On this my 45th year on earth, I take measure–and share–what I have had the privilege to experience
After 45 (Gulp!) years on our little spinning blue marble, I have seen tragedy, triumph and wonder. (we all have, right?) Now, on this day of my birth, May 13th, I share–in no particular order or relevance–45 of some of the most memorable and moving events of my life.
1. The Fall Of The Berlin Wall (1989) – Toppling the graffitti–ridden commie wall meant the iron curtain was down and so fell the "Red Menace."
2. Getting burned out of my home (1974) –Watching our home in Boston go up in a ball of flame – arson or freak accident–?
3. The Fall of Saigon on CBS (1975) – watched over Kraft Mac and Cheese
4, Meeting George Hamilton (Actor) & Russel Simmons (Run DMC) on the same elevator in San Francisco (2004) – still processing...
5. Hoarding bottles of "Old Coke" (1985) – 27 bottles of 'the good stuff' before the launch of Coke Classic. Man I was gonna be rich...
6. The Blizzard of '78 (Really?) – 21-foot snow drifts lasted for months. National guard in the streets and no school for weeks. Wicked Pissah–!
7. Watching my first TV spot run during the 1992 Super Bowl (uhh, 1992) – Betcha' didn't see that one coming...
8. Driving cross-country (1993) – Do this and you'll see the America you see on TV and then some...
9. Dunking in the basketball Hall of Fame (1993) – Nothing says awesome like hopping the fence and dunking on rims built in 1908... Boo-yeah!
10. The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion (1985) – R.I.P.
11. Seeing Star Wars, opening Week (1977) – Age 9, I remember saying "they make movies like this?" (and once and for all, Han shot first!)
12. Watching the trade towers fall (2001) – One of the most gut-wrenching, horrific days for any of us...
13. Seeing Michael Jordan score 63 points (1986) – Dude, did you have to do that against my beloved Celtics?
14. Running the tables in Fallout 3 (2009) – yeah bee-yotch! Nailed EVERY achievement (XBOX 360) Yes Even the DLC... rocked that MoFo like a boss–!
15. Playing Hoops for the Mass Art "Easlemen" (1986) – Art school college hoops team? No problemo! Yes, the kid does hold NCAA Div 3AA standings... I got next!
16. The old Brigham's dine-n-dash (1985, 1986, 1988, 1989) – Delish and free, but only if you got wheels. Better act like you know...
17. Prank calling the operator (1979) – I thought it was sexy-time, I didn't realize she had my number and would call back. I wasn't the brightest child...
18. Watching a boot-leg of Caligula (1979) – Whoa! WTF?! My tummy feels funny... (no relation to the prank call to the operator)
19. Nearly drowning in the Bahamas (1981) – Went under twice then found the raft. What a dope. Man, that could have ruined my whole day...
20. Playing my first HALO 2 multi-player match (2005) – OMG! This rocks–! Sniping random trash-talking 10-year old kids playing online is the sh*t!
21. Playing against the Boston Celtics Alumni (1991) – Jumped Center against Dave Cowens, our backsides are still sore.
22. Downing two bottles of Flintstone Chewable tablets (1974) – Stomach-pumping goodness, in 5 fruity flavors!
23. Facing down a childhood bully (1986) – Where are your boys now, Reg?
24. Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time (1988) – What a pretty hole in the ground... breathtaking.
25. Waking from a coma (2006) – The colors are brighter, birds are singing louder... apparently, there was a lot of praying going on for me.
26. Grabbing Spider-Man issue #252 off the rack (1985) – Cool costume but, who the heck is Venom?
27. The birth of my kids (1996, 1998, 2000) – You know, the five us make a pretty good basketball team... we still got next!
28. The death of the Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace, 1997) – Mad skills, and Ready To Die will be playing 100 Years from now... R.I.P.
29. Graduating High School (1986) – Bittersweet, cause I wanted out but not the goodbyes...
30. Graduating from Mass. College of Art (1991) – Bittersweet, cause I wanted the goodbye but not the out...
31. The Columbine Massacre (1999) – 15 shot dead in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and no real motive - a horrifying massacre.
32. Being mugged at knife point (1985) – Man, that sucked.
33. Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) – George Peréz and Marv Wolfman rewrite the DC universe for an entire year. Awesome.
34. Layed-off on a Friday, hired elsewhere on a Monday (1993) – In the words of a local sales rep; "Wow. that didn't take you long..." that's how I do.
35. Seeing A Tribe Called Quest Live (1990) – Phife-Dog rapping about the Red-Sox on stage? Tight!
36. My first flight on an airplane (1981) – Now that was cool!
37. Watching The New England Patriots win their first Super Bowl (2002) – NOW can we stop talking about the damn 'Super Bowl Shuffle'?
38. Meeting two different guys my Mom was dating (1983) – One worked for the mob, the other for the FBI. Hey, I can't make this stuff up.
39. Totaling the car of a superior court judge (2010) – I kid you not, the first on the scene, was his lawyer.
40. Seeing the Avengers on the big screen (2012) – My favorite comic book (literally since age seven!), brought to life. Why, I could just plotz...
41. Toured Graceland (1991) – Thank you. Thank you very much.
42. Watching my son as Snoopy in a musical (2012) – The video has to be seen to be believed. Proud parent moment.
43. Sneaking in to Boston Comicon (1985) – Heart-racing as a security guard sits rights next to us tells how much he hates people who try to get in and not pay. Yeah, those guys suck! Ha ha... oh wait.
44. Meeting Miss Massachusetts (1988) – Anita Lovely (yes that was her name) walks in to the copy shop I worked at, asked for copies of her press photo, then signs it over to me (insert swooning sounds here).
45. Listening to Alabama, in Alabama, on the way to visit the USS Alabama (1993) – There are no words...
