Things change fast when they start changing. If you are living life while expressing passion for it you will not be without a story to tell. If you've been following my self reflections you know that I've been in NYC for 1 year. So many things have transpired and I've met so many dope ass people. I pulled up June 1st 2025 partially broke and homeless. I came by Greyhound from Pineville Louisiana a 26 hr ride. I had arranged to stay with a friend of mine. Things got spooky and super complicated so by August I was out and placed in a DV shelter in Jamaica Queens.
That lasted 180 days, in that time I wrote and published 4 books you can check them out here: https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=Jodie+Spartz&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00
I was an audience member for the Drew Berrymore Show I had VIP seating, check it out here: https://www.expresspassion4life.com/2025/09/i-was-on-drew-barrymore-show.html. I was an audience member for the Tameron Hall show as well, check it out here: https://www.expresspassion4life.com/2025/11/tamron-hall-show.html. I met some very interesting people. I wish I had cards or something so I could've sent them to this blog. I guess I could've told them and had them click in right there but we couldn't have our phones so I guess that wouldn't have worked. N-E-ways I had three different roommates one that went to jail and I was accepting her jail calls and helping her make her three way calls. I was working at the Mets Stadium as a cleaner that was a cool, frustrating, interesting lil gig. I also worked for the Bronx school district as a bus attendant. I also fell into a pothole and lost $2,000 worth of work due to it. It was pretty bad. You can read about it here: https://www.expresspassion4life.com/2025/08/finding-self-part-9-eyes-wide-open.html I also became a story teller at Chestnut in Brooklyn. You can read about it here: https://www.expresspassion4life.com/2025/11/finding-self-pt-10-watch-me-flow.html
After the 180 days I was transferred to a regular shelter and that's where all hell broke loose! You can read about it here: https://www.expresspassion4life.com/2026/03/what-hell-is-this-part.html Then through the chaos I managed to complete a paid internship as a resident advisor at a shelter for men 55 and older. It was a grueling 3 months. I was granted a mental health certificate that allows me to teach about mental health in the community and I plan to take full advantage of it. I wasn't hired at the shelter due to two of their other facilities closing.
After not getting a job I wondered around some and fell into an interview for a housing case manager. All this while homeless and just over the whole life process. I went through all three interviews and still didn't get the job. I have no clue why my job coach said I did a great job at the interview. After that I was given an interview for Taco Bell as a general manager. I get's all the way to the bottom of the Bronx coming from the middle of Brooklyn somewhere only to find out the hiring manager is going to be a hour late. I waited the hour then was told that they were not coming and that I should go back online and set up another interview. I was livid. My housing was super unstable, I was stressed my money was slowly running out and at this point my birthday was coming up and so was my 1 year in NYC anniversary was as well.
At first I couldn't see all the cool stuff that I did but now looking back I'm like "Damn shorty you a BEAST!" I am super proud of myself. I even went back home to Philadelphia to spend some time with my adult children and my parents. I felt no anxiety and completely in control of myself. To tell you everything that happened on that week trip would be too much for this blog post so I will put it in my memoir or make a crazy short story out of it who knows. All in all it was a good trip. Even though I didn't know where I was going to stay when I came back to NYC I felt a strong urge to get back.
Upon returning I again had no fear and no anxiety I was totally prepared to do what I had to do. Then my money started to get funny. I had held it together through a crazy couple of days, weeks and almost a month. I broke down into tears and had to call my mom. She helped and now I'm a little back on my feet but I have a plan to fix it all! I just need to fully believe in myself and move forward on a mission and with grace. Book 7 coming soon! Check my other books out here: https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=Jodie+Spartz&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00
I didn't even tell ya'll before my birthday my phone broke. You see it, it was already on it's way out the door but I thought for sure that I would have a new one by the time that happened. Nope! Now I'm demoted to a text now number that only works on WiFi because the phone that a friend of mine gave me I can't get cut on for some reason. Now my bill isn't paid and I lost the number I had for like 20yrs. It hurt but things have to change sometimes I am grateful for some of the NYC resources though because now I at least have a free hotspot for a year and I can still handle my business towards a productive positive future.
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