59 Facts After 59 Years

On the occasion of my 59th birthday, here’s a lengthy list of short tidbits about my past, my beliefs, and my hopes for the future.

Today is February 6, 20121 — my 59th birthday.

In advance, allow me to thank you for any salutations on social media.  I very much appreciate your kindness.

Birthdays don’t mean much to me.  They’re just another day and 59 is just a number — albeit, a higher number than I’m accustomed to.

Accordingly, this is an ideal occasion to share some background info with readers — especially with those who have become new friends on social media and/or are visiting my site regularly.

One thing I learned: There’s no such thing as “normal.” There are no circles nor squares among us. The reality is, we’re all polygons, defined by multiple sides and dimensions.  And if I may impart a bit of advice, I encourage each of you to try this exercise. You may be surprised by what you uncover. If you share it, others may be surprised by some of those discoveries, too. Pity that so many take thoughts and memories and experience to the grave. Don’t do that. Share them!

Here are 59 things you probably didn’t know about me:

1. I was born in Dallas, Texas on February 6, 1962. The most famous person also born that exact same day and year is Axl Rose — formally, the lead singer for Guns and Roses.

2. My parents divorced when I was about 2. My father spent most of his professional career working as an air traffic controller. He was fired by President Ronald Reagan in the infamous PATCO strike of 1982. But even though he was a strong union activist, he’s always been a very strong Republican and conservative, which probably will surprise some people. My mother worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company for most of her life. Though they weren’t together for long, I was lucky to have very good parents.

3. While growing up, I lived in Dallas, Chicago, and Albuquerque. I changed schools five times between the grades of 1-6. Each time we moved, I had to make new friends. That probably made me into more of an outgoing person. I think it also kept me somewhat disconnected and even pushed me towards being a loner, at times. It was hard to make friends when you know you might move away someplace else. I think this is a problem for many kids today.

4. I had speaking and singing roles in all four of my high school musicals. I also had a lead role in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” My senior year of high school, I had the lead in “Bye Bye Birdie,” which was played in the movie by Dick Van Dyke. I play the guitar badly — and now even worse because I have a damaged finger.  If I have a huge personal regret, it’s that I never learned to play the piano.  The amount of enjoyment I would get from that instrument is incalculable to me.

5. My junior year, I got expelled from high school for drinking alcohol and had to go to an alternative school for troublemakers. What an education: I learned more in that class with the “problem” kids, than anyplace else. Nonetheless, after getting reinstated, I was elected Senior Class President the following year.

6. I’ve never done illegal drugs of any kind, including smoking marijuana.

7. I earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Texas System, but dropped out of a Masters Degree program after one year. I also took classes at George Washington University for two semesters, but couldn’t afford to complete my studies.  I still have resentment about public and private education.  I think it’s wrong to divide students (and opportunities) based on their financial status.

8. Right out of college, I tried to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps as an officer but was rejected for flight school because I’m colorblind. I have what’s called a red-green deficiency, which is the most common form of color blindness. About 3 percent of all people have this vision defect, which predominantly afflicts males.

9. I’m likely one of the very few people in close proximity to both the Kennedy Assassination and the events of 9/11. When I was nearly 2, we lived a few miles from where Kennedy was shot. 39 years later, I lived across the street from the Pentagon, which was struck by an airliner and exploded.

10. I hate mushrooms, green peas, okra, and gravy.  I also dislike sushi.

11. I despise making unnecessary small talk. I like discussing serious subjects that matter. I really dislike running into people I know and having to pretend the surprise moment means something to me.  It doesn’t.  So, we both shop at Costco at the same hour?  Whipity-fucking-do.

12. It took me years to learn something that many people still don’t seem to understand: Mental health, especially in this misguided country, is grotesquely misunderstood, poorly diagnosed and treated, and even stigmatized. The ramifications of this mass ignorance are both monumentally destructive and needlessly painful — for everyone.  I cannot stress this point and problem more strongly.

13. My philosophical mentor is the late Christopher Hitchens. However, Sam Harris (writings and podcast) has become more meaningful to me, and helpful in so many ways.

14. I am embarrassingly ignorant in the fields of math and science. I’m ashamed about this, so I’m trying to catch up and learn more, especially about science. I’ve totally given up on math.

15. I was born into Roman Catholicism and even attended Catholic schools for a time. However, I’ve been an agnostic since about the age of 20 and an atheist since about the age of 25. Despite this, I still once joined the Knights of Columbus.

16. I ran for a city council seat once. I finished third in a four-candidate race. Just imagine how lousy a candidate the fourth-place finisher was!

17. I’m passionate about animal rights and environmental protections. I also believe in what some “extremists” do to stop the horrors and destruction. One day, if our world survives, ancestors will look back on us in the same way we look upon primitive peoples, with disdain and disbelief.

18. I was a USSF licensed soccer referee while in college.  In four years, I refereed more than 300 games, from kids up to adults.  One time, I was attacked (punched) for making a questionable call.

19. I’ve gone through periods of being a vegetarian, but have trouble sticking to the script. I also take two weeks each year off of drinking all alcoholic beverages. No reason, in particular. Fasting has also been proven to have health benefits, but I wouldn’t last on that program more than a few hours.

20. I’m coming upon the 20th anniversary of my cross-country move to Las Vegas (which was right after 9/11). Here in the gambling mecca, I’ve played tens of thousands of hands of live poker, bet more than a million dollars on sporting events (easily), but I cannot remember the last time I played blackjack, or craps, or any other casino game. They do not interest me.

21. Both of my paternal grandparents were deaf. My grandfather, an immigrant from Northern Italy, once played minor league baseball and pitched an exhibition game against Babe Ruth. My grandmother is from Abbott, TX (population 300), which is most famous for being the birthplace of Willie Nelson.

22. My grandfather’s name was shorted when he arrived at New York’s Ellis Island. His real name was DALLAVALLE, which roughly translated means, “from the valley.” He was born in the alps in Rabbi, Trentino (Italy). The name was shorted to DALLA.

23. My favorite brand of car is Citroen.  I don’t like BMWs.

24. My favorite book is The Power Broker, the 1975 Pulitzer Prize winner for non-fiction, by Robert Caro. I’ve read it four times. It’s a masterpiece of writing and history.

25. Except on very rare occasions, I don’t read fiction. I realize this is an oddity. My reasoning is — there’s way too much non-fiction to read, so why bother with made-up material? Yes, I know that opinion will offend some people, especially my fellow writers.

26. I witnessed the 1989 Romanian Revolution first-hand.

27. I drink wine nearly every day. Though it’s tough to pick just one, my favorite wine is Gevrey Chambertin, from France. My favorite white wine is just about anything from the Alsace region of France. However, I discover new wines and favorites at least a few times a month. Wine is just as much about the culture, geography, history, people, and sharing a common experience as the act of drinking.

28. I can’t pick a favorite movie — way too many.  My most overrated movie of all time is Citizen Kane. I’ve never made it all the way through. The best movie ever made was Schindler’s List.  That 1994 film still ranks as a stunning achievement, transcending cinema.

29. 2020 marks the first year in my life (since perhaps the age of 5) that I didn’t go to a movie theatre, not even once. I have converted to Netflix. But I miss the energy of live audiences sharing a common emotion — laughter in comedies, for example.  I think there’s something magical when you are laughing among other people.  I also miss comedy clubs.

30. Best comedian I’ve seen live was the late Robert Schimmel.  Saw George Carlin in Atlantic City once, and he’s in the conversation, for sure.

31. I’ve met and shaken hands with six of the last ten U.S. Presidents — including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump. I have seen Joe Biden in person when I worked in the Senate for a year. But I never met him.

31. I’ve met and spoken with Donald Trump four times.  Despite my disgust for him, then and now, he was cordial on each occasion.

32. I once sat in the senate office chair of Sen. Ted Kennedy. I have a photo of that somewhere.

33. I’ve been married to Marieta Dalla for 30 years as of March of this year.  Just, wow.

34. My political and social philosophy can best be summed up as follows: If Immanuel Kant, Robert Owen, Karl Marx, Lyndon B. Johnson, George Carlin, Fran Lebowitz, Gloria Steinem, Cesar Chavez, and Sam Harris all had a secret love child and then was dipped in a bourbon ball — that would be me.

35. I refuse to eat fast food unless it’s an emergency. I did try that Chick’filet sandwich a few weeks ago, purely out of curiosity.  Uhh.  Meh.

36. I run 2 to 3 miles on average five days a week. I used to run 5 miles, but that was too much strain on the ankles and joints. The longest distance I’ve ever run at once was 12 miles. I have never competed in a 10K race or a marathon of any kind. My father, however, used to run marathons regularly and even competed up until he was 50. And he was a smoker.

37. The sound I cherish most is the sound of silence. I love the peace and quiet.

38. I like people. Some people, that is.  But I also like being alone.

39. My greatest enjoyment is reading something that’s fascinating.

40. I do not believe in UFOs. I do not believe in superstition. I do not believe in astrology. I do not believe in faith-based healing or prayer or any gods. I do believe in inquiry and science and evidence.

41. I do not believe it is wrong to have tried and failed. My life is filled with failures. Many failures.

42. No words offend me. None whatsoever. I have no regard for political correctness. The older I get, the less I care what other people think. In the past, this sometimes causes me to over-indulge the other way. But that’s natural.

43. I do not believe in burning books. Even books that are offensive or have caused terrible things to happen. Burning books (or anything that took creativity) is repulsive to me. Yes, that includes everything from religious texts to “obscene” art to Mein Kampf. Burning books is bad.

44. Celebrities aren’t really interesting to me, not for their fame, anyway. The people I admire most are those who rarely get praise, particularly medical caregivers and those who work with animals, especially solving animal abuse cases. I’m weak. I do not think I could do those jobs, so I really admire those who do.

45. The older I get, the fewer material possessions mean to me. So long as I have a laptop, an internet connection, and some decent wine — I’m good.

46. My preferred alcoholic drink has been Johnny Walker Black, not only for taste but because it’s historically been the beverage of choice for Leftist revolutionaries. I also have a soft spot for Jameson after touring the factory in Dublin about 5 years ago. However, I cannot drink alcohol (spirits) as much as I used to, because it makes me tired.

47. I have no internal time clock. I can work or read or sleep any time of day or night.

48. Despite being outgoing, I’m not into parties or social engagements.  I despise making meaningless talk, especially with strangers. Why bother?

49. I once ripped up an airline ticket, rented a car, and drove from New Orleans to Las Vegas (about 2,000 miles) because Marieta found a wounded Ring-Necked Dove in the street and we didn’t want to leave it behind to die. True story.

50. I’m ridiculously fortunate to have wonderful family and friends, far better than I deserve.  I don’t reciprocate that appreciation as much as I should.

51. The current political divide has tested many friendships and family relationships. I’m not pleased about the acrimony, but I’m not troubled by it, either. Sounds overly simplistic, but — “it is what it is.”

52. If I could do my life all over again, I’d make many different choices and decisions. However, I would not change my essential belief systems. I’m proud of my beliefs and my path to a personal philosophy.  And, I’m still making strides.  Anyone who insists they are set in their ways and not open to the possiblity of changing opinion is often dull and dangerous.

53. My best advice for young people:  Don’t get married too early, wait to have kids, don’t worry about your career (which is probably going to change at some point anyway) — and instead travel and live abroad if possible, at least for a few years.  The lessons you learn will serve you well the rest of your life.

54. Writing is easy. Editing is hard. I’m a decent writer, but a terrible editor. One reason I write about many different topics is, I get bored with things pretty quickly.

55. I wasted far too many years working in the poker and casino business. Other than meeting some great people along the way, I got very little out of the experience that will have any lasting impact at all.

56. In Nov. 2019, I suffered a mild heart attack and was hospitalized for three days. The doctors never did figure out what caused the health scare. Diagnosis: Almost perfect health, low cholesterol, ideal blood pressure — just overweight by 30 pounds or so, but that’s not a killer. I’m still processing the whole meaning of looking up at blinding white lights hooked up to wires and tubes. It was jolting, but strangely peaceful, as well. I can’t complain. I’ve been ridiculously blessed with good health all my life.

57. I need to address COVID and the social distancing thing. Purely a selfish reaction here, but my lifestyle hasn’t changed much. I still read, write, watch news and sports and movies, pet my cats, and stay in touch with friends. I do fear what’s ahead in terms of our collective mistrust of authority figures, caused by rules and mounting toxicity of paranoia and conspiracy, which I think is very dangerous for our society.

58. I also must address the political transition from Trump to Biden and what that means. I’ve given up on the Republican cultists and simply won’t waste any more of my precious time with idiocy and lunacy, opting instead to focus on the things I enjoy and work towards the future.

59. Next year, it’s 60. How will I come up with 60 new bullet points?

TAG:  Birthday reflections

TAG:  Nolan Dalla writings