‍[NEW EPISODE] Neighborhood Justice

John Medici has been a working member of four unions: SAG, AFTRA, ACTORS, EQUITY, American Federation Of Teachers.

He has taught Theater Arts as well as English at a number of colleges: New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at Los Angeles community colleges. He's acted in TV sitcoms, dramas and theaters off and on Broadway and in LA's many 99 seat venues.

He has also written and performed an original solo piece, "AKA MEDICI", and has recently published a memoir titled, Pleasant Avenue, a Boy, a Place, and a Family.

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Tune in for this important conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Starting off tonight’s episode, Albert Dabah talks about the importance of talking about mental health and challenges as it’s something that in reality we can all relate to in some way. He introduces his guest John Medici, coming to us from California. Albert talks about reading one of his books and relating it to his film as he was writing Extra Innings at the time. Medici lived in New York City, coming from an Italian family. He was very influenced by the Catholic religion growing up. He also went to Catholic school for all of his school years. He talks about how growing up in East Harlem had an influence in who he has become. Medici refers to himself as a “neighborhood guy”. There was a strong attitude in the neighborhood while growing up where everyone was comfortable being only with those from the neighborhood. Medici says that in a way he never left New York City because of how close his family was living there for many years. He worked in places like the radio station WCBS and eventually decided to focus on acting. He worked on stage in NYC and was on a Broadway show that was a big hit. After three weeks later, he was fired. Medici was an understudy for the lead actor. Going through challenges in the acting world early in his career, he went through a really deep depression that lasted 3 years. At the time, he was an understudy and was fired. He sought help going to a psychiatrist and moved to Los Angeles. When he felt ready, he got back into acting. Since then, he continues to live in California and visits NYC every now and then.

Segment 2

Graham and Medici pick back up the conversation where Medici explains how he dealt with his depression. He says that when he came to California, someone back in New York gave him the advice to start journaling. He was also interested in getting into therapy. He knew that he needed to do this as he felt lost in his life. He began to see a psychiatrist at a location where he was able to afford to pay for the service. He would do activities like drawing during the sessions. Through these several activities and the process, he began seeing his life as a drama. Some challenges he faced was how to let go of his past. Medici says that although he was very influenced by the church for instance, he always felt like he was struggling. He was always angry at his parents, the church and so on. Through journaling and therapy, he was able to see himself more objectively, something that he says can be seen in his book. Before this, he never really spoke about his life. But his life was a kind of story that he felt he needed to write about in some way. When asked about what made him want to write his book, Medici talked about going back to school at one point and studying things like radio and television. He kept struggling trying to understand his identity. Though school was what he felt that he needed to go back to again, and eventually got a Master’s degree; Medici taught writing. But by this time, he decided that he needed to begin writing himself.

Segment 3

Coming back from the break, Medici says that a lot of his writing through journaling was very therapeutic because you can do things like writing a letter to someone close to you. He says that sometimes you also have to write as if you knew what the other person would say to you. Medici would write about himself as a child or about his experiences with his family and would release his emotions and start crying. He began to write a lot about his experiences when he would go to church and began to learn about himself and started to feel for the child that he was. He related this to Albert’s film where one scene the father never spoke to his son, but rather his wife spoke for him. For Medici, he says that his father never really spoke when he was sober. Albert and Medici speak more on how relatable this story of a dynamic family can be. Medici makes a point about how he liked that in Albert’s film, he realizes that usually every “family business” was handled at the dining table. Medici says that this is something similar that is seen on the cover of his book, where there’s a picture of himself as a child with his family sitting around the dining table. Medici can relate to that trait of families.

Segment 4

In the final segment, Medici talks briefly about his neighborhood and the uniqueness of it. He says that he still has friends who he lived with in this neighborhood and that there's a close bond that he says is hard to explain. The actual neighborhood itself, he says, felt enclosed. On the East side is the river as well as the bridges leading to other parts of the city and on the other side he said there were elevated train tracks. Medici describes his neighborhood as having a little sweetness. Everyone was very connected. Before the show ended, Alberts asked Medici if he could read a paragraph from his book. He read about his friend who he called Vinny who got hit by a car while they were playing outside. In his neighborhood, he explained, there was always a lot of drama, funny and sometimes serious. Medici mentions that he may do an audio recording of his book in the future. You can get John Medici’s book, Pleasant Avenue, a Boy, a Place, and a Family on Amazon and it’s also available on Kindle.

Transcript

00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:50.700 Albert Dabah: hi there, good evening, my name is Albert dive out dabba excuse me, Albert dabba and I am the host of extra innings covering all the bases.

00:00:52.830 --> 00:01:06.780 Albert Dabah: Extra innings is a film that I wrote produced directed and I started a podcast show, based on the movie about 10 months ago.

00:01:08.970 --> 00:01:28.710 Albert Dabah: In on on this podcast what we deal with is the actual feelings of what people have during their lives we talk about mental wellness we talk about mental illness, we talk about subjects like anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder.

00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:39.240 Albert Dabah: depression and suicide, but we talked about people that have gone through different challenges in their lives, and how they have.

00:01:40.380 --> 00:01:48.090 Albert Dabah: adjusted to their challenges and issues and how they've dealt with them, and my feeling about dealing with all of these.

00:01:49.110 --> 00:02:02.340 Albert Dabah: Issues that people have is important for other people to know that they're not alone with some of these challenges that come up in many people's lives I wouldn't say everyone, but everyone.

00:02:03.300 --> 00:02:16.740 Albert Dabah: At some point, I think, has the sometime feeling of like Am I normal or what is normal, and I think we all look at other people and wonderful we're aware, where do I fit on where do I fit in now everyone's different, of course.

00:02:18.090 --> 00:02:32.310 Albert Dabah: And on the show i've had many different kinds of people from different kinds of professions who have worked in all different kinds of industries we've had writers on the show such as tonight launch reduced in just a minute.

00:02:33.390 --> 00:02:38.310 Albert Dabah: we've had on actors we've had on therapist people from the police force.

00:02:40.650 --> 00:02:43.380 Albert Dabah: we've had on rabbis.

00:02:44.940 --> 00:02:55.650 Albert Dabah: And just people who have dealt with these issues and in a very deep way and have been willing to share their stories on this show.

00:02:57.330 --> 00:03:00.990 Albert Dabah: So i'm very proud to have tonight on this show.

00:03:02.610 --> 00:03:18.090 Albert Dabah: A guy named john met he who lives in California and we've never actually physically met but we've talked several times on the phone and he was referred to me by my good friend and about.

00:03:19.470 --> 00:03:22.080 Albert Dabah: I think it was about three or four years ago.

00:03:23.670 --> 00:03:30.090 Albert Dabah: Her name is Adrian Adrian and she sent me a book that he wrote called pleasant avenue.

00:03:31.380 --> 00:03:44.400 Albert Dabah: A place a boy and a family and Italian American story and I read the book, while I was really finishing my screenplay for extra innings and I felt wow, this is a.

00:03:45.990 --> 00:03:48.000 Albert Dabah: Very close to what I have written.

00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:57.000 Albert Dabah: Very different, but yet the feeling was somewhat similar so I talked to him.

00:03:58.140 --> 00:04:09.660 Albert Dabah: A couple of weeks ago and we discussed the idea of having him on the show, and here we are so tonight i'm introducing john meditate john how are you doing this evening.

00:04:10.020 --> 00:04:23.370 John Medici: Oh, thank you very much, Albert i'm i'm doing fine really it's a lovely day and sunny California, after having rain, this morning, which I told you about before, which is a big event out here.

00:04:24.090 --> 00:04:27.330 Albert Dabah: Right, you were just telling me how is it raining anymore.

00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:30.510 John Medici: Yes, i'm fine, though, thank you very much i'm doing well.

00:04:31.380 --> 00:04:39.720 Albert Dabah: So um we spoke last night about being on the show and different topics to talk about and i'd like to start by just saying.

00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:43.440 Albert Dabah: I know you've had several different.

00:04:44.850 --> 00:04:48.150 Albert Dabah: kind of occupations in your life, done a lot of different things.

00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:55.350 Albert Dabah: So maybe we'll start off by maybe telling us a little bit about yourself and what you've done in your life, because I know you've.

00:04:55.350 --> 00:05:08.250 Albert Dabah: been an actor a teacher and you've written this book and i'm really would love to talk to you about the book as well, but we start off by telling us about yourself and we'll go from there.

00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:19.230 John Medici: Well, when you said you had so many different people on the show I realized at that second that my goodness i've lived so many different lives.

00:05:19.830 --> 00:05:33.300 John Medici: You know I am an Italian American my parents were immigrants and I lived in New York City and a wonderful neighborhood it's wonderful now in retrospect, at the time, I wanted nothing more than to get out.

00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:38.220 John Medici: I was in a lot of clash with the culture.

00:05:39.270 --> 00:05:55.770 John Medici: was like an Italian village in southern Italy, you know, and I wanted to get out, but then you mentioned something about you've had rabbis on the show well i'm certainly not a rabbi but I was very, very influenced by the church and.

00:05:56.880 --> 00:06:11.400 John Medici: The Church small see which was the Church in the neighborhood but the Church in the with the big C, you know there's some kind of a saying that the Jesuit priests say that.

00:06:12.840 --> 00:06:18.810 John Medici: will give you a Catholic for life if we get you at the age seven you know.

00:06:19.950 --> 00:06:22.320 John Medici: And I sometimes think they got me around five.

00:06:22.380 --> 00:06:22.800 Because.

00:06:25.080 --> 00:06:36.360 John Medici: I really I really was I really believed in all of it and I practiced it and I ended up in the seminary So there we have one hat yeah that got me out of the neighborhood.

00:06:37.110 --> 00:06:52.320 John Medici: I was in a seminary for two and a half years and I went to Catholic school all my life and I added it up and i've had 17 years of Catholic school schooling with nuns with priests.

00:06:53.340 --> 00:07:01.950 John Medici: and, eventually, also with with some lay people, but it was a Catholic college so there's that you know and.

00:07:03.060 --> 00:07:07.680 John Medici: The book is is tries to cover a lot of those bases.

00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:22.320 John Medici: For example, the neighborhood that I grew up in had a lot to do with forming me, you know I am a kid I mean I am a neighborhood guy you know I always will be, and.

00:07:23.010 --> 00:07:34.140 John Medici: It was called East Harlem that neighborhood in pleasant avenue was a street closest to the east river, we were right up against the East river now on the upper East side.

00:07:35.460 --> 00:07:42.390 John Medici: I guess when people say the upper East side they think of 59 street you know bloomingdale's this is really upper much.

00:07:43.110 --> 00:07:44.250 Albert Dabah: Right right right.

00:07:44.460 --> 00:07:47.520 John Medici: started, and you know if you have a on up there.

00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:59.490 John Medici: Around 100 street 100 and second hundred and 30 240 and on the east river side it's East Harlem on the West, side by the Hudson river.

00:08:00.210 --> 00:08:18.780 John Medici: Is Columbia University and then there's Harlem right outside of that the Harlem that we kind of know from movies, and things but East Harlem was a very insular area, and so I grew up with that Inshallah close feeling, you know and.

00:08:20.310 --> 00:08:29.670 John Medici: If you were a part of the neighborhood you were Okay, if you weren't us as we suspected you, you were of suspicion, what are you doing here, what do you want to see.

00:08:30.840 --> 00:08:33.150 John Medici: It was very much like that and.

00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:36.360 John Medici: That was a strong attitude.

00:08:37.680 --> 00:08:39.570 John Medici: That we were separate we would different.

00:08:41.160 --> 00:08:49.200 John Medici: In a way, that's funny but it isn't really because it tends it tends to block you tends to stop you and.

00:08:49.920 --> 00:09:00.720 John Medici: I think, maybe when you read the book you related to that a lot, too, because you grew up in a similar type of environment, although it was not.

00:09:01.260 --> 00:09:15.960 John Medici: Italian American and certainly not Catholic, but you grew up in this Jewish orthodox area of brooklyn and you were surrounded by all of that, and that makes us who we are, whether we know it or not.

00:09:17.190 --> 00:09:19.440 John Medici: But in my life I finally did get out.

00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:44.880 John Medici: Although I never really escaped the neighborhood I really never did, and my parents my mother lived there till she died in that was 1987 I left, I was a single guy around 1965 she was there, another 25 years almost and you know I would go back periodically to visit and so forth, so.

00:09:46.740 --> 00:10:04.980 John Medici: I did a lot of things I told you, I was in the seminary and then I also worked in public relations in New York City and I worked at a radio station, a very famous one w CBS it was all talk, then it was a talk radio station and I worked there, I was.

00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:18.750 John Medici: And then I I wanted to become an actor and I studied in New York and as a single guy and I have a whole life as an actor, you know i've i've worked.

00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:34.170 John Medici: i've worked on stage, mostly in New York City, but then I got a wonderful movie role and that didn't take me to California at all reason I came to California, is because I was in a broadway show.

00:10:35.190 --> 00:10:47.370 John Medici: And I don't know if you've ever spoken to anybody who has been in a broadway show, but you really believe the sun rises and falls, because you are in that show you know.

00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:52.110 John Medici: I think the whole you really believe the whole world.

00:10:53.340 --> 00:11:02.550 John Medici: revolves around you and that's how I felt and I was in the show, and it was a big hit a really big hit.

00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:22.500 John Medici: And I thought this is it I made I made for life, you know and the show open good reviews, in fact, I think I might still have the New York Times review, which had a picture of the entire cast and i'm in that photo and i'm identified to my main so.

00:11:24.090 --> 00:11:32.070 John Medici: that's that was so great and after it opened about three weeks later, I was fired.

00:11:33.300 --> 00:11:48.270 John Medici: I hate to say it that way, the director was very gentle with me very sweet very kind very understanding, but he presented it, I was understudying bleed so he said you're just not.

00:11:48.810 --> 00:11:58.350 John Medici: Quite right for it, I was rehearsing you know every Wednesday and Saturday that you may not know that but that's when the understudies rehearse on stage.

00:11:59.010 --> 00:12:13.950 John Medici: And you know I knew I never expected to go on anyway, because I had another role in the show anyway, when I when that happened my world collapsed and I went into a very, very deep depression.

00:12:15.780 --> 00:12:23.460 John Medici: I think, looking back now, I think it was good for me, because it, it sent me off in the direction that I probably should have been.

00:12:24.060 --> 00:12:44.100 John Medici: On, which was to search my inside search, who I am it's so destroyed my sense of security and who I was just I was very vulnerable and Bingo that happened and I went into a really deep depression, I sought out psychiatrists and so forth, and that's why I came to California.

00:12:47.850 --> 00:13:04.530 John Medici: The depression lasted that seems 71 to 75 for three for three long years absolutely and then I started to come out of it, and I even started to work again a little bit as an actor and and and I came to California.

00:13:05.700 --> 00:13:11.910 John Medici: Mostly, because I had a wonderful apartment on 85th street New York is will relate to this.

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:21.240 John Medici: If you get thrown out of your apartment you know that's it, I mean Where are you going to go and I was living on 85th street right off central park west and the brownstone.

00:13:21.690 --> 00:13:34.650 John Medici: converted apartments and somebody bought the building and they wanted to change it, and so I was led I was like go, you know, and you lose your apartment in New York, you might just won't go to California that's the way it.

00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:39.990 John Medici: Is yeah where, am I going to go.

00:13:40.050 --> 00:13:42.510 Albert Dabah: I know, having an apartment in New York.

00:13:43.230 --> 00:13:50.370 Albert Dabah: You know, you want to keep that apartments were ever in times if it's the right price the right place right.

00:13:50.490 --> 00:13:57.360 John Medici: So it sent me to California, which I never have regretted i've been here, ever since i've been here over 40 years and.

00:13:58.050 --> 00:14:10.920 John Medici: In fact, I have an older brother he's passed away, but when I would go back to New York City after being here 10 years 15 years i'd go back for holidays and things my older brother would say to me, so you like it out there.

00:14:11.550 --> 00:14:17.460 John Medici: And I had been here already 25 years and he's still asking me like it out there because.

00:14:20.400 --> 00:14:20.820 Albert Dabah: I.

00:14:22.590 --> 00:14:23.520 Albert Dabah: have them that I.

00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:26.700 Albert Dabah: could exist we're gonna have to take a break.

00:14:27.780 --> 00:14:29.370 Albert Dabah: But um yeah ready.

00:14:30.930 --> 00:14:38.100 Albert Dabah: But when we come back let's talk more about like what happened when you got out to California, I think people.

00:14:38.220 --> 00:14:46.440 Albert Dabah: like to know, and how did you deal with that depression that was going on, so we'll be right back with john mud ichi and just a minute, thank you.

00:16:59.670 --> 00:17:01.590 Albert Dabah: hi we're back with john.

00:17:02.670 --> 00:17:10.740 Albert Dabah: So john was you were talking about going to California, and when you went there you were saying you were in this.

00:17:13.080 --> 00:17:24.810 Albert Dabah: Before you left you were in this deep depression lasted about three years so um tell us how did you deal with it, how did you deal with the person, did you see a therapist at that time well.

00:17:24.840 --> 00:17:27.420 John Medici: Yes, when I came to California.

00:17:29.250 --> 00:17:48.450 John Medici: Somebody encouraged me in New York City when I came to California to start keeping a journal just keep a journal just write you know, no, no rules or anything just just write in your Journal and I started writing and writing and writing so I come to California and.

00:17:50.010 --> 00:18:00.480 John Medici: I wanted to get into therapy and I didn't know who to turn to or what kind of therapy or anything like that, but I knew that I needed I needed to really.

00:18:00.810 --> 00:18:13.530 John Medici: Talk about and deal with my life because I still was very troubled even though my life was getting better after these three years, I still was really didn't even know who I was.

00:18:14.760 --> 00:18:19.530 John Medici: So I ended up at a place in West Los Angeles, called the young Center.

00:18:20.760 --> 00:18:38.850 John Medici: devoted to the work of call Yun and I was very attracted to that I went there a couple of times and sat in a little library and read read through some books and things and I saw a sign on the wall that they have therapy sessions that they gave therapy and I.

00:18:40.110 --> 00:18:54.210 John Medici: I applied for that, and it was extremely low paying I mean I could really afford it and I began seeing a psychiatrist not a not a social worker, not a counselor.

00:18:55.350 --> 00:18:59.220 John Medici: Not a psychologist but a psychiatrist he was a doctor.

00:19:00.540 --> 00:19:06.450 John Medici: I refer to him in the book is Dr sandy and I was kind of a nickname of his.

00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:22.980 John Medici: And I saw him every week and he put me through this whole process of Union therapy, which has to do with dream analysis and now in order to remember your dreams, I had to keep a notebook by my bed.

00:19:23.760 --> 00:19:37.800 John Medici: or I used my diary and make remember them in right and the more you do that, the more you remember it gets clearer and clearer and clearer and we would analyze that but then we would I would play with.

00:19:38.310 --> 00:19:49.260 John Medici: Little figures in the sand tray like children do that, you know that children thing you play with this with the little figures and maybe you make a Fort and you make a war and.

00:19:49.740 --> 00:20:04.590 John Medici: And the little kid is asked you know why why you're going to war well because she doesn't like him and all that and then it's about their life and I did, that I was here, I was over 35 years old and i'm doing this, this kind of stuff.

00:20:05.610 --> 00:20:07.800 John Medici: I was drawing and.

00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:17.940 John Medici: From the young Center I found out that there was a teacher from UCLA who gave seminars in journal writing.

00:20:19.260 --> 00:20:23.550 John Medici: And I said that's for me i've got to do that because I was starting to do it.

00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:32.280 John Medici: And that was a whole process, I became so attached to the to the teacher that when the session was over, I went to her.

00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:47.820 John Medici: offices, like every Thursday night and she had five or six people there, and she would give us assignments, and I began keeping a journal seriously and I still have these journals in fact they're both in the boxes in the garage.

00:20:49.080 --> 00:21:04.410 John Medici: And the journal writing and the Union analysis I began to see my life and myself as a kind of a drama, you know and young calls this your myth everybody has a myth.

00:21:05.280 --> 00:21:17.520 John Medici: Everybody is part of a drama that they're not aware of, of course, it takes a long while until you are able to pull back and begin to see it, and I saw myself and I realized.

00:21:18.570 --> 00:21:39.420 John Medici: That I was so influenced by the church as i've said earlier, my family and and the neighborhood the New York City East Harlem closed neighborhood and I was so influenced by those and yet I was struggling so much all the time and I didn't know I didn't know how to.

00:21:40.800 --> 00:21:47.310 John Medici: How can I put it look back on it without hostility anger rage.

00:21:48.600 --> 00:22:04.350 John Medici: vindictiveness you know I didn't know how to do it any other way and so that's why I started doing the journals and the journals led to my more and more writing and I think this book.

00:22:05.430 --> 00:22:09.870 John Medici: which came out in 2017 I started writing it.

00:22:11.010 --> 00:22:19.680 John Medici: Around I don't know 2010, or so I was quite but my life changed because of the young in therapy.

00:22:20.310 --> 00:22:28.680 John Medici: And because of writing my life really changed it got better and I could see myself I understood what I went through.

00:22:29.520 --> 00:22:41.460 John Medici: And I could see myself in the drama I knew where I belong, you know you mentioned when we talked you never knew who you really were who are you, you know I think everybody asks that question where Am I.

00:22:42.750 --> 00:22:48.780 John Medici: And who am I am I, my mother's son is that it was that that's my whole life i'm other son.

00:22:50.340 --> 00:23:04.680 John Medici: Am I you know a good Catholic, am I a practicing practicing Jew, is that what I am is that the whole thing you know isn't there more I began to see myself objective more objectively and that's why I started writing about it.

00:23:05.790 --> 00:23:10.980 John Medici: And so the book is the culmination of that and along the way you know I got married.

00:23:12.450 --> 00:23:13.650 And then got divorced.

00:23:14.820 --> 00:23:26.670 John Medici: For the second time and then met my present wife and we have been together for 30 years and it's it's going well.

00:23:29.850 --> 00:23:34.890 John Medici: and so forth, in other words, I was able to objectify.

00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:43.740 John Medici: My parents their situation, and you know something I gained a lot of empathy for my parents used to be angry.

00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:52.890 John Medici: I was angry at everybody, it was angry at my brothers and sisters, I was just angry, I was angry at the church Oh, God knows, I was angry at the church oh my board.

00:23:53.790 --> 00:24:12.570 John Medici: Was I angry at the church if I saw a nun walking toward me and I cross the street i'd go to the other side of the street, you know, and I was just angry and I denied a lot of my my past life, I never told people about myself when I came here to California.

00:24:13.650 --> 00:24:18.810 Almost 40 years ago I never told people about my real life, I never did.

00:24:20.280 --> 00:24:32.220 John Medici: um every once in a while I tell a little story, if I could trust the people I was with no and sometimes I made it humorous.

00:24:32.910 --> 00:24:42.990 John Medici: And sometimes people would say you know that's very funny you should you should put that down, you should write that so I knew somewhere that I always wanted to write a book.

00:24:43.860 --> 00:24:54.000 Albert Dabah: Was there any what was there any one thing or what when that made you really like say I gotta write this book it happened there was just an accumulation of.

00:24:54.540 --> 00:25:03.420 Albert Dabah: Different events and different thoughts that you had you know, while you maybe you were in therapy rather therapy or as you began to realize more about.

00:25:04.860 --> 00:25:15.270 Albert Dabah: You know who you are, as a person, and then, and you enjoyed writing kept a journal, and what made you actually write the book and did you start writing it and then say now.

00:25:16.170 --> 00:25:25.950 Albert Dabah: I don't want to you know who's going to read this you have doubts because I think many people, and the reason I asked that is because I think many people have these desires and thoughts.

00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:44.130 Albert Dabah: about writing books or movies, or whatever it is something that they want to do that's not the ordinary thing for someone to do, maybe within the people they know and all of a sudden, they say I gotta do this, and they do it so and some people don't do it so.

00:25:45.510 --> 00:25:46.740 Albert Dabah: What made you.

00:25:46.950 --> 00:25:53.550 John Medici: Well, I went back to school, the first time I went back to school after college, I was studying theatre.

00:25:54.180 --> 00:26:11.820 John Medici: Then at nyu and was studying theatre communications theater and radio and TV and so forth, and I got a master's degree in that, and I put it aside and I came to California, a few years later, and I realized oh I I could I could teach I have a master's degree, you know.

00:26:13.140 --> 00:26:20.820 John Medici: Maybe I can get a job, so I went to Santa Monica city college and son of a gun, the man who was the chairman of the.

00:26:21.990 --> 00:26:34.680 John Medici: theater department was an actor and a working actor and we had a lot in common, so he hired me and I began teaching well, I was teaching theater for a long while, and.

00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:42.600 John Medici: Then that kind of ran its course I got tired of it, I didn't want to do it anymore for a lot of reasons and.

00:26:47.340 --> 00:26:47.970 I am.

00:26:49.800 --> 00:26:51.390 John Medici: I was finding it hard to make a living.

00:26:52.440 --> 00:27:02.670 John Medici: Because the jobs weren't there TV, radio jobs weren't there, then they would just it was not satisfactory, and I was having a hard time.

00:27:04.350 --> 00:27:15.420 John Medici: Not only making a living, but just I started having a hard time again because again my identity, you know came up again, it came up again.

00:27:16.770 --> 00:27:22.260 John Medici: If i'm not a teacher and i'm not really an actor anymore what the hell, am I, you know.

00:27:23.280 --> 00:27:38.970 John Medici: And so I went back to school, this is a funny thing because i've always felt school was a refuge in my life, I went back to school again in 1990 I went to northridge cal state northridge to the.

00:27:39.990 --> 00:27:45.360 John Medici: This time, to the English department, because I had been writing you know so much in my journal i've written so much.

00:27:46.710 --> 00:27:47.160 John Medici: and

00:27:49.020 --> 00:28:03.060 John Medici: I took it took me four years you know nights at nights and a summer and that kind of thing and I got a master's degree in rhetoric English to teach English and rhetoric.

00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:11.730 John Medici: that's a big word but it simply means in self expression, how you express yourself and I started teaching writing.

00:28:12.900 --> 00:28:17.430 John Medici: Now i'm teaching writing and i'm telling kids to write about their lives.

00:28:19.650 --> 00:28:28.050 John Medici: And I began to think you know john you're being such a hypocrite you're telling kids to write about their lives are encouraging them you're reading their essays.

00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:39.900 John Medici: You got a million of them inside of you know why don't you know get off your high horse and why don't you tell your story, and I was much more relaxed by this time and.

00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:55.740 John Medici: I had a I had a happier life going on and and I didn't need acting so much I didn't need anything so much really and truly I began to see that I wasn't a human doing was a human being.

00:28:56.070 --> 00:29:00.570 Albert Dabah: I say yeah yeah we're gonna have to take a break again going to.

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:06.690 John Medici: have to come back another tomorrow or something okay.

00:29:08.490 --> 00:29:13.950 Albert Dabah: So yeah we'll come back and pick up where we left off, thank you john we'll be right back.

00:31:58.380 --> 00:31:59.430 John Medici: Albert we're back.

00:32:05.430 --> 00:32:06.690 John Medici: Okay, I will continue.

00:32:08.100 --> 00:32:10.650 John Medici: On somehow got lost.

00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:19.830 John Medici: yeah he asked me about that about starting to write the book a lot of it a lot of the writing.

00:32:20.760 --> 00:32:28.740 John Medici: Was therapeutic I began because when I learned in writing journals is that you could write letters to people.

00:32:29.580 --> 00:32:37.680 John Medici: Your first wife or you write a letter to your mother you write a letter but here's the trick you don't just write a letter expressing what you want to say.

00:32:38.190 --> 00:32:47.670 John Medici: You have to write her name and let her talk and right what she would say and that's a wonderful exercise.

00:32:48.300 --> 00:33:02.640 John Medici: So I started writing my little stories about what went on in my life and I found that I had a lot more empathy for my parents, a lot more empathy for for my.

00:33:03.540 --> 00:33:18.750 John Medici: My neighborhood for my friends that I grew up with the school the church itself, I found that I learned a lot more about them and I started to feel more more comfortable.

00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:27.660 John Medici: About myself and there's no secrets anymore I don't have any secrets anymore you, you asked me, and I will tell you and.

00:33:29.850 --> 00:33:35.580 John Medici: The writing came easier and easier, but those first, and I can imagine Albert went through this to.

00:33:37.080 --> 00:33:46.140 John Medici: That when I first started writing it was so therapeutic I would sit here and I wrote longhand, by the way.

00:33:46.770 --> 00:34:05.940 John Medici: i'd start crying i'd write about my father and i'd start crying right about myself as a child, you know at seven years old serving seven o'clock 7am masses waking up you know it's 615 in the tenement apartment with no heat, there was no central heating.

00:34:07.050 --> 00:34:17.370 John Medici: living on the top floor i'd wake up at like 620 jumping am jumped into my clothes come down the stairs go to the corner.

00:34:18.060 --> 00:34:27.570 John Medici: and turn the corner turn the other corner go into the church and by you know five minutes to seven, I was in my cast sake and so forth walking into serve the priest.

00:34:28.020 --> 00:34:42.180 John Medici: I began to write about that and describe it, which it is described in the book and I started having a lot of empathy for that little boy I started to understand what he was really feeling at that time I didn't know.

00:34:44.220 --> 00:34:46.620 John Medici: And there you are welcome back Albert.

00:34:47.310 --> 00:34:54.300 Albert Dabah: yeah hi the suits me, but the power went off in my apartment which is really strange.

00:34:56.220 --> 00:34:57.870 Albert Dabah: So I have a flashlight on myself.

00:34:59.130 --> 00:35:10.770 John Medici: I was, I was saying that, as you start writing you're learning something and I was thinking about you to answer the question like How was it when you first started writing, why did you do it.

00:35:11.250 --> 00:35:28.710 John Medici: that it was very therapeutic you know it really helped me and I began to objectify much, much more what I had gone through, and I know the movie that you wrote, which is a really wonderful movie I tell people about it all the time, and I really related to it.

00:35:30.630 --> 00:35:46.590 John Medici: Though the circumstances were different, but the feelings were the same I understood those feelings that that the young man in the movie is going through, I understood that family dynamic so well and.

00:35:47.790 --> 00:35:49.710 John Medici: I understood it very, very much.

00:35:50.880 --> 00:36:07.080 John Medici: Even how at one there's one scene in there, where the father is angry he's very, very angry, but he doesn't speak and he lets his wife speak for him what a subtle little thing that was now.

00:36:08.220 --> 00:36:22.920 John Medici: That never happened to me because my father, when he was drinking expressed himself rather fully I mean you knew where he stood Okay, but when he was sober.

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:27.870 John Medici: never said a word he never said a word and.

00:36:29.610 --> 00:36:38.430 John Medici: He was very much like that father, he was holding it all in he was afraid, maybe he was ashamed I don't know why, but he was.

00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:49.620 John Medici: Everything was close to the chest, when he was sober you just you just didn't know and he presented a wonderful exterior to the world, you were ties.

00:36:50.370 --> 00:37:03.900 John Medici: collared shirts jackets fedora hats just walking to the subway to go to go to work, the restaurant, I mean he was well dressed and also he was very well put together.

00:37:04.470 --> 00:37:15.390 John Medici: And then he went on his binges and you know all all hell broke loose but I really related to that family situation that you have in the in the movie there.

00:37:16.230 --> 00:37:17.580 Albert Dabah: The yeah I think that.

00:37:19.410 --> 00:37:27.210 Albert Dabah: I think you know from people that have seen the movie and talk to me about it, can you hear me Okay, by the way, yeah i'm.

00:37:29.010 --> 00:37:29.520 Albert Dabah: That.

00:37:31.620 --> 00:37:48.150 Albert Dabah: I heard i've heard from many people about the relationship that they felt themselves in their own families or something so much similar to the the family that was portrayed in my film and I think that.

00:37:49.890 --> 00:37:54.900 Albert Dabah: You know, like having the mother sometimes speak for him, like I had one scene, where she does.

00:37:56.190 --> 00:38:03.240 Albert Dabah: I think you know, like, I feel like I felt that before i've seen that, before you know the mothers speaking for the father.

00:38:04.680 --> 00:38:07.590 Albert Dabah: Mother doing the expression at times.

00:38:08.610 --> 00:38:15.390 Albert Dabah: I think there's a lot of feelings of you know how do I fit in where do I fit in.

00:38:17.070 --> 00:38:21.420 Albert Dabah: You coming from the community that you came from and where I came from.

00:38:23.040 --> 00:38:32.880 Albert Dabah: I know I always had the feeling, it was a very tight, not just Jewish orthodox, but it was Syrian Jewish Orthodox and the Syrians are very.

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:44.340 Albert Dabah: very, very close knit and i'll give you one little example, a friend of mines dad just passed away his dad was a big leader in the Community.

00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:54.750 Albert Dabah: A passed away and around 95 years old, I knew him kind of well to some extent because I worked for him on and off different times on different jobs.

00:38:55.230 --> 00:39:13.440 Albert Dabah: Because he had a regular business, but he was a real leader in the Community helped build the big temple that they had and when they expanded it, he asked me to do a video of the expansion and he was very proud of it but there's also a very, very tough man very stubborn man.

00:39:14.850 --> 00:39:20.460 Albert Dabah: I got friendly with my his daughter who's my my friend sister.

00:39:21.720 --> 00:39:23.010 Albert Dabah: And the other day.

00:39:24.690 --> 00:39:32.280 Albert Dabah: was very funny she called me and I said oh I just got a phone with your brother Elliot so she said to me, did you get a word in and.

00:39:32.640 --> 00:39:44.610 Albert Dabah: I said that's very funny because she goes well he's just like my dad my dad and his dad was just like that he was like would say something, and that was the law that was the rule.

00:39:45.210 --> 00:39:58.440 Albert Dabah: So when I went to my they were sitting Shiva you know and people pass away is shiver people come over and I went to my friend's House after his father died this was just last week and I really saw how.

00:39:59.910 --> 00:40:09.090 Albert Dabah: My friend has become very similar to his father, in some ways, and the ways how he talks it and what he says is what he says and.

00:40:09.390 --> 00:40:15.960 Albert Dabah: He doesn't listen very well, but but he's a good friend and he's just best the way he is but one of the things he said was.

00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:20.970 Albert Dabah: He was very proud of his father, which is nice to see, and he said that.

00:40:21.930 --> 00:40:30.330 Albert Dabah: there's no Community in the world like the Syrian Jewish community which he might be right, there are other communities that have their different.

00:40:30.810 --> 00:40:43.290 Albert Dabah: Ways about them, but it was talking about how the Syrian Jews are so tight and they're so proud of it that most people never leave it, and that is the truth.

00:40:45.660 --> 00:40:55.890 Albert Dabah: So when you do leave it as I did, even though my my best friends are from there and i'm still close to them, but the the Community itself, I left it and.

00:40:56.580 --> 00:41:06.450 Albert Dabah: it's a it's a whole different life, like my you know I lost two siblings to suicide and my family and my other sister.

00:41:07.230 --> 00:41:17.850 Albert Dabah: was five years older than me is totally immersed in the Community and totally Orthodox and we're like night and day, but we still talk and you know how you doing this and that.

00:41:18.810 --> 00:41:38.190 Albert Dabah: But we lead extremely different lives, and you know it's sometimes you know when I all feel like well you know where Am I right now, and sometimes think back to where I was, and I say wow, this is a long way off from where I came from, but you know that's how I developed.

00:41:39.060 --> 00:41:40.110 John Medici: Yes, I would.

00:41:41.940 --> 00:41:49.200 John Medici: Also, what I liked is that all of the business of your family was conducted around the dining room table.

00:41:49.860 --> 00:41:50.220 Albert Dabah: yeah.

00:41:50.730 --> 00:41:58.410 John Medici: If that were a play it would that would be the set dining room table you could do the whole story at the dining room table just about.

00:41:58.860 --> 00:42:08.910 John Medici: And that's why on the cover of my book, I have a photo taken of my father my mother, my brothers and sisters all six of us are there.

00:42:09.570 --> 00:42:18.120 John Medici: it's a long, long time ago i'm a little i'm a little boy I think i'm I think that's me and but I again around the table.

00:42:18.780 --> 00:42:35.700 John Medici: Around the table in that that kind of circular thing you know it's I guess it's like sitting around the campfire or something yeah and everything was all the business of the family was there, and when, and you know when my father was.

00:42:36.900 --> 00:42:43.530 John Medici: Okay, and he liked in this photo it and I remember actually I remember when this was taken.

00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:52.350 John Medici: It was it was at Easter, it was Easter, I remember that and.

00:42:54.660 --> 00:43:03.690 John Medici: When he was there, like that officiating might say, you know it was really wonderful he was really wonderful and.

00:43:05.250 --> 00:43:11.610 John Medici: Then he'd get up and he'd go to work because he worked in a restaurant he leave at four o'clock in the afternoon, and he was gone.

00:43:13.590 --> 00:43:26.430 John Medici: It the House was different you know it was on those nights when he didn't work, it was I guess you'd call that a periodic you know I mean he drank every day, but he didn't get crazy.

00:43:27.060 --> 00:43:29.550 John Medici: exciting realistically, you know.

00:43:29.640 --> 00:43:30.510 Albert Dabah: Right right.

00:43:31.710 --> 00:43:43.230 Albert Dabah: we're gonna have to excuse me we're gonna have to take one of those breaks again and and we'll come back and continue and so we'll be right back with john medic medicine.

00:43:44.580 --> 00:43:45.510 Albert Dabah: And also less.

00:43:46.920 --> 00:43:49.380 Albert Dabah: Okay we're back, thank you.

00:45:56.040 --> 00:45:56.670 John Medici: we're back.

00:46:02.670 --> 00:46:03.120 Albert.

00:46:04.470 --> 00:46:13.680 John Medici: Oh gosh I hope we didn't lose you again, I wanted to say something else Alvin about about the neighborhood the actual physical neighborhood you know.

00:46:16.260 --> 00:46:16.740 We.

00:46:17.790 --> 00:46:18.750 John Medici: It was it was.

00:46:20.940 --> 00:46:30.750 John Medici: It was city blocks, you know city streets and all that, but what made it wonderful is that we were up against the East river, so you can only go so far that's where the neighborhood started on the east side.

00:46:31.140 --> 00:46:37.740 John Medici: and on 114 street where I live, there was a park across the street from my house, so I had a.

00:46:38.790 --> 00:46:53.820 John Medici: city block that was only one row of houses, which was also very unusual you know, and in fact they called it, the one arm block 114 street they had expressions for all kinds of stuff.

00:46:54.930 --> 00:46:56.730 John Medici: And the day everybody had a nickname.

00:46:57.900 --> 00:47:01.620 John Medici: And everybody had another name that would known by another name.

00:47:03.180 --> 00:47:09.090 John Medici: But I run into people now in my adulthood.

00:47:10.470 --> 00:47:29.370 John Medici: who grew up there every now and then and I have to tell you there is such a bond among all of us who grew up there at that particular time very, very, very close bond it's hard to explain it is really hard to explain.

00:47:30.870 --> 00:47:33.810 John Medici: One time here in Los Angeles, when I first got here.

00:47:35.730 --> 00:47:39.390 I went to a chiropractor and.

00:47:40.860 --> 00:47:42.960 John Medici: I went to him for my back.

00:47:43.320 --> 00:47:44.010 Albert Dabah: And I was told.

00:47:46.980 --> 00:47:47.340 Albert Dabah: I was.

00:47:47.970 --> 00:47:49.860 John Medici: Are you there are we okay.

00:47:57.210 --> 00:48:01.410 John Medici: Okay you're going you're on mute or unmute.

00:48:04.290 --> 00:48:06.120 John Medici: Okay, are you there.

00:48:06.180 --> 00:48:07.110 Albert Dabah: i'm here can you hear me.

00:48:07.530 --> 00:48:08.850 John Medici: Good yes, now we can.

00:48:09.090 --> 00:48:10.890 Albert Dabah: Okay we're back lights are on everything.

00:48:11.190 --> 00:48:16.110 John Medici: Okay, good I was just saying briefly and then i'll let you pick it up from there.

00:48:18.300 --> 00:48:28.680 John Medici: The actual neighborhood itself was enclosed it felt enclosed you know because it went from the East river to.

00:48:29.640 --> 00:48:40.080 John Medici: Third and lexington avenue, and there was an elevated train in those days, when I was a kid on third avenue so that was sort of a barrier on the West side.

00:48:40.590 --> 00:48:53.520 John Medici: And on the east side, there was the river, you know and Manhattan ends at on the east side at about 120 sixth street so East Harlem ended right there at the first avenue bridge.

00:48:53.970 --> 00:49:09.300 John Medici: And 120 sixth street which first avenue bridge went over the river and then the triborough bridge also went to the bronx and out to Queens and Manhattan so that was the end, so the neighborhood itself with felt actually enclosed.

00:49:10.890 --> 00:49:18.510 John Medici: And I was saying that there was such a bond there still is, if I run into somebody who grew up there.

00:49:19.530 --> 00:49:19.740 At.

00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:32.940 John Medici: Different times there's such a bond, and I was saying that I, I went to a chiropractor here in Los Angeles once and they told me he was a chiropractor to the stars, you know.

00:49:34.350 --> 00:49:43.470 John Medici: So i'm there and he's treating means working on me and he casually says you're from New York right, I said Oh yes, I am, he said, where did you grow up.

00:49:44.070 --> 00:49:55.320 John Medici: So I said, well, I grew up on the upper East side, he said yeah really where we're we're on the upper East side I said, well, I grew up on 114 street and first avenue, and he said I lived there.

00:49:56.340 --> 00:50:05.430 John Medici: I said, you did but you're not an Italian American you said no, no i'm not but you see, I went to Columbia, which was on the West side and I needed an apartment.

00:50:05.910 --> 00:50:17.970 John Medici: And, quite a few of us found apartments in East Harlem and you would just get connected by the hundred and 16 street crosstown bus, so he he was so delighted to meet me, I cannot tell you.

00:50:19.560 --> 00:50:27.060 John Medici: It was so wonderful and that's what I mean there's like a connection, because the neighborhood had a certain sweetness to it, you know.

00:50:27.720 --> 00:50:28.170 yeah.

00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:35.070 Albert Dabah: Now I think you know I feel somewhat similar to the neighborhood that you know that I grew up in.

00:50:37.320 --> 00:50:50.160 Albert Dabah: Like just going to my friend's place the other day, you know I saw people that I recognize and you know I talked to a little bit, and you know it's nice to have that connection.

00:50:52.050 --> 00:50:55.020 Albert Dabah: You know just to see where you come from and.

00:50:56.130 --> 00:51:09.270 Albert Dabah: But, but I think in do so, like you, you know you've paid your own way, I wanted to ask you if you, we have some a little bit of time left you mentioned last night, you might mind to read a paragraph from your book.

00:51:09.780 --> 00:51:10.680 Oh well.

00:51:11.700 --> 00:51:14.730 John Medici: there's so many, but I thought.

00:51:17.760 --> 00:51:18.840 Something here.

00:51:21.240 --> 00:51:26.490 John Medici: yeah this is, this is a little something about the street okay.

00:51:30.450 --> 00:51:33.570 John Medici: and playing in the street all right right.

00:51:34.140 --> 00:51:43.530 John Medici: I had a friend named Vincent we call them vinnie, of course, and he got hit by a car, when we were playing stoopball you know he actually got hit by a car so.

00:51:44.370 --> 00:52:00.360 John Medici: Knowing that Vincent had actually been hit by a car proved that our parents fears were not imaginary but very real now my little brother George was a lively kid who exuded lots of physical energy, unlike I who prefer to talk.

00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:18.240 John Medici: or sit listening to the radio at four years old georgie was almost completely run over by a car, but luckily only his legs were badly injured it happened one election night in New York City I don't know if you remember election nights were a big deal.

00:52:19.500 --> 00:52:27.090 John Medici: A time in East Harlem when making bonfires in large metal barrels right there on the streets was a common practice.

00:52:27.450 --> 00:52:40.500 John Medici: A ritual really so georgie was scurrying to fetch would so excited to be feeding the fire yelling as others did election election, it was a night I clearly remember as a six year old.

00:52:41.310 --> 00:52:51.690 John Medici: I, how could I not be fascinated at the spectacle smoke fire, the high drama and dangerous surrounding everyone running through the streets now here's what happened.

00:52:52.140 --> 00:53:00.660 John Medici: i'm standing on the stoop of our building alongside a teenage sister Teresa who was babysitting us.

00:53:01.140 --> 00:53:10.680 John Medici: I saw the moving costs swerve sharply to avoid going directly over georgie, then I watched the car plow into the steps leading to a nearby building.

00:53:11.010 --> 00:53:20.310 John Medici: basement car have smashed right into the building everyone on the street felt the anxiety, so the chaos heard the many loud voices people rushed here and there.

00:53:20.520 --> 00:53:30.690 John Medici: A few helping the driver many more standing over the badly injured little kid lying on the ground now my father arrived Okay, he was at the bar.

00:53:31.200 --> 00:53:39.090 John Medici: And he came around he had been summoned from nick's bar, just as the ambulance took georgie to the hospital.

00:53:39.480 --> 00:53:54.120 John Medici: All right, red face in a loud voice I Father confronted Theresa my sister barking at her savings to be taught in that sense the gun, but maybe you'll get to my retort Marty at least like as.

00:53:54.690 --> 00:54:12.780 John Medici: If my son comes home without a leg better that you never come back to this House and Theresa swears to that harsh judgment which does seem to be perfectly in character, for Papa I father was had a limp he was injured in an accident.

00:54:13.800 --> 00:54:27.990 John Medici: Construction accident when he first got to the United States and so he walked with a limp and he was very conscious of that and he was so afraid that his little son come home with a limp or no ego.

00:54:28.530 --> 00:54:33.330 John Medici: Mind told my sister don't come back home if that's what happens.

00:54:33.480 --> 00:54:33.960 Albert Dabah: While.

00:54:34.470 --> 00:54:35.490 John Medici: And I think he meant it.

00:54:36.330 --> 00:54:38.700 Albert Dabah: yeah yeah I think he meant it yeah.

00:54:39.150 --> 00:54:43.110 John Medici: So that was the kind of stuff that was going on around me all the time.

00:54:43.800 --> 00:54:44.340 Albert Dabah: yeah.

00:54:44.820 --> 00:54:48.330 John Medici: There was drama on the streets, all the time.

00:54:48.960 --> 00:54:49.530 Albert Dabah: i'm working on.

00:54:49.590 --> 00:54:53.220 John Medici: A lot of it was funny but that one was quite serious.

00:54:53.640 --> 00:54:57.300 Albert Dabah: Well, tell me what How can people pick up a copy of pleasant avenue.

00:54:57.660 --> 00:55:06.810 John Medici: Oh that's great well pleasant avenue it's paperback it's on Amazon it's as simple as that john meadows he plays an avenue, it has a subtitle.

00:55:07.470 --> 00:55:24.030 John Medici: there's another book named pleasant avenue, which is more of a history of place a boy and a family in Italian American story pleasant avenue it's also on the kindle forum and someday i'm going to record it and make an audio of it.

00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:27.840 Albert Dabah: sounds like a great idea yeah yeah this.

00:55:28.050 --> 00:55:32.910 John Medici: Is a great idea, but right now it's in book form on Amazon that's the best way to get it.

00:55:33.390 --> 00:55:42.690 Albert Dabah: Great well john thanks so much for being on i'm going to talk for one minute about Simba super productions is the company that produced the film.

00:55:44.040 --> 00:55:59.880 Albert Dabah: And if you haven't seen extra innings you can watch extra innings on symbol movies COM it's on peacock Amazon Google play apple TV, a new station called high flicks voodoo and.

00:56:01.080 --> 00:56:11.310 Albert Dabah: I hope you all get a chance to see it, one day, and hopefully get a chance to read john's book it's a really sweet book and it's.

00:56:12.660 --> 00:56:20.760 Albert Dabah: Just a story that I think everyone would find something in it that they could relate to so john thanks so much for being on the show tonight.

00:56:20.970 --> 00:56:27.270 John Medici: Well, I deeply appreciate it Albert it was it was wonderful to be with you and to talk about these things.

00:56:27.480 --> 00:56:32.340 Albert Dabah: Thank you, thank you alright have a good evening thanks everyone good night thanks everyone.