Christian Name: John Adrian Dodge Smiriga
Nationality Mother: Gypsy-Jewish-Russian
Nationality Father: German-Hungarian
BirthPlace: 1966 Oakland, CA

My Shoes-My Feet-My Words (light version)

1966 A. D. Rize Up!

This Journey began in 1966 Oakland, CA. I was born to my mother Sylvia and my Father John on Locksley Avenue and moved to 424 McAuley Street at one year of age.

Enlarge Map
I grew up with two sisters from my Mother's first marriage to Joe Gutierrez. My sisters are Bobbi and Rachel Gutierrez. My father left shortly after my birth and sadly enough I never had a chance to have known him. I lived in Oakland until eight years of age at which time my Mother moved me to San Leandro. I lived in a duplex which upstairs resided my aunt, uncle and four of my cousins. I became best friends with Ricky who lived right behind me from the gate. I probably slept over Nanny's (Ricky's grandmother) 1/4 as much as my own home. We did everything together. His sister Kelly and I were also close. My sisters took me to many places and I had a few friends like the three brothers up the street, Jerome, Timmy and Vincent (they were great). But I was lost and heading nowhere very fast and being sexually abused by one of our neighbors didn't help matters. Perhaps the greatest pain was wanting a Father but knowing I would never have one of my own. Anyway, being the good natured Devil I was becoming, stealing candy became an obvious choice to me. One of my beatings, my Mother's boyfriend tied me up to two chairs while I was held and tied down then whipped really good with a stick across my feet. The bottoms of my feet did not feel good afterward, rest assured. Yeah, they found a portion of the store's candy in my two drawers-he came from a undisclosed location where they cut your hands off for stealing. What was I thinking? Never statch your mash where you crash! I met the man sometime later and led on that I'd forgotten what they did too me. It was clear, he was very nervous around me. You see, he left some time ago and it might have been 12 or so years since we had seen each other. It's all good (self contained with those sins in mind and regarding my forgiveness and state of harmony) homie-cheek turnt! We were friends with many Afghanistan People back then. Man, they were a friendly bunch and cooked real good but don't let them catch you steal. We were good friends with the owner of the Khyber Pass Restaurant Owner many moons ago. My Mother really did her very best, but I had another destiny which at the time nobody knew except the many spiritual forces who were and very much still are constantly at work within my life knew about.

The Move To San Leandro-1976
My Mother decided to move me to San Leandro in 1976 at age 8 to keep me from getting into Oakland's trouble. Trouble had no intent on leaving me nor I it but I met my life long young best friend and soul mate Larry Craig Collins there. This man was genius, adventurous, daring and unique. Although, I was heart broken that Ricky and I drifted apart and am to this day but Larry helped carry my troubled weight. Some other friends were Chris, his two sisters, Mike and Mark, Timmy and Troy and Eugene. We played many sports back then and sports always came ridiculously easy to me. But San Leandro to me was quite simply my relationship with Larry. He and I simply connected on many levels and there wasn't anything to deep that he wasn't willing to debate. My Father came to see me with his new wife when I was 14. I think it was shortly after my juvenile arrest which made me a temporary resident of Chabot's Boy Camp in San Leandro after spending some time in Juvenile Hall first. Yes, I'm a convicted Felon, just like the rest of humanity-get used to it! Anyway, our new neighborhood was very decent but where were the blacks? Anyway, one day my Mother called me out of my room around 14.5 years of age and I took one look at my Father and mother-in-law, turned around and went back into my bedroom and closed the door. That was the only time I remember seeing him. Do I regret it? No! I wouldn't have become me. I do however, very much wish my Father would now call so we can try our best to become friends. By the way, I forgave him for abandoning us a long time ago. Anyway, I quickly became the target of some ridicule in our new town. Partly due to being fatherless, poor, having learning disabilities, having a unique family who set the shining example of love and generosity with what little we had. And finally, partly due to being a juvenile delinquent. Anyway, the cops knew I was a non-violent juvenile delinquent and to top it off, I was really misunderstood. The parents of the friends I had I suppose felt sorry for me but just never let me know it. I was attacked by my first gang set on this bus of all places which required me to have immediate stitches.Okay, let me just say this! I may be part (depending on the Jew you ask) Jew by blood-Christ by fact,faith and actions, white by a rocker's birth, brown by pure heart, black by righteous rage, yellow by fighting spirit and red by a super volcanic testimony. At 11 grade, I was transferred to Lincoln High, a continuation school for naughty students. My juvenile criminal record was that I witnessed a crime from directly across the street which a friend committed. I never reported it and I accepted one of the stolen skateboards. I sold it and the Mother of the boy called the cops. I was charged with Grand Theft Felony. We went to Juvenile Hall but I really liked it. What kind of boy likes Juvenile Hall? Although I never physically broke or entered in the Skate Station, I was sitting across the street seeing if my friend was really going to do what he bragged about doing. Well, he did! At 12th grade my Mother caught me drinking one morning before school and called my probation officer. I had to go to live at Juvenile Hall until they could transfer me to a Boy's home in Van Nuys, CA. I was so close to graduating that they issued my High School Diploma down in LA from Lincoln High. I turned 18 and they saw no reason that I hadn't been rehabilitated and they released me. From there I lived with my Mother for a short time before moving in the with my younger sister Rachel. The highlight job of my teenage life was working as a Baker at Bagel's Works in Berkeley, CA. While working there, I attended Alameda City College studying general stuff. Larry and I used to stay all night hanging around Berkeley until I would have to work at 4:00 a.m. From the short stay with Rachel, I found an apartment on Howe Street in Piedmont, CA and stayed there until I moved to San Francisco in 1985.

The Move To San Francisco-1985
I transferred from Alameda City College to SF City College and once again studied general things. I quickly developed HIV in 1985, ARC in 1987 and AIDS that I was fully aware of in 1991. I've had to go to a mental hospital for overnight to be evaluated due to my drunken behavior. They wanted to make sure I wouldn't do anything stupid. I was strong armed with a gun pointed to my temple at the gelato ice cream shop at 19. Yeah, I had to testify against this poor man. And survived another gang attack in the Western Addition late one night which required the Police to escort us to the bus stop after I cleaned up the blood in the "da hood bathroom stalls." By the way, the gang followed us to the bus stop as well. What's up with bus stops and gangs in my life? I don't want to hurt anyone but it gets old being picked on. It must be a full on love affair. I've been homeless which was not fun being around 19 or 20 years of age living in the city. What I do wish to share with you is my very dear friend Marty Stoelzel (a genius, an artist, landscape architect and master chief.) In fact, I think Marty told me when he was teaching Art in Marin one of his students was Robin Williams. Anyway, Marty was everything to me at the time, and he incorporated me with many facets of his life and helped me repeatedly with different employment opportunities when nobody else would bother. We most definitely had a very strong connection right from the gate. He was nutty, a genius, artsy and smart and I loved him deeply. Other than my roomate and close friend Erik who passed from a car accident, Marty was by far the closest person to me. We eventually moved in together until his death from AIDS and AIDS related full blown dementia which quickly destroyed his body and mind. His death to this day stings like a bee. Larry and Marty were both very fond of each other and Larry was amazed with Marty's painting skills and deeply saddened by my loss and was there once again with me. I moved back to North Oakland where I grew up in in 1988. I was 21 and due to my sister's inability with dealing with me and due to her personality change, she asked me to move. I had nowhere to live, so I asked my mom if I could live with her. I worked as a truck driver at Sherwin Williams in Emeryville, CA. So, I commuted to work as a truck driver. While living with my mom in San Leandro, Larry and I reconnected our friendship. I stayed with him a whole lot in those days. So, from living with my Mother around the border of East Oakland and San Leandro. I eventually met Edward Leroy Bettencourt (my closest and most beloved friend along with Larry Craig Collins) and his roommate and they both asked if I would want to move in with them here in Fremont.

The Move To Fremont-1988
I was shot in my car late at night in one of the worst area of East Oakland shortly after moving up here in Fremont but the bullet barely grazed my knee so I didn't bother going to the hospital. Before I start any further, I might as well for ministry purposes bare my soul a bit more and finish off with my criminal past. At age 25 I was arrested for driving drunk (DUI) and I had to go to county jail through the weekend and I attempted suicide at the end of my alcohol and speed era of depression. The suicide attempt was an attention grabber. Nonetheless, if it wasn't for th my best buddy upstairs, things would have turned out very differently. I have many reasons to be so overly honest with you. For your purposes I will say this. A: It's for your growth. B: My enemies are quickly losing their sanity and their covers are and will continue to be ripped apart up until the time they either change or perish with me haunting their minds throughout Eternity! Ed like Larry from the gate, quickly became my closest of all earthly friends. Ed had quickly filled the shoes of being my caregiver, my best friend, my constant companion, my benefactor and my art helper worker. I've met another very special and dear friend while in Fremont. His name is Owren. Yes, I've made more friends but many of them left after my real birthday (conversion) and many others have died. The remaining dear friends of mine are Vince ( from Australia) and Ralph, Elma and Jewel who live in assisted living facilities. I managed to work at many different types of jobs while in Fremont but my favorite job was working with Edward at the Siemen's Recreation Center. Now that was a fun place to work. For the past 24 years, Ed and I have been close but nowhere near as close until these past 13 or so years. The Truth be told without Edward's constant help, all of my ministries would not have been possible, unless Christ provided another Ed to help with them. It is from his extreme generosity that so much of what I have I owe to him. Ed balances the equation for all the crap I have to endure here on life. My mother passed in 1998 shortly after me returning for Christmas. Yes, she waited to see me one last time before she passed away. With the exception of my very dear friend Owren, and my neighbors, Texas didn't do right by me. Oh well, their loss! I remember asking my Mother if she would be willing to move with me to Austin but she wanted to stay and I think she wanted Rachel to take care of her. I wasn't the same person I am now and that has created permanent scars as well. In 2005, my sister Bobbi had a massive cranial stroke which left her in a vegetative state. Yes, we did the Christ like thing and pulled the plug. The Doctor's said that if she ever came out of the coma she would remain in a permanent vegetative state. What kind of life is that for anyone let alone my sister. Only a monster would keep someone alive in that situation. Nonetheless, it wasn't an easy decision for the person who made it and it wasn't easy for me to witness my sisters death up close and personal. Yes, I stayed with my sister while she drew her last breath as they unplugged her life support. But none pale to my Larry jumping to his death from the Golden Gate Bridge back in 2007. This was my soul mate-my childhood longest companion. Nobody on the face of this planet knew me like Larry except for Ed. Larry and I had a very special connection unlike anyone else. When I got the phone call I went into a deep depression and quite honestly I've never been the same since. I've lost quite a few other friends and too many pets who are closer to me than family members. My academic training for the most partis self-taught. But, I have received a few ridiculous certificates in a variety of computer courses and I received a certificate for Shiatsu Massage training from the San Francisco School Of Massage. I've attended Ohlone College studying mainly interactive media design (which is a fancy way of saying digital multimedia and programming.) Nonetheless, I don't value any piece of paper-I only value results and more importantly with results, what you do with those results! To conclude I went back on Disability in 2007 shortly to discover my two witnesses which would obviously be my true overall life-time profession . My two pet witnesses require my attention 24/7/ 365.242199 days per year. Ed's chronic and complex set of health problems is soon becoming a full time seven day a week job. Our three pets and home are a seven day a week full time job and finally taking care of my own chronic and complex health conditions which are definitely a full-time seven day a week job.
In my spare time, I witness, caregive and volunteer, p-66 site development and maintenance , research, exercise, play x-box, watch movies, play chess and listen to music often.

to be continued...

"Live and Let Live"
Drawing closer
to the Son
is the only way
to the
Father...

It's this way...the old way-that ship, has long sailed away-you best get onboard or take your chances without the only life preserver!