INTRODUCTION IV
One Step Away
I twisted my knee in mid-September, and often wondered what it would be like to be someone like Madonna, where I could work my ass off, push my physical limits, get the best care possible afterward, mention it, have everyone talk about it, and then go on tour and get paid millions of dollars for showing a strong work ethic. I concluded that making millions would be a great motivating force for anyone.
Reflecting on an entry I had made in my journal back in September 2012:
With that in mind, on September 1, I celebrated my adventure with a night of dancing. I had not gone dancing in a very, very long time. In the past, dancing had always helped me change my life’s energy; it got me through some of my life’s most difficult times. It could magically transform my life.
I wasn’t sure if it was the energy brought on by the blue moon or the spell of the Hopi’s sacred corn pollen, but I suddenly felt the urge to reconnect with the dance floor on an elementary, primal, indigenous level. Since Ricardo was out of town and I had nothing else to do, I heeded the call and decided to go to a small dance club in Scottsdale, Arizona. I arrived at 9:00 PM. “Holiday,” by Madonna, was one of the first songs I heard that night.
This made me think of the song, One Step Away. I was one step or year away from completing my story, and I had to be very careful. Breaking a bone or tearing a ligament was a real concern. I thought about Madonna’s near-death experience, when she was one step away from death, and at times I felt like I was one step away from a major mishap, too: my freedom of movement was extremely important to me.