It’s funny how certain dates tend to take on added significance over time; well, maybe funny isn’t the right word – more like ironic. I bring this up only because today, May 9th, happens to be one of the those memorable dates for me, for both good and bad reasons…

It must be a joke. Some sort of ironic, bizarre, twisted joke. Every single time I decide to spontaneously buy tickets to something – anything – baseball game, concert, anything of the outdoor variety, one of the following occurs: A) it pours, to the point of the event being cancelled, or rain-delayed for five hours; B) the temperature soars to around 110º or so, making the act of merely breathing an effort, never mind climbing dozens of staircases, ramps, stationary escalators, etc; C) there is some sort of severe weather advisory – hurricane, tornado – or let’s not forget the random earthquake thrown in for good measure.

Last night, I received via e-mail what at first glance appeared to be possibly the most insulting piece of “constructive criticism” I had ever gotten from a reader. Beginning with the line, “I am fairly sure you are a very nice person. Being nice, however, does not make one a good writer,” it went on to detail this individual’s disappointment with my columns over the years – of course begging the question, why continue reading? – and the suggestion that I “stop vacillating…and actually say what (I) believe.”

Harsh, yes. But (somewhat) true. 

Last week, I was invited to participate in a “Welcome To The Media Arts Department” panel at my alma mater, C.W. Post, geared toward offering some words of advice to both incoming freshmen new to the major and those seniors embarking on their final year of college before heading out into the workforce.

Never being much of a public speaker, my initial reaction was one of slight trepidation.  But, upon further consideration, I thought I might actually have something to offer on this particular topic.