Before you were a journalist ...

I appeared in the local weekly several times as a child for school-related activities.

As a teen, it was for city sports leagues and high school sports, band and academics in middle school.

I also had two letters to the editor published about things I thought were problems in our city. A few years ago I found a very nicely composed letter in reply to one of them from a city recreation manager, which left an impact. As a teen, I also penned a letter to the local daily slamming its sports coverage; at that moment, I was one of "those fans."

I ended up working briefly for the weekly, which was a great learning experience.

An aside about letters to the editor: a good friend in high school wrote a letter asking teens to boycott the local McDonald's, which had kicked him out for not purchasing anything while sitting with the rest of us who had probably dropped $100 that night alone on food.

We all left that night. The letter was in the paper five days later and for six weeks McDonald's did not get any business from the high school kids. We eventually returned, but the manager was apologetic and we proved our point. That also left an impact about the power of the press and the people.

 

Played basketball? Hahahahaha

 

I would think with that strike zone, you'd mostly draw walks. Like the Eddie Gaedel of softball.

 

My picture ran once for a girl scout pancake breakfast I helped at, my name appeared for winning the school spelling bee twice ... and I think that's about it. Oh, and honor roll and all that learning bullshit.

 

Guards can be short, dammit!

 

Hell, I played a two-on-two pick-up basketball game against the starting center on my high school basketball team. His teammate was 5-foot-11. My teammate was 5-foot-9. I was 5-foot-7.

Granted, the center was 6-foot-3. But during the game, he jokingly talked about double-teaming me because I was "getting all the rebounds."

I guess I was my high school's version of Darrell Walker.

 

Fair enough. Another short-joke cleanup is needed on Aisle 2

 

1. In the fifth grade, appeared in a "fashion" shoot modelling "jams" (surf shorts?).

2. Junior year of high school, front page of sports with arms extended, signalling safe, after a slide into third base.

(I was out. Ump bought my "call", called me safe.)

 

• Cub Scout award banquet photos in the Smalltown Weekly during elementary school.
• Academic team photo after winning tournament on local PBS affiliate (I'd moved to a slightly bigger town by then.)
• Honor roll listings I never bothered to look at. (But I was there like clockwork at the mall arcade every six weeks, putting my good grades to work in the form of free tokens.)
• Engagement listing in hometown rag and college town paper.

I know it is awful, but I've become one of those bitter old coots who doesn't want to see a letter or column in the newspaper from someone not old enough to vote.

 

Made the local weekly for scoring a couple goals in JV soccer, in box scores/stories for amateur baseball, team photos as a Little League coach, college and high school graduation.

Even made the big city metro a time or two for amateur baseball because they sponsored the league.

 

Did you guide your AAU team to three consecutive championships?

 

You mean back-to-back-to-back national championships.