Michele the Storyteller

Edited: May 2,2012

The wheels keep turning and we keep evolving. It seems that everything goes in cycles. We’re born, we live, and we die. Some of us believe we’re born again, and  some don’t.  It depends on what reality you put your mind to. You can create anything or nothing. We’re so lucky to be human, and also so unlucky to be human.  We have both this positive and negative energy in us.  Sometimes it destroys us.  Sometimes it makes us happy just to be alive.  It’s  everybody’s  story in this  world.  It’s an easy story line.  As simple as ABC. The building blocks are the foundation.  If the foundation is broken, crumbled or cracked, then nothing sprouts up, and nothing can grow.  While things grow, they have to be nurtured with love, compassion, tenderness and care.  If they’re not, they wilt, die, and fade away until they’re reborn again, when new growth happens.  Basically it is  life’s history, life’s cycle, laws of nature.  Laws that every living thing abides by.  You can say there might be a creator, and you can say, maybe not.  We have many religions and cultures.  We have people that don’t believe in religion.  We have laws  so  we’re not just killing each other.  We have boundaries.  Knowing one’s own limitations is good and bad. It depends upon what side of the fence you sit on.  What side of the see-saw you’re riding. What side of the world you live in? The values you were brought up with.  Were they to kill and maim, because of revenge, greed, power and money?  Where they to be compassionate, love, and understand why people are revengeful? There are those that believe Christ died for everybody’s sins.  There are those that believe that he was just a regular human being.  My beliefs, as Grandma Michele, the Storyteller,  are my realities.  My world  I created is “The Grandma Michele World’   It is just to be a good Grandma, trying her best everyday while trying to  move forward and not getting sidetracked.  Not moving too fast, because even when a good grandma moves too fast, she forgets to look at what’s around her.   She forgets to smile at the beauty of nature,forgets to listen to what’s out there. When you try to be very good, sometimes you overshadow, and you falter. You run in circles and  fall down because you are over loaded .
Michele  Schuchman was in a lot of pain most of her life.

The 2 videos shows the viewer the pain Michele Schuchman  was in because she decided to become charitable . The videos were taken for the History channel . They were running a contest to submit your home video on what kind of a world do you want . Viewers would pay  a donation fee to see the winning videos and the proceeds would go to a charity listed by the  history channel  .The 2 videos were never edited or submitted to the history channel .

These videos were  embarrassing to Barry Schuchman  and his family at that time.They were one of the reasons Barry divorced  Michele Schuchman. Barry could not cope with the reality his wife Michele at the age of 60 became a child of 3 . Michele Schuchman had to grow up learning from a non judgmental  perspective.

Part 2 of Grandma Michele the story teller

Grandma Michele  gave birth to her inner child at the age  of 60.  She was in a lot of pain and turmoil.  She faltered a lot.  She was very childlike. She talked a different language, even though it was the language that she was born with.  Nobody understood her because she talked from her thoughts. The thoughts  kept on exploding into her head badgering and bombarding her brain cells causing her enormous grief.  Her thoughts caused her hallucinations without taking any drugs. They caused her losing a tremendous amount of weight. She had to eat a tremendous amount of food just to sustain a normal weight. Her blood pressure went sky-high, and everybody thought she was very sick.  She really wasn’t sick. She was just trying to focus and look at life through her own eyes this time and not through everybody else’s eyes, not through everybody else’s judgment, not from the way she was raised (not that it was bad) but not necessarily what she was taught. She realized she was just an electrical system of energy, constantly pulsating messages out through the universe that kept her mind, body and soul in perpetual motion. She was lucky to realize that she was gifted – an unbelievable gift from some high source of energy. She felt every vibration in every cell of her body right into her brain and her head. Noises in her head were reoccurring continuously because of the thought processes that the cells of her brain were giving to the rest of her body to keep her moving. She is a magnetic field of energy that has a glow around her that vibrates. The glow is invisible.

She was pricked by the thorns that wanted to stop her by taking control and corrupting her. The weeds in her flower garden kept on popping up because they were jealous of her happiness and her smile. All they wanted to do was to poke fun at her, tell tales about her and bring her down to their negative level.

She saw her calling, what she needed to do. She walked away from the dark negative energy of people and went into the light positive energy of those that were kind to her. She would not allow anyone else to try to wear her shoes and she did not try to wear anyone else’s but her own now. Grandma Michele was focused, walking straight on her own path, climbing her own ladder up for success her way. Grandma Michele met many others on her path to steer her off in their direction. Grandma Michele was upset and could not understand why everybody thought their way was better than hers.

Those that came in her path wanted to listen to her story and  share their stories as a support system.

Grandma Michele kept on marching forward even when the bees came and the hornets trying to sting her, she kept on moving forward marching to her own drum as God looked around through the miracle of nature.

She started her career at age 19 opening a wig salon in Hicksville, Long Island for three years. Then she lost everything and she was homeless for two months with her son age 5.

She picked herself up, dusted herself off and started all over again in New York City 1971. Going up and down the buildings of Manhattan, with her scissor and comb and hairdryer.  She made enough money in two months to get an apartment in New York City on 333 E. 66th Street.

She managed to pay the first month’s rent, first month’s security then secured  3  jobs  until she opened her first salon. She named it ‘Bobby’s mother’s place ” She opened a second salon, a third salon and finally a fourth salon. Two of the salons were sold and two of them were closed. She met her second husband Barry at her 7th Av successful salon.  She gave Barry all of her money  not realizing she gave him her all her power.

He was her king  providing for her the Queen.  They had a wonderful life together  opening a restaurant in Callicoon, New York and ran it successfully for 21 years.

In 1993 she won the EDDA Tiffany Crystal for her sauce company, Michele’s Continental Sauces that she developed. This was her Emmy of the industry. She was featured on the Television Food Network.  She wrote a cookbook. She was in national magazines. Her sauces were sold through mail orders, in grocery stores and in health food stores.

Because her husband got ill ,she walked away from all the business’s.

She moved to her paradise with him, which she called “Emerald City”,Emerald City  in reality is Pebble Creek Active adult community in Good Year A.Z.

The following 4 video’s  show Michele Schuchman  March 2009 as an adult age 62 walking through her memories of the 51/2 years she lived in that paradise with Barry Schuchman

 

 

 

 

Michele the Story teller  continued  part 3

Michele Schuchman decided she w s going to become a painter. Barry didn’t believe she could possibly be a painter. He laughed at it.  Barry thought he would just hang her paintings in the garage.

Michele would stay up until 4am and paint. Her paintings adorned their home and it made Barry very proud.

She wanted to write a book.  Barry thought it was not possible because she was not literate enough or read enough. He didn’t believe in her at that point. Barry turned against her. She knew she could do it because she knew that whatever she set her mind to do, she had the power it takes to run that extra mile. Barry stopped believing what she was aiming for. Barry decided  he would have to go on his path  for his own pleasures . He divorced her after 30 years of marriage.

Grandma Michele’s heart was broken. She understands it was just another test of her strength.  She took this disaster, loss of battle and did something positive with her life. She focused on charities and giving back to humanity by using her artistic ability and imagination.

Grandma Michele,  painted just through her mind, she never realized this place really existed—it was Christ’s Church in Sedona. She was amazed to see that her guide and teacher, not physical beings, gave her the knowledge to paint thi picture        Grandma Michele is dyslexic.    Notice the reflection is backwards because that’s how Grandma Michele sees.

The spiritual saying, “my reflection is my consciousness of reality, it is my choice to be a free spirit and to live in harmony”.

 

Grandma Michele picked up  her father’s dog tag and put it on her painting. She had to unlock her secrets of her father.

She  forgave him, and learned to stop being the victim . She become a survivor.

“Locked secrets in our souls are meant to be free”.

Until everybody can unlock their secrets, they cannot be set free.  When they are set free, then they can all drink from the same fountain & receive life’s treasures as Grandma Michele has.

Grandma Michele painted this magnificent picture with a very large rainbow, two Arabian horses, mother and child with the deer overlooking the pond. A rowboat with her son in it is fishing .

She wrote this message “be free dream of rainbows, ride horses, swing on swings, let fish go.

A message–

“Horses do not see color”.  Horses don’t know your religion. Horses only  feel you on their back.

As you move with the horse ,your energy combines with the horse’s magnificent healing energy.  The horse therapy is called Eagala

All about my time now,with the sun in the background,flowing waters,  spiritual message ” the light becomes my source of dreams flowing through the river of time.

This is where Grandma Michele first believes in her imagination  she was just pure energy flowing down the river of dreams.

The light source is her guide within herself praying everyday. Thanking God she is alive and  has won her lottery to breath .

” My soul is a child. It needs to be nourished with love so it can bloom. “See my beauty even though I am not perfect” 

The painting is imperfect just as Grandma Michele is imperfect.

 

She knows that it is never too late to make a difference in this world.

Stop thinking you’re too old. Stop thinking that you cannot make a difference. It’s the seniors, baby boomer  generation she was born into that can now make a difference to the future of the all generations .
It would solve all issues if  humans would  pray for their own inner peace and serenity. If every human can have peace within themselves, then and only then, will arms be laid down, plows will be picked up, soil will be tilled again, crops will grow. We will have heaven on earth. We will be able to live in harmony,not judge or be judged. Just let be.

Once we are born, we need to know we will die one day.  Grandma Michele says “just breathe and enjoy the beauty  trying to get across that high wire each day  without falling too hard. It is a balancing act, a balancing act to be free. A balancing act to not live in denial. A balancing act to not feel empty or guilty. A balancing act to fill yourself with love, compassion, understanding. A balancing act to understand what morals are, understanding that abuse, drugs, gluttony are only negative things that come with a price tag, a price tag that can only harm a human being. Grandma Michele does not have the answers. The answer has to come from every human being. From their own inner self  by just finding their own inner peace. Be comfortable within their own skin.

Michele Schuchman attended the Cameo Ball, a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Association in Phoenix, Arizona 2009. This is her picture. Her curly blonde hair, bangs ,beautiful gown which was the gown she wore at her wedding 34 years ago. She looked like a princess. She stands 5’ tall and weighs 108 lbs. now.

At one time Grandma Michele weighed 185 lbs. She knew why. She knew that she fed herself with food because she denied what was happening to her. She lived in denial for many years. Finally she got rid of her weight and her weight stayed off.

Grandma Michele takes good care of herself because she knows that her body is her temple.She knows the most important thing is staying healthy, doing her exercise,  working out, laughing, being happy, dancing, trying not to cry but unfortunately she does get tears, tears of pain when she sees others in pain.

Grandma Michele is truly a limited edition. A source of energy that beams light in all directions. Grandma Michele knows what it’s like to ride on a merry go-round and hold her hands out looking for the golden ring. She knows that it always comes with a price tag that golden ring. When that golden ring comes you want the power, the money, but she learned that’s not the true treasure. She has gone though fire, jumping through rings like most human beings, but she has managed to come out on the other side with only some scars. Scars of cancer on her nose, a broken metatarsal on her toe standing on her head in her yoga class. It was an act of God to slow her down at that particular time. Grandma Michele had her own bout with depression in 1997 when she tried to commit suicide. She wanted to stop the world, she needed to get off. There was too much craziness. It was a three-ring circus she was living and she was living in the middle of it trying to be the fairy princess .There was no more glue to fix the broken family members she loved . All that was happening was the lions and tigers were attacking each other and she could not stand it anymore. With help, she became a survivor.

Grandma Michele knows that if someone makes you cry, they are not worth it. You need to understand that you are worth more as a human being doing the right thing. No one is allowed to make you cry. You need to be respectful and you need to respect others.That’s Grandma Michele’s philosophy today. If someone shows her no respect, Grandma Michele walks away and then Grandma Michele says to herself as she walks away “they don’t deserve me because I know who I am” and that’s the way to be. Holding your head high, standing tall, Grandma Michele actually grew back 2 inches after she wrote  her catharsis March 18, 2008, she copyrighted it. She celebrated the copyright by going to the play The Color Purple.

Grandma Michele has her crystal ball. It’s a blown glass ball with a jelly fish in it that is orange, yellow, and white with multi-color fishes swimming around it in the blue bottom water. This is her interpretation of her crystal ball which she looks in to see the past. 2009 she remembers back when she came across the United States with matzoh and some fruit. For her, in her imagination, Grandma Michele was Moses going to

Damascus, to start a new life  helping many others heal. She would have to stop off somewhere to get a staff.  She knew it would just be a wood  symbol for her. She knew she was just a human being and had no special power. She knew only the Creator had the powers. She had the will to make it across the United States.  She was a monarch butterfly that just left her gilded cage. She was free with a broken wing of her dreams. She was in her black Cadillac driving across  to the Promised Land.

Her first stop was an Indian truck stop where she found her wooden  staff. It was carved by the Indians, the perfect size for her. She was in the ladies’ room and in the stall next to her  was a woman. This woman was in there a long time and seemed to have a problem. She waited outside the stall by the sink. She waited for that woman to come out. The woman came out. She was a homeless person. She was about 10 years younger than Grandma Michele. She looked  like she hadn’t bathed in months.  She smelled gross. Grandma Michele felt sorry for her and gave her a hand. She asked the homeless woman, “Where are you going”. The homeless woman said she was going across the United States to New York. Grandma Michele thought to herself, maybe this is another sign from the creator, a test. Maybe I am supposed to help her because we are always supposed to do good deeds. Grandma Michele remembered what her mother, Rose, said to her ” you don’t pick up strangers, you are a grandmother driving alone across the United States. Grandma Michele didn’t want to listen to the good advice. She felt too sorry for this woman. She remembered when she was homeless herself. Grandma Michele told her that she was going across the country and would she like to drive with her. The homeless woman was so surprised and said of course, I have my luggage on the other side and I am not capable of carrying it myself.

Grandma Michele went to the other side of the truck stop where this homeless woman’s luggage was.  The homeless woman would not help her with it; she said she couldn’t do it. Grandma Michele had to lift it all by her self. Grandma Michele was not happy. There was something wrong about this situation—something not very kosher. The woman got into the car and proceeded to light up a cigarette. Grandma Michele said” you can’t smoke in my car. I don’t smoke, I have never smoked I’m sorry you can’t smoke in the car”. The woman said” well that’s okay I’ll smoke when you stop”. They started to drive.  The homeless woman began to tell Grandma Michele  many crazy story’s about her life and that everyone wanting to kill her.  Grandma Michele was now frightened . She knew this woman was psychotic and she  dropped the homeless woman at the next Cracker Barrel rest stop for her safety.

Grandma Michele  updating  Michele the Story teller  May 2,2012 .

Share my story if you think it valuable and  remember you only have so much energy to use in a day before it’s overwhelming  and you can’t function productively .

I will continue to write as long as it makes me happy. GRANDMA MICHELE