insane as I can be, people here in the TMF showed me that all I have to be is me, and that they will accept my annoying, loud, chatty and not always there in the head self.One of the greatest things I do is host Robace Radio on TMF Radio. It allows me to give everyone a little part of myself. And as long as I can make one person laugh, I feel I did a great show. The show is not about me, even though it is called Robace Radio. Kind of weird now that I think about it. But the show is just a way that I can give back to the community that gives me so much. It allows me to explore all those creative ideas I have in my head, while at the same time make some new friends I didn't have before.
On a personal level I volunteer a lot, I work with other Vets, at the DAV and VFW. I serve holdiay meals to vets and the families of those overseas. Also I go to military bases, where I still have great contacts and help with meals, serve the meals and distribute toys to the children of our soldiers serving overseas. It keeps me connected to my military family, and something I do because I love it and love them. Seeing other happy children takes the sting out of not having mine around all the time.
I said this in another thread, and it bears repeating. To me wealth is not measured by what you have, but by who you have. And if wealth today were measured by friends, I would be richest man on Earth right now, thanks to this community.
Thank you for reading this, my 7,000th post, and leave any questions or comments, and I promise to answer every single one.
Rob