Above: The Daily Planet – Mitch (top), Jeph (L), Joey (middle), Marc (R), B of A Achievement Award, stream-of-conscious notebook pages (no actual writing class assignments have survived)
My Real Memoir
I was imploding with unfulfilled and unrecognized yearnings. I’d hitched my wagon to what seemed the two nearest stars: acting and music. After all, I’d been Mr. Theatre in high school, even received a Bank of America scholarship to pursue acting. And my band had been labelled one of the best new music groups in America. So clearly I was destined to be the Lady Gaga (Guyguy?) of my time. So what was the holdup?
First, college theatre was a lot bigger pond, with a lot more fish. Result? I often lost out to handsomer fish (actors). I even made the rounds in Hollywood and, forget ponds, it was a freakin’ Pacific Ocean-full of really handsome fish, many of whom could actually swim (act). I hadn’t landed so much as a toilet paper commercial. And then, when I finally did get a lead role, I had an on-stage melt-down! Depressed, but in denial, I convinced myself I simply had “no feelings.”
Second, three months had passed since my band had finished recording its debut album—and we still didn’t have a record label. I vividly remember rehearsing at our drummer Joey’s house on July 20, 1969, the day Neil Armstrong took “one giant leap for mankind.” We stopped to watch the event on a tiny black-and-white TV, and then went outside to look up at the moon. “Hey, you can see it!” we teased Joey’s mom, and after some insistence actually had her convinced the capsule could be spotted with the naked eye!
The other thing I remember about that day was that Joey’s next-door-neighbor produced an astonishingly large flame by lighting one of his farts. I’d heard people could do this, but figured it wasn’t really possible. And yet I’d just seen it with my naked eye!
Two giant leaps for mankind! I thought. And not even one medium-sized leap for us. You’d think if they could put a man on the moon—and light farts on fire—we could land a record deal!
Result? I had time to write. And write I did. I took the first of several creative writing courses that summer, the only classes besides acting and voice that I always got As in. Why? Because apparently I was pretty good at it, maybe even gooder than acting (OK, so my grammar needed work). I’d discovered when I was young that I loved every kind of storytelling—short stories, poems, songs—and had created such poignant scenes in front of our bathroom mirror that the mirror and I both wept. It was only a glimmer then, but I was beginning to think maybe writing was my main gig, and always had been.
Looking back, I’m grateful to the God I didn’t yet believe in for closing doors. Stardom—any kind of stardom at that point—would have led me away from the door I was destined to enter. God speaking: “Dude! I’ve been trying to get your attention for years! See, there’s this door I created for you, and… Dude? Hello? OK, fine, I’ll just close every other door until… You know, considering that I made you in my image, you should be a lot smarter than you are!”
Better late than never to say,
“Thank you, God, for not making me a star.”
My Real Memoir is a series. To read the next one, click here.
Love it…I too got the Bank of America award, mine in Business. Sort of fit, too, to my future. I majored in marketing, got good grades, had a great work ethic, was able to get business related jobs, which usually involved typing! You, know, because I was a girl!
Thirteen years out of college, and two very business-like jobs, I decided to go back and get my teaching credential, something I would never have chosen 13 years prior, but something God had in mind, all along. I was good in those business jobs, I was great at the teaching thing.
Aha! Another case of “better late than never!”
Lol…Mitch, you are too funny! Loved the post.
Aw, thank you, San!
Grade 8 graduation, freshman year at high school, I received the award for General Proficiency. My parents didn’t know what that meant (neither did I until I looked it up); they were disappointed that I didn’t get an award for History or Mathematics or some other discipline that they recognized. Perhaps the God that I didn’t know had in mind for me to be a generalist. Is there anything more general than Social Science? Before I knew Him, He knew all about me. Thanks be to God. And to Mitch for his faith, his wisdom and his wit.❤️🙏
;>) Thanks, Gail, and thank you for (eventually) following God’s lead.
I was destined to teach music. I had it all planned. My students would go to Julliard and Eastmann School of Music and they’d ask “Which Orchestra does she play in?” or “What professional oboeist/pianist/percussionist did you train with?” and my students would reply, “Oh she’s the band director in our town of 2000 people in it, and I think she plays trumpet…” “She?” they’d reply incredulously. Got fired from every music teaching job I had. Now, after having taught music for 56 years, been a stockbroker for 23 years, a ballet teacher for 6, a fast food manager for 5, I am coaching teachers how to teach and writing a novel. I may have finally gotten the hint?
Apparently so, Rebecca. ;>)
God does direct our steps to places we never thought we would go, due to limited vision. So glad you saw the writing talent and your love for it.
Thank you, Hazel.
You’re welcome, Mitch! 😊
So good to know that even when we don’t believe in God He believes in us and has a plan for our lives that fits us so much more perfectly than any plans of our own.
Amen, Joy.
:0)
I love this story, Mitch! My daughter is an aspiring actor, living in LA. She has been trying to make her mark for years, to no avail, but finally “God gave her HollyWood”- That’s how she describes it!!
She wrote a play, and Eric Roberts agreed to star in her 10 minute film 🎥
The movie is being edited now, and should debut this year. It’s called, ‘Perfect Angel.’
How cool is that, Tam!
The Lord knows what we have need of…and therefore; He meets us at that need, and not necessarily at our ‘wants.’
Very true, Tam.
Great story, Mitch. You definitely are a great story teller. I was an aspiring singer, but got stage fright at the thought of probably getting in front of an audience and forgetting the words/melody/name of the song. Cut a demo but never tried to follow up on it. Stage fright now just remembering even thinking about it. So—I took a couple of Creative Writing classes too. A’s for them as well as in the Photography class I took. That A was for subject matter, not the clarity of the developed and printed photo. Fun though.
Not surprised. You’re clearly wired for creativity, Angie, no matter what you do.
Thank you, Mitch.
I once gave a talk to some teens from my experience of being a social pariah with buck teeth and acne: “Why did God give you pimples?” You know the answer, Mitch.😉
Nice cat and remarkable story. It did appear that you were destined to succeed as a musician. Instead, you were wise and accepted the Lord’s invitation to put pen to paper. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy. Interestingly, I ended up writing music (and sometimes performing it) for my films, so while the band didn’t continue, music did. Which came as no surprise to God, I’m sure. ;>)
Spoken like a true star!
;>)
Life often works out in unexpected ways and it’s great you didn’t close doors but rather keep them open for other possibilities!
Living with love makes life bearable for sure. Loved this, Mitch xx
Thank you, Janet.
Love this, Mitch! 😊
Thanks, T!
My pleasure. 😉
Funny how that works, isn’t it?! So frustrating to feel so thwarted by closed doors, and yet they can be the very thing that leads you through the one door that will best satisfy you and fulfill your purposes on this earth. It’s almost like there’s Someone behind it all 😄
ps. This is Kara Luker, aka anonymous 😊
Aha! And I agree, Kara.
I wanted to be a comicbook creator until my early twenties. Then on my first and only trip to the States we met a young intern at Marvel who had been slaving there for a couple of years and was still looking for his ‘chance’.
I knew then I didn’t have it in me to work so hard to get art out in the world that I wouldn’t even own to begin with. I was very downhearted about it because all my plans so far had centered around this type of artistic career.
This was the mid-1990s. Some years after the market crashed and then came the Internet and everything went digital, followed by the pandemic that shut down more comic book shops and now AI is beginning to replace artists alltogether.
I follow some comic book artists here in the 2020s and most of them appear stressed out of their minds to make it in this environment with ever more competition, a tinier audience and diminishing wages. Some want out before they have to be carried out (and some have been carried out).
I guess it’s hard to understand as a 20-something that maybe 20-30 years down the line you’ll be glad some Big Life Path of yours came naught, but when you are in it, it always feels like defeat. Thanks for bringing this up, Mitch.
And thanks for sharing a bit of your story here, Chris.
Nice recount, Mitch. Rock n Roll was a hard ride, and not easy to break the ceiling and still remain whole. I went the same route as you, but got out in the spring of 1969, headed to the beach and surfed until my university classes started. Looking back, it’s better that the rock thing didn’t move forward, two of our band wound up drugged out and ruined their lives. I still play, but only on my acoustic in my den, to myself and Momo.
Copy that, Phil. I had a near misses with fame and wealth when I was young, and often wonder how they might have impacted me at that age. Blessings.
“At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen” – Isaiah 60:22b New Living Translation.
Exactly, Amelia.
I had a boyfriend who used to light his farts. It was funny the first time, but when he kept on doing it got kind of tedious.
I’m still waiting for God to show me what I’m supposed to be doing. Until then, I’ll continue to write books!
Could it be God has already shown you, Annabelle?
I hope so!
I can definitely relate, Mitch, especially to the last paragraph…closed doors until walking through the ‘right’ door! Looking back, I’m so very thankful! 🙂
Amen to that, Dori!
So appreciate your humility as you tell these stories, Mitch!
Aw, thanks, Nancy.
Whenever I see a mega star, especially a young one, I can’t help but feeling anxious. It rarely ends well for the person who is the star. God was looking out for you for sure!
I often have the same thought, Ann.
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