Aloha and hi SteemIt community, it's been almost 5-6 months since I last posted on my SteemIt account.
So much craziness and changes have happened since then.
As some of you know, I had to watch the volcanic eruption in the Lower Puna area of Big Island, Hawaii basically creep ever so slowly to the house where I used to live in Kapoho. Luckily, the eruption just stop shy of burning the home down, but between August to October of 2018, I was homeless, going between two temporary housing establishments till I moved into a permanent living situation by October 2018.
Between November to December 2018, I had thought all things would be back to normal. I was pumping out 42 oil painting pieces and numerous other pen & inks. I wanted to make oil painting and fine arts my long-term future career.
Alas, that abruptly ended when my old 76 year old friend, and owner of the Kapoho house along with the house I lived in had an unknown illness that caused him to have loss of use of his legs (anything waist down).
I still remember that Wednesday evening of December 19, 2018. Where I found his body twitching, laying face down in between the two beds in his bedroom.
I freaked out obviously, I had never had to call 911 for ambulance ever for a person. That moment warranted that kind of emergency.
To make a long story short ... he survived meningitis, encephalitis, renal failure, pneumonia, 3 heart attacks, and then finally, unofficially getting diagnosed with spinal tumor/cancer. To this day, the doctors still do not know conclusive what caused him to have the loss of use from his waist down. He isn't completely paralyzed, he can just slightly move his toe side to side, but he can't walk ... and not sure if he will be able to walk ever again.
The experience also taught me that the healthcare system in Big Island, Hawaii is quite third-world, and the health care system coverage in the United States SUCKS. It's just a big business, and they could care less for people's health. Not saying that all nurses and doctors are like this, but at the end of day, these medical insurances only care about their bottom line.
On top of that, I also learned about other people's family dynamics. I don't tend to judge, but in this case ... I will judge. Just pains me to watch my friend, who his children just don't really give a shit about him. Regardless of what ever happens in past family dynamics ... dying father is dying father. I just feel that no matter what, it's son (and/or daughter's) duty to see the father. Worst yet is this "son" was going to put off visiting the father just because he didn't have enough money or funds to get their earlier, and needed to ask father to reimburse all travel expenses. On top of that, knowing that he would be the person inheriting, he still took money anyways. Just DISGUSTING. I have no respect for any kind of person that's like that.
Anyways, 6-7 months after December of 2018 ... I'm charting out my new path.
I've learned from many people in Big Island that the long-term care of my friend is "not" my circus, not my monkeys... that it's his battle, and more specifically, is his son's responsibility to care for him (which I have low confidence in that happening anyways).
While I love Hawaii, I've grown to dislike the State of Hawaii's controlling and terrible economic policies, especially for those who are small business owners. They tax the crap out of people with the antiquated GET Excise tax.
I plan to move to Las Vegas, Nevada ... where there are still plenty of job opportunities and affordable housing. While the location doesn't have any ocean for me to enjoy sea life, I can build up my career while I'm in the beginning of my 30's and grow from their.
Off to my new adventures.