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Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Marking The Fourth Decade

So far, this newest series of mine - matching my post number with the year that starts each of my eight decades - has prompted several of you to join the fun. Today's post is #1979; that year marked the start of my fourth decade. What highlight(s) from your life - or, if you weren't yet born, what historical milestone - stands out for you from the year 1979?

* 1979 was the first year of my post-college life when I didn't support myself as a musician. In late 1978 - after years of ill-trained misuse - the top end of my singing voice gave out, never to fully return.

* On the positive side of the ledger, 1979 was the first full year my wife and I spent together. The smile greeting me every morning since April 1978 has now sustained me for over forty-three years.

Since kicking off this limited-run series, I've relished hearing pieces of your life stories; I hope more of you will consider joining in. Faithful readers: Why not forward the link for this post to someone you think might enjoy participating? If that person comments, maybe you'll get a piece of their life story you might otherwise not learn. How cool would that be? 

5 comments:

  1. In 1979 I returned to graduate school after a seven year hiatus. This decision had profound effects upon my subsequent life. I ended a long term relationship but met my husband-to-be David shortly thereafter. And as the saying goes, the rest is HIStory!

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    1. Ines; Thanks for continuing to participate in this series. I'm enjoying how much I'm learning about you!

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  2. Good afternoon, Pat. Hope you and Kim are doing well. Ahhh ... 1979. You've reached a year that I have actual memories of. Although, as I've been thinking back, not as clear as they once were or as I would prefer them to be - lol. I was finishing up my second year at Brookdale and wondering what to next. It was the second of 8 consecutive years that a group of friends would rent houses 'down the shore' from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The first two were in Manasquan and the last 6 in Point Pleasant Beach. I remember "Feels So Good", by Chuck Mangione, being played a lot on the radio. And although I'd started listening to more of this type of music at the time, I've always thought that this song was the actual starting point for ,my love affair with Jazz. One that continues with no end in sight. I also was dating a woman that was different than anyone else I had dated to that point. Previous relationships would end after a few months. But this one lasted more than 3 years. First loves have a way of staying in the back of your brain. And, with the bad memories having faded as bad memories are supposed to do, the good times can still bring a smile to my face.
    Oh .. and I never actually finished Brookdale at that time. I needed to work more at the time and wasn't able to put as much effort into my classes as I knew I needed to. I had regretted that for some time. But it all ended well as I was able to go back and earn my degree.
    Bob

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    1. Bob; To reiterate what I said in this post, it has been a genuine pleasure to get to know bits and pieces of the life stories of some readers like yourself; thanks for sharing that with me. The anecdote about the Chuck Mangione song is especially pertinent for a music geek like me. I'd actually forgotten how much that song penetrated the airwaves in 79; thanks also for bringing that back to me.

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  3. 1979 was a great year for you and me (thanks for your comment about my smile) and it was also the year I got my first "real job" at Steyr Daimler Puch, where I met my dear friend Marty. We are still close all these years later.

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