Retirement Can Be A Death Sentence For Some People #Retirement

You are about to read a short story about four people, the story is about three men and one woman who either made or almost made Retirement a Death Sentence. The characters in this story are 65-year-old Len, 68-year-old Fred, 79-year-old Mark, and 62-year-old Caroline, the one thing they all had in common was they were all retired, but they all lived life during retirement much differently.

Len – 65 years old – Worked as a Network Technician

Len is the first one I want to tell you about because he worked on a job for 32 years, now he is 65 and the company gave him an ultimatum, either resign with a special payout or get terminated,  because he is getting to the point where the job is too demanding as he do not finish his duties on a regular basis. Even though he couldn’t keep up he was still the first person at the office. He arrived every morning at 6am even though he was not supposed to be there until 8am.

 

He didn’t want to retire because he felt like working was his life, I have always believed the old saying that “some people work to live while others live to work” and Len was one of those people who live to work. Len was married to a woman who was 20 years younger than him so I know in the back of his mind, if he retired, she might look at him as an old man. Len told his Wife about the amount of money he would receive if he accepted the retirement offer and she encouraged him to take the money and to retire. Len retired then 30 days after his Wife called to let us know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep. I was wondering what happened to him because he would still come to the job during lunch break to talk to everyone then one day he didn’t show.

 

Fred  - 68 years old – Worked as a Custodian

Fred had been a Custodian for different companies over the years, but he never had any extended periods of unemployment  there were always a job waiting if he got laid off, terminated, or quit. He loved working because it made him feel useful. Fred had a hard life because the women he chose always used him and never really loved him, they loved that he worked a full-time job as a Custodian then mow yards and maintain lawns on the weekends. The women he had been married to or long term relationship with never worked so Fred was always the one who worked so being retired was going to be both a mental and financial issue for him.

 Fred had to retire because he was having a lot of aches and pains in his knees and some of the deliveries were getting too heavy for him to lift by himself, he was too proud to ask for help. One day he lifted a box of fruit for the kitchen and hurt his arm, within two hours his right arm had swollen, and he couldn’t move it because of the intense pain. He went to the doctor and the doctor said it would take about a week to four weeks to heal, he told his supervisor, and his response was, “Well, we are sorry, but you no longer qualify for this particular job, because the boxes will always be that heavy so today will be your last day.

 Fred went home and told his Wife and she asked, “How long will it be before you can go back to work?”, He said, “Baby I can’t go back, I am terminated but it is ok because I can apply for my retirement.” She said, “Retirement? Retirement will not be enough to pay all of these bills.”, Fred felt so bad and also less than a man at this point so he lost his appetite for a lot of food and decided to only drink the Ensure Meal Replacement Shakes, he lost of much weight until the last time I saw him, he looked like he was very sick and near death but his Wife still looked like a million dollars so I guess she found someone with money and probably just waiting for him to die so she could collect the Insurance Money.  Fred died after one year of just drinking Ensure Meal Replacement Shakes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. RIP Fred!

 

Mark – 79 years old – Worked as a City Bus Operator

Mark is a married man, but he loves to flirt with younger women, he had the perfect job to meet lots of women. As a city bus operator, he would come in contact with over 30 single or unhappily married women per day. Mark had a good Wife because for over 30 years she was waking up at 2:30am to cook his breakfast that she would serve with coffee so he could leave at 3:30am, he shift started at 5:00am and his job was about one hour away from where they lived.

Mark was very slick because he would split his check into money going to the credit union, checking account and an actual check that he shows to his Wife who had no idea about the three way split. He would use the hidden money to take women he met out to dinner. He was lucky that he was allowed to continue to drive the City Bus and receive his Social Security Benefits until one day he ran in the back of another bus because he was preoccupied looking at a woman walking on the sidewalk, he tired to lie about the situation but the cameras on the bus told the whole story. 

Fred didn’t want to tell his Wife what happened, so he committed suicide in his car with the gun he kept in the glove compartment for protection from carjackers.

  

Caroline – 62 years old – Worked as a Teacher

Caroline’s Husband had left her for a younger woman and after he left it was hard for her to concentrate as a Teacher so at 62 years old, she decided to retire early. Caroline thought once she was retired, she would have more time to spend with her family especially her grandchildren, it started out that way but then everyone had something else to do. It got so boring for her, so she got some cats, I don’t know where she got the cats from but the last time I counted, she had over 15 cats.

 Caroline had become a hoarder, not only was she collecting cats, but she was also collecting trash and broken furniture that her neighbors in the apartment threw away in the dumpsters and sometimes on the side of the dumpsters. Her apartment was so cluttered it was hard for her to walk around. One day her air conditioning stopped working and she had to call the apartment office to request repair work. The maintenance man knocked on the door and when she opened it, he ran away, the smell coming out of the apartment was so strong, he refused to enter.

 The apartment office called the police which they should have called Health and Human Services, when the police arrived, they looked around and seen all the cats and trash. The police called Health and Human Services but not before telling her, she had to leave immediately. She asked, “What about my cats?” they told her they would call Animal Control to get the cats. She told them she was not leaving until she was sure that Animal Control came to get her cats. Animal Control came and removed 12 cats and she started shaking her head. They asked her why she is shaking her head and she said, “I had 15 cats so there are still three cats still inside.” They went back in and found three dead cats, the police said, “Well, we are taking you to a medical hospital then you will need to live in some type of Senior Citizen Community. Is there anyone we can call to help you?”, she said, “No, even though I am alive, I am dead to all my family, and I have no friends.” She got into the police car without anymore hesitation. Caroline lived but can you really call it living, at 62 years old, you have to be forced to live in a Senior Citizen Community for the rest of your natural life?

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My Love For The Music Business Sort of Died after Working with People Who I Thought Did Not Take The Business of Working with Music Seriously

I started playing the Piano when I was only 5 years old, My Mother and I would take two buses to an elderly lady who taught piano lessons from her over-crowded with lots of furniture and stuff living room. I played the piano until I was 9 years old then I lost interest because I lost my Father to a massive heart attack. I regained interest in playing the piano by the time I was 15 years old, it was at that time I wanted to be a famous Pianist, but my Mother said I was only learning how to play the piano to play on Sundays at Church. I did not want to just play the piano in Church, I wanted to go to Detroit so I could be discovered by Motown. My Mother was not happy with the idea of me wanting to go to Detroit and insisted that I play in the Church, so I lost interest in the Piano again.

By the time I became an Adult, my love for Music and playing the piano never left my mind but, in my mind, it was too late for from to start over in the Music Business past the age of 35 years old, so I decided to work with younger people who had an interest in becoming a Recording Artist. I started by paying people $20 in the Bronx to perform for me as I recorded it to see where I wanted to go with this idea, then I would pay people $20 to give feedback on the Recording. I enjoyed watching people perform and also listening to people give feedback on the music so much until I decided to start Hosting Open Mics. 

When I started Hosting Open Mics, I enjoyed all the people who would come to watch but also those people who performed. I was in New York and people there did not like that I did not charge Artists to perform on stage instead I actually paid some of them $50 to perform and later on I would Host Talent Showcases where the 1st Place Winner received $500 and 2nd Place Winner received $250 while the 3rd Place Winner received $125 and they all received help with getting their Music Distributed for Sale.

I got so deep into the Music Business until I decided to create an Independent Record Label to help those who did not have money for Instrumentals (Beats) and/or Money for Studio Time. This was the start of my biggest mistake in the Music Business, when people found out that I was willing to put my own money and time into their career without a contract that would allow me to make money, they flocked to me like birds to bird food in a park. 

To make a long story short, People started taking my kindness as a weakness as I paid for people to audition for me, perform at my Open Mics and I paid for Instrumentals (Beats), Studio Time and picked them up in Limousines to take them to the Recording Studio and also to the Club to perform at the Open Mic. I had a friend tell me that I was doing too much but I didn't listen as I thought I was doing what an Artist's  Manager and Independent Record Label should do. 

I had one Artist tell me he found a Beat Maker who charges $500 for exclusive beats but I found out that he and his friend was making the beats from a closet.

(To Be Continued) in the "Hot Chocolate, Why Are You So Cold?" Books by Yvonne Wilcox

#TooGrownForThat

   

             eBook                         Paperback                      Hardcover                 Kindle Vella

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LHMPR Radio On Air Playlist vs LHMPR Radio Podcast Show both are on Spotify but one of them provides more exposure

Although Playlists are Popular, I am going to tell you why submitting your Music to LHMPR Radio Podcast Show will give you more exposure:

LHMPR Radio Podcast Show will list your name and the name of your Music Project in the description on Spotify and Anchor FM so potential fans will see who is being featured. LHMPR Radio Podcast Show requests that you send a Audio Biography which will be played before your song is played so that potential fans can learn about you before they hear your music.

If your Music a upgraded by a Member of our Team, your feature will be upgraded to include a FREE Press Release that will also feature one of your YouTube Videos.

All of our Podcast Episodes are listed on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) with a chance to have your Music included in one of YWPN TV Short Films or Web Series.  

Submit Music via Share PRO or MusicSubmit 

Sometimes you are asked to pay to be on Playlists only to be lost in the mix as people can continue to skip your track. Some Playlist owners buy Followers also know as Likes to trick you into thinking they have over 10,000 followers but they are just  Fake. A lot of followers never listen to the playlist at all

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SONG ∙ WORLDWIDE ∙ 2022 Riverside performed by Steve Shaw

Multi-instrumentalist born in Yorkshire England first started recording in the mid eighty's at IN A CITY STUDIO. Steve Shaw has released three instrumental albums consisting of 67 songs and is able to record 24/ 7 in his own recording studio.

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SINGLE ∙ POP ∙ 2022 Let You Know performed by Life Adjusted

Life Adjusted is the in-house, DIY, progressive metal project of former Army specialist Chase Grim

The musical journey of Chase Grim began at age 10 when he received a guitar from his parents as a birthday gift. He has not put it down since. Completely self-taught on both guitar and drums, Grim began playing in church worship bands as a 13-year-old and wrote his first song at 14.

Grim took his love of music with him when he was stationed in Iraq in 2009 and 2011 as an E-4 specialist. Grim would play songs on a cheap guitar hooked up to an even cheaper amplifier just to relieve the stress of the experience.

It was also during his time in the military that Grim met Cedric “Legacy City” Bellamy who taught him about the mechanics of songwriting, showing him how to structure a song, but more importantly, how to make a song stick in the listener’s ear.

After returning home from active duty, Grim took to his MacBook and began recording songs both as a solo artist and in collaboration with connections he made throughout his travels. Grim has kept up the practice of writing and recording music in tandem with musicians across the world to this day.

Inspired by the heavy percussion and deeply introspective lyrics of bands like The Devil Wears Prada and Slipknot, Grim began recording under his progressive metal moniker Life Adjusted in 2019. Since then, Grim has amassed a database of over 100 songs that are just waiting for the right time and the right touch.

Approaching his work like a musical mad scientist, Grim’s music grows organically out of experimentation, fusing together elements of heavy metal, pop-punk, dubstep and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. For his latest track, “Let You Know,” Grim even brought in elements of emo after working with LA singer-songwriter Eric Formhals.

In addition to Formhals, Grim has worked with artists both at home in North Texas and abroad to bring Life Adjusted out of the shadows. Italian session singer Eric Castiglia contributed heavily to Life Adjusted’s 2021 debut album, Transition, as well as Dallas singer-songwriter David Southern.

As Grim travels across the country as a field technician for a clean energy company, he is continuously looking for more artists to expand the breadth and depth of his Life Adjusted project. Anyone interested in working with Grim can contact him through his Instagram: @life_adjusted_official

Official Website

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2016 RnB Soul Single Different (Remastered) performed by: Lakeem

Lakeem Williams is an American singer, songwriter. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he started his career in 2010, releasing the several mix-tapes. Currently Lakeem is flaunting his singles “Poison” and “Danger”. The latter song was originally created in 2013, with the artist’s dad putting down the funky baseline. They did the recording in about 3 hours. In the world of R&B music, there is a void; an all-too-obvious lack of credible, intelligent music that so defined the genre in its heyday. The R&B or Soul, of yesteryear was written by masters of their craft. Now what we are being handed–with a few notable exceptions–is a body work that lacks soul and meaning. Yes, you can dance to it, but where is the deeper, soulful meaning? Lakeem seems to be delivering both, with his latest cuts.

Lakeem seems to be carving a highly impressive slot for himself in the R&B world with an ingratiating style highlighting emotionally savvy lyrics from a man’s point of view that shows a mature grasp of women’s feelings in relationships.

Alongside that, his appealing vocal delivery, bearing a hint of influence from MJ’s limber phrasing but with a smoothness of his own, is a welcome deviation from the over-produced performances of many of his radio contemporaries.

Finally, urgent but cool tempered, groove music, with a nod to the solid astuteness of present-day urban sonic structures. The focused frankness of Lakeem’s lyrics also cements his position as a purveyor of sophisticated, contemporary R&B and Soul.

The rhythm feels incredibly simplistic, with a basic bass guitar pattern and light razor sharp drumming. Meanwhile Lakeem’s vocals are made to carry the workload, and are given the backing of more vocal performance which add sonic depth.

The combination of these vocals melismatically transcend through the notes and then drop back and forth exquisitely. The whole package is incredibly appealing, but nuanced vocal performance and clever songwriting are the order of the day here. “Danger” invites the listener to the kind of music exploration only a voice like Lakeem’s can offer.

In a time, that R&B has changed immensely. A time, when it feels like the sound is moving away from the traditional, vocally-focused aesthetic of the game’s core and the genre is waning in popularity as a whole, in favor of EDM and Trap, Lakeem steadfastly – maybe even stubbornly – sticks to his musical guns.

Now while all the R&B singers are rapping, and all the rappers think they can sing, and traditional R&B is being pigeonholed into some other corner, Lakeem delivers some real authentic sounding stuff with “Danger”.

Clearly there’s still space in the modern game for a singer of Lakeem’s stock, especially as he seems to have found a way to make his latest singles sound both vintage and modern, without trend-chasing. “Danger” is one of those tracks that when you put it on, your body – mind, heart and feet – just sort of naturally do what they’re supposed to do. It’s kind of a no-brainer. Just follow the groove!

Nice strong voice tha goes well with the vibe and tone of 1991. This is a song that sets the mood to celebrate an anniversary because a lot of people can think back to 1991 and try to remember what they were doing, I know for me it was a pleasure flash back since the world was so different. Thank you for that trip back as I was able to revert to a better time in my life. You did an outstanding job. We will put on our Spotify Playlist, YouTube Playlist and Blog also if you send us an mp3 we will feature it on our June Artists Podcast.

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Referred by MusicSubmit Byzantine Hip-Hop Rap Group - BMI - Philadelphia - Single "Steppin"

Byzantine is a new edgy Hip Hop group from Baltimore and Philadelphia whose music represents a light in a dark period. Adopting monikers of Saints of the Byzantine Era, these masterful artists use cautionary tales, songs of hope and good vibes paired with grit from the streets to offer a refreshing aura to the world of Hip Hop. 

The four artists who make up the group are St Justinian, St. Leo, St. Phocas and St. Zeno.  Together they’re introducing their unique sound and style to the world with their second single “WATER”. “WATER” is the follow up single to the group’s lit first single “ILL,” which was featured on SWAY in the Morning, BET/MTV Jams, DTF Radio, Air it Out Radio and various other mix shows throughout the country.

When asked for the meaning of their latest single “WATER”, each member gives their perspective of the song which; echoes the same profound message; “Water” is about making the change in one’s life that takes you out of harm’s way.

According to St. Phocas, the big picture for the group is creating music that is thought-provoking, aggressively challenging, and inspiring through its personal and sometimes convicting messages. 

“We want people to understand we’re not talking about the same things everybody else is talking about,” St. Phocas said. “We’re not degrading our women or our brothers and sisters.  We’re making songs that sound good and have a deeper message.”

“Each of us individually has a different sound,” St. Leo said. “I’m more laid back, while St. Zeno and St. Phocas are more animated than myself. When we come together, we blend well together.  We’re all carrying each other, and we all bring that same level of talent to the table.” Official Website for Byzantine

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Good Girl performed by: Lakeem

Lakeem Williams is an American singer, songwriter. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he started his career in 2010, releasing the several mix-tapes. Currently Lakeem is flaunting his singles “Poison” and “Danger”. The latter song was originally created in 2013, with the artist’s dad putting down the funky baseline. They did the recording in about 3 hours. In the world of R&B music, there is a void; an all-too-obvious lack of credible, intelligent music that so defined the genre in its heyday. The R&B or Soul, of yesteryear was written by masters of their craft. Now what we are being handed–with a few notable exceptions–is a body work that lacks soul and meaning. Yes, you can dance to it, but where is the deeper, soulful meaning? Lakeem seems to be delivering both, with his latest cuts.

Lakeem seems to be carving a highly impressive slot for himself in the R&B world with an ingratiating style highlighting emotionally savvy lyrics from a man’s point of view that shows a mature grasp of women’s feelings in relationships.

Alongside that, his appealing vocal delivery, bearing a hint of influence from MJ’s limber phrasing but with a smoothness of his own, is a welcome deviation from the over-produced performances of many of his radio contemporaries.

Finally, urgent but cool tempered, groove music, with a nod to the solid astuteness of present-day urban sonic structures. The focused frankness of Lakeem’s lyrics also cements his position as a purveyor of sophisticated, contemporary R&B and Soul.

The rhythm feels incredibly simplistic, with a basic bass guitar pattern and light razor sharp drumming. Meanwhile Lakeem’s vocals are made to carry the workload, and are given the backing of more vocal performance which add sonic depth.

The combination of these vocals melismatically transcend through the notes and then drop back and forth exquisitely. The whole package is incredibly appealing, but nuanced vocal performance and clever songwriting are the order of the day here. “Danger” invites the listener to the kind of music exploration only a voice like Lakeem’s can offer.

In a time, that R&B has changed immensely. A time, when it feels like the sound is moving away from the traditional, vocally-focused aesthetic of the game’s core and the genre is waning in popularity as a whole, in favor of EDM and Trap, Lakeem steadfastly – maybe even stubbornly – sticks to his musical guns.

Now while all the R&B singers are rapping, and all the rappers think they can sing, and traditional R&B is being pigeonholed into some other corner, Lakeem delivers some real authentic sounding stuff with “Danger”.

Clearly there’s still space in the modern game for a singer of Lakeem’s stock, especially as he seems to have found a way to make his latest singles sound both vintage and modern, without trend-chasing. “Danger” is one of those tracks that when you put it on, your body – mind, heart and feet – just sort of naturally do what they’re supposed to do. It’s kind of a no-brainer. Just follow the groove.

Email Publisher@YWPNNN.com