Kevin's Khronicles

HOME	IN THE BEGINNING...	THE GREAT WALL	AMERICAN SUMMITS	TOUR de CUBA
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Ever since I was a child, spending part of my life growing up in an East coast, inner-city, ghetto neighborhood, I devoted a lot of my time dreaming. This was the age in which man finally broke free of earth’s gravitational pull and walked on the moon, thus anything was now possible.

Now my family was grounded in reality. Oh, they had dreams too, but theirs were more realistic, such as many of my relatives owning their own businesses (which was a good thing, because they were so independent in their way of thinking that no one would want to hire them, and they could never get used to working for someone else).

But after seeing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon on that memorable July day in 1969, I, too, began to ask why couldn’t I take a trip to the moon myself someday or anything else I may fancy (it also didn’t help that at the time, our government school system still taught and promoted individual thinking and to take pride in being an American, born into a country where one can pursue their dreams to their heart’s content), to which my family, friends and relatives would casually laugh off my whimsical way of thinking, replying soberly, "Things like that don’t happen to people like us (meaning the common, average, Joe Palooka as we were termed in our neighborhood) and never will."

And I would always return their negative answer with another, "But why not?" to which those closest to me would just shake their heads and walk away laughing.

I still ask, Why not? Unto my dying day, I will always ask, Why not? I will always be inquisitive and wanting to absorb all information about an array of subjects, because I love the power of knowledge and where it can ultimately take you during one’s lifetime.

And then there’s the other side of the coin with the old adage, Be careful what you wish for... when those dreams you do pursue with a monomaniacal perseverance finally come true. What then?...

No one ever tells you the reality of making dreams come true and how it ultimately affects you in every facet of your life, from within to without; to changes in your way of thinking and lifestyle, to how you must conduct yourself as a public figure.

I first acquired a taste for what was to come in 1989, when I broke the 20-year-old Guinness World Record for traveling the entire New York city subway system in the shortest amount of time. A prestigious record at the time, it remains unbroken to this day and finally removed and retired from the book entirely.

The breaking of that record brought national attention with the media, and less than a year later the notoriety broke to international and stratospheric proportions when I became the first and only person to ride a bicycle atop the Great Wall of China from one end to the other.

Then the reality and adjustment to a new way of living and thinking began...

I can still remember that day in August of 1990 so clearly. It actually began with a phone call from my manager who informed me that there was a full-page photo shot of me cycling the Great Wall in the September issue of Life magazine. That’s when the reality of the enormity of what had just transpired only a few short months ago became very real and concrete for me. I was so involved in the pursuit of the dream, I never took notice of how the rest of the world was perceiving me or my vision until I opened up that magazine and saw before me what everyone else was becoming a witness to... that really is me on that Wall, isn’t it, I thought. I mean, this isn’t a dream, right? After 18 years, what I hold in my hands is the culmination of all that I’ve been through...

Looking back on all this, I have to admit that the Summers between 1990 and 1991 were tough for me in terms of adjustment. People would recognize me from one of the media outlets whenever I was casually going about my business, and suddenly become transfixed; mesmerized by the magic that supposedly surrounded me, as they made their zombie-like walk toward me, armed with paper and pen for the obliging autograph.

This irritated me to no end. I was not some celebrity. I was an average, ordinary person just like they were, as I badgered them with, "Why do you want my autograph? I’m nobody, just like you and I certainly don’t want your signature!"

Sometimes people were so dumbfounded that I would even acknowledge them, let alone talk to them, that they couldn’t answer, and if they did, it was usually, "Because you cycled the Great Wall of China." I’d scribble my name and walk away, fuming.

My privacy was gone. People would find out where I lived, and want to stop by for a chat at all hours of the night wanting information on how to bike the Great Wall. It got so bad that at one point, it was another celebrity, Jimmy Stewart, who put it all into perspective, with these words of wisdom...

"It’s the fans that give you the lifestyle you now have, so be kind and gentle with them. Next time someone asks for an autograph, give them a smile, sign their paper, say a few kind words to them and bid good-bye. They’ll remember you for it the rest of their lives."

So, I tried it the first time, and afterwards thought, That wasn’t so bad. Eventually, I got to the point where I could get used to it to where now it has become second nature.

So, I managed to get through the ‘90s and then took a seven year break from the spotlight and was actually enjoying my life to a certain degree until the scourge of boredom set in and my downfall into the abyss of notoriety returned.

And boy, did the sleeping giant awake, with not one project, but three; two of which have already been completed (the third dream won’t be ready for a few more years), with the reality of those completed dreams hitting me as did the other accomplishments in my life.

And somehow the feeling of achievement and euphoria continues. I can still look at the end result and be amazed and thankful to the Ultimate Creator to whom I strive after, with the thought, WOW! Look at what we did, Lord! We took the given idea and turned it into something real and positive and hopefully will touch and inspire others to achieve their dreams as well...

That’s the way I’ve been feeling the last several months of 2004. I just threw myself into my work; my goals, with the blinders on, and am only now beginning to see the immediate results (the final results won’t be known until later on and judged by the public).

The first reality came a few weeks after I returned from Oregon where I was filming my first feature film, and just a few days after Thanksgiving, when I had the chance to see the completed version of my first book, Cycling Castro’s Country: The Tour de Cuba.

There it was on a conference table before me, just sitting there with a pair of matching siblings. Just the way I had been picturing it after all these years. Hardcover, Patriotic-looking. Nearly 400 pages and loaded with photos and maps...

People were milling about. Congratulations and compliments came whizzing by, along with autographed copies passed out to several people. I held the book in my hands; leafed through the pages; stared at my name on the front cover, and said to myself over and over, "I can’t believe we did this, Lord! I can’t believe we’ve taken another step forward!"

I’ve been in love with books since I could first read while I was still in diapers. Being able to write and publish a book is the ultimate expression in the next stage of that love affair, but now the reality hits... how will the public respond when we begin to do those book signings?

From those who have already read the book, and made their comments, indications go that all will be fine. Yeah, I’m a bit nervous, but that’s just the performer in me. Always nervous before the curtain goes up, but once the show begins, there’s no going back.

And speaking of performances, the second part of the reality dream came just a few days before Christmas when the FedEx man arrived at the ranch with the package I had been forewarned about from the director... the rough cut of my first feature film, Yesterday’s Dreams.

I hadn’t even gotten over the reality of the book before I was thrown into the reality of the movie. It was now time to step out of the circle, take a seat before the TV-VCR with pen and paper and critique not only the film, but my performance as well.

Being the writer, producer and lead actor in this film, I can’t believe the insanity of what I had done by taking on triple duty. As it was clearly put to me by the director in very real terms, "Kevin, what you’ve just done took Clint Eastwood 30 years to accomplish!" Oh.

As for my performance?... Well, let’s just say I promised not to be so down on myself (I’ve never liked viewing myself on camera, or reading about myself in the press. I just collect the stuff for posterity reasons, pack them away and move on).

But I will say this about myself, man, do I look FAT!

Of course, this was my fault entirely. I knew exactly the look I wanted for Harvey, the title character who’s a septic tank cleaner in a small town. Thus, I cut the 19-year-old ponytail, trimmed the hair, shaved off the goatee (the Cuban look, as I’ve referred to myself since my last adventure), and added 25 pounds of blubber to my frame, nearly going up to close to 200 on the weight scale (the cycling fans would never forgive me for this).

Well, I achieved the look I wanted, but I wasn’t happy with the results, and promised myself that the weight would be gone by the time the premieres begin.

Overall, the film flows well being close to 100 minutes. The countryside is beautiful, the characters likeable, and the relationship between Harvey and the girl of his dreams is intimate. My target audience I went for were the Senior Citizens and women, but also realize that my people, the Christians, will also enjoy and embrace this film as well.

Of course, I can talk all I want. The reality will be when the movie hits the film festival circuit in the coming months, and whether or not we can find a distributor to back us up. Just because the crap sells doesn’t mean the good stuff will. But if the film is a success with my target audience....

So, the dreaming I did in 2004 will hit me with the reality of 2005. What will this year be like for me? Has to be better than the last seven years where I was inundating myself with charity work every waking hour, although those last seven years were good for me to get back to the roots of whom and what I am, and the reason why I decided to return to work in the first place... if I go back to the work I know (turning dreams into realities), I can make more money to give to more charities that mean a great deal to me and promote the values I stand for.

And the next time I decide to retire will be when I’m six feet in the ground. 

Until Next Month,

Kevin