Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Josh Rosenberg is a high school teacher and sports radio host in the Bay Area. He graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Journalism. Rosenberg has worked on the San Diego Chargers and Padres broadcasts and has appeared on NBC 7. He has also performed stand up comedy, but prefers to remain in the crowd. Rosenberg grew up in San Rafael, California. This is his first novel.

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SUDDENLY FACING REALITY

By JOSH ROSENBERG

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 JOSH ROSENBERG
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-8642-5

Chapter One

As I leaned over, with blurry vision, to shut off the alarm clock, I should've felt a feeling of excitement. I wished I'd felt some sort of happiness. I couldn't have been more unmotivated to get up. This was typical of me. It was supposed to be a special morning. I was finished with all of my formal schooling, and it was graduation day. I wished it felt like a great day was ahead of me, but it simply felt like any other horribly hungover morning. Looking back, I can now view my post-college experience as a fairly interesting journey, although it wasn't exactly a smooth one. My name is Adam Edelson, and I can finally reflect on a series of sudden changes that shaped my life as I know it.

I remember looking around my bedroom, barely able to see any of the carpet with all the piles of dirty laundry and empty beer bottles polluting my space. I had become accustomed to living in a completely unhealthy environment. The sight of a sink full of dishes, old pizza boxes lining the walls, and overflowing garbage cans had become the norm. I knew I wasn't living up to my potential, but I found comfort in telling myself that I would only experience college once. I had allowed myself to indulge in a dangerous sense of carelessness and freedom. I lacked structure, but I wasn't discouraged, because I viewed my college mentality as a temporary state of mind.

For one extraordinary morning, I knew I had to focus. I turned my bathroom radio up loud to some classic rock and took a cold shower. Most mornings I enjoyed waking up gradually to the sounds of sports talk radio banter, but on this day I had to get energized. Upon toweling off and looking into my closet of unfashionably dated clothes, I remembered that my outfit for the day wouldn't be the usual t-shirt and jeans. My outfit would be the mandatory black cap and gown. It all started to feel slightly different. I felt a bit of pride in myself as I began to dress, but I wasn't gonna go overboard with self- praise. It did take five years, and I certainly wasn't the valedictorian. I enjoyed most of my classes, but college was an experience I enjoyed out of the classroom as well. Sometimes my focus wasn't where it should have been.

Nevertheless, I made it to the finish line, and the time had come to honor my accomplishment. My lackadaisical approach to academics was nothing to brag about. In a way, it was quite a feat to complete all of my courses without fully applying myself. I wasn't proud of it, but I did marvel at my own ability to get my degree. My chronic lack of motivation wasn't only due to excessive partying. I can also point to some of the wild characters I encountered along the way as a reason my attention veered away from the classroom. I extended myself in various directions during college, but I always remained true to myself. I'd like to say I became a deeply insightful person with a wealth of new knowledge, but with the hangover I was experiencing, every thought was just a little fuzzy. It didn't exactly feel like a major milestone in my life was upon me, but I was still excited to graduate.

I wove my way through the lumps of passed out, drunken guests on the floor, grabbed my keys from under the couch, and exited quietly. I played the where-did-I-park-the-car game for a good twenty minutes before finding it over by a pawnshop near my apartment. My schedule was thrown off already. I usually prided myself on being punctual, but for the most important event of my life, I was sure to be late. I had to pick up my mom at her downtown hotel, and then file into the graduation ceremony a half hour later. My mom had just arrived in San Diego from the Bay Area and was ready for her proud motherly moment. I was hoping my tardiness wouldn't disappoint her, but I also knew that her happiness would shine through.

After a pleasant greeting, I hurried my mom into my car and raced off to my graduation. I couldn't wait for the ceremony to end because it would inevitably be too long and formal. I wasn't excited to wait for a few hours just to hear my name called. I had been much more at ease during my middle school graduation. There was just something about growing older that made me desire the spotlight less. As a kid, I had no inhibitions, but as I gradually stumbled into adulthood, I seemingly became so self-conscious that a simple graduation caused some trepidation. I really hated that progression.

Having my mom around made the day special for me. She was a genuinely positive lady to be around and always had kind things to say. She had an easygoing personality that usually had a calming effect on me. Growing up in her home was easy. Her food was wonderful, her advice was helpful, and her rules weren't too strict. She let me grow up and learn my own lessons. She provided me with the foundation I needed to grow up in a nurturing environment, but also gave me enough freedom to develop my own identity at an early age.

My mom was a busy lady. She taught English classes at a community college and also had a weekly column in the local newspaper. It was an opinion column, which gave her a chance to present her views on anything from politics to local current events. Once a month, she would also put together an article on cooking, and she'd include a new recipe. She even published a few self-help books along the way. She always seemed to have a project in front of her, and she almost never vacationed. To her, vacationing was more stressful than work. Whenever she tried to give herself any leisure time, she felt like she was missing out on something in her professional life. She enjoyed multitasking. People held her in high esteem around the neighborhood.

It was nice to have a small cheering section, which included my mother and my best friend, Richie Telfair, on my big day. Richie lived around the corner from the house I grew up in, and he was practically raised under our roof. Most of my childhood and adolescent memories involved Richie. He had always been more like a brother than a friend. We pretty much relied on one another growing up. He had my back and I had his, no matter how much trouble we got ourselves into. Richie was an only child, and I was an only child, but there were major differences between us. I was raised in a nice home with meals on the table, snacks in the cupboard, and clean clothes to wear. Richie's home was the opposite. It was a sad place to be. It was dark and dreary, with constant fighting and arguing. It was undoubtedly an unhealthy environment for a kid to grow up in. When Richie was young, he constantly witnessed his parents drinking heavily and using plenty of recreational drugs. His mom gave birth to him when she was eighteen years old. She didn't exactly seem like the mothering type. He never received the proper love that a child needs, which explains why he was always at our house. His parents were kids themselves and weren't mature enough to focus on their son. He was able to do his homework at our house and enjoy some serenity and silence when he needed it. His house looked like a junkyard, and it was constantly filled with junkies.

Chapter Two

My dad was unable to attend my graduation. He would only be there in spirit. He'd passed away two years prior, at the age of fifty-six. Cancer took his life way too early. It was one of those days when I'd really miss him. He was perfect in large gatherings; he always loved a crowd, and the crowd loved him even more.

My dad was a unique individual. He wasn't a family guy because it simply...