Monday, June 23, 2014

LOOKING BACK

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It’s been a lot of years, since I left the hallowed grounds of college and entered the real world of life as an adult. I had 2 jobs working in a place called Rollic, Inc., as a stock boy and shipping clerk, and worked in a supermarket at nights until 11:00 PM, collecting wagons from the parking lot, packing bags at the checkout and stocking shelves and putting on the prices when the store closed. When I entered in my freshman year at NYIT, I had both those jobs to help me pay my own way through college. Some of my classmates had cars given to them by their parents and my parents: well they gave me for a mode of transportation, the direction of the railroad station. They even reminded me to buy a ticket first before boarding.

There was no help for me in going to school, I had no money to speak of, I had a small scholarship from the state, and Mom supplemented my daily expenses with a ham sandwich, which was one piece of ham on two slices of white bread, maybe a little mayo. She wasn’t cheap, but poor, she put it in a brown paper bag and when I picked it up in the morning before leaving on the 5:45 AM from Bellport Station, I would take it out of the bag paper bag and stick it in my coat pocket, since it was wrapped in waxed paper. It was one thing less to carry. I had a large painting I had to bring with me, or photo equipment like a camera, light meter and tripod, and books and pads, along with a fishing tackle box for art supplies. I look back today and wonder how I ever did it.

When I applied for my first professional job, I found myself in the middle of NYC, confused and somewhat lost. I climbed out of the train in Penn Station and went to the information booth and asked how to get to Lexington Avenue. I got on the E-Train and headed uptown, saw a street (50th) as close to 54th Street and got on the street, found the building with time to spare and had breakfast first. I was carrying a large portfolio case with ads I design and wrote, samples of hand lettering and photos I took, along with packaging ideas. I wasn’t taking a chance. I wanted a job and a chance to make my way in the real world as quickly as possible.

After the interview with the art director, he asked if I could start on Monday, almost lifting me out of my shoes in joy: I had begun my career, I had made it! I looked out of the 32nd floor, the top of the building and could see the skyscrapers above and below me, the concrete avenues, even looking through the clouds, the ads and awards the agency had won, I was indeed heaven.

Coming home that day, in my excitement, I called home from Penn Station to tell Mom the great news, I was going to be a designer, in NYC, ME, A COUNTRY BOY FROM BROOKLYN!!

Tomorrow: MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL DAY

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