My story. Born In the USA - do I have a chance in Poland, my Mother Country?

I was born in America, my parents met in a Swedish hospital after suviving Nazi Consentration camps for years.
They said the country of Poland and the city of Warsaw was entirely like ground zero in New york at 911.
My mom was taken off of a pile of dead bodies after her friend swore she was still alive. A British soldier came over and did feel a pulse after she was rescued by her "Angel" friend as she said. They both weighd about 75 lbs. and took a couple of months to recouperate. They never talked about it much till just before my mother died in 2003 at the age of 84. My dad died in a bothced heart surgery in 1980.

My youger brother and I took care of her for the last 14 years of her life and she was very interesting to me. I was closest to her. I put aside my musical carear since i was able to , to be around more than my 3 brothers and one sister.

We were not treated very well in the "Heartland" of the Country. Most of the people were overweight, talked in broken American. were backward and ignorant and very bigoted, jealous, proud, slanderous, lazy, lustful, and many dangerous. Very rude, had thrown all culture down the toilet. Did way too many drugs. didn't care about anyone but themselves. The state of Indiana was totally controlled by the KKKK through the 40's and after a leader was surprisingly convicted for rape and murder, the Klan took off their white sheets and went under cover and over half of the people in the middle of the Country are either members or support the Klan or skinheads or neo-nazis and are allowed to practice with impunity.

I did have quite a few friends but they were timid about the klan and were not targeted like my family and i were.
After I started playing music I became a bit known in the small city of Evansville (200,000 people) and surroundind towns & states. I got a lot of crap for being a musician from the typical country red necks.

I got assaulted and batterred about 12 times , robbed or burgularizes about 7 or 8 times and they were never even arrested . because I was a "Catholic Polack" and a musician with long hair on top of that. I was called Fag, faggot, Fish Eater, peace freak, wimp *****, twerp. I had a girlfriend who insisted I pay attention to her and used me as an ornament and told me her family was from Northern Ireland and that it wasn't so much that I was Polish or that I had long hair or that I was a musician, but that I was Catholic that they just hated me.

As it turned out they were affiliated with the KKKK I found out after they completely ruined my life a dozen times. The only good thing was they got a child of mine in their family that is a Healthy, great looking, very nice , well behaved genius with a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering. I wasn't allowed to raise him or see him that much but all his friends' parents were friends of mine and told him about me and they had a lot of respect for me and my music. He is very respectful to me when he does see me which is not very often.

I had to leave Indiana about 8 months after he was born because all my friends told me and my family that her father had put a bounty on my head and wanted me dead. My mother and brother put my things in a van and the next day a guy my brother knew came over to pick me up and drove me out to California.

California was like a foreign Country. People were light, nice, interesting and not so bigoted. It was easy to get work and eventually I built a studio in Hollywood. It took almost 5 years of 16 yo 18 hour days and a few credit cards to complete it. I was making a 1000 dollars a day and recorded many legendary musicians and hundreds of others . I was poised to become very wealthy. But my ex now found out about it and her father had sent someone to infiltrate my landlords company and they eventually Locked me out of my own business and asaulted and battered. I fought them in the courts for about 14 years . Athough they paid off the judge and blocked my appeal I still settled one case and was awarded property that I was never able to collect.That's when I moved to Nashville, TN. to be in the music scene and be close to my mother, till she was tortured to death by Nursing home personnel after breaking her hip. I decide to go back to California after she died. I hated Nashville and the South. It was as Horrible as you have ever heard or worse. The 4 skinHeads broke my back and neck , damaged in about 12 places. I started being in pain all the time . when they took MRI's the told me I was screwed. Broken and can't be fixed and will have to be on medication for the rest of my life and it was going to just get worse and worse. They were not lying.

When I got back to California, it was gone. The rents were 10 X what they were before as real estate was inflated to a giant bubble. All my friends were retired and the town was run by Rappers and gang bangers. It was Gone. I was told I was too old , no matter how good i might have been and they retire enginwers at 50. I decided to come home to Indiana where a friend of my ex wife gave me a lttle house for 300 a month. I've been here 6 years and I have had enough. It is worse than ever. Bigots, predudice, ignorance, glutony, jealousy,narrow minded, downright stupid and repressive to intelligence.

I decided I want to go to Poland . I got my passport, I'm awaiting to recieve it. I can't imagine it being a bad place at all compared to this heartland of the Gredy and Devil worshipimg hillbilly hicks.

I can't take it anymore. I can't afford to live in California or new york, the only 2 places i could stand in this country. So I do speak the language although it's and old dialect from 50-60 years ago. I can converse in Polish. I don't worry about that. I feel like I want political assylim in Poland. I think I would be happy there. I have never felt at home in this country wxcept for California which I can't afford and as I said It's not there anymore.

All the things I have read about sounds like I can be happy in Poland. I might be accepted there.
I think that guy that said Poland is beneath him and put it down was a typical Amnerican Heartland or southern Republiklan Bigot. The kind of people I just want to get away from. as well as the Nazis, and Skinheads and the rest of the KKKK and their supporters. They control this Country. That is a Fact.

This is no place for a person like me. I feel i'm in prison with criminals. I want OUT.
If Poland will have me I will Love it and I will try to Play my music for them and make them feel GOOD as I think they already do feel.

Well that's my story.
What do you think. Do I have a chance in Poland , my Mother Country? Will I be accepted? Will I be able to live in Peace, humbly and quetly , maybe meet the one Lady of my life, before it's too late.

I'm 59 but I look younger and I've taken care of myself. I am damaged . But I have an innner peace that I want to preserve. I need a place that I can do that.

I have danaged my lungs with the polution here and I get pnumonia every winter so I may have to go south a couple of months and maybe play for some other people through the real bad winter times. I don't mind winters . It gets below zero here in January and february but I have COPD so it might kill me unless I go somewhere warmer. But the rest of the year sound nice to me. If I can Keep warm, I might be able to keep from getting Pnumonia. It's so expensive to live here I can't pay my heating bills so I catch Pnumonia. That is the only thimg I may worry about.

Otherwise I really want to just leave everything and go there.
I may have some family there my name was Pawlowski I shortened it to Powell because no-one pronounced it right. Professionally I go by Columby. I guess you can google chris columby and you will see who I am. I didn't put all those sites up. I put up 3 or 4 and they just multiplyed and they are all ripping me off by downloading my music and not paying me a penny.

It sucks. But if I can play there I will be fine . I can do a Solo act with a sequenced keyboard accompanyment or if I can find a Good Drummer and Bass , I can play as a Trio.

Anybody got any thoughts for me to ponder? It's 2:30 am and I'm falling asleep.

cool story bro

Got anywhere specific in Poland in mind?

As you have a EU passport and health needs, I'd suggest you aim for the south west of Poland, near a big city for health care and access to other EU countries (where you would be entitled for treatment). So around Wroclaw I guess, which is supposed to be very nice and has good transport links. Its would give you quicker access to southern Europe/Germany and warmer weather if needed. You may consider wintering/holidaying in the Canary Islands, its cheap (tax free zone) and there is a lot of reasonably priced accommodation. Being near the equator gives you all year round summer.

I don't think you would have any problem settling in Poland, there are a lot of Polish American's here and I get the impression they are respected. I can't even speak much Polish but the welcome I get is universally positive. I did a quick google and given your history, I think you could have success in Poland. Nigel Kennedy seems to be doing alright in Krakow. secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Nigel_Kennedy

Just don't have too high expectations - there are no absolutely perfect places and Poland has also its downsides.

chreese, if you had that many problems in the US, you're going to HATE Poland.

Yes. Maybe Canada?


Chreese, what's this about?

Do you think he'll be persecuted there... because of his Polish ancestry?

chreese
I very symphatize with your story, I hope that Poland won't dissapoint you but you have to have a good plan: job, earnings, accomodation. Don't even go to Poland without such plan (and without checking if your expectations are down to earth). It's good you're going to obtain Polish citizenship, then even if Poland will turn out to be a bit too harsh place (in terms of jobs and salaries) then you may easly move to look for your luck in other Europrean countries.

Oh and I almost forgot. There are some users who seem to be familiar with music scene in Poland and might know what opportunities you may expect there.

Why? what he hates about America is specifically American.

i don't think so. people find problems everywhere.
I think that he may find his place/home in Poland... if you don't try, you'll never know.

thank you for sharing your story, chreese... i wish you all the best & don't hesitate to stop by here for more info/help/story sharing.

Really? I've lived in five states and spent months in others, and I never experienced anything like what he's talking about.


Who wants to tell him about Polish winters?

Maybe you're younger and that's the reason? When I was reading his story a scene from Easy Rider appeared in front of my eyes.

I'm quite a bit older than he is, for what it's worth. When I read his story all I could think of was paranoia.

California and New york are the only livable places in the US in your opinion? You must be a moron if you think that.

KKK? What the hell are you talking about?

Discrimination against polish-americans? Few poles complain about this, i wonder what you did/do to attract this negative attention.

You sound like a strange person, OP.

I lived in Poland for a few years recently and i have to tell you from first hand experience, life is better in the US/Canada.

My thoughts exactly.

It seems like bad luck has followed you all around. You seem to see all the greed, racism, evil.. haven't noticed any good in people? I looked at some of your links (drum machines are so annoying), not ONE outside comment. None. Very curious. No friends, family, people that will be sorry to see you go, someone you'll be sorry to leave behind?

schizophrenic

it's sad, really.. but if he can't find any good people here, chances are he won't find them in Poland, either. And if he thinks there is no greed, thievery or bigotry in Poland, he'll walk right into it, again.

Chreese,

the American's opinion is in: American is wonderful.

As a Polish-Brit, I have had no problem whatsoever moving here and I'd chose it over the USA any day.

it is wonderful and also: sad, mean, fearful, whimsical.. lots of extremes. However, you look out at the mountains, the beaches, the forests and you're happy you're here.

so he wants to come based on his experiences, however, I think he should try contacting people from the states first. I think it is possible for him to set up and be quite successful. Look at john porter. he is a skeleton of a man who is married to a beautiful Polish woman. He has a very successful career here.

There are loads of places in Warsaw that play small venues with foreigners. About 6 years ago I saw this band at a hotel- they were from Canada. The primarily did cover tunes- but the place was rocking and everybody was having a great time.

I spoke to a few of the band members and they told me they do a regular tour of Poland and every time they are successful and their shows are packed.

I think it is possible for him to do well- it is just taking the first leap into it.

he also mentioned about going South in Poland to avoid the cold winters, where the hell is that? I lived in the South and it was friggen freezing too.

I suppose Zakopane is the most Southern point but thats also the coldest of the lot.

Do you know what annoys me? If someone on this forum wrote that he was a victim of racist acts in Poland and if some Pole said something like: "it's probably your fault" then you would say that Poles can't face the truth and no one would question whether the experience of that person are truthful or not. But when a Pole in America (or in any other country) says that was a victim of prejudice then you call him... schizophrenic.

The problem here seems to be the OP, not the fact that hes Polish at all. He seems to be blaming everything on the fact that he's Polish, perhaps hes not capable of looking at the type of person he is and making the necessary alterations.

I mean the US is basically one big mass of immigrants, i dont hear all of them complaining.

I wouldn't call him schizophrenic or paranoid, sounds more like a manic depressant to me.

Most people on this forum live in: Texas, California, Michigan, Michigan, Chicago or New York area. Chicago, Michigan and New York are full of Polish Americans, California and Texas generally full of immigrants. What about other states, especially those were majority are white protestant Americans of the Anglosaxon descent?


Of course he seems to be depressed and rancorous. Wouldn't you be on his place?

It all depends on the music. Did you listen to some of it?

You mention the KKK and Skinheads and how they control this country, and I quote, "that's a fact". No, it is not a fact. Having lived in the Southern US all my life, I do remember in my younger days the atrocities performed by the KKK. However, those days are long gone. Today, this country is very tolerant of ethnic differences and in fact, embrace them now more than ever. You apparently have had bad luck, but please don't paint a picture of this country as being nothing but a bunch of hate mongers and red necks. Not that they don't exist, but they are certainly the minority. I suspect that you will find mean spirited people in any country; it just depends on the type of "friends" you choose to hang around with.

A vast majority of California, has suffered many drastic changes, throughout the recent years.


Exactly one year from today, I boarded my first flight to Poland. There's nothing that can describe the sensation I felt, when I first stepped foot on Polish soil. I can hardly wait, until I finally have the opportunity, to revisit the motherland again :)

[quote=chreese]Anybody got any thoughts for me to ponder? It's 2:30 am and I'm falling asleep.
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Thats your problem my friend when you take drugs and alcohol.... have a good nights rest and when you wake take a hard look at yourself. America is a great country, you my friend are a dreamer in fact a nobody, its easy to dream and make out to be somebody you are not.... come out and admit this, you will feel better.

I think he made quite clear what he thinks, and its no different to the majority of the world and probably a vary large part of American's themselves think. Some American worship and take pride in their ignorance and stupidity and if you aren't stupid maybe America is not the place to be.