Dr. John Demartini

I had a speech impediment. I had to have a guy named Jackie Royd that I was living on the North Shore with, who was a friend and a surfer. He's the one that read for me. I had difficulty reading. He used to read for me. He always wondered, why are you asking me to read, man? You can do it yourself. I said, well, no, I like the way you read. I didn't want him to tell him that.

I had a speech impediment. I had to have a guy named Jackie Royd that I was living on the North Shore with, who was a friend and a surfer. He's the one that read for me. I had difficulty reading. He used to read for me. He always wondered, why are you asking me to read, man? You can do it yourself. I said, well, no, I like the way you read. I didn't want him to tell him that.

He didn't know that until... Maybe eight or 10 years ago in Los Angeles, I met up with him and he didn't even know that I had learning problems. He didn't grasp it.

He didn't know that until... Maybe eight or 10 years ago in Los Angeles, I met up with him and he didn't even know that I had learning problems. He didn't grasp it.

I could look at surf pictures in a surf magazine. And I could look at girly magazines. I could visualize pretty fine. I just didn't read and articulate and add meaning to things easily. But when I met Paul Bragg, I got to study with him for like three weeks every single day. And he really did inspire me. And he gave me kind of like a formula.

I could look at surf pictures in a surf magazine. And I could look at girly magazines. I could visualize pretty fine. I just didn't read and articulate and add meaning to things easily. But when I met Paul Bragg, I got to study with him for like three weeks every single day. And he really did inspire me. And he gave me kind of like a formula.

And he gave me a statement to give to myself and say to myself every day. And I started on a journey that was a new trajectory. And I had no idea where it was going to lead, but I just had this sense that this is the new path. And it's not that I didn't like surfing. It's just that all of a sudden, I really had this belief that if I worked at it, I could overcome this learning thing.

And he gave me a statement to give to myself and say to myself every day. And I started on a journey that was a new trajectory. And I had no idea where it was going to lead, but I just had this sense that this is the new path. And it's not that I didn't like surfing. It's just that all of a sudden, I really had this belief that if I worked at it, I could overcome this learning thing.

Flying back to LA and hitchhiking back to Texas. And when I got to Houston, my mom and dad didn't recognize me. They went, oh, because I had long hair and a beard. It didn't look like a little teenage kid. They taught me into taking a GED and somehow, miraculously, I guessed and I passed. I literally guessed and passed this test. I don't know how I did it. Just guessed.

Flying back to LA and hitchhiking back to Texas. And when I got to Houston, my mom and dad didn't recognize me. They went, oh, because I had long hair and a beard. It didn't look like a little teenage kid. They taught me into taking a GED and somehow, miraculously, I guessed and I passed. I literally guessed and passed this test. I don't know how I did it. Just guessed.

And then I thought that was going to work, guessing, and when I tried to go to a junior college to try to take classes, try to go back to school, and I failed. I got a 27 on a test. And I remember driving home crying, thinking, maybe this whole thing is an illusion.

And then I thought that was going to work, guessing, and when I tried to go to a junior college to try to take classes, try to go back to school, and I failed. I got a 27 on a test. And I remember driving home crying, thinking, maybe this whole thing is an illusion.

All I could do is hear my first grade teacher saying, I'm afraid he'll never read, write, or communicate, never go very far in life, and all that. And I shattered the vision about being a teacher. And I thought, I guess I'm going back to surfing. And my mom saw me on the living room floor when I got home. She saw me on the floor and she said, what happened, son? What's wrong?

All I could do is hear my first grade teacher saying, I'm afraid he'll never read, write, or communicate, never go very far in life, and all that. And I shattered the vision about being a teacher. And I thought, I guess I'm going back to surfing. And my mom saw me on the living room floor when I got home. She saw me on the floor and she said, what happened, son? What's wrong?

Because she hadn't seen me cry in a long time. And I said, mom, I blew the test. I got a 27. I need a 72 to pass. And she just looked at me. And then she finally said something that only a mother could say. She said, son. She put her hand on my shoulder and she said, son. Whether you become a great teacher, healer, philosopher, and travel the world like you dream,

Because she hadn't seen me cry in a long time. And I said, mom, I blew the test. I got a 27. I need a 72 to pass. And she just looked at me. And then she finally said something that only a mother could say. She said, son. She put her hand on my shoulder and she said, son. Whether you become a great teacher, healer, philosopher, and travel the world like you dream,

or whether you go back to Hawaii and ride giant waves like you've done, or the return to the streets and panhandle as a bum that you've also done. I just want to let you know that your father and I are going to love you no matter what. We know what you've gone through. We're just going to love you.

or whether you go back to Hawaii and ride giant waves like you've done, or the return to the streets and panhandle as a bum that you've also done. I just want to let you know that your father and I are going to love you no matter what. We know what you've gone through. We're just going to love you.

And it took a pressure off me because I feel like I started letting myself and them down because I thought I was going to go back to school and all. But when she said that, my hand went into a fist and I look up and I saw that vision that night that the guy painted. And I saw it and I thought, no, I'm gonna mask this thing called reading, studying, and learning.

And it took a pressure off me because I feel like I started letting myself and them down because I thought I was going to go back to school and all. But when she said that, my hand went into a fist and I look up and I saw that vision that night that the guy painted. And I saw it and I thought, no, I'm gonna mask this thing called reading, studying, and learning.