I Still Believe!: (An Inspirational Journey) Memoirs of Mark from Michigan Who Went to Hollywood, Then Conquered the World

By Mark Ozog

Is it okay to believe in destiny? Do things happen for a reason or do situations occur because of luck? Some people believe that your life was already set for you before you were born. Others may be cynical. Whatever you believe, I Still Believe! (An Inspirational Journey) Memoirs of Mark from Michigan Who Went to Hollywood, Then Conquered the World shows an artist's determination to become an actor, public speaker, and athlete when much was not in his favor. This journey shows over four decades of trying to obtain that dream but then learning life lessons along the way. Undying faith, perseverance, love for family, friends, and humanity can finally be unfolded. The initial dream may not happen the way that it was originally intended, but other accomplishments came as a result. To anyone who has ever had a dream and wanted to achieve it, this story may inspire you to make those dreams reality. The dream can turn out bigger and better than anticipated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642988154

Book preview

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I Still Believe!

(An Inspirational Journey) Memoirs of Mark from Michigan Who Went to Hollywood, Then Conquered the World

Mark Ozog

Copyright © 2018 Mark Ozog

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2018

ISBN 978-1-64298-814-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64298-815-4 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Early Years

Arizona

Y2K

Tough LA Life

A Decade in Hollywood

Central America

Stressed Out!

Summer in Sweden

Another Round in Hollywood

The First of Three Triathlons

Europe Again and Now Africa

Lucy and Grandma

Four Decades

Interesting Observations

title

Front Cover Photo: Courtesy of Aroha Fanning

Front and Back Cover artwork and graphic design: Courtesy of Benjamin Esshaghi

The following ordered photos throughout the book are courtesy of the following people:

Jay Dreifus 1,2

Benjamin Esshaghi 5, 35, 40

Luis Mario Salazar Noriega 6

Christian Moralde 8,13,18,19, 21, 22

Ivan Dimov 9

Michael Stern 10, 31

Summer O’Brien 14

Kevin Haranczak 17

Kasia Dabrowski 23, 24

Susan Carruthers 25

Kai Lau 26, 27

Nathan Smythe 28

Bill Hunter 29

Joann Ozog 30

Brad Ravish 32

Pam Van Zandt Alix 36

Katie Zyuzin 37

Alanya Aime Magazine, Alanya, Turkey 39

Audra Potz Holtz 41

Maria Lujan Fernandez 42

Christopher Ozog 45

Mary Ann Shelton 46

Back Cover Photo: Courtesy of Michael Wilkens

Thank you, Lord, for giving me a sign to still believe no matter what.

To those who read this book, I hope you are inspired to still believe as well.

Acknowledgments

How can I thank everyone who has crossed my path in life? This is a difficult task. Many will be grouped into families, friends, and organizations that I have been a part of. This by no means is discrediting one person from another. Some people have a role in my story, while others have been an influence. Since my first published book, is about influencing others to go for their goals in life and seizing the moments, I find it fitting to acknowledge them at this point.

First of all, to my family, I thank and admire all 278+ of you. In 2016, my parents, Joann and Wallace Ozog, celebrated fifty years of marriage, and my mother, Joann, decided to write a book, Fifty Years of Togetherness: The Wallace and Joann Ozog Story. Her focus was on compiling history, photos, and facts of the family from the past in order to preserve our history for future generations. This was mainly for the family to enjoy, but, for me, it sparked an interest to write a book with mass appeal for others throughout the world to enjoy.

I Still Believe! (An Inspirational Journey) Memoirs of Mark from Michigan, Who Went to Hollywood, Then Conquered the World focuses on motivating and inspiring others to go for their dreams and goals in life while seizing the moments. I am an actor, public speaker, writer, world traveler, and triathlete. I tell my autobiographical story through this approach.

Born in the 1970s and a part of Generation X, my Great Aunt, Ginny Kushel, has always told me that I have done so much in my short life. What she said as well as what my childhood friend, Brian Palencik, has told me helped fuel my creativity to write this story. My aunt, Sister Ann Ozog, along with Sister Patricia Wojtasek and Aunt Dorothy Carson (educators themselves), saw at an early age that I had a gift to write and that I needed to present this gift to the world.

To my childhood educators, Cheryl Shalagan, Carmen Norkiewicz, Karen Raszkowski, Vicki Granger, Brother Pat McNally, and Brother Joseph Jozwiak, I thank you for inspiring me. Kudos go out to Cheryl Gardner, Barbara Bredius, Deanna Sutherland, Carol Sorenson, and Janet Haney for being my copyeditors, as well as Estrella Editing. I can’t forget the fantastic team at Page Publishing, led by Ariel Jordan, for their wonderful job in helping me publish my first book.

Most importantly, I would like to thank my parents for always being there even though we have lived time zones apart for so long. To my parents and Sister Ann, I can say to you that I finally wrote a book, I Still Believe!

Thank You!

Wallace and Joann Ozog

Michael, Ryan, and Grace Ozog

Chris, Barb, and Olivia Ozog

Taylor and Madison Withers

Dr. Frank and Agnes Ozog and family

Dr. Stanley Ozog

Monsignor Thaddeus Ozog

Sr. Ann Ozog

Sr. Patricia Wojtasek

Anthony and Lorraine Ozog and family

Mom’s Family: The Kushels and Godlewskis

Dad’s Family : The Ozogs

Dr. John and Camille Ozog and family

Joseph Jr. and Nina Ozog and family

Joseph and Stella Klein and family

Jerry and Lottie Basta and family

Norman and Joan Roden and family

Dr. Thomas and Dorothy (Dot) Carson

Eugene and Virginia Paul Ozog

Alice Ozog Johnson

Kathleen (Bunny) Klein Dreifus and Jay Dreifus

Tom and Ryan Berman

Tara Klein Grubb

David, Mark, and James Klein

Suzi, Carl, Adam, and Eric Stock

Jerry Basta Jr.

Zosia Chorzepa Pruchnik

Gosia Chorzepa Noga

The Ozog and Chorzepa families of Nienadǿwka, Poland

Joseph and Maryanna Ozog

John and Victoria Kushel

Charles and Lorraine White and family

Sharon White Fry

Bob White

Debbie White Romzek

Steve and Stella Godlewski and family

John and Jane Zoltowski and family

Walter and Lottie Godlewski

Tony Godlewski

Alexander and Virginia (Ginny) Kushel and family

Ann Kushel

Walter Kushel and family

Laurie Probst

Robert, Jackie, Andy, and Brian Palencik and family

Ann Marie Palencik Mickel and family

Brooke and Lola Butler and family

Maria Polsinelli Napolitano

Kathy Boggia Viers

Cherie Duncan Rader

Mary Soslowski Rustoni

Kelly Gapinski

Melissa Goetz

Kevin, Kelly, and Kimberly Haranczak (adopted siblings)

Sharon and Peter Rauch (adoptive parents)

Jason Mass

Domenique Smith

Nick Capous

Scott Colomby

Glenn Scarpelli

Michael Stern

Walter Christian Moralde

Moralde family

Dana Kenerson

Scott Masterson

Dani Dmitrieff-Nivar

Emilio Zuniga

Jorge Guerrero

Amir Teymouri and family

Sergio Palacios

Victor Padilla

Greg and Maya Rogers

George, Elaine, Candice, Stephen, and Kelly Anderson and family

Diego Garcia

James Quinn

Janet Haney and Pauline Morris

Krister, Marie, Melissa, and Amanda Fritz

Martin, Isak, Anna, and Anton Gesikowski and Maria Hellstrom

Simon and Clara Baczkowski and Tina Jussila

Matthias Lunneryd

Karin Strom

Jennie Floden

Mathias Seoud

Goran, Pia, Felicia, Fabbe Wafors, and Philip Rooth

Kaiko Veiga and John Fernandez Soage (Johny) of Vigo, Spain

Bill Hunter

Michelle Barnett

Marni Basto

Raph Keegan

Dennis Kirwan III

Maki Koda

Laura Jevnikar

Tina Pamboukdjian and family

Joanie, ‘Chyna,’ Laurer

Octavia Spencer

Joe Mayer

Gregg Oppenheimer

Lucille Ball and Frances Fisher

The cast of The Brady Bunch

Casey Kasem

Obi Obadike

Greg Plitt

William and Katherine Aguirre and Fitnessx.com

Bill, Marie, and Lynn Craig and Parrot Cove of Troy, Michigan

Kuhnhenn Brewery of Warren, Michigan

Krakǿw Restaurant of San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Carl Zeuner

Marsha Klik, Linda Zajac, Marcia Lewandowski, and Donna Skurski

Sofie Filus and family

Bob, Cindy, Paul, and Nicole Ozog

John and Mary Ann Shelton and Linda Mikus

Robert Castro

Dave Cope

Taina Bowden

John Cannett

Minna Tran

Denis Benojarto

Luciano Iannone

Miguel Tocado

Brad Ravish

John Cupp

Lisa Slade

Lisa Mayo, Liliana Montenegro, and David Sifling

Cyndie Nava

Eva Sciuba

Paul Minassian

Kaleo Hui

Peter Rate

Rate family of Hutchinson, Kansas

John Zupet and family

Mike, Aroha, and Nick Wezner of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Johan Beckles

Cheryl Gardner, Barbara Bredius, Deanna Sutherland, Carol Sorenson, and Megan Luttien (copyeditors)

Estrella Editing

Lyman Rate

Ariana Csonka Kaleta

Blaise Cantau

Oscar Puglisevich Miranda

Pedro Guevara

St. Anne Roman Catholic Community of Warren, Michigan

DeLaSalle Collegiate of Warren, Michigan

Arizona State University of Tempe, Arizona

All roommates and friends from Arizona State University and Los Angeles

Can Kizildereli

Cansu Mishal

Maryam Mamdouh

Benjamin Esshaghi

SAG-AFTRA

Video Monitoring Services of America

All former speakers and colleagues from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, California

PRCUA (Polish Roman Catholic Union of America)

Polish Museum of America, Chicago, Illinois

Cardinal Adam Maida

Saint John Paul the Great (Pope John Paul II)

Malgorzata Kot

Taylor Baugh

Arisneh and Alen Alenkin

Persisca Network, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sebastien Lubin

Romina Kuschnerus

Natalia Nataliia

Katie and Nikita Zyuzin

David Frederic

Oxana, Dasha, and Maxim Lavrova

Alex Toto Marquez

Luis Mario Salazar Noriega

Nate English

Michelle Russo

Parkside Crew of Westland Michigan (Abates, Gwizdz, and Christian)

Michael and Jolanta Budny and Polka Restaurant of Los Angeles

Kasia and Andrew Dabrowski of Warsaw, Poland

Lori and Maria Miesik

Summer and Mike O’Brien

Ashley and Andrew Anderson

Page Publishing (Ariel Jordan, Ali Stuart, and crew), New York, New York

Hateful Eight (Alok, Rob, Dennis, Julio, Shane, Coope, Josh, and me)—Pura vida!

And of course, God!

Introduction

Is it okay to believe in destiny? Do things happen for a reason, or are situations just chance or luck? Some people believe that their lives were already set for them before they were born. Others may be cynical. Whatever you believe in, this is a story of how undying faith, perseverance, love for family, friends, and humanity can finally be unfolded. Many people find it difficult to take their dreams and pursue them to the best of their abilities. Fears and restrictions may put a limit on oneself, but it can also be caused by their environment or finances. If you have a dream and want to achieve it, this story will inspire you. As humans, we all have our own unique stories. I hope mine will help you look at life differently. My name is Mark. I am originally from Michigan. I went to Hollywood, then I traveled the world. In my opinion, it was more like conquering the world as I learned a very valuable lesson. It can be blissful to turn your dreams into reality and in turn become your life. Be careful what you wish for. Your dreams can turn out bigger and better than anticipated.

Early Years

When I was about five years old, my parents took me and my older brother, Michael, to Toronto, Canada. I thought I had gone to the other side of the universe when in reality it was only a five-hour car ride away from our house in Detroit. Visiting Chinatown in Toronto, I did actually think I was in the country of China. Getting lost at Ontario Place water park made me realize that my parents might have left me in a foreign country. This boggled my mind. At my earliest age, I wanted to explore the world. I often escaped by watching a lot of television, but who didn’t that was a part of my generation—Generation X? I learned a lot about the world and wished I could be a part of it.

My father came from a family of thirteen children, and my mother just had a sister but was close to all her cousins. Our family gatherings were always hectic and huge. In my dad’s family, there are thirty-five first cousins. I am number 33, so I am one of the youngest in that generation. Some of my older first cousins were closer in age to my parents than to me and my older brother, Michael. Growing up in this environment meant a life dedicated to God, family, faith, church, and being Polish and American in Michigan.

Visiting the hometown Detroit, Michigan in 2017

My father was from the west side of Detroit, while my mother was an east-sider. When I was born, my parents lived just south of Eight Mile on Detroit’s east side. I would live in the city of Detroit until I was six years old when my younger brother, Chris, was born. All three of my parents’ children were born just north of Detroit in Warren. Living the first six years of my life in Detroit, Eight Mile Road, was always significant to me as it was the border between the city and the suburbs. As I was going to explore the world, I wanted to make Eight Mile a part of my mantra. Rapper Eminem beat me to the punch as far as popularizing it through his music and his film. My dedication to growing up on Eight Mile would be different from Eminem’s.

I can’t remember my exact first memory, but I believe I was around four years of age. It was the Fourth of July 1976. This was America’s bicentennial. My brother, Michael, was on a parade float wearing a Polish costume with all these beautiful older girls. I was wearing a boy mountaineer costume from Zakopane, Poland, which is in the southern part of the country in the Tatra Mountains. My parents thought I was too young to be on the float, but I was more than ready. I was eager to be performing at this early age.

Back where I was born and raised in the 1970s and 80s; 8 Mile Road

Between wanting to be on that float at age four and watching