Luka Hocevar

     I spent the majority of my childhood playing basketball at the parks. It had started because there was simply nothing else to do. But over the years, I had become obsessed with perfecting my skills and becoming the best player possible. If I had gone a day without playing, I would feel like I had cheated myself. When I was young I had heard a quote that went something like this; “Always practice and give it 100%, because somebody some place is working harder than you are. And when you face them one-on-one, they will beat you”. I had always taken this quote straight to the heart. So in the snow, I carried a shovel to the park. And after it would rain, I would sweep away the puddles. At night time, I went to a different park that had lights. There were no such things as days off. During high school I also spent a ton of time at the YMCA playing against premier collegiate competition. My game had really developed, so there were days when I would dominate the best players around. These experiences would boost my confidence and push me to work even harder. I began to lift weights on a regular basis and develop my upper-body strength. I had purchased these "jump-soles" to assist in my training. They strapped onto my sneakers and were designed to work the muscles in your legs that make you jump higher. I trained with them and ankle weights together, determined to give myself the ability to jump higher. I had spent years and years perfecting my outside shot. I believed that I had done everything I could have done to become the best basketball player possible. But, as I got older I began to accept the fact that my work ethic alone could only take me so far. I realized that the only way I was going to get recruited by a major college was if I was 7 feet tall or African-American. After all of my years of training and spending nearly all of my childhood playing basketball, I had felt like a failure. I had a decent high school basketball career but I never got recruited by any notable schools. 

     I ended up attending community college and planned on playing for the team there. It was during my time here that I met a basketball player named Luka Hocevar. He was a few inches shorter than me and I believe he was from Slovenia. While spending time around Luka, I learned a very humbling lesson. I had always thought that I had pushed myself to become the best possible player, but boy was I wrong. This guy had the work ethic of some kind of super hero. He basically lived in the gym. If he wasn't playing basketball, he was lifting weights. But it wasn't just the fact that he trained so often, it was the level at which he pushed himself at all times. This was division 3 junior college basketball, but this guy worked like he was training for the fricken Olympics every single day. I have no idea what pushed him or where he got all of his energy to always keep going, but it was absolutely remarkable. Witnessing him always in the gym and watching the way he trained made me realize that I could have done so much more than I ever actually did. I had always felt like I pushed myself to become the best, but Luka showed me that I was completely wrong. He never touted about his work ethic, but as they say; "Actions speak louder than words". Watching him made me realize that the reason I never became a division 1 basketball player was only because I didn't work hard enough. I thought that I wanted it more than anything in the world, but I guess I didn't. I could have done so much more and worked so much harder if I really wanted it bad enough. I realized that I didn't know the true meaning of "hard work" until I met Luka. 

      I couldn't tell you what pushed him, but I assume that it was his hunger to be the best. He didn't take any short cuts, the guy would hit the bench press hours before a game. He wasn't somebody who was blessed with god-given talent, he earned it on his own. He was stronger, faster, and could jump higher than everybody else because of one reason: he wanted it the most.

      I didn't go watch any of the games because it was too painful to watch the games when you know you should be playing. However, I did go to one game. Our team was down by 2 points with only 3 seconds remaining. Our team had to go the length of the floor so they passed it in to half court and called a time out. We all knew that the coach was drawing up a play for Luka, he deserved the shot. They passed it in to him as he brushed off a tight screen, caught the pass, and elevated over everybody. And as he let it fly with perfect form from just inside of half court the buzzer sounded while everybody in the gym held their breath. As soon as the ball went through the net, the crowd erupted. Everybody in the gym was completely stunned. Everybody that is, except Luka, 

      

       

The Last Place

"I found exactly what I have been searching for in the last place I thought to look".

As we flutter through our days falling aimless like a maple seed, alive in the breeze. We tediously attempt to plot our ideal landing spot. However, we do not know what it looks like, and we cannot control which direction the wind might choose to blow us. If we do not know what it is we are seeking, how can we ever expect to find it?

I have often heard the phrase; "I found it in the last place I thought to look". A bit of an oxymoron wouldn't you say? Certainly if we had already found it we would have stopped searching long ago. Therefore, we should always find what we are seeking in the last place we look. Otherwise, we will always remain that falling seed, forever spinning our flaps into an abyss. We will live a life with no purpose.

We travel the world trying to find ourselves. We frantically tear apart the sofa cushions trying to find our keys. And we look to others for answers that only exist within ourselves.

But every once in a while, we find exactly what we are looking for, and it is right under our nose.

Perfect Pitch-Fork

     I have been writing, recording, and producing alternative hip-hop music since the end of 1999. My friend Kong was the one who had originally got me interested in it. He has always loved to sing and has a great voice for it. Ever since we were little, we would always rap and sing songs together. I remember in the summers during elementary school he would stay at my house sometimes for 3-4 days at a time. At night we would sometimes write and sing funny songs. We still remember most of them still to this day. As we got older we would usually get together and have a few drinks and sing songs. He has always done an amazing rendition of "Sukiyaki", so people would egg him on to sing it.
     One day he was messing around with Microsoft windows "sound recorder". We recorded ourselves singing and rapping some old songs we had written when we were in elementary school. It was just something we had fooled around with a couple times when we were bored and drinking.
However, as the years passed I began to get really involved in it. Kong had downloaded some professional music recording software on my computer and I had began writing songs. I was not very educated at using the software to produce any professional grade songs, but it didn't stop me from trying. Over the years I became more and more involved in it. The song writing aspect of it has always been my forte, and the more and more I worked at it I eventually became pretty good.
     Anyways, In the summer of 2003 I was living with my brother Ian in the apartment below my mothers house. She hated hearing the music all the time, but she learned to accept it after a while.
This one night I was at home hanging out with Kong, we were having a few beers and working on a song. My brother was out of town working for the weekend so we had the place to ourselves. I remember that the song we were working on was coming along beautifully when a knock came at the door. It was Ian's friend Larry.
     Ian and Larry had been close friends ever since they were very young. I explained to him that Ian was out of town and that Kong and I were busy working on a song. He asked if we would mind if he hung out for a little while. A few years before he had moved out into the boondocks of Pennsylvania with his mother. Occassionally on the weekends he would come into town to hang out with friends and go out to the bars. Larry said that he wouldn't bother us and that he wasn't planning on staying long. He said that he was planning on going out to the bars and just needed a place to "pre-game". I told him it was fine as long as he didn't bother us. We were in the process of recording, so it was very important that we have silence so that any background noises didn't ruin our song. He had kept to his word and everything was going fine.
    About a half hour later, another one of Ian's friends; Ron had showed up. Ron had a tendency of being a jerk. He is one of those guys who is cool, but once he gets drunk he likes to start fights with people. I told him that Ian is not home and that we were busy. He noticed that Larry was there and he started talking to him. They made plans to go out to the bar together in a little while. Somehow, Ron convinced me to let him in too since they would be leaving soon. I told them that they had to hang out in the kitchen because Kong and I were recording in the living room. They ended up drinking a few beers and getting loud. I told them that they have to leave. They finished their beers and left for the bars.
     Kong and I continued to work on our song for another few hours. We were just about finished with the song when Larry and Ron returned. I told them that they "cannot hang out here". But they pleaded with me, and promised that they would just hang out in the kitchen and be quiet. I told them that I didn't care, I didn't want them there. But they just wouldn't leave and they kept pleading with me. So eventually, I again caved in. But I told them, if they are loud at all I am going to kick them out.
     It didn't take long before I could hear Ron and Larry arguing in the kitchen. I didn't know what they were arguing about at first, but it escalated quickly. I went into the kitchen and told them to "get out of my house now". Ron was drunk and very upset at Larry. I found out that apparently, Larry had marijuana and Ron was mad that Larry would not share with him. He called Larry; "A selfish piece if shit" and told him that he would "beat his ass". I told them that I don't care about any of that and that I just want them both to leave now! But Ron wasn't even listening to me, he was just arguing with Larry still and trying to start a fight with him. I started to get very angry and threatened to call the police.
     Finally, Ron exploded verbally. He said; "Fuck you Larry, you're a fucking faggot. You're lucky I don't fuck you up". Then, as he was heading out the door he stopped to address Kong and I. "And fuck you too Dan, and you too Kong! You guys are fucking pussies. I'll fuck you guys up too"! Then he walked out the door and slammed it behind him.
     Now, up to this point I had been calm about the whole situation. I knew they were taking advantage of me by using my house as a place to drink, but I had let it go. However, after Ron had threatened Kong and I for absolutely no reason, my blood began to boil. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I looked at Kong and I said; "Did he just call us pussies and say he would fuck us up"?! Kong looked really worked up and he goes "Yea what the fuck"!?
    I said "Fuck that", and I jumped up absolutely infuriated. I hurried out the door, and for some reason I grabbed a broom that was leaning up against the wall on my way out. When I got out front of the house I seen Ron, he was about half way up the street. Suddenly, I seen one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my entire life. I see Kong go jogging past me holding a pitchfork in his hand, and he hollers; "Hey Ron, come here! I gotta tell you something"!
    
     On the back porch of my apartment, there was a whole bunch of old farming tools for some reason. There was a few old shovels, rakes, hoes, and a pitchfork. Apparently, Kong had seen me grab the broom and so he went and grabbed the first thing he could find. To this day I couldn't tell you why I grabbed the broom. I think it was just because I was so pissed off at the whole situation. First of all, I told them that I didn't want them there numerous times. Secondly, they promised to be quiet and that they wouldn't bother us. But the final straw, was when he threatened my friend and I for absolutely no reason. I was so angry that I was shaking.

     Anyways, Ron stopped and faced us when he seen us coming towards him. He says; "What are you pussies gonna do? Is that broom, Dan? HAHA, you don't have the balls to hit me with that". The moment he said that I cocked it back and blasted him across the face with it as hard as I possibly could. He immediately went down onto one knee holding his face. "Ahhhhhhhh" he yelped. "You're going to fucking jail man! I can't believe you just did that!" he hollered fearfully with tears in his eyes. This seemed to just infuriate me more. I went towards him "You want me to hit you again?!"I said. He screeched; "Nooooo" and then scurried away quickly.
     I turned and started walking back towards my house, I couldn't believe what I had just done. Kong goes; "Fuck Ron man, he totally deserved that shit". As we were walking back towards the house I seen Larry. He had come outside and apparently witnessed the whole thing. He goes; "Dude, that was the greatest thing I ever seen in my life". Needless to say, Larry never really cared for Ron. I said; "All we wanted to do was work on our music, why did you guys have to bother us?"

     Anyways, about a half hour later the cops showed up at my apartment.

Cops: Who hit the guy with the broom

Me: I hit him with the broom

Cops: Why?

Me: Because he threatened me and my friend. I told him I didn't want him here in the first place!

Cops: Well then why was he here?

Me: Because he wouldn't listen.

Cops: Is that why the fight started?

Me: No, the fight started because the two of them showed up uninvited. And then Ron wanted to fight Larry because he wouldn't smoke weed with him.

     The cops immediately attacked Larry and I could hear him hollering, "Why are you searching me? I didn't do anything"! They quickly locate the marijuana on him and place it on the table. Then they turn their attention back to me for the rest of the story.

Cops: So then why did you hit him with the Broom?

Me: Because he threatened my friend and I for no reason.....

Suddenly, we heard a loud commotion coming from the kitchen and the cops went running in. Larry had picked up the marijuana, ran to the bathroom, threw it in the toilet and flushed it. One of the cops grabbed it out of the toilet before it flushed and the other one grabbed Larry in a very tight choke hold. They carried Larry out of my apartment horizontally and took him jail. Kong and I were waiting for the cops to come back in...but for some reason they never did. We were absolutely astonished. After about a half hour had passed, we went back to work and finally finished our song.

It was such a crazy night. However, looking back on the incident I am very lucky and thankful. First of all, I am very lucky that I didn't get an assault charge on my record. But secondly, I am very happy that Kong didn't attack Ron with that pitchfork. He was certainly angry enough to have used it, but we're lucky he didn't. Things could have ended up far worse than they actually did. In the end I think that Kong was pretty shaken up by the incident. The "pitch" in his voice ended up being a little shaky on that song.



D Boone Productions
www.soundclick.com/dboone

The advantages of being oblivious

     I have a friend named Darryl. He is between 60 and 65 years old, he is really not sure. In fact, he doesn't know his own birthday, although he thinks it is in December. Regardless, of all the times I have seen him, I am yet to see him in a bad mood. He is always excited about something. Whatever he is doing that day, he is always pumped up about it. Whether he is going to a HS football/basketball game that night, or if he is on his way to church, it doesn't matter. He is always wearing his watch and says that he has to be here or there by the time that the little hand gets here and the big hand gets there.
     Darryl lives with his brother Darwin who doesn't approve of him going to his friends houses, for whatever reason. His brother gives him $10 every week for spending money. But because Darryl is such a nice guy, pretty much everywhere he goes people give him whatever he wants for free.

     Darryl has volunteered at "Meals on Wheels" for well over 20 years. My former neighbor used to work there and so that is how he became friends with Darryl. They are pretty close and so Darryl usually stops by every day if even for only 15 minutes or so. I used to hang out at my neighbors house almost every day, that is how I became familiar with him.
      One day when I was hanging out over there, and Darryl showed up with a handful of medals he had won in the Special Olympics. He had showed up wearing them around his neck very proudly. He boasted about how he has won "gold" in cycling and golf for like 10 years in a row. Most of the year he is riding his bicycle all around town. It is his prized possession. Anyways, during this one conversation, I had asked him if he knew who the President of the United States is. I wasn't trying to pick on him, it had just kind of come up in conversation. He had absolutely no idea. In fact, he is completely oblivious to most things aside from his normal routine.
     I suppose that you could compare his education and social skills to that of a 3rd or 4th grader. He cant really spell or comprehend math, but he is quite aware of his surroundings and he can understand most "normal" concepts. He is difficult to explain because I have never met anybody like him. I suppose that he kind of reminds me of "Rain Man", minus the brilliance. He is very timid at times and he has a very kind heart. Sometimes when he stops by he will have a beer, but never more than that. He knows his limits, and he is fine with it. He is fine with everything.
     During one conversation with him, I sort of began to envy him. He is always in a good mood and he lives his life without the fears that I struggle with every day. The only fear he has is that his brother will get mad at him if he is not home on time. He has had the same routine for such a long time, and he is very content with it. I got to wondering what it must be like to be Darryl. His life is so simple and he always seems like his only stresses pertain to his obsession with arriving at his destinations on time.

     Sometimes I wish that I was oblivious to it all. I wish that I didn't worry about wasting my potential. I wish that I didn't have to worry about paying bills. I wish that I didn't often rack my brain trying to understand the meaning of life. I wish that I could sleep easy at night without worrying and stressing about countless things.

     I have often heard people refer to people such as Darryl as "Special". And I have always just assumed it was a politically correct term for "mentally challenged". But as I consider all of the things that stress me out versus the few things that bother Darryl, I began to paint a different perspective. Perhaps the term "special" truly means just that. I do not know many people who are always in a great mood and excited. And I know even less people who are not consumed by their stresses on a daily basis. I am not saying that I wish I was slow, I am just saying that Darryl is truly a special person. And I think that a lot of people could learn a lot about how to be happy in their own lives by admiring his.

Paper football friends - "The art of problem solving"

     During my first semester at SUNY Fredonia, I had enrolled in a film class. It filled one of my communication electives, and it seemed like it would be an easy, fun class to take. When we received our syllabus on the first day, I noticed that 50% of our overall grade hinged on our final project. It was to be a group project with 5 or 6 other students. We had to write a story board, film, and edit a 5 minute conceptual movie. On the day that we were forming groups, I realized that I hadn’t gotten to know anybody in the class. So by default, my group became 3 other guys and one girl who happened to be sitting near me. We were all really nervous about waiting until last minute to start our project, so we started it right away. It’s a good thing we did, because this project would end up being the most time consuming thing I ever did in my college career.

     Everybody in the group (including myself) was a bit introverted, except Kevin. He just so happened to be from Binghamton also and he was a film major. Therefore, he quickly became the “leader” of our project. He had written up this ridiculous concept involving handicap super heroes. It was easy to tell that the whole group thought the concept was stupid, but we just went with it. Nobody wanted to speak up and tell him that that idea seemed foolish, although we were all thinking it.

    We ended up getting together for 3-4 hours almost everyday to film and edit the project. After about a month, we all agreed that our entire concept was a complete disaster. We all knew that we were going to have to scrap the project and all of the hard work and time we had put into it. It was really disheartening for the group. But still, nobody wanted to speak up and tell Kevin that his entire concept was awful. However, since we had spent so much time together, we had become a very close knit group. We even began to hang out together when we were not working on the project. Eventually, we all had a heart-to-heart, and agreed that we would have to start from scratch.

     Anyways, a few days later I woke up with a great idea. I wrote up a story board in about 10 minutes. It was about 2 competitors, Kevin and I. It started with us both being interviewed about our upcoming title match against each other. Then, there would be a 1980’s type montage showing us each going through vigorous training and hyping up the title bout. Finally, the great reveal towards the end was when the match begins. We are sitting at a table staring each other down, and a paper football is lowered between us. (The whole film had very carefully and subjectively hinted that it was going to be a fighting or boxing match of some sort) The match ends with Kevin scoring on a slow-motion field goal that hits me between the eyes. Then, this great celebration ensues followed by post-game interviews. I had solved our problem, now I just had to go to school and pitch it to them.

     On my way to school, I had to stop at the post office and send a rent check. However, when I got to the post office, I realized that I had left my wallet at home and I didn't have any money for a stamp. The landlord only lived about 10 minutes away, so I came up with a great (probably illegal) idea. I filled out the envelope backwards. I put the landlords address as the return address, and my address as the intended recipient. Then, I mailed it without a stamp. Certainly, they would return the mail to sender without postage and my mail would end up where it belonged.

     As I left the post office and boarded the bus for school, I found a $10 bill on the steps. I asked the others on the bus if they had dropped it and received no response. This was going to be my day, I was sure of it.

     When I got to school, I pitched the story to the others and they loved it. We immediately began to film the title match portion of the film. I used the $10 to buy some donuts and persuaded a bunch of random students to "act" as our audience.  A few hours later when we were editing it, we realized that we had made a giant mistake. A number of the scenes that we filmed accidentally had our tripod in it. We were all beginning to feel like we were going to have to shoot it over again. However, I quickly came up with another abstract idea. I said, why don't we just insert; “Tripod Stadium” as our venue title. Everybody loved the idea and it worked out great, yet another problem solved.

     This group ended up becoming the best friends I made in college. Suddenly, the project turned into “fun” and it no longer felt like work. We worked on our project during all of our free time; it ended up becoming our masterpiece.

     During our final class when everybody was presenting their projects, we asked the teacher if we could go last. We didn't tell her why, but we promised her that she would understand during the great reveal.

     As the rest of the class showed their simple, corny, 3-4 minute films, we smiled at each other. When the time came for us to show our film I was sweating a little bit and my stomach felt uneasy. In the end, our film had ended up being 16 minutes long. There were about 60-70 people in the class and they were all laughing hysterically. It completely demolished all of the other projects by miles and miles. When the film ended, the class gave us a standing ovation. We all had the biggest smiles on our faces as we stood up and bowed.

     I heard that the professor for that class had showed our film on the first day of class to some of her future classes. I know she is still the director of the communications department at SUNY Fredonia, so I wouldn't be surprised if she still has it. And even though our whole group had received an A in the class largely because of our film, it wasn't the best part. The best part was that we had become the best of friends. We still continued to hang out long after we had finished the film. They were all a year behind me in school, so the next year after I graduated I would go to Fredonia to hang out with them. There is nothing that would give me more pleasure than to have a copy of the film to show. In fact, I think I will email the professor and all of my "group" to see if any of them still have it.

  
     I remember having to work with another group of students for my most important "capstone" project. This group hated me. My vision for the project was far different from all of the others. It was easy to tell that they were talking bad about me behind my back. So one day I had a conversation with them. I explained that I understand that we have different opinions, but that it is important that we stick together. We are all working towards a common goal, and if we fall apart it will affect us all. Since it was 4 against 1, I realized that this time it was me this time who was holding the group back. I decided to scrap my idea and to go along with the groups decision. Although this group did not become friends in any way, shape, or form, we still worked as a team. It was a difficult experience, but in the end we all came together to get it done and get a good grade.

     Sometimes in life or in our professional field, we will be forced to work with those we would prefer not to. But it is very important to be patient and empathize. If we point fingers and fight with each other, it will never solve anything. When we work against those who we are assigned to work with, it only adds another element/challenge to the task at hand. I believe that if mankind as a whole can just grasp this concept, I think that it would equate to a far happier world for all of us.

    

High School Expulsion

            It was not long after the Columbine tragedy that I was a senior in high school. As a result of this tragedy, many schools in the United States were undergoing massive changes. My school was no exception. The school district had installed video cameras all over and now employed hall monitors to patrol at all times.  Also, students were only allowed to enter and exit the school through the main entrance. Every morning there was a woman who sat at a desk in front of the door and watched all the students enter the building, I have no idea what she was looking for. This was especially a hassle for the students who drove to school. The student parking lot was on the south end of the building, and the only allowed entrance was on the complete other side of the building. The school was located at the top of a large hill, so in the winter it would really be an unpleasant adventure. Perhaps the worst aspect of all this, was the fact that it was completely and utter nonsense. 

            Don’t ask me how these changes could prevent an attack by armed gunmen, but I’m sure it was expensive. The transformation that the school had undergone from my first year through my final year was massive. Basically, all they had done is turn the school into a minimum security jail. They began to tolerate very little in the form of horseplay also. They now employed a “Dean of Students”, who literally was a former prison guard. The guy was a nightmare, and since it was his first year, he was ready to make an example out of some students to flex his muscles.

            The school year was still young when many of the students were already sick and tired of the hall monitors. Everywhere I went, I would get stopped; “Got a pass”? What does a hall pass do exactly? It proves that you asked if you could go take a piss? Do they only give passes to people who are not crazed gunmen? Our school also had “free periods”, which meant that upperclassmen would sometimes have no class to be in. It was a luxury afforded to those students who had already met certain academic criteria. During these periods, students would usually go to the library, cafeteria, or just roam the halls. However, now students on free periods were designated to only a couple areas. They had to report to these designated areas and were no longer allowed to roam free. The hall monitors carried these expensive walkee-talkees in order to communicate with each other. Why this job requires such a tool is beyond me.

           
      Anyways, this one day I was on my way to class when I was stopped by a hall monitor; “Got a pass”? Now, students are allowed approximately 5 minutes between classes to make their way to their next class. At the end of this grace period, a second bell would ring signifying the beginning of the next class. This particular hall monitor, Mrs Trap, was the most annoying person in the entire world. She just had something about her that really bothered me, and so her; “Got a pass”, comment would always irk me a little extra for some reason.

            So, when she had asked me for a pass when it was still between bells, well, it really struck a nerve. I asked her; “For what reason are you asking me for a pass? The bell has not even rung yet”. I was trying to be polite to her, even though I was very annoyed. She began to follow me down the hall and speak into her wallkee-talkee. “Why are you harassing me for? All I am doing is walking to class”. She of course had no answer for me, I think that she realized she was in the wrong. I again asked her; “Why are you following me? I already told you, I don’t have a pass because I don’t need one. The bell hasn't rang yet, I still have like 2 minutes”.

            She still has no response for me and kept following me. “Leave me alone and stop harassing me! What is the matter with you”? She still says nothing and keeps following me down 3 separate hallways. I would stop and she would stop. So, out of anger and frustration, I began to give it back to her.
 “Ok buddy, come on buddy”, I began to pat my leg like she were a Labrador retriever. I continued to do this until I got to my class. "Come on Bud", I said, as she continued to follow me silently.

            Then, just as I arrive at my classroom, a guidance counselor crosses our paths and says; “What are you doing? Don’t talk to her like that”, she scolded. I tell her; “You don’t even know what is going on. This woman is harassing me for no reason”. I enter my classroom just as the bell finally rings. All of the students take their seats and the teacher begins to take attendance as usual.

            A moment later, the guidance counselor walks into the classroom and starts talking to my teacher. Then she points at me and the teacher and all the students look at me. I stand up and very angrily say;

“Why are you pointing at me? Why don’t you mind your own business? I was being harassed for no reason and then you get involved? It had nothing to do with you, and you just jump into my business? Just because I am the student and she is an adult, I must automatically be in the wrong? Get the fuck out of my classroom you stupid bitch”! I was shaking out of anger.

         The class was in awe. I was so upset that it felt like I could breathe smoke and shoot fire out of my ears. I was so sick of staff treating us like prisoners, it wasn't fair. It would have been a lot easier to accept this type of treatment if we had been warned prior to the beginning of the school year.

         When I first started at that school, there would be a group of people sitting on the guard rail in the south parking lot smoking marijuana at all times of the day. But by the time I was a senior, you couldn't get away with a loud fart.
         As a punishment for going off on the guidance counselor, I had ended up getting suspended for a few days. A few weeks later, I through a small roll of masking tape during class and it accidentally hit a substitute teacher in the head. He tried to sent me to the principals office, but I denied throwing it. We went on with the rest of the class, and that was it.
       The next day I was called down to the principals office and suspended indefinitely. I admit that it was a stupid thing to have done, but I swear that I didn't mean to hit him with it. Also, it was a really soft roll of tape and thrown very soft. There is no way that it could have actually hurt him. They made such a big deal out of it tho. I ended up being suspended for like a month, and then I had to have a superintendents hearing with school attorneys and a stenographer. It was ridiculous. I apologized to the teacher extensively. I told him that I was being an idiot and that I did not mean to hit him. They didn't care. They brought in witnesses who gave false testimonies and made me feel like a criminal. These students who gave false statements later told me that the Dean had persuaded them to tear me down. The Dean also sent a police officer to my home to try to scare me. I told this police officer the truth. I explained to him that the Dean just had it out for me and truly hated me for some reason. The officer was very understanding and he actually apologized to me several times for being a jerk when he had first arrived.
      The school board decided to expel me from school. I was not allowed to attend prom, graduation, or any school related function for one calendar year. I was devastated to say the least. They did however, agree to pay for my home-schooling for the final few months so I could graduate on time. I would say that I am disgusted with the school district and especially the Dean. But, one of the home-schooling teachers ended up changing my life. 

            

Verizon

In 2005, I went to Verizon and got my first cell phone. I was always against cell phones because I know a lot of people who have become slaves to them. However, it was a necessary evil since my roommate had one and he didn't want a home phone. Also, I had recently move to Buffalo and I wasn't planning on keeping the generic job I got when I first moved there. I was constantly applying for new jobs for I needed to have a way to be contacted at all times.

Anyways, after about a month, I realized that my phone was unable to receive incoming calls. People had told me; "I tried to call you", on numerous occasions. For a while I just shook it off, my text messages had always worked just fine. It had never dawned on me that I couldn't receive incoming calls, that just wouldn't make any sense. But I eventually realized that I was yet to receive any calls. I tried to call my own phone finally and it said "The person you are calling is not accepting incoming calls".

So I called Verizon customer service and they told me that I had opted to have this feature turned off. I explained to them how ridiculous that sounded, it would pretty much defeat the purpose of having a cell phone at all. They said that they would turn on this feature for me, however, I was still disgruntled. They asked me how they could remedy the situation. I explained how I had been applying for jobs all month, and how this mishap could quite possibly have cost me a great career opportunity. However, they did not seem to display even a touch of empathy. Therefore, I asked to speak to a supervisor.

Once the supervisor was on the phone, I explained to him the situation. I asked him if he would please place a credit on my account in order to somewhat resolve their own admitted error. He told me that they will not do this. He told me that if I couldn't receive calls all month that I should have called at the beginning of the month. Well, my reasoning behind that was very simple. It was a brand new phone and number, so it was impossible for me to know it could not receive calls. Since nobody had my new number and I seldom call myself, it had taken me this long to realize the malfunction.
Finally, I tried to level with the supervisor. I asked him, "Don't you want to make me happy? I am a new customer after all. Haven't you ever heard that the customer is always right"? What he responded with is something I will never forget as long as I live. He said;
"Well Daniel, this it Verizon, and our motto is 'Can you hear me now'? I have already explained to you that you should have called at the beginning of the month if you had an issue. And I have also already explained to you that you will not be receiving any credit on your account. So I am asking you this question Daniel, 'Can you hear me now'"?
I burst into laughter. The way in which he said it was so stern and ridiculous that I simply could not help it. I told him; "Ok man, you win".

Ever since then I have always disliked Verizon. You would think that they would want to keep their customers, not belittle them. I thought that his usage of their motto was very rudely used out of context, yet still hilarious. I am happy that I have a sprint phone now, even though I have issues with it, at least I don't have to call Verizon ever again. I am a young guy, so Verizon has definitely lost me as a customer for life, and I hope that my story helps kick dirt on them as well. It was the worst customer service I have ever received, but at least I got a huge laugh out of it. I truly had not laughed that hard in a long time.

I believe that this story also offers a little bit of "finding the good in the bad". Even though I feel as though I had got screwed over by Verizon, at least I was able to laugh about it. And I even got this cute little story to share with my friends, for the rest of my life. They might have been able to take my money and provide me with poor service, but they were not able to ruin my day. So I ask you this, can you hear me now?