Autobiography
About Me — H. Mikel Feilen
A writer of humor, life lessons, Epilepsy, and an abstract cartoonist
That picture of me is a few years old — the main difference now is that I have more hair on my chest than on the top of my head. Oh, Well!
The Who I Am is a long and drawn-out story of mostly uninteresting facts. The basics and the most positive aspects are the only sides of me you need to see.
Having any knowledge of me being a hot-tempered shmuck or a no-good cheating b***ard would be completely irrelevant to form a true and clear picture of the magnificent human being I actually am.
I see you’re beginning to form a picture as we speak — so to speak.
If you would have asked me 40 years ago who I was my answer would have been one word — DANCER! Then a quick line from the musical, “A Chorus Line” — “God, I’m a dancer — a dancer dances!” turn — turn — turn — ending with one arm in the air and the other akimbo on my hip.
Oddly enough, I come from the same state Fred Astaire was from. I lived in the same city little Freddy first made his Vaudeville debut at the age of 6.
That’s right, the dance capital of the world — Omaha, Nebraska!
By the time I was 6, all the Vaudeville theaters had dried up in Omaha and had been replaced with moving picture houses and Go-Go nightclubs.
That’s OK! Because work on a farm is never done. Except we didn’t live on a farm — but the statement is still accurate.
Once when I was about 15 my Mom caught me choking the chicken — if you know what I mean? She told me I better stop that or something bad would happen and it did.
I caught epilepsy! I thought I would just go blind. I guess pacing yourself is the trick.
In 1970 I was diagnosed with epilepsy after having a grand mal seizure in my math class when I was a sophomore in high school. Since then the monster has had its way with me countless times leaving me sore and brutalized.
The recovery time after each seizure may take days or even weeks. It just depends on the severity of the seizure and how much damage I did to myself.
Now, at my age, the only thing that can help with my suffering is Money! — Lots and Lots of Money! I think I need a Go Fund Me page.
My Acrobatic Comedy Career
For more than forty years I was a professional dancer and entertainer. In Las Vegas, I was even a member of an acrobatic comedy act for several years.
Our act was a 20-minute long, non-stop, action-packed show performed to two of Benny Goodman’s songs, Sing, Sing, Sing, and Swing, Swing, Swing. The act was filled with high-energy excitement, humor, and unbelievable tricks.
I was at the peak of my athletic ability back then. We performed in many of the main shows in Las Vegas and in Lake Tahoe.
The act was called, Del Rose Trio, and it consisted of me, Trudy, and David Rose. During those 20 minutes, we mesmerized the audience with our unbelievable acrobatic feats. Performing with David and Trudy was a highlight of my life.
Professional Ballroom Dancer
In 1977 I began ballroom dancing in Denver, Colorado after I had injured my knee when dancing in the musical “Oklahoma”.
After a few months of recuperation from the surgery, I thought working as a professional ballroom dance instructor would be a good therapy for my knee. You know — not too difficult!
Oops! Not so fast there speedy. This professional partnership dancing is tough stuff!
Professional ballroom dancing is a discipline as strict and difficult as Ballet. I found out the hard way when my hubris from being a snooty ballet dancer was squashed like a bug. After watching top pros perform and compete, I decided to leave my ego at the door.
Before I knew it I was in love with the myriad of incredible dances and great partners. — Ergo, veni, vici, vidi!
Dance was my primary reason for living for more than four decades. Now, I am unable to dance because of my body. My knees, feet, and back are out of commission for the professional circuit forever and ever. — Boo-fucking-hoo! I hate this part of my life.
The great pioneer of modern dance Martha Graham once said that a dancer dies two deaths. The first death is when they realize they can dance no more.
Thank goodness, I have two other passions I love, enjoy, and am able to continue even after the music has died.
When I was a dancer I would dance regardless of getting paid, and I didn’t dance because I wanted to, rather, I danced because I had to!
Luckily for me, I feel the exact same way about writing and drawing. I do them both to fill my days with endless satisfaction and joy.
The Artist in Me & You
Here is something fun about my art. This is unintentional — but if you put your hand over one eye so you only see one eye, a nose, and a mouth. Then switch and cover the other eye, exposing again just one eye, a nose, and a mouth.
You should have seen two different faces. My wife pointed it out to me about thirty years ago. I honestly do not try to make it happen or even think about it while I’m drawing. For the most part, they morph on their own.
One thing I learned about the arts is that everyone can be good at one of the finer skills if given time.
The cascading sequence leading up to being passionate is
- Interest — A simple interest — something that makes you want to know more about a subject.
- Desire — A desire to improve upon your interest and willing to invest time to achieve it.
- Passion — It is a short hop for your nurtured desires to turn into red-hot Passion — it is just a matter of persistence.
No one will ever perfect their art — but the road to perfection breeds excellence. Author unknown
When I first started dancing I sucked! It took years of practice to be the master of the boards that I was for decades.
My drawings were so-so before coming into my own. I spent years drawing art I did not totally care for. Still, I loved doing it regardless of my skill level.
Writing is no different! The only way to find your way in the arts is by being a relentless doer. Do it and do it again — if it still isn’t what you want then learn something and do it again.
This is who I am. I spend my days learning, writing, drawing, and giving my doggies lots of love. I’m not perfect at anything yet but I keep trying.
Marriage
It would be criminal to talk about me and not mention my sweetie. This is my wife, Suzette. I found her at a garage sale, isn’t she great!
She is not actually a ventriloquist, but rather a wild bird rehabilitator. This is her holding a Great Horned Owl. She is documenting its appearance before releasing it back into the wild.
Over the last thirty years, I have watched Suz rescue, care for, and release thousands of birds. Her love for wildlife is unmatched by anyone I have ever met.
I have no idea what she is doing with me — maybe she thought I needed to be rehabilitated too. Unfortunately, I’m nonreleaseable, I would die in the wild.
Pets
My wife and I have been married for a little more than 35 years. In that time, we’ve loved and shared the love and lives of more than 20 dogs.
Most of our pack was formed by strays! They would see us and come running because they knew they were looking at easy living. Lots of love, hugs, and good food awaited them, and somehow they just knew it.
Dogs are the improved version of humans. They love unconditionally, they don’t judge us because of our faults, and they gladly clean up food that has fallen out of our mouths and onto the floor. I wish I had more friends like that.
Children
Children are a wonderful thing to have — for dinner! The younger the better, once they get too old the meat is tough and they can taste a little gamy.
I love to jest with my kids and they, for the most part, hate me for it. My son Chaz is now in his 40s and owns two mattress stores. We rarely speak because he knows I will ask for some of the money back he cost me as a rotten kid.
My daughter Courtney is a red-headed beauty that loves to laugh. The red curly hair runs in the Feilen family and I wish my father would have met her. She looks so much like my Aunts on my Dad’s side.
Court has also blessed me with two gorgeous grandchildren. I think it was she and Michel Angelo who said you can create incredible masterpieces lying on your back.
Granddaughters
My two lovely granddaughters — Autumn and Ava. Autumn is 8 years old and Ava is 6 years old. They live in Arizona, so in a couple more years they should be able to vote and smoke pot.
I asked Ava what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said, “Rich!” I thought “Wow! Why didn’t I think of that one as a kid?”
When I asked Autumn, the 8-year-old, what she wanted to be when she grew up she said “I don’t know!”
Now there is a Feilen I can relate to.
Every day when I rise and shine — I see the pictures of two of my precious granddaughters, I remember how blessed I actually am.
Thank you, Court! Daddy loves you so much!
To my son Chaz — I’m so very proud of you and I love you with all my heart regardless that you haven’t produced any grandchildren for me. Ironic, he owns a friggen mattress store and he can’t find the time to make an offspring or two. Oh, well!
The Musician in Me
Before I became a dancer, writer, or a Playgirl Centerfold, I was a drummer in a Rock n Roll band. Our name was Comfort Cover Combo because Grand Funk Railroad and Santana were already taken.
We practiced in my basement or in the family garage most of the time. It was easier hauling around their guitars and electric organ to my place than me humping my drum set across the county.
Thus, the neighborhood was wonderfully entertained during our open-air, outdoor garage rehearsals.
The babes of the block would flock to our driveway and watch us four dudes be way cool and groovy playing the top 40. Although, most of the time, we could only remember the lyrics to about 5 or 6 hits of the day. No one cared, we could impress our young audience simply by tuning the guitars.
For a couple of months, after I graduated from high school and before going to college, I enlisted in a road band called, Obera! Named after the leader and founder of the band. Obera looked and sounded exactly like Sammy Davis Jr. — No Joke!
We played at little hotel and restaurant lounges across the Midwest as Obera wooed the crowd with his look and many different Sammy songs.
When Obe played the song, Mr. Bojangles, he would have me get up from behind the drums and do a little dance or two in my worn-out shoes.
Obera couldn’t dance so when he found out I had a natural flare for being a hoofer he appointed me to be the Bill Robinson (Mr. Bojangles) of the band. I loved it!
Author
In 2016 I started penning my thoughts about what the decades of suffering with epilepsy have been like. I didn’t start it to make it into a book, it was more like therapy than a literary goal.
Over a three-year period, I would write in spurts — I would think of something and add another chapter. Later I found myself going back and redrafting each chapter with the intention of turning all I had written into a book.
By 2018 I was writing every day and chipping away at being ready for an editor to eviscerate my masterpiece.
I self-published my book — which means I paid for everything — including the humiliation the editors made me feel. Truth be told, my editors were great and taught me a ton in the process of getting my book ready for print.
Now, I am the proud father of a 62-page book I wrote, illustrated, and published — titled, The Monster That Lives Within/Epilepsy, Friend or Foe?
Conclusion
To conclude my story of me — I must say that I find myself very interesting and fun to be with. I like taking long walks along the beach — unfortunately, I live in the desert.
I love writing bizarre humorous prose about anything. Along with creating tutorials for writing, formatting stories, and how to be an effective salesman. Stories that are motivational, thought-provoking, life lesson oriented, or about epilepsy you will find on my shelf as well.
I hope you read more of my madness and enjoy more of my abstract cartooning at Drawn to Be Funny — Brainwave Cartoons and at The Pub — The Shaky Pen
The About Me 2 will be coming out soon and it has all the juicy dirt about my scandalous sex-capades. Unfortunately, it is only a couple of short, I mean really short paragraphs long. See Ya Then!
Peace, Love, and Unconditional Happiness!
Read more great stories at About Me Stories