Welcome To My Dream Finally Fulfilled
My Dream Began In 1972
39 years ago. That's how very long I have waited. And waited. Endured all type of weather, social changes, government rules, presidential administrations, wars, rumors of wars, marriage, child-raising and now grand-parenthood. Believe me folks. I am not good at waiting on a dream that I had in my senior year of high school, 1972, to materialize. Have you ever found yourself where I am now? On the brink of experiencing, tasting the one, solitary dream that you had years ago standing directly in front of your face? At your fingertips? So close you can detect what your dream had for breakfast this morning.
I won't be long in my introduction, for I realize that you, my dear and valued hub writer, or is it, hublisist, have a life to live and things to do. So out of genuine respect for your valued time, I will condense the why I never realized my dream of being an all-night disk jockey, "DJ," as it was in my day and time, into a few sad-but-very-true sentences. I promise.
On Career Day at my high school, Hamilton High School, in 1972, our guidance counselor, the now-late Robert Owen, a transplant man of high IQ, from Berkeley, California, home of Ronald Regan, Hollywood and Wolfman Jack, split my senior class into groups and told us to write on the front side of an 8 1/2 x 11 standard size white notebook paper what occupation or dream we had to fulfill after graduation. I was excited. I was so gullible. To be taken my my an authority figure who always wore prescription sunglasses to school, talking about Mr. Owen, not a cool classmate.
When it came my turn for Owen to read my dream job, that of being a DJ at an all-night, FM rock station somewhere preferably out of Alabama, he glared at me through his prescription sunglasses, cleared his throat and crumpled up my paper in his right hand and threw it in the trash can. Then with such an arrogant tone he asked, "Just why do you think you can be a DJ?"
"Because I have had a dream of doing this job all of my life, sir," I replied. He laughed. Not with me, but at me, and said, "Hey, you couldn't even take out the garbage at a job like this, son," and left our group for another group without even bothering to explain his answer. In 2011, I am sorry that he passed away, but I am still without answer.
I mean, in my group there were guys who wanted to be farmers, salesmen, and girls who wanted to be lawyers, doctors, and these were fine by Owen. Why not my job? What was the problem with being a DJ? I can only assume the way I reacted, or didn't react, was that I was raised by two strict parents to told me to always obey authorities and believe what they say for these authority figures are wiser than a guy just turning 18, so without as much as a 'why not?' I kept my mouth shut. And my dream to myself.
Until now. Being a member of HubPages has opened up an entirely new world for me. I have met so many great hubbers, great people from all walks of life, and part of of our world that I cannot explain how happy I am right now. HubPages is more than a place to publish stories, but a creative outlet to design our stories and make them come alive with artwork and sound. I like that.
And with that being said, I want to take you back to 1973, one year after my graduation and welcome you to my workplace, "WKKA - ROK 99 FM," in Detroit, Michigan. The rock station that dares to rock your world by playing the hits that you crave to hear. I am here behind the turntables spinning the (vinyl) LP's that make your nights a living thing as you cruise through downtown Detroit with the top down listening to me from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. and I am all yours tonight--losing myself in the dream job that I sought with a vengeance because a Mr. Robert Owen said one day that I 'couldn't even take out the trash in a radio station.'
I want to kick-off my "Shift of Adventure and Mystery," frm WKKA with this hit . . .
Hope you dug that, babies . . .
for I am just getting warmed up. I am only on my second pot of black coffee and it's only 7:30 p.m. this far-out night in Detroit. And a reminder that on the "Morning Drive-Time Shift," Morty Zoom and his Electric Zookeepers will keep you awake and taking the dread out you having to work on a Saturday morning when you could be sleeping. Okay. The temperature now is a blistering 31 degrees, winds from the northeast at 10 miles an hour and time for more hot hits from "WKKA" as we present one of the hottest tunes on the Top 40 today . . .
That was The Jimi Hendrix Experience with . . .
Crosstown Traffic here at 7:40 p.m. on this blustry Friday night in Detroit. This portion of my shift is sponsored by Clearasil, the acne medicine that works! Young man or woman, do not live out your best years in a cave, have the mom or pop bop on down to the Super Saver Drugs and get you a tube of 'liquid freedom,' Clearasil, the acne medicine that works. Now on with the hits as we urge you to lay down, place your head between your JBL Lansing speakers and get into . . .
Steppen--wolf, for all your rockers and rockettes . . . .
from "WKKA," who says, "Find Another FM Rock Station In The Detroit Area and We Will Buy It And Give It to Ya," and now, no time to waste. Gotta have more black coffee here at 7:50 p.m. Friday night with Old Man Winter making a huge comeback with the temperatures now steadily-falling at a freezing 22 degrees. Now let's warm up with this huge hit . . .
Sorry, cool dudes and dudettes, an station emergency has erupted . . .
and I've gotta split. I will not kick on the "Auto ROCK Pilot" from "WKKA," to keep you awake and grooving on this freezing Friday night. Ken "LP Wizard," saying thanks for listening and be sure to tune in tomorrow night as I will hurry back from my station staff meeting in Ann Arbor tomorrow morning. I wasn't even supposed to be here tonight, but in Ann Arbor. What a bummer.
Have a red-hot, groovy night. Thanks for being a part of my dream finally fulfilled.