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 (50^th) as close to 54^th 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 32^nd 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