Name: Don Cowles

Social Media Handle/Username: @DonCowles3

Introduce Yourself/Tell About Yourself: Hello , my name is Don , I’m a 64 year old male , living alone with 3 rescue cats . I’ve been a profession disc jockey since the age of 15 . I’ve always had a long duration of employment up until 2007 when diabetes and other health issues curtailed my employment . In 2012 I had a heart attack which put an end to any thoughts of returning to the work force . I now volunteer at a No Kill animal shelter to fill some of my days .

What Inspires You Every day? : I have two adult disabled children, who I love dearly and wish I could see more . They are the loves of my life . I love to work with the animals at the shelter and my three give me the urgency and a sense of purpose to get up every day because of their love. There are people I know, and I will call them friends as well, they don’t have it as comfortable as I do and I do try to help those people if and when they need it .

What is some words of wisdom you live by?: I’ve always tried to treat people the way I’d like to be treated but I find that gets harder every year. I do try to help as many people as I can either with financial help if possible or past experiences or direct knowledge of a wide variety of issues that affects them in today’s society .

What is your ultimate goal in life? : That is a tough question. I would like to be able to live above the poverty line in a way that would allow me to not have to worry about paying for my medications OR decide on how many groceries I can buy , and still have enough to maybe go to a movie or out for a meal now and then . Being happy of course is of utmost importance .

How have you been during the pandemic and how has it affected you? : During this pandemic, I have much more often than not found myself being alone with only maybe one or two friends that I could actually see and or talk to . Depending on whether or not I can afford my medications , the physical and mental trauma can be quite debilitating . 

What is a message you would like to give others? : I’m old , yes but was raised not to give in , rather than not give up ! Some people have physical , mental and emotional issues that others don’t understand . Know that there’s always someone out there to listen without making judgements because they have gone through similar situations . Go with your “gut” feeling s about a person and don’t be afraid to ask about their past in terms of asking for advice or help .

What else would you like to tell others about you or your life?: I’ve worked hard all my life, two three and sometimes four jobs to make ends meet and better the life that my family deserved . I’ve always try to be decent to people and when they weren’t decent to me I wasn’t so decent to them. I take blame for all the mistakes I’ve made and I take some credit in the good that I’ve done , it sounds silly but the road can be so tough and yet YOU can change that road . I did .