OFF THE BEATEN PATH Flower Power!

From debilitating anxiety and depression to limitless and unbounded joy and happiness

JD THE FLOWERMAN

BACK WHEN MY NAME WAS ROB, I was painfully shy, unsure—and the concept of self-love was foreign to me. I had lost a lot of money through the breakup of my family, my poor business decisions, and an internet scam. After a 15-year dependence on five different anti-psychotic medications, in March of 2016 I found myself admitted involuntarily to the psychiatric ward. Which is where I remained for the next 15 months, on and off, for months at a time. On May 5, 2017 I woke up with absolutely no anxiety or depression: it is the date of my re-birth.

Change was required to find unbounded joy and happiness. I changed everything in my life. Fearing homelessness, I sold whatever I had left, put a trailer hitch on my 1966 Mustang Convertible and hauled a cute little tent trailer to drive somewhere west. Originally I was going to settle in the mountain village of Nelson, BC, but I felt it was too isolated. I kept driving and driving. I took my keys out of the ignition in the most beautiful coastal valley I could have imagined. I had never heard of the

Comox Valley in my life. If you had given me a paper map of BC, it would have taken me hours to locate it. Consequently I had no friends here, no acquaintances, no job to come to, and no family. A new start!

After settling in to my new home, and then experiencing homelessness not long after my arrival, I changed my name from Rob, to John, to J.D. to finally The Flowerman. I always introduce myself as “J.D., but my friends call me The Flowerman.” I have so many people in my life both here in the Comox Valley and back in my old home town that I can truly call friends. I have the most amazing career that a man could ask for driving my Magic Bus for B.C. Transit. The Flowerman now has a permanent place to call home.

I started wearing Hawaiian Leis soon after my arrival simply to express an outward sign of my limitless Joy and Happiness. I made them all and had different ones for different events and activities I was participating in. But honestly I never felt quite right about wearing a Hawaiian Lei. I don’t live in Hawaii, I don’t say Aloha and I live on a stunning island in its own right.

One dark and stormy night two winters ago, The Flowerman was waiting at his Bus stop loading passengers to take them down to Fanny Bay. I was wearing the most brilliant, puffy and flamboyant Lei in my inventory that particular night. One older gentleman who was looking down-on-his-luck stepped into my Bus, and his eyes lit up as he saw my colourful Lei around my neck. He pointed to his own neckline and asked, “Is that your Pathfinder?” www.theflowerman.ca | @jdtheflowerman

It hit me like a lightning bolt! I had to redesign my neckpiece I loved to wear, I could not sleep that night because of my excitement. The flowers that now make up my Pathfinder are all inspired by living my best life in the Comox Valley. Since I was a young boy the Sunflower has had special meaning to me; plucking seeds out of the head to form a happy face. The white rose is dedicated to the best landlady and landlord a man could have as they were the couple who welcomed me into their home thus ending my homelessness and providing a very soft place to land. The bright yellow “burst of colour” flower was given to me at a bus stop by a Vietnam veteran experiencing homelessness. The pink tulip was give to me by a young high school student from Chile I pick up on my Bus. I brought the burst of red into the Pathfinder as they pay tribute to the roses I received from two different passengers a year ago.

I tell all who ask about this brilliant neck piece that it’s my Pathfinder because it lights my path to connect with others and spread joy and happiness. When people tell me they love my flowers I say “thanks, they’re Skookum.” (Skookum is Pacific North West Chinook Wawa word used to describe things that are “strong”, “monstrous”, “greatest’, “powerful”, “ultimate”, “brave”.)

At 59 years old, The Flowerman is stronger both physically and mentally than when he was 20. Since wearing my Pathfinder, I have given up a 25-year pack-a-day smoking habit; lost 80 pounds (70 of which came off in just 14 weeks by cycling 2,300 kilometres in that time); I play hockey once again and can score Hat Tricks; I surf off the coast of Tofino; I cycle every single day 365 days a year and look forward to cycling in our winter atmospheric rivers. I had been pre-diabetic as Rob, but am no longer as The Flowerman, and I find once daunting daily chores very easy to accomplish and complete.

To The Flowerman, wearing my Pathfinder, I equate to what Superman must feel like wearing his cape. Like Superman’s cape, The Flowerman’s Pathfinder gives him super powers. The Flowerman’s super powers happen to be spreading joy and happiness. Wearing my Pathfinder allows me to live my best life! That life is full of boundless energy, having courage under fire, recognizing your strengths and weaknesses and embracing both, boosting strength of character, loving yourself with passion, living a healthy lifestyle, connecting with others, positive attitude, an ability to think outside the box, pride of being different, and sharing this limitless Joy and Happiness with the world. FLOWER POWER!

The Flowerman sincerely hopes that by wearing your own highly unique and colourful floral Pathfinder, you too can live a better life and spread the light in a beautifully bright way.

Facebook group: Comox Valley Social Experiment

FLOWER MAN T-SHIRTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT MID ISLAND GIFTS @ YQQ

PARTIAL PROCEEDS GO TO CV MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES