Today, I want to take you back to my breakdancing days in the '80s.
That's right, I was part of a crew called TNT Rocks, and we were pretty damn good.
It was me, Daryl, Myron, and my next-door neighbor, Jenny Mongeluzo. Jenny was this incredible dancer who could dance circles around most of us, even though she was only 11 years old at the time.
So, when there was a big breakdancing contest announced at Port Washington High School, we knew we had to enter. This was a huge deal. There were about 120 entrants from all over Long Island.
We practiced our routine for months, perfecting every move and transition. I was confident we were going to win.
But here's the thing: when we got to the contest, they told us that because of the sheer number of participants, each crew would only have 30 seconds to perform. 30 seconds! We had an 8-minute routine prepared! It was a disaster. We had to scrap everything and just freestyle our way through.
Long story short, we didn't even place in the top three. And the next day, when I opened up the Sunday edition of Newsday, Jimmy Fresh—this kid from Port Washington—splashed across the front page. The whole feature was about him and his partner. I was crushed.
F.U. Jimmy Fresh!
Looking back, it was a tough lesson in the unpredictability of life. You can work your a## off, pour your heart and soul into something, and the rules change at the last minute. But that's just how it goes sometimes.
