A diluted biographical sketch of who I am.
My name is Christoff Lerczak. I was born Arthur Michael Lerczak in Honolulu Hawaii. My parents are first generation Americans whose parents and the remainder of my American based family come from various parts of Europe in the late sixties. I don’t have very much recollection of my childhood while I lived in Hawaii. I vaguely recall some of my parent’s friends and my kindergarten teacher’s name and a few specific images, but not much else. Culturally speaking I am a Romani gypsy, though I have no contacts with my family anymore, as I separated myself from my family due to my parents’ extremely abusive nature. When I was nine or so, at the beginning of grade three I was placed into Valley Forge Military Academy. VFMA was a boarding school that specifically prepped us to be Army officers. We as cadets were required to take all forms of classes to graduate, from the basic maths, English, government, sciences, etc, to dance, riding, etiquette, flower arranging, fencing, firing and the like. All of these things were to prepare us to be officers in the US army. I lived on campus, going home to stay with my parents and younger sister for the summers and the optional holiday breaks.
My parents were extremely abusive to my sister and myself, causing me to make the decision to stay on campus for the majority of my holidays. My sister still lived at home with my parents trying to deal with the situation as it was. She eventually gave up and killed herself when she was fourteen years old. Less than a year later my girlfriend was cut down in a drive by shooting in Camden NJ, where I had my first run in with the law. The police detained me for moving Samantha’s body from the street, when they started berating me for that “offense” I copped an attitude and they cuffed me and took me to the precinct. I was released after making a statement when the desk sergeant told me to get lost and lose the attitude. A few months later, with the help of the faculty at my school and some family acquaintances I was legally emancipated. My parents were also forced to pay for the remainder of my schooling and a restraining order was issued so they would keep their distance from my person. I graduated co-valedictorian of my class and decided to forgo Academy training and go into the service as an enlisted Marine.
Upon graduating from Valley Forge, I joined the Marine Corps, where I trained as a HALO jumper and eventually served in the fleet force Recon. During my time in the marine corps I spent of two years in various parts of Bosnia under fire, where I was the recipient of a number of commendations, medals and promotions, the last of which was a promotion to second lieutenant. The rest of my six-year career was spent in extended training, various embassy duties and college. I received a bad conduct discharge from the corps after badly assaulting a superior officer who struck a young lady and spit on me. I eventually appealed my discharge from a bad conduct to a general under honorable conditions, but I had lost my rank and any further career would have been in the training field, so I abdicated my opportunity to reenlist and separated from the service, settling in southern California.
Most of my college experience was spent in correspondence or CLEPing out of classes due to the extreme lack of time to dedicate to classes a fleet Marine experiences. I eventually received a degree in English literature after changing my major several times from forensic pathology to criminal psychology eventually to English Literature. I took an interest in renaissance era writings and Chaucer’s work, and decided to become an English teacher when I became a civilian. This never happened, as when I entered the civilian world I was repulsed by the curriculum and lack of allowed individuality offered to the students in public schools.
When I began my life in California I had a large “chip on my shoulder” as I felt the world owed me something. I wasn’t completely sure what it was, but realistically it was probably the first time I had ever truly been on my own. While I was in the Marine Corps I had more responsibility than I have experienced to this day, more id fathom than most people would see in a lifetime, but I had support, guidance, and a code to follow. When I got out I lacked the purpose that responsibility offered and became listless and angry. I snapped out of that period in my life thanks I think to my current best friend Jennifer. She was kind enough to be brutally honest with me one day and told me she hated me because I was a jackass. These words from a person who was then a stranger had a profound effect on me. I pursued a friendship with her which she rebuked time and again stating that id have to be a completely different person for her to consider to have in her life in any way.
I took this to heart and put serious thought into who I was. As a child I didn’t want to be the president, or an astronaut, or a fireman. I wanted to be a knight or a gunslinger. I wished these things because in all the stories they were honorable, and loyal and stood fast in their beliefs. That is eventually why I made my choice to become a Marine, not only did they give me a gun and a sword they did so while making me promise to defend those who couldn’t defend themselves and to never leave one another behind. This suited me fine at the time, but as I learned in the corps, marines aren’t supermen, though at times were taught to believe we are. I became jaded in combat and lost those ideals I grew up with believing that they no longer existed.
Upon realizing that I wasn’t the man I intended to grow up to be, I set along to change that. I took up my beliefs again, no matter that I never saw them in others, or rarely did. I essentially made myself back into the man I wanted to be. I began studying with a local Buddhist group and took to the way very quickly. I learned that my essential belief structure came very close to the Buddhist Way, though I realized that I was not a Buddhist. I am in fact a Taoist, with Bhuddist tendancies. I believe in the Way in a spiritual sense, though some of my beliefs do not mirror the Buddhist Way. I began studying Zen and Buddhist philosophy, the Bushi code, and eastern philosophy in general. This did and continues to bring peace to my world, with very few exceptions.
Jennifer having taken interest in my life seemed impressed with my life’s turn and remains my best friend to date. I will be in her wedding next year…standing as her “man of honor”
I eventually became a teacher for that LAUSD’s after school programs, teaching wildlife classes to children in K-5 some time later in my life. During this time I did volunteer work in an ecology center in Culver City. I participated in caring for tropical and near extinct exotic birds and helped maintain the STAR Ecocenter’s aquarium and herpetology unit.
I opened a game store in Oceanside California, called Freeman Games in 1997 and maintained that for four years before my partners walked away with a substantial sum of money, forcing me to sell the business. During this time my life was filled with many interesting events. I was a member of the Oceanside chamber of commerce, as well as a bouncer and manager of a local strip club called the Playgirl. I took care of two of six homeless kids from the area whose parents were living in a van in the park with six kids after loosing their house to foreclosure. They stayed with me rent-free as long as they attended school unfailingly. William and Samantha helped me in the store, maintained their schoolwork and participated in sporting events for their school under my care until their parents secured a place to stay of their own. William continued to work for me part time until I sold the business.
William actually ended up managing the store for me for close to two months as I took a break to help a friend of mine locate her runaway daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend. Between traveling from Tijuana to Los Angeles handing out pictures flyers and business cards.. We found them. They had been picked up by the LA sheriffs for shoplifting food. Rochelle’s mother was very thankful for my efforts, and she and her daughter have since made peace. I was in a long-term relationship (four years), at this time as well, with a woman named Annie. We eventually split up on bad terms.
After I closed the store I moved to Los Angeles, after being offered the teaching job for LAUSD and the STAR ecology center. During this time I joined the screen actor’s guild and took various jobs doing stunt work for independent films and a few universal shows as well. I enjoyed living in the Hollywood area for two years participating in the independent film scene and dating a director before I decided to move back to the San Diego area, where I have a number of friends who have been in my life for close to ten years. I consider most of these people to be my family, so it was nice to be in the area again.
When I moved back into San Diego I got a job as an area manager for a local retail clothing franchise. I began dating a girl I met prior to my move back to the area and dated for a couple of months before we split up after deciding that we probably wouldn’t be together in the long run. About the time I began dating Mary and moved back into the area I became friends with two girls in an improv theatre game that I participated in. they both confided in me and I became a brother figure and a loyal friend to them. After Mary and I split up I realized that I was attracted to Leah, who had every quality that I had ever wanted in a woman. We eventually began dating which caught the attention of one of her friend’s parents, who reported me to the police. I spent 4 months in jail for dating Leah who is 16, and ended up loosing my job, getting stabbed in the forehead with a golf pencil in jail, and being sentenced to spend three years on probation.
edit. 6/5/04
Leah and I have been together for a year and 8 months. We are engaged and enduring an interesting maze of trials and tribulations. She has managed to make me the happiest man in the world. She wants to have my children, be my wife, and live the rest of our lives together. We have made it farther than many people do in a relationship and I will repay her for all of that happieness for the rest of my life.
My parents were extremely abusive to my sister and myself, causing me to make the decision to stay on campus for the majority of my holidays. My sister still lived at home with my parents trying to deal with the situation as it was. She eventually gave up and killed herself when she was fourteen years old. Less than a year later my girlfriend was cut down in a drive by shooting in Camden NJ, where I had my first run in with the law. The police detained me for moving Samantha’s body from the street, when they started berating me for that “offense” I copped an attitude and they cuffed me and took me to the precinct. I was released after making a statement when the desk sergeant told me to get lost and lose the attitude. A few months later, with the help of the faculty at my school and some family acquaintances I was legally emancipated. My parents were also forced to pay for the remainder of my schooling and a restraining order was issued so they would keep their distance from my person. I graduated co-valedictorian of my class and decided to forgo Academy training and go into the service as an enlisted Marine.
Upon graduating from Valley Forge, I joined the Marine Corps, where I trained as a HALO jumper and eventually served in the fleet force Recon. During my time in the marine corps I spent of two years in various parts of Bosnia under fire, where I was the recipient of a number of commendations, medals and promotions, the last of which was a promotion to second lieutenant. The rest of my six-year career was spent in extended training, various embassy duties and college. I received a bad conduct discharge from the corps after badly assaulting a superior officer who struck a young lady and spit on me. I eventually appealed my discharge from a bad conduct to a general under honorable conditions, but I had lost my rank and any further career would have been in the training field, so I abdicated my opportunity to reenlist and separated from the service, settling in southern California.
Most of my college experience was spent in correspondence or CLEPing out of classes due to the extreme lack of time to dedicate to classes a fleet Marine experiences. I eventually received a degree in English literature after changing my major several times from forensic pathology to criminal psychology eventually to English Literature. I took an interest in renaissance era writings and Chaucer’s work, and decided to become an English teacher when I became a civilian. This never happened, as when I entered the civilian world I was repulsed by the curriculum and lack of allowed individuality offered to the students in public schools.
When I began my life in California I had a large “chip on my shoulder” as I felt the world owed me something. I wasn’t completely sure what it was, but realistically it was probably the first time I had ever truly been on my own. While I was in the Marine Corps I had more responsibility than I have experienced to this day, more id fathom than most people would see in a lifetime, but I had support, guidance, and a code to follow. When I got out I lacked the purpose that responsibility offered and became listless and angry. I snapped out of that period in my life thanks I think to my current best friend Jennifer. She was kind enough to be brutally honest with me one day and told me she hated me because I was a jackass. These words from a person who was then a stranger had a profound effect on me. I pursued a friendship with her which she rebuked time and again stating that id have to be a completely different person for her to consider to have in her life in any way.
I took this to heart and put serious thought into who I was. As a child I didn’t want to be the president, or an astronaut, or a fireman. I wanted to be a knight or a gunslinger. I wished these things because in all the stories they were honorable, and loyal and stood fast in their beliefs. That is eventually why I made my choice to become a Marine, not only did they give me a gun and a sword they did so while making me promise to defend those who couldn’t defend themselves and to never leave one another behind. This suited me fine at the time, but as I learned in the corps, marines aren’t supermen, though at times were taught to believe we are. I became jaded in combat and lost those ideals I grew up with believing that they no longer existed.
Upon realizing that I wasn’t the man I intended to grow up to be, I set along to change that. I took up my beliefs again, no matter that I never saw them in others, or rarely did. I essentially made myself back into the man I wanted to be. I began studying with a local Buddhist group and took to the way very quickly. I learned that my essential belief structure came very close to the Buddhist Way, though I realized that I was not a Buddhist. I am in fact a Taoist, with Bhuddist tendancies. I believe in the Way in a spiritual sense, though some of my beliefs do not mirror the Buddhist Way. I began studying Zen and Buddhist philosophy, the Bushi code, and eastern philosophy in general. This did and continues to bring peace to my world, with very few exceptions.
Jennifer having taken interest in my life seemed impressed with my life’s turn and remains my best friend to date. I will be in her wedding next year…standing as her “man of honor”
I eventually became a teacher for that LAUSD’s after school programs, teaching wildlife classes to children in K-5 some time later in my life. During this time I did volunteer work in an ecology center in Culver City. I participated in caring for tropical and near extinct exotic birds and helped maintain the STAR Ecocenter’s aquarium and herpetology unit.
I opened a game store in Oceanside California, called Freeman Games in 1997 and maintained that for four years before my partners walked away with a substantial sum of money, forcing me to sell the business. During this time my life was filled with many interesting events. I was a member of the Oceanside chamber of commerce, as well as a bouncer and manager of a local strip club called the Playgirl. I took care of two of six homeless kids from the area whose parents were living in a van in the park with six kids after loosing their house to foreclosure. They stayed with me rent-free as long as they attended school unfailingly. William and Samantha helped me in the store, maintained their schoolwork and participated in sporting events for their school under my care until their parents secured a place to stay of their own. William continued to work for me part time until I sold the business.
William actually ended up managing the store for me for close to two months as I took a break to help a friend of mine locate her runaway daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend. Between traveling from Tijuana to Los Angeles handing out pictures flyers and business cards.. We found them. They had been picked up by the LA sheriffs for shoplifting food. Rochelle’s mother was very thankful for my efforts, and she and her daughter have since made peace. I was in a long-term relationship (four years), at this time as well, with a woman named Annie. We eventually split up on bad terms.
After I closed the store I moved to Los Angeles, after being offered the teaching job for LAUSD and the STAR ecology center. During this time I joined the screen actor’s guild and took various jobs doing stunt work for independent films and a few universal shows as well. I enjoyed living in the Hollywood area for two years participating in the independent film scene and dating a director before I decided to move back to the San Diego area, where I have a number of friends who have been in my life for close to ten years. I consider most of these people to be my family, so it was nice to be in the area again.
When I moved back into San Diego I got a job as an area manager for a local retail clothing franchise. I began dating a girl I met prior to my move back to the area and dated for a couple of months before we split up after deciding that we probably wouldn’t be together in the long run. About the time I began dating Mary and moved back into the area I became friends with two girls in an improv theatre game that I participated in. they both confided in me and I became a brother figure and a loyal friend to them. After Mary and I split up I realized that I was attracted to Leah, who had every quality that I had ever wanted in a woman. We eventually began dating which caught the attention of one of her friend’s parents, who reported me to the police. I spent 4 months in jail for dating Leah who is 16, and ended up loosing my job, getting stabbed in the forehead with a golf pencil in jail, and being sentenced to spend three years on probation.
edit. 6/5/04
Leah and I have been together for a year and 8 months. We are engaged and enduring an interesting maze of trials and tribulations. She has managed to make me the happiest man in the world. She wants to have my children, be my wife, and live the rest of our lives together. We have made it farther than many people do in a relationship and I will repay her for all of that happieness for the rest of my life.