You should know by now that this column will have little to do with music, though I am, by nature, a very musical person. As a teen, I played a dozen instruments well enough to fill in in small combos, and a couple well enough to play with several honor groups. I also played guitar and sang lead in a rock-n-roll band (Think "Happy Days" music). And in college in the early 70's, I considered a musical career.
Instead I became a journalist. Rather, I continued down a road that chose me as a high school sophomore. My English teacher, Miss Slezak (fresh out of college, tight body, killer legs, blonde) pulled me aside one morning to talk to me. She had just read my latest essay, she said, and was impressed by my "ability to embellish and describe things ... to B.S. your way through these assignments." She suggested I see the journalism teacher and put my "gift" to good use on the school paper.
I did just that, enrolling in the beginning journalism class the next semester. Midway through the school year, I became a "stringer," which is a newspaper term for someone who strings together information, for the local newspaper on a part-time basis. Unbeknownst to me then, a 30-plus-year career in journalism was born. My writing prowess was more substantial than my musical talents - besides, the local newspaper was going to pay me to write, and they were going to put my name on it! It became my part-time job for the next few years of high school and for a while in college. By the end of the 70's, I was a full-time working journalist.
That bit of history tells you where I came from. This column is intended to shed some light on who yours truly is today - who is DocSmoothieCA?
Good question, one I actually do ask myself every day. Every day I can answer is a good day, right?
There's no real mystery behind the man called "Smoothie" by some, "DocSmoothie" by others. The only question that seems to come up without fail is, "Where/How did you get your name?" There's usually some speculation offered by the person asking the question as to the origin of the name.
That's a good place to start, so once and for all, I will put the speculation to rest. I didn't get the name because I am a "smooth talker" (I am); I didn't get it because I had a shaved head (I did).
Blame it on strawberry ice cream, Amaretto Di Saronno, and the hot tub.
This all happened back in the mid-late 90's, when dial-up Internet was all the rage. After an evening of hot-tubbing and sweet, blended drinks, I retired to the computer room. In short order, I stumbled into an adult chat room; "Butterfly's Castle" or something like that. In order to chat, I had to sign up (for free) and choose a "handle" by which I could go in the chat areas. Being a novice, I went with my real first name - John - and the first thing that I saw when I looked around the room for ideas: the strawberry Amaretto smoothie I was still drinking (I had lost count by then).
That night, JohnSmoothie was born, and over the years, he has grown up. When I began my doctoral studies in the fall of 2009, I dropped my first name and added "Doc" to the handle, an incentive to work hard and finish. It has worked: In less than three weeks I will finish my 27th and final graduate course (including my master's), with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Told you I was smart!
The final addendum came when I opened my Twitter account. Since I am a California native, it seemed appropriate and convenient. The question is now, "What part of California?" instead of the usual inquiry among new friends.
So that is DocSmoothieCA ... at least the outer skin of the onion. Like you, dear reader, there is more to me than meets the eye, and certainly more than one can cover in a single column. Suffice it to say, I am a passionate man with big dreams, big ideas, big plans, and a big heart filled with good things for those who take time to see it. Through this space, I hope we will discover the other layers of my onion, together.
I look forward to the journey.
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