Dear Friends of Joni, Hoping I too may bend your ear on this Christmas day.
The past year for me has been especially difficult, as a very few of you know. It seems I've been plagued with financial and personal problems and had hoped that my move to Los Angeles this year from Detroit would help me to find hope, a new start and a little happiness in my ability to sing. Unfortunately that was not the case. I left a job of 17 years to make the move, stayed with people that I thought were my friends, only to leave saddened and disappointed. Since my return to Detroit, I have found only minimal work, and have been notified by the people that I am staying with that my room has been rented and that I must vacate at the end of the month. I am not sure that things could possibly get worse at this point. I have never been at the brink of homelessness before, and such minimal work; and I do not have a network of friends for support, except for two or three who simply are not able to help. I have only my mom left, who was admitted to the hospital on Monday with COPD and a collapsed lung. I am expecting that my last day at this residence will be December 31st, so I will be leaving the list on that date. Do know how much I will miss the friends I have made here, as well as those I don't know personally, but feel I know so well by their posts during the past two years. I am sorry to be using the list for this one last request, but as one who loves Joni as much as the rest of you obviously do, I hope you won't mind this last request too much. If there is anyone out there who is in the position of hiring for employment, please do write me, and please, OFF LIST, and I would be happy to discuss my qualifications in greater depth. I would be most grateful. There is no reason for me to necessarily continue living in Michigan in the future, if an opportunity presents itself elsewhere. Or if you have suggestions, they too would be gratefully received. I will be at this e-mail address until the 31st; and after that, I am not sure where I will be. I do maintain a hotmail account which I will check when I can, so for future reference, I can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] If I have the means, I'll rejoin you all on the list as soon as I am able. Thanks for reading my poor and weary words, especially at this time of the year. But if my post does one thing for any of you, I hope it is that you will realize how lucky you are to have family still living; brothers or sisters you can rely on, a warm place to live, and people who love you. This is the time when Joni and my love for her and her music, particularly hits home for me and brings the tears..."I wish I had a river, I could skate away on....." Peace and blessings to you all! Gary Zack P.S. Please forgive the njc - I wanted to reach as many of you as I could.
