30 Years Ago: The Most Important Day Of My Life!

As I barreled around a corner I knocked down a young woman who’d just started that morning. By the time I saw her she was sitting on the floor!

July 7, 1980 was a Monday. It was sunny in Philadelphia. I remember that. I was working mornings as a deejay at WIFI in Philadelphia, an also ran top-40 station.

There was nothing to make me think the day would be special. As it turns out it was the most important day of my life!

I was still on the air when the phone rang. Farrell Meisel. He’s my friend now. That morning he a was offering me a job at WGR-TV where he was program director.

Oh my God! I’d sent a tape with (literally) everything I’d ever done on camera. He was asking me to co-host PM Magazine/Buffalo.

This was my break! Radio was over. I was heading to TV in two weeks. Even though it meant a small cut in pay and moving to Buffalo it was a great opportunity. I am forever grateful.

OK–so far a pretty decent day so far–right? There’s more.

At 10:00 AM my air shift was over. I rushed from the studio to meet some friends and give them the news. As I barreled around a corner I knocked down a young woman who’d just started that morning. By the time I saw her she was sitting on the floor!

That was Helaine.

That’s how we met. It could be a scene in a movie.

Wow! In one morning I changed careers, committed to move and met the woman I’d one day marry.

Helaine and I have known each other 30 years today. That’s half my life and a much larger percentage of hers.

Whatever I am and wherever I’ve gone owes a great deal to her. Plus, I’m still seriously in love.

That was a pretty damn good day!

11 thoughts on “30 Years Ago: The Most Important Day Of My Life!”

  1. Cosmic! Imagine if you had called in sick that day- or the call came in the afternoon! It’s documented (not kidding) in psychology that colliding with a person (or knocking what she’s carrying down and helping) escalates the attractive adrenaline. Who knows?

    Mazel tov. 30 years! It says a lot of good about both of you. Beautiful and uplifting.

  2. Mazel tov. I’ll be forever proud to call you a friend. And, 30 years later, I’m (still) pleased you made PM Magazine Buffalo the success it had become. Now, can you do something about this heat, already?

  3. I think in Yiddish the term is “beshert,” roughly translated as “meant to be.” One of the wonders of life is that these marvelous occasions happen — an we’re to accept and appreciate their occurance, not forensically figure out how they did.

    Congratulations!

  4. Yes, you were moving in two weeks and one of your friends (and a new friend of mine) kept trying to convince me NOT to get involved with you. Too late. I fell in love with you that fateful day!

    And 30 years later I still love you and I’m still in love with you! Pretty amazing.

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