What triggered my writing career?

In the early days, pre-1992, I used my writing gift for special events, i.e. weddings, special birthdays, etc. Then came 1992. Three unexpected events changed everything. In June one of my younger brothers died suddently of meningitis at age 32. In September, a dear friend and former high school city basketball championship team mate died of leukemia. In December, my best friend, best man at my wedding, and also a former high school city championship team mate and frat brother died suddenly of a heart attack. After each of these gut-wrenching events I spontaneously wrote poems for their homegoing services. 

The floodgates of my poetry writing were flung wide open and in 1993 I wrote thirty two poems which were then published in my book "Women & Simple Truths." My subsequent poetry readings throughout Los Angeles eventually led to my becoming progenitor of three popular seminars. Perhaps more on the seminars at a later time, but the impact of my three most popular poems, 'Advice to a Daughter', 'Advice to a Son', and 'I Only Want a Good Man' took me all the way to Japan twice.