More School Closures – Ep 9 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the negative impacts the pandemic continues to have on children of all ages, especially more school closures leading to our worst “academic achievement crisis in living memory”, as well as suicide rates rising sharply among girls 12-17 years old (up 51% from 2019-2021); another variant called IHU in France that is “definitely not worth worrying about at the moment”; kudos to Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers pushing back on criticism for hugging NFL reporter Erin Andrews in a postgame interview on Christmas Day; decriminalization measures in NYC meant to combat their growing crime; the good and the bad news when it comes to US companies hiring employees in December (good) while thousands of flights are still being cancelled and more Broadway shows are closing their doors (bad); plus good news from Goldman Sachs about Bitcoin potentially reaching $100,000 as it takes store of value share away from Gold. And of course, more talk about drinking from the Fountain of Youth and my new Tola Yoga class at Plano Athletic Club starting this Saturday at 12:30p.

I’ve landed in Bushwick

Where in the world is Bushwick, you might ask? A far cry from Hollywood and the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, right? Well, not exactly.

Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of Brooklyn, bounded by Williamsburg to the west, East New York to the east, Bed-Stuy to the south, and Ridgewood, Queens to the north. With a population of about 150,000, “most residents are Latinos from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico and from the Dominican Republic, but more recent years have seen an increase in native-born Americans as well as other Latino groups, particularly immigrants from Mexico”. And with a subway stop right outside my front door (the elevated M line), I can reach downtown Manhattan in about 20 minutes.

So why choose Bushwick for the next leg of my journey? Specifically to put me close to Wall Street where I can sell my sexy memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, and most importantly, where I can affordably re-connect with my acting roots and audition for that role of a lifetime – or any suitable roles in film, TV and even Broadway for that matter. Yes, Broadway, because just like my book says, “it’s a calling” and “the proof is in the pudding”, so let the talented survive and the confident thrive.

And for anyone looking to expand their horizons and be inspired to try – that is, to pursue your true passion that may lead you to greatness – then read my memoir and decide. Because you really can achieve anything in life if you believe in yourself and just set your sights and try!

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood is available in paperback ($15.99) and in ebook on Kindle ($9.99). A portion of sales help women and children survivors of domestic violence.