The 80's: Mid Point

 

 The 80’s Part 3

The Midpoint

Continued

One interesting aspect of writing is that I often take unexpected turns. Initially, I planned to simply discuss my fondness for the 80s culture. However, I’ve veered off into an introspective journey, exploring how the 80s shaped me into the person I am today. There’s no need to change course now.

I concluded the last entry in Santa Barbara, California, and realized I had transformed from the timid teenager with numerous college issues.

At the end of the 1984 Presidential Campaign, Ronald Reagan sought solace at his ranch, Rancho Del Cielo, for an extended vacation. I volunteered to stay for the entire duration, providing a respite for those who had spent a significant portion of the year away from their families. For me, it felt like a vacation. I worked about an hour daily and had the rest of my time to myself.

Something profound had changed within me. Firstly, I was older. My appearance had changed, and my attire had evolved. Perhaps the most significant transformation was in my interactions with others.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, the campaign had instilled in me a newfound confidence. Frequently, I found myself traveling alone to catch flights in and out of cities. I had to interact with White House Staff and local dignitaries at event sites. Initially, these encounters were primarily confined to press filing centers, but by the midpoint of the campaign, I had proven myself sufficiently that I was often assigned to work other events on the stops. Looking back, it’s evident how this experience played a crucial role in my Santa Barbara visit. 

During the initial few weeks, I was with coworkers who were primarily focused on learning the ropes. I understood their situation, but I had come to enjoy myself when I could. I took advantage of this and went to the beach alone. I also had dinner with colleagues from different sections of the company or went out by myself. At night, I would visit clubs to dance or listen to live bands. I wasn’t afraid to ask someone to dance or strike up a conversation with them. Overall, it was a positive experience. I met a few people who I would see again on subsequent trips to Santa Barbara. I must admit that they were all women, but what’s more enjoyable for a single 22-year-old? This pattern continued when I returned to Virginia, where I had lived for most of my time in the Washington DC area.

When I returned home, the changes I had experienced in the White House continued to affect my daily life. I started wearing contact lenses almost every day, except when the air in the White House was too dry. I became engrossed in reading GQ magazine, carefully selecting clothes to match specific styles and purchasing cologne from their advertisements. Even my work attire underwent a transformation, as I realized that I needed to look more presentable on the job. My sense of humor and interactions with others had also changed. While I could still be a bit of a wise guy, I understood that there were appropriate times and places for such behavior. The White House staff began addressing me as Ralph instead of just polite knobs, and some of them even stopped to engage in conversations. It was during a trip to my parents with a coworker that I truly realized how different I had become. We visited a bar with a couple of high school friends, and we had a pretty waitress who I quickly discovered lived in the DC area but was attending college in New York. We hit it off, and she kept coming over to chat. However, my high school friends behaved just like they had in high school, making crude comments and responding with smart remarks whenever she spoke to me. After an especially offensive remark, I firmly told them to stop. I called them assholes, and the situation escalated so much that when the waitress didn’t come around for a while, I walked up to the bar. She expressed her disappointment with my friends’ behavior. Upon returning to the table, my high school friends told me that I had lost my fun-loving nature and asked my coworker if I had always been so uptight. I clarified that I hadn’t changed; I had simply grown up. Well, here I go again. I’ve rambled enough that I’ll end this section and continue in the near future. There’s a lot more to cover, including relationships, moving, marriage, and even the birth of my oldest son. Hopefully, I’m not boring everyone. I’ll resume with my move to the “Animal House.” Until then, God bless all of you.