Aerosmith

My Next Overcoming the Odds Article is not on a Person but rather a Band.  Most of everybody who is aware of Pop Culture has heard the Name Aerosmith.  Along with Kiss and Led Zeppelin, they are one of my top three Favorite bands.  Although they started to get a little too commercial in the late 90s, their influence on me is still prevalent today.  Their Musical Style, which is blues-based Hard Rock has incorporated various styles over the years including Heavy Metal, Pop, Alternative, Soul and Rhythm and Blues.  In addition, they continue influencing succeeding generations.  However, Aerosmith's ride has not always been a smooth one.  The Bands History which spans over 40 years has many elements of Drug Abuse, Alcohol, Band Member Breakups, Fights, Financial Ruin, Divorce and much more.  In the 1970s, Aerosmith became a Household Name among the Rock Scene.  "Sweet Emotion" and "Dream On" were being played on Radios Coast to Coast.  However, behind the scenes, the Drug Abuse and Fighting began to take over.  Eventually, Guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford woud leave the band to pursue Solo Projects.  After their departure, Aerosmith not only experienced declining Popularity but various personal problems.  Steven Tyler's Drug Abuse began to take over his life and he eventually Passed out on Stage.  Of course, Everyone in the band including the Former Members at the time Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were abusing.  In addition, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry's Marriages would come to an end.  However, people in the Music Business wanted to put the band back together for future Success.  They did when Aerosmith Reunited and then performed a Rock/Rap Version of "Walk This Way" with Run DMC introducing the Band to a New Generation and Different Audiences.  Back in the spotlight, the members of Aerosmith focused on Cleaning up the Drugs and Alcohol and most would for a short period of time.  Nevertheless, they produced Successful Albums in the late 1980s and 1993's "Get A Grip" made them Superstars and proved they could Survive the Test of Time.  On into the late 90s, they had Superhit with "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing".  Not my favorite song but proved they could last.  Aerosmith's success continued with Tourings and Recordings into the 21st  Century.  However, there were still problems.  Tensions among the Band Members that were prevalent 30 years earlier were still there.  Joe Perry and Steven Tyler had different views about the Direction of the Band and had Sparring Words in the Media towards each other.  One accusation even implied Steven Tyler was leaving the band.  In addition, addictions would reappear among members.  Drummer Joey Kramer entered rehabilitation again in the 90s.  Steven Tyler went to rehab again in 2009 for abuse of prescription meds.  Nevertheless, the Members did not Break up and persevered and produced another album in 2012 and are still Touring Today.

Aerosmith is about Overcoming the Odds of Life Whether Addictions, Personal Turmoil or the Threat of Staying Relevant in Changing Times.  While I dont like some of their commercial moves of the past 10 years (ex. Jamming with NSYNC and Britney Spears at Super Bowl), I still honor them as one of my Favorites and one of the Forerunners of Hard Rock.  I enjoyed seeing them in 2012 with Cheap Trick.  I wouldnt mind seeing them one more time before they retire.  Still hate I missed their Double tour with Kiss in 2003 Oh Well!!

 Walk This Way!!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger

My next Overcoming the Odds Article is on someone whose name is one of the Most Recognizable the World Over.  Arnold Schwarzenegger has been known as a Bodybuilder, Actor, Governor, Businessman, Writer, and so Much More.  However, when one gets to know just who 'Arnold' really is and where he came from one can really appreciate the odds he Overcame in his Life.  Coming from a low income family in Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger always strove to be successful.  Arnold's father was extremely hard on him and favorited his older son over Arnold.  Anxious to prove himself to his father and others, Arnold pursued athletics and then got into bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger was the recipient of what he considers 'child abuse'.  He claims his Father would pull his hair and hit him with belts.  One of Arnold's Brothers died in a car accident while drinking and driving.  A year later, his own father would die.   Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army in the 1960's while competing in Bodybuilding contests and even winning the Junior Mr. Europe contest.  Arnold came to the United States in 1968 not speaking very much English.  He had always dreamed of coming to the United States and saw Bodybuilding as a way to do so.  To this day, Arnold Schwarzenegger is considered on the most iconic and important figures in Bodybuilding and his legacy is commemorated every year with the annual Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition.

In 1970, at the young of 23, Arnold Won Mr. Olympia and would capture that title a total of seven times.  Arnold would eventually receive a BA from University of Wisconsin-Superior.  This was after taking English Classes at Santa Monica College in California.   LA Weekly would at one point say that Schwarzenegger is the most famous immgrant in America, who "overcame a thick Austrian accent and transcended the unlikely background of bodybuilding to become the biggest movie star in the world in the 1990s." Arnold's breakthrough in the film industry came with Conan the Barbarain which would have a sequel Conan the Destroyer.  However, in 1984 Arnold played the role of the character that many would consider his 'signature role'  in The Terminator.  To this day, people still say Quotes from his Movie even though it came out 31 years ago.  Some other notable roles for Arnold besides the sequels to Terminator include: Predator, Raw Heat, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, True Lies, Jingle All the Way, The Expendables 1,2, and 3, and of course Pumping Iron.  

And of Course, Arnold's Career in Politics certainly solidified him as a 'Renaissance Man.'  While he had campaigned for politicians before, Arnold would serve as the chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports being nominated under then President George H.W. Bush.  As the 1990s came to a close, Arnold considered running for office.  In 2003, he announced his Candidacy for Governor of California and would win serving two terms.

Arnold Schwarzenegger OVERCAME THE ODDS of a Strict Low-Income Upbringing and coming to the United States without speaking much English by Mastering the Language, Getting An Education, Becoming a Pioneer in the Sport of Bodybuilding, Becoming a Film Icon and Becoming a Governor.  That's a True American Dream Right There!!!

Lou Ferrigno

My next OVERCOMING THE ODDS article is on Bodybuilding Legend and Actor Lou Ferrigno best known for playing 'The Incredible Hulk'.  When Lou was a child, he lived a life of seclusion due to severe hearing loss.  Not long after he was born, Ferrigno suffered a series of ear infections and lost 75 to 80% of his hearing.  It was until he was three that he was diagnosed with deafness.  As a young child, Ferrigno experienced shyness and difficulty forming relationships with other people.  A fan of the Hercules films, Lou fascinated about transforming his body into a muscular physique that he saw on Television, Movies and in Comic Books.  When Ferrigno picked up his first barbell as a skinny kid, I'm sure he never imagined the impact he would have on the sport of Professional Bodybuilding.  Early in his Bodybuilding career, Ferrigno won IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe.  In fact, he won Mr. Universe twice in a row.  At age 23, he was one of the youngest people to enter the Mr. Universe contest.  Ferrigno was showcased in the infamous Bodybuilding film Pumping Iron.  After 17 years away from the sport, Ferrigno returned to Bodybuilding in the 1992 IFBB Mr. Olympia in Finland. He placed 12th the first year and 10th the next.  He then turned to the 1994 Masters Olympia.  Even though he didnt Win, he proved one could make a decent comeback to the sport after such a long hiatus.

Of course, one cannot underscore Lou Ferrigno's influence on Movies and Pop Culture.  In 1977, Ferrigno was cast in 'The Incredible Hulk' as the Hulk.  To this date, he has over 20 feature films to his credit including Cage One and Two, Hercules, Sinbad, the Seven Seas and of course Pumping Iron.  In the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, Lou voiced the 'Hulk' and even made cameo appearances in the film.

Lou Ferrigno is still in great shape today and along with his former Workout Partner Arnold Schwarzenegger is regarded as one of the most influential people in Professional Bodybuilding.  He still makes appearances at Mr

. Olympia and still has a Large Following.  

Lou Ferrigno.  There will never be another.  He was diagnosed with a condition as a child that threatened to ostracize him from certain elements of society.  However, he OVERCAME THE ODDS by excelling at Working his body and by having an influence on Pop Culture by playing 'The Incredible Hulk.'

Stephen King

Stephen King.  It's a name that brings many different pictures and images to one.  Some may form images of an evil clown, werewolves or of Kathy Bates carrying a sledge hammer.  Regardless of whether they are familiar with the works of Stephen King, the majority of people have at least heard his name.  Indeed, Stephen King is a well renowned writer.  He has made millions off the royalties of his novels and has influenced up to three generations of readers up until this point in time.  However, things were not always so great for the man named Stephen King. At one point in his life, Stephen King was practically broke living in a doublewide trailer and driving a rust-bucket Buick held together with bailing wire and duct tape. He couldnt even afford his own typewriter and had to borrow one from his wife, Tabitha.

Before his first book, Carrie, was published, it had been rejected up to 30 times.  In fact, it  may never have been published at all if not for the support of his wife.  With a lack of a steady income and a family to support, King was looking to publish something that would bring him some decent royalties.  The novel Carrie is about a repressed telekinetic girl who, after being publicly humiliated by her peers, uses her extraordinary powers to gain revenge.  King had a hard time putting together a plot and became increasingly agitated. He eventually would give up and throw away what he had written in the garbage.  One evening his wife Tabitha discovered what he had thrown away.  She realized that he was onto something and that this story could be a good one.  Tabitha would help him with the plot over the next few weeks.  Nine months later, Stephen King would complete his final draft of Carrie.  After being rejected thirty times, Carrie was finally published by Doubleday Publishing.  Although the original advance for it was not enough for King to live on, Carrie would soon change his life for the better.  Eventually, the paperback rights would go to Signet Books for $400,000.  These were the royalties he was looking for. 

All throughout the 1980s, King would continue publishing best selling novels. However, many things in his personal life were beginning to unravel.  King has admitted to drinking heavily and using drugs while completing such great novels like Cujo.  It got to a point where his wife and children almost gave up on him.  Eventually, Stephen King would kick his addictive habits and continue to write best sellers without being under the influence.

In June of 1999, Stephen King was struck by a motorist while jogging.  He suffered a collapsed right lung, scalp laceration and a broken hip.  Although he recovered, King contemplated quitting writing entirely.  However, he realized that writing was a part of his life and who he was and therefore could not forfeit the practice.  Stephen King continues to write to this day.

Stephen King Overcame the Odds of a low income and having his works rejected by dozens of publishers.  In addition, he Overcame the Odds of addiction and a tragic accident that could have killed him.

I should say that Stephen King has always been an important person in my life.  Even though I dont personally know the man, his works influenced my life in a special kind of way.  Suffering from certain symptoms of ADHD, I had trouble concentrating on reading all throughout Elementary School and Junior High.  In fact, it wasn't until about my Junior Year in High School that I developed an interest in reading.  After reading the works of Stephen King, I realized that reading anything whether a magazine, newspaper article or poem could be insightful in its own way.  By reading even the simplest of sentences, one can learn not only something about the world but they can also learn something about themselves.  During my Freshman Year in College, I had to write a paper in English Composition about someone who had influenced my life.  Of course, I chose Stephen King.  I received an A on my paper and was even asked to submit it in the Creative Writing Contest.  My final words of that paper have stayed with me to this day. Stephen King has always been associated with horror and scary things. However, he helped me overcome my fear of reading and applying myself in literary works.  My final sentence was "Ironically, the man who has instilled some of the most fears into the minds of many helped me overcome mine."

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein.  He's man who everyone associates with being a Genius.  However, he didnt have the greatest of upbringings by any means.  He actually never said one word for the first three years of his life.  Many of his early teachers thought that he was complacent and did not have the proper drive to be successful.  Due to not meeting the required standards of the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, he had to attend another school in Switzerland to finish his Secondary Education.  Still throughout his education, people thought he was too out there with his head in the clouds trying to come up with a theory that had no relevance.  Einstein persevered and developed the theory of relativity which many intelligent people still can't figure out to this day.  Albert Einstein overcame the odds of being viewed as not very Intelligent by his teachers and peers and became synonymous with Knowledge and Wisdom the World Over.  Enough Said.

Cindy McGraw

                My next Overcoming the Odds article is on a woman in the Metro Jackson area that shared with me her story of Overcoming Breast Cancer and a long lineage of cancer in her own family.  Her name is Cindy McGraw. I met her at one of the many fitness centers I have worked out at in the past 15 years. Cindy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and underwent a radical mastectomy with reconstruction and chemotherapy.  She survived.  However, this is only part of the story.  Cancer evidently runs in Cindy’s family.  According to Cindy, her paternal grandmother died at age 47 from ovarian cancer.  Her father’s oldest sister died of ovarian cancer while her father’s younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29. 

Cindy McGraw says, “My aunt was the longest survivor at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!  After surviving breast cancer for 45 years, she was diagnosed with metasized breast cancer at age 75 and then died in 2008.  She was 78 years old.”  Cindy’s Aunt had children that were affected by cancer as well.  “My aunt had four daughters and 2 have died from ovarian or breast cancer and 1 daughter is a 2 time breast cancer survivor,” Cindy Says.  It didn’t stop there.  Evidently, her aunt’s middle daughter, Angie, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in her mid-30s and diagnosed again in her 50’s.  Nonetheless, Angie survived.  Angie’s oldest sister, Nell, however, was not so lucky.  After a series of treatments, Nell succumbed to breast cancer at age 52.  A year before her death, Nell lost her husband to a rare blood cancer. 

                Cindy also had another first cousin that was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41, survived that, and then was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 62.  Another one of Cindy’s aunts was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 70 and later with lung cancer at age 78.  So far, she is surviving both bouts with cancer.

                Due to the abundance of cancer in their family members, Cindy’s family began the process of genetic testing.  After discovering staggering results, they decided to take measures to prevent the onset of both breast and ovarian cancer.  As a result of the genetic testing, those who had not been diagnosed with cancer have had prophylactic mastectomies and/or hysterectomies as preventive measures for breast and ovarian cancer.  “So far, there have been no further cancer diagnoses in my family,” Cindy says.

                Cindy McGraw still has annual visits to her oncologist but is proud to be a cancer survivor.  “I have tried to give back by the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery Program which is a wonderful kind of mentoring service provided to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients,” Cindy says.  In addition, Cindy volunteers with the Komen group for their Race for the Cure and Golf for the Cure. 

                Cindy McGraw Overcame the Odds of Breast Cancer.  In addition, she has Overcome the Odds of a long lineage of cancer in her own family.  She continues to seek the right answers so that members of her family and people in general don’t have to suffer.  As a cancer survivor, Cindy stresses how important early detection really is.  “Cancer is a very scary experience but early detection is definitely the key,” she says.  “If you think something is wrong, go to the doctor.  We know our bodies best and people have to be aggressive and assertive with these kinds of health issues.”  As severe as cancer can become, early detection is an extremely important factor.

I believe that Cindy’s story is one of Overcoming the Odds to the highest degree.  In continuing to advance what is known about cancer, she is helping others Overcome the Odds as well.

My Father

Well I wrote an Overcoming the Odds Article on my Mother.  It's only fitting that I write an Overcoming the Odds Article on my late Father, Judge Frank D. Barber during Father's Day Weekend.  I am writing this as I myself am Overcoming some personal odds of my own and I dont know what the future holds for me.  My father Overcame many odds throughout his life.  Where he started in life and where he ended up is simply amazing.  My father was born to an Italian Immigrant from Naples, Italy Francesco Barbarisi.  His mother's family had just immigrated from Sicily through New Orleans.  Growing up in South Mississippi during the 30s and 40s, it was a difficult time for my father as many people in his family couldnt speak English very well.  In addition, there was somewhat of an Anti-Catholic Stance that existed in Mississippi against Italian, Hispanic and even Irish Catholics.  In addition, my father came from a Lower Middle Class Background, not Poor but not Well off by any Means. However,  I wont discuss social or political issues in this post as I refuse to display my views on social media. My dad took it upon himself to try to master the English language as much as possible and become a perfectionist in the use of correct grammar.  He spent many a time in the Hattiesburg Public Library reading thousands upon thousands of books.  How ironic in that one day I would work in a library.  My father attended St. Joseph Seminary in Louisiana during High School where he studied to be a priest.  Before his Senior Year, he decided he didnt want to become a priest and finished at Hattiesburg High.  He entered college at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) after he discovered he couldnt afford it anymore.  It was there that he entered the military where he learned many work ethics and propaganda that would serve him well throughout the rest of his life.  Later on, he was called in to service in Germany during Korea.  My father returned to college at the University of Southern Mississippi, where I would receive both my Bachelors and Masters Degrees.  It was during this time my father realized he had a knack for both reading people and public speaking.  He would eventually become Student President at the University of Southern Mississippi.  My father would face various personal and professional obstacles that prevented him from finishing Law School and winning various political offices.  However, he finished Law school at George Washington University.  Entering into the field of politics, he became State Representative of Forrest County.  There were many times my father ran for things and lost.  He had a Premature run for the Lieutenant Governor in the late 1960's as well as an unsuccessful run for Public Service Commissioner and as a Supreme Court Judge in Mississippi.  However, my father always learned that no matter how many times you fell down you got back up and got back in the race. Whether he was practicing law or serving as Assistant to U.S. Senator James O. Eastland, Frank Barber learned from his mistakes and kept moving forward. One of his most successful runs for his political office came in 1994 when he was elected to the Mississippi Court of Appeals which had just been established in the state of Mississippi.  This was his last position when he died.  No matter how many times he lost or how many personal problems he faced, my father rose to the challenge and accepted defeat with dignity.  His acceptance of defeat made his Victories even that more meaningful, or even when he was sworn in as Secretary of Senate under then Lieutenant Governor Brad Dye.  My father's life started out in a family of Italian Immigrants with a lower middle class background, many of whom couldnt speak English very well.  His life ended with a storied political career in the state of Mississippi and a life of public service that was revered by many.  I would say he was definitely a man who Overcame the Odds.  Here is a link to an Oral History he did with the University of Southern Mississippi if you wish to further study his career.  http://digilib.usm.edu/cdm/ref/collection/coh/id/8753