C. B. Unlimited

While sitting at my desk, I thought about this challenge. What makes me happy or bring me happiness. I had dig deep, I have many hobbies, but the one that brought me the most joy, is the one which I felt was God-sent. I was in an uncomfortable marriage. My spouse was not kind or loving as I thought he would be after we married. He decided to show me all of his unpleasantries at once. That was the moment I realize I'm the lead actor in a horror show however, this was real life.

Had I not experienced the trauma(s), I may not have found my happiness. I will say, it was a chance that could have went sour, I think our creator knew which avenue I would take. We met at the age of seventeen in my mid thirties, we married. He was so serious about life, provided for me as a man, how could I see him less than, marriage material. I had a child while he was incarcerated and continued my independence while he was away.

After his released, we started where we left off as a family as if, nothing ever happened. A few years later, he got into some more trouble which caused him to leave the family. This time, he would be gone almost twelve years for allowing his small head to think for him instead of the bigger one. People make mistakes Nothing changed during that time. but me. I made a declaration to myself that I would work harder, save my funds and purchase a home, re-invent me for a positive future of happiness. That was what I said in a moments time. I packed the entire apartment in two days and trust me I was serious about moving on with my life!

Four days later, which were before the holiday Thanksgiving, I broke my ankle in three places. This delayed my purpose for the sum of two years. When the holiday Thanksgiving comes around, it takes me back to that event, my children came with their grandmother to the hospital with a home cooked meal and my release from hospital was Saturday. It was a pleasant hospital stay until the nurse from hell appeared.

The nurses I had from the time I was admitted into the hospital were kind, caring and helpful. I wasn't aware they have shift changes ever so often. I was assigned a foreign nurse who happen to be over me and the woman next to me who seem to be in constant pain. She went over to the woman, told her in a forceful voice, she's was not in pain, not giving her any medicine and she need to go home. She mistreated that woman next to me which left me furious! Being on crutches, I was able to help the woman. I gave her the button for her medicine and also called the nurses station. This female if I can call her that, came back in the room, took the red button from her and just treated the woman like nothing.. She came over to my bedside and asked me why am I in the hospital. Common sense say you can see my foot is wrapped in gauze, a pair of crutches on the wall. Is it okay to call this person a bitch just once? She went on to say, you need to get out of this hospital, call yourself a cab and leave. You do not need these crutches. I forgot I was hurt at that very moment. My defense mechanism kicked in, the next set of words came from my lips, "Oh baby, you got the right one." I never seen a nurse move that fast. It took me about 5 minutes to get to the door, but I made it. I made my mind up, I'm already in the hospital, if I break my ankle again, they can just reset, but I'm about to lay hands on this derogatory female like she never had them before.

As I exited my room holding onto the wall, sitting at the table outside the room, is another nurse of the same nationality of the one who came in our assigned room. I passed her by, hopped to the nurses station where all the other nurses sat and asked for this one particular nurse that was in the room harassing us? All the nurses asked simultaneously who? I said her name. The Head nurse came to my aid, asked me why i was out of my room without crutches, i told her that female, took my crutches, told me to get out of bed, nothing is wrong with me and call me a cab, that I could not stay here another night! They all asked if I knew who this woman is and what she look like. I turned around on my one healthy leg, she was sliding down the hallway with her face to the wall very slowly. I pointed her out to the others and loudly made sure they knew who I was making a complaint about. I was the crutches back which are loaners while in the hospital, I would get a pair from the doctor on my follow-up visit for my hard casting. Upon returning to my room, I leaned on the wall behind the door of our room. My mind was made up. I planned to knock this trifling female out with one of the crutches, fall on top of her and beat her assets! That was the plan. She was opening the door to come in for another round I suppose after I made it clear not to allow this woman nowhere near us. Her friend must be psychic, as the door opened, I had one of the crutches in a swing position as if I'm about to hit a homerun! In her native language, the other one told her not to come in the room. She was coming anyway. Her friend said in a firmer voice for her not to come in the room. This time, she listened. Sometimes, you have to wonder if God looking out for you or the other person in situations like that.

Around lunch hour the following day, someone from the administration office came up to see me, apologized for this woman actions. I could not let it go there, so, I reported how she treated the woman next to me. The nurses station got together, bought me a figurine, card and plant to take home with me with an apologetic letter enclosed within. I was assigned a nurse for one hour to help me settle in my apartment and to assist me to my doctor appointment. After that, I was on my own until the insurance company approved me for outpatient care.

Being at our apartment alone from the hospital the first day was quiet. I laid upon the queen size bed with the remote control to the television. My stomach began to fuss so, I went to get out of bed for food when I realized, I have one good foot and no crutches! I never thought to ask the woman to help me get food to eat. The hospital sent me home without any crutches.. I had to think fast, anyone who has been in the hospital knows the food only last as long as you do not move around much. Once you began walking around, chatting with the staff/ nurses, you start wondering when the next meal is coming and watching the clocks. I learned this particular day, my body wasn't as strong as I thought to carry majority of my weight on one foot. I rolled to the edge of the bed, tried standing on one leg that was wobbly. I figured I could hop to the kitchen on one leg as I saw on movies in the past. Not so, don't believe all you see. I held on to the wall grabbed the threshold thinking its just a few hops away to the table, I can make it to the fridge. That did not work either. Since my bed is still in sit down distance, the only thing left for me to do is to crawl on the floor with my foot up since the hard cast wasn't put on yet. I crawled to the next room. grabbed a box I left on the floor by the table packed a few days before the accident. In fact, the entire apartment was packed and ready to move to the new place I setup in advance. I made a trail of boxes and chairs throughout the apartment, in order to care for myself effectively.

The move was good, everything was placed in proper rooms for me to unpack at my leisure. A month passed by without any visitors, no phone calls. I begun falling into a depressed mode which became worse as the months passed by. In the middle of the fifth month, I was so depressed due to not being able to do as much as I wanted. It took me five hours just to vacuum one floor, family visited a few times, left my place trashed in my opinion. I had a thing for cleanliness at all times so, dishes in my sink, empty receptacles lying around was just too much. I asked for help, nobody helped only left me much to do. I finally made a decision after carefully looking over my life. I married the wrong man, have a very insensitive family, unable to work to help myself, while receiving unloving letters from the person I said, "I Do" to from prison. Well, it's time to check out, nobody will miss me, only what they can get out of me. I was having a major pity party alone. I sat and thought things out and just about when i thought I had things figured out, I get a call from my mother in law.

"Hey baby, what you doing? I'm on my way over there to pick you up okay, be ready." Pick me up? wow, nobody offered to take me anywhere since I got hurt. I had no idea where we were about to go, getting out of this studio apartment sounded rather good. She came by, held the security gate open for me as I crutched my way to her truck. We went to Sugarland, Texas to meet a woman who has a garage full of fabrics she wanted to give away not sell and patterns. Her son was there who lifted the boxes onto the back of the truck. There were over fifteen boxes of material on bolts. I had never seen this much fabric outside of a store. We went back to her home, she unpacked the truck alone. Sitting at her dining table where she normally sew, she struck a conversation with me. "Baby, you sitting in that apartment all the time alone with nothing to do is not good for you. I'm giving you one of my sewing machines for you to make what you want. I will give you some of this fabric to keep you busy. Now, we are going to the fabric store to get you some patterns so, you can make some items to sell, keep or give away." I picked several patterns, the one I enjoyed the most was the teddy bear pattern.

I realized the money was coming in every three months from the insurance company. I took that money, paid the truck note when it arrived but needed extra for myself and began to pray. One day, after the doctor released me to drive, but still on crutches I had a vision that was so blinding, I kept trying to look around it on the highway. It got closer and closer until I realize, I got my answer what to do to bring in extra money.

Each time I had a few extra dollars, I went to dollar stores, and other places and purchased small items to use for my projects. I came up with bears. Not just any kind of bears, I began making social bears, bears with garden tools in their hands, military bears, air force bears, marine bears. I created ballerina bears, princes, fireman bears. I made so many bears, I began selling the smaller ones for $10 ten dollars each and the larger ones for $25 dollars just to make ends meet. I went to the food bank quite often, the woman at the Catholic church or her husband, would purchase one or two from me every other month. I took my mothers advice and added a logo to them in case someone tried to steal my idea. The bears were showcased at Frederick Douglass Elementary, covering both sides of the steps. I was happy that day and many pictures was taken of the bears and with children that were graduating that particular day.

While in therapy, my therapist, told me he have some friends who are guppies. Guppies is a term used for young investors seeking to build wealth. That was the entire conversation on that day. I came back to physical therapy the following Wednesday and he asked to purchase one of my bears. I asked which one? Anyone. I brought several my fourth of July bear I created and the chef bear. He chose the large one which is the Red, White and Blue bear and asked, how much you asking for the bear? $25 I replied. He gave me $40, told me this is your last therapy session so you do not need to come back. I was surprised, I figured I had two more to go since it was an additional six weeks. My therapist did not respond to any calls, I drove out to his space in the mall, he wasn't there either.

A few months later, I was able to hold on to enough money to get my bears a trademark, I obtained a name for them prior, to requesting the paperwork for the trademark; C. B. Unlimited. the initials stood for my name then I obtained another dba which reads; Creative Bears Unlimited. Although Build A Bear was born offering what I was doing for over a year and selling to the public, I was devastated to learn of this and greatly sadden. I tried contacting the company's corporate in hope to learn if the owner or investors are the same people who purchased from me. I have not received a return call to this day from 2002. I'm not giving away ideas purposely, only to prove that this is and was a God-given project for me to break the generational curse of poverty off my family. The next set of bears I had in the making, would have topped the all as a limited edition.

This story is true and correct, nothing fabricated in no wise. Creating social bears was my passion and saved my life. If you have never been in a place where you felt hopeless, you cannot imagine it. I am awesomely grateful for my late mother in law Margret Bingley who was not just there for me in time of need but has always been the backbone for her family with selflessness. Words cannot express my gratitude for all she achieved over the years..