This month marks the 31st anniversary of my first professional byline!I wasn't paid the first time I was "published". It was an editorial letter in Sports Illustrated. Coincidentally, Chuck Muncie who was a running back at the University of California appeared on the cover of that issue. Muncie is from Uniontown, Pennsylvania; about a half hour drive from where I grew up!
The Sports Illustrated letter that ran in November, 1975 was a real accomplishment for me. Mostly because it was a goal I set for myself that I achieved. That was truly the start of my writing career.
I told myself that I was going to write letters until they published one. I took about a dozen tries; sometimes I received postcards and other times letters of rejection. I didn't know in advance the letter was going to be published. I was hanging out with my friend "Bear Rabbit" who was a subscriber. I almost fell off the chair when I saw my name. He was more surprised than I was.
The letter was related to a recent cover story about Fran Tarkenton that had the caption He's Frantastic! I always felt Tarkenton was overrated. It seemed to me year after year the Vikings had a cakewalk schedule in the NFC. And when the Vikings played Pittsburgh in Super Bowl X he was embarrased.
I'm amazed how much detail I remember so many years later!
5 comments:
This is a great story. Thanks for adding it to the carnival. Have you ever tried to contact Chuck Muncie?
I really like an optimistic man!!! Couldn't help chuckling when reading "Reflections of a 90-Year Old Man; At the Mid Point of His Journey". You reminded me of my 93 year old Pop who had cataract surgery at 83 - the new lenses in his eyes are good for 50 years so he says he still has another 40 years to go... Thanks for the smile. I'm here via the carnival.
Good post. I'm here from the Blog Carnival.
I guess we always remember our first time ;0)
I loved reading this. As an writer, I found it inspiring.
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