My name is Eric Neal Frankel. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
I decided to write this in an attempt to help you, the reader, to better
understand who I am; and for myself, in order to better understand who I
am. I was born in Santa Monica, California on Monday, September 21, 1959,
at 5:01 a.m. My astrological sign is Virgo, my family heritage is Jewish
(although I do not follow any “organized” religious teachings), and my
Sobriety date is February 27, 1995. I have a daughter, Amanda Mae Frankel,
born June 2, 1990, at 5:31 a.m. I have been married twice, divorced once,
and at the time of this writing, involved in the process of a second
divorce. My first marriage (to Linda Dianne Budworth) lasted from July 4,
1981 through February 14, 1986. The second marriage (to Christina Lynn
Davis) lasted from September 30, 1989 through April 13, 1993. Linda had 2
teenage daughters when I married her, and no children resulted from that
marriage. Tina had one teenage daughter, one pre-teen son, and one
pre-teen daughter. Amanda was a result of my marriage with Tina.
I have been diagnosed as having Chronic Scoliosis, secondary to
leg-length inequality, and skeletal-structure deformities that I have
learned to live with and work around. I can not sit or stand for long
periods f time, nor can I lift anything over 50 lbs. Most days I can climb
stairs without difficulty, other days I can not. My left leg is 1-inch
longer than my right, I am missing all joints in 3 of my toes, and the
middle joint in all of my fingers. Until I stopped visiting doctors in
1987, I was told by every doctor I saw that I would be confined to a
wheelchair by age 30; and that I would never be able to type, due to the
inevitability of arthritis. I have no signs of arthritis according to my
last physical examination; at last testing I was evaluated at 65 wpm, with
96% accuracy on the typewriter; and 14,000 keystrokes per hour in
data-entry. I do not believe in focusing on what I can not do - but
rather, what I can do with what I have to work with.
I hope to earn a certificate in Drug and Alcohol Studies and Human
Services Generalist, moving on to an Associate in Arts degree in Human
Services at Cypress College, in the city of Cypress. Ultimately, I am
looking to earn a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree
in Psychology. Eventually, I hope to have a private practice as an
M.F.C.C. or Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Counselor.