Mercifully the post featuring Trevor Noah and the brilliant woman Dalia Mogahed was reposted, now the link shall be yours; https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtPDzd4KEhb/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== It is also retrievable on Instagram, as part of My Story in Instagram, I am there alexis_dryburgh.
Now onto a topic of great importance. Not always, but often, I find guidance during prayer. It happened during yesterday’s Asr prayer which found me most preoccupied and rather stressed perseverating over plans for my next adventure which will be launched on June 26, 2023. I prayed to Allah(SWT) for guidance.
Guidance was and is provided step by step by step. The first step, the onset, was the insight that one should never leave anything (or anybody) with unfinished business, with unresolved issues. I asked of myself: “What is being left unsaid?” “What have I not processed, not thought through, not put in perspective?
Me: (imitating Homer Simpson) DAH! Of course!I made the promise to myself and faithful readers that I would process, would reflect upon the effect of the statistics shouting a half a million views of this blog since its inception the end of January 2017.
My thinking is still rather inchoate (just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary).
In usual fashion, l resort to laughter and jokes.
Me: I cannot imagine half a million, I do not have enough fingers and toes to even count that high. My math skills are equal to those found elementary school children. Remember when meeting my first (of three) multibillionaires, asking of friends and acquaintances.
Me: How many zeros are there in a billion?
Learned but it forgot as it does not matter any more, useless information. The MCERA pension fund is worth about 3 billion. It provides a sense of security knowing the bank deposit will be received but no management is required of either the billions nor the guys.
They next self imposed question: Is this a culmination, were such numbers an ambition when this project began
Me: Absolutely not. It was merely a whim, barely knew what a blog was. Followed nobody’s, barely read them. However did know how to spell it. B L O G
Next question, often asked by others: What motivated me, why did I begin this all consuming blog. .
Me: I had two stated reason, one secret reason. The first stated reason concerned itself with the biography of Uncle Dave Dryburgh, the final project for the creative nonfiction program that brought me to London. The semester provided knowledge of the publishing world, I was going to avoid the pitfalls by publishing an eBook. The blog would be a kick start, advance publicity. (Kick start is a verb, meaning to make something start to happen or start to develop more quickly.)
The second reason was to get even: revenge, pure and simple. I had been wronged in Londontown, pursuing my legal remedies proved impossible. Most powerfully wronged by Julie Wheelwright, the titular head of the creative non fiction program offered by London City University that brought me to London with its student visa in the first place. She was aided and abetted by my classmates – I pity them now. She had unbridled power and could fail them and the degree was essential for their lives. I had pursued legal remedies at the school, A decision was rendered granting me a refund of tuition and all power wielded by Wheelwright over me was ceded to Professor Moore, But this was overturned and she brought another wrongful action against me. Dolphin Square the renowned Westminster former first public housing edifice was another abuser. It was atrociously mismanaged, served me wrongfully with an eviction notice. There was no remedy at law for this either. I was aware that social media could get you to the masses, the court public opinion could prove most damaging. It was an accessible remedy. Parenthetically, it worked, Dolphin Squares expansion plans thwarted and it was sold to the highest bidder (I guess). The program no longer exists at London City University, Wheelwright seems unemployed and her creative juices seemingly drained. My blog not fully responsible for these consequences but it definitely helped. The school ordered me to stop writing but they had absolutely no authority over me. Truth is an absolute defense to defamation, even if such an action was brought. I fled the UK, returning briefly to Vancouver, B.C. Canada. I am a dual citizen of the US and Canada. Blessedly born in Canada.
You: Tell us the secret reason, tell us the secret reason!
Me: I will. It was revealed only to my high school and uni friend and confidant who had knowledge of my comings and goings (so to speak). We had the following conversation.
She: Tell me your secret reason for writing the blog. I shall tell no one. I can keep secrets.
Me: I know you can. Who would you tell anyway?
She: So get it off your chest!
Me: Is that where it was, on my chest? Hmmm. Here it is (drumroll) I decided that I would make a man fall in love with me just by reading my blog.
She: Alexis, you overdid it!
Me: That is SO funny!! But I did and you do know of what I speak.
The blog’s success came so quickly. Statistics revealed immediate and surprising results. Did not use marketing – just my big mouth and blog cards. Wisely from the very beginning a wall was created – no one can, or could, reach me through the blog. Therefore, I wrote for myself (and apparently captive fools).
You: But what was it like for you to be suddenly read and a success?
Me: It is paradoxical. I found I hated the fame (and still do). It is paradoxical because I admit to to handing out my blog cards (like candy), announcing to any, and all: I am famous!. However fame is a double-edged sword. A sword has two sharp edges. Something that has both good and bad parts or results. Double edged sword is a metaphor, a synonym is doubtful advantage. It “cuts both ways”, meaning it can (figuratively) hurt both the person attacked and the attacker.
This phenomena was discussed with an extremely intuitive new friend at lunch on Friday.
Me: This is the double edge. I am ‘used’ by people. Almost from day one. I am rather naive trusting, honest; expecting others to be. But I got in the Big Leagues, money, power and even Royalty.The big leagues play by different rules I learned the hard way. Men, particularly rich men, love BIG numbers, it is the name of their game. Joo Kim Tiah, the now (allegedly) bankrupted Vancouver multi-billionaire when I met him was dealing with the unpopular opening of his Trump hotel in Vancouver, working to improve his numbers and his image. He produced dishonest (I learned later) reels falsely picturing himself to be an upright, relegious, industrious, hard working wise guy. He needed them to be seen. At his request they were posted on the blog, his numbers vastly improved. Then along came another numbers man, the Crown Prince of Dubai. Type Sultan into the search machine, early mention of Sultan is him. The ‘millions’ of followers he had acquired through YouTube and Instagram were not enough for him. Met him at an obscure London hotel in November of 2019, on the very spot showed him my blog which he immediately read and became quite transfixed (as did Joo Kim) They, in their own way, got to know me and were amazed, simply because I did not care about their wealth (not knowing how many zeros in a billion), was real (not phony or plastic as all who surround them). Besides that, I am funny. Life with either (or both) would have been living hell. Read Rich and Crazy Asians (book not movie) or the recent New Yorker revelations exposing the mendacity of the Ruler of Dubai (whom I jokingly refer to as DaddyO).
Those two were the Big Leaguers, there have been hordes of ‘users’ swarming toward me like lemmings to the sea. A recent example took place prior to my first trip to Saudi Arabia and was responsible for my blessed trip to Mecca. A eJourney employee reached me through Instagram saying his company LOVED my blog, wanted to meet me and they would give me a deal that I could not refuse. So I didn’t refuse, did the Umrah pilgrimage in December 2022. OF COURSE I was flattered with the attention. To make a long story short, I was used, deserted by the agency, provided with no itinerary due to the (supposed) illness of the sole English speaking employee, my young Umbria woman guide was a total scammer. I am convinced no one working for eJourney ever read the blog. However, my honesty, my sense of humor came to the rescue. They did provide great hotels in Mecca, Medinah and Riyadh, the hotel staff took pity on me, providing great rewards, the best rooms, even the occasional offer of marriage. I conquered, going back to Saudi Arabia to be with people I met who became friends and kept in touch, including some of my ‘private’ guides. It opened my eyes to the beauty of Saudi Arabia, the truth of Saudi Arabia. The Western so-called ‘free press’ (mostly US ) lies, distorts, enflames. I do learn from my past mistakes. My Travel Guru Lauren is a trusted Edmontonian. We are planning this trip with the precision of D-Day. You shall read about it soon in all of its glories.
You: Were there any positive, non conflicted feelings resulting from the half a million mark?
Me: Oh Yes! It left me with enormous feelings of self esteem, self confidence. I am self reliant – did it all on my own. I am a success, no doubt about it.
The two traits absolutely love about myself, reflected on the blog, is that I am funny and tell the truth. Could never tell the truth during the abuse of my childhood when any and all forms of abuse was not recognized in Canada. But now I can (and do) now telling others who were and, perhaps are, being abused that one can recover. Educate yourself, probably not have children as Freud’s repetition compulsion has scientifically proven that one who was abused will almost certainly abuse others. It pains me to say that this is true within my estranged, extended family. I cannot help them, denial is not just a river in Egypt. I am under doctor’s orders not to see my family in (all of its forms.)
I have returned to the scene of the crime – Edmonton. This time around I am surrounded by good people. Not everyone met in this Edmonton residency is a good person but those who are not seem to disappear from my firmament, almost immediately and painlessly.
My Friday luncheon companion questioned:
She: Do people know you have returned to Edmonton?
Me: How could they NOT know. I make no secret of it. I am ALL OVER social media with my blog, with Instagram, with my friendliness, speaking to everyone.
She: I have seen it!!
We both laughed, admiring the tenacity of the human spirit and the power of a sense of humor and laughter.
I shall end on a high note. What is success? It is 1) the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. 2) the attainment of fame, wealth or social status.
Share the synonyms in joy with me: victory, triumph, prosperity, affluence, comfort, life of ease, milk and honey, triumph, sellout, master stroke, affluence, wealth, riches, fortune, luxury, comfort, life of ease, the good life, milk and honey, hit, crowd-puller, winner, knockout, sensation, wow, biggie, superstar, celebrity, big name, somebody, important person, VIP, personality, luminary, leading light; celeb, bigwig, big shot, big cheese, high muckamuck.
My very favorite? High muckamuck, of course!
I have worked so hard my whole life, was driven, sacrificed, all of that. But this is the happy ending. Not the half a million views but my Islamic Faith which came easily, naturally to me. I was angry but I am no longer. I pity those that harmed me. They do not and cannot live blessed, happy lives. Moreover, I shall not be bumping into them in Jannah.
I am about to reveal another secret. I came to the Islamic Faith during covid days, mosques were closed, particularly to women. I shall never forget the telephone conversation with a scholar from Richmond, California. We spoke for hours, he questioning me of my knowledge of all faiths and my life. At the conclusion of the conversation I was told to read the Quran, then Allah (SWT) and I would determine when I was ready. Knowing of the success of the blog, he told me that I could spread word of the faith all over the world – he could only instruct 10 or 15 children at a time. He told me I was Chosen by Allah. Five other Muslims agreed at the time, two of them were Middle Eastern Royalty (if that means anything.)
It was the blog that made all this possible. I weep as I write – not tears of sorrow but tears of joy.
Back to the drawing board, preparing plans for the Saudi Arabia trip. Took some great photos while in Mecca and Medinah. Some shall be shown now. .
