Rant #2,360: Rock of Ages

I am a very nostalgic person.

I really love the past, love the memories of days earlier in my life, because it set the pace for where I am now.

I never forget the past, and certainly never try to change it, and it becomes clearer to me as I approach another birthday this weekend.

That is why it was such a surprise when a Facebook friend of mine--we will call him "Fred V."--posted something from my past, from nearly 40 years ago, on Facebook the other day.

I have to tell you, it is something that I pretty much completely forgot about.

In September/October 1980, I was just a young 23 year old kid looking at my future through rose-colored glasses.

I had graduated college in May 1979, and fresh out of school, it took me a while to secure a regular job, and finally, I was hired as a proofreader at a small printing company and worked at the old 14 West 40th address in Manhattan, a building that was torn down several years ago and an address that no longer exists.

Anyway, I was also preparing to go to graduate school to further my chances at securing a good job as a secondary school English teacher. Little did I know how fruitless the pursuit of that particular job was going to be, but again, I had those rose colored glasses firmly on my head at the time.

Anyway, I loved to write, always did, and had written for my school newspaper for the full four years I was in college, making me the only person at my college to do so during that four-year span.

At this point, I would write things all the time, send them to whoever was interested, and evidently, the people who put on the old Rockages rock and roll record and memorabilia show in Manhattan at the Sheraton Hotel got some of my articles, and I was one of the feature articles in their very first issue, shown here.

I wrote an article on the Monkees, which was appropriate because the recently re-emerged and re-invigorated Peter Tork was going to appear at the show, with the announcement shown here.

So I wrote this article--I don't remember if the Rockages people contacted me or I contacted them--and my article was featured in their program/brochure/issue, shown here.

It is always fun to look back on something I wrote when I was really at the beginning of my career. I wasn't a full-fledged writer yet, but the origins were there.

I see that I had the drive, determination and talent to do this type of work, but I was really at my very beginnings when I see an article like this, which was a couple of years removed from the even earlier article I showed you that I had written for my college newspaper about Russ Meyer starlet Raven de la Croix (Rant #2296, January 10, 2019).

Before Fred V. put this thing that I wrote on Facebook, I have to say that I totally forgot about it--and like the college article I showed you, I cannot find the thing for the life of me.

I know that it is in this house, I simply cannot find it now.

But whatever the case, what a kick I got to see it again! And out of the clear blue sky yet!

Goodness, the Monkees article was done a lifetime ago. Who could predict in 1980 where I would be in 2019?

I don't remember if I ever wrote another thing for Rockages, but during this period, I would have things published here and there about a variety of subjects.

Then, out of clear frustration about my work situation, I started up a fanzine called "Hear Again," and the rest is history.

That homemade publication caught the eye of several people--Goldmine gave it its first and only "Best Fanzine" award in the early 1980s--and I was hired as a freelance writer for a fledging music publication on Long Island called "The Island Ear."

From there, I finally earned a living as a writer when I was hired to write about real estate for a weekly industry publication, and that later led to me writing about security alarms and freelancing for a number or publications, writing on a variety of subjects.

And of course, all this led up to my current, more than 23-year job of writing about military exchanges and commissaries for a publication that goes around the world.

But again, you have to start somewhere, and the Rockages publication was one of those starts that I needed to get the confidence to go out and do this for a living.

And yes, what a kick it was to see it all again!

And thanks again Fred V., for putting it up on Facebook for all to see!