Peacock down: My life of pain and joy, and pain!

For nearly 80-years my life has been an equal mixture of pain and joy. A life of missed opportunities, and a seizure of luck. In 1962, I joined the navy only to be kicked out the following year for stealing. Seven years later I was working at NBC News in New York, eventually becoming the first and only Black [Emmy-winning] Network Sports Producer. My racially segregated high school education had served me well. Seemingly, the only obstacle in the way of further success was Sickle Cell, the unpredictable disease I was born with. I was married, living in the suburbs until my solid life dissolved, and I lost everything, including my family. I went from being a Black Man with Power, to a Struggling Brother! The second part of my life makes the first part look easy. Part two is a lesson for you. If you had been born me, this is where you would fail!