Restored (eBook)

From brokenness and trauma to wholeness and peace

Randy Pitkin (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
196 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-078905-1 (ISBN)

Infos

'Restored' is an insightful and inspiring memoir that tells the powerful story of a man who survived molestation, and significant personal losses, only to triumph over decades of dysfunction, addiction, and depression.

Textauszug

Chapter 3

Foolishness of Youth

This chapter covers my teenage years; mostly from 1975 to 1979. Growing up in the Northeast during the Golden Age of wrestling was an unforgettable experience. It was a time when wrestling was split into regional territories, each with its own unique stars and exciting stories. I remember those Saturday mornings spent glued to the TV, watching the dramatic matches of wrestlers from the Worldwide Wrestling Federation. As I reached my early teens, my love for wrestling only grew stronger.

My high school, Lee high, was in a rough part of town. Before that, I went to Sheridan Junior High in Westville, which was a good area, but the school itself wasn’t great. Lee high, though, was in a bad neighborhood with a mix of different ethnic groups—lots of Italian, Black, Puerto Rican, and Asian students, and quite a few Jewish kids like me who were bused in.

Around that time, I had already started lifting weights at home when I was about 12 or 13. I developed quickly, probably thanks to some good genes from my dad. I got big and strong fast. At high school, I met an older student named Pete who was into bodybuilding. He saw my potential and invited me to work out at the YMCA. I didn’t even know where the YMCA was, but Pete told me, and we agreed to meet there on a Saturday morning.

That’s where I first saw Mike Katz. Mike was a famous bodybuilder from Connecticut who had won Mr. America and competed in Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia. He was also a former football player for the Jets, but he had to quit due to a knee injury. Mike was huge—about 6’ 1” and 240 pounds. When I walked into the weight room for the first time and saw him bench pressing, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He had a 60-inch chest and 21-inch arms; it was like seeing a cartoon character come to life. The photo below represents what I saw that morning. From that moment on, I was hooked on bodybuilding. Mike was a big as Arnold and had a prominent role in the 1977 film Pumping Iron. The movie has become a cult classic among bodybuilders. I accompanied Mike to the New Haven premier of the film.

Mike Katz in the 70’s

Despite the excitement of those weightlifting years, I was also dealing with my own struggles. Like many teens, I was trying to figure out who I was and where I fit in. I was trying to find my place in the this world. Weightlifting offered more than just a distraction—it became a source of comfort and inspiration. It taught me about staying strong and pushing through tough times, lessons that would guide me in the future. I was very disciplined and dedicated to my bodybuilding.

Looking back, I realize that wrestling was more than just a form of entertainment. It was a way for me to understand and cope with life’s ups and downs. There were good guys and bad guys. Good verses evil was always playing out on the television. The matches and the larger-than-life characters mirrored my own challenges and triumphs. Wrestling still holds a special place in my heart, reminding me of the early days when it provided both comfort and entertainment. I became friendly with some of the professional wrestlers who would train at the YMCA. Bruiser Brody and Ivan Putski were very nice to me. Putski had a son my age so we bonded quickly. Brody used to tease me a lot. I took that as his way of showing he liked me. Most people just ignore those they don’t like. Bruiser Brody’s real name was Frank Goodish. He was killed in Puerto Rico in 1988. His murder was never solved and those who knew him still feel as if justice was never served. Brody is a legend in wrestling around the world. I feel fortunate to have met him.

The YMCA became my daily spot after school. As I got to know everyone there. They talked with me, joked with me, but most importantly, they taught me how to lift weights properly. One guy made a big impact on me—Rich D’Angelo. Rich was about 19 when I was 14 or 15, and he treated me like a little brother. He’d pick me up, and we’d go see concerts and movies together. We went to the beach at Lighthouse Point in East Haven with the other guys from the YMCA. Rich made a lasting impression on me, and we’ve reconnected over the years. I’ve let him know how much he meant to me and how I’ll never forget the kindness he showed me when I was young. Being devoted to my weightlifting and body building kept me from getting into too much trouble. I was surrounded by a lot of really good people at a time when I really needed them. I could have very easily taken a wrong turn and fallen in with the wrong crowd. Eventually I would make some poor life choices but they were not criminal.

At Lighthouse Beach at 16

I also met other people at the YMCA who took an interest in me, like Mike Katz, and the Ugolik brothers, Joe and Stan. Joe had won Teenage Mr. America, and Stan, who was a few years older than me, won Teenage Mr. Connecticut. I’m not sure why any of these people put up with me because, as a teenager, I was a bit of a pain in the ass. But they did, and I’m grateful for that.

Mike Katz with Joe Ugolik backstage

Now Joe and I have remained friends since I was a teenager. A few years ago we were bullshitting on the phone and he casually mentions that when he was in California, while they were filming the movie Pumping Iron, that he trained arms with Arnold. I was like, Wait!, you did arms with Arnold and I’m just hearing about it now? Forty years later! If I had done arms with Arnold Schwarzenegger I would have had tee shirts made that said in big bold letters, I DID ARMS WITH ARNOLD! Joe was always an incredibly humble guy. Not me. I would have told everybody. “Hi, I’m Randy. I did arms with Arnold.”

Arnold in the ‘70s

Stan’s house was on my way from school to the YMCA, so I’d stop there every day. I’d sit with his mother and watch “Family Feud” while Stan got ready, and then we’d walk to the YMCA together, no matter the weather—summer, winter, rain, or snow. We didn’t give a shit, we were going to work out.

During my teenage years, I made some close friends who have remained dear to me. I met John Mastroianni, Jay Barone, and Alex Trasacco when we were teenagers, and we’re still friends today. Jay and John were my age and went to Notre Dame, a Catholic high school, while Alex was a bit older and went to Hillhouse, another urban school. I went to Lee high, which was across town from Hillhouse. My parents went to Hillhouse as well. We all hung out behind Beecher School, where there was a basketball court. I used to ride my bike there, a 10–12-minute ride from my apartment. Funny enough, Beecher School was where my parents went to elementary school; my mother and dad lived just a few blocks from each other as teenagers.

Another important friend I made during that time was Kenny Appel. Kenny was a few years older than me and became a great friend. John, Kenny, and Joe were all at my wedding in 1986, and we’re still good friends today. I’m thankful for that. Kenny came from a large family, and his mother was Korean, while his dad was American. They had met during the war.

Kenny, being biracial, knew what it felt like to face prejudice. He had been teased and made fun of because of his background, something that was unfortunately common back in those days. I remember one person calling Kenny “The Jap.” Kenny wasn’t even Japanese.

My high school years were chaotic. There were a lot of fights. By the time I was 16 or 17, I had built myself up to be very big and strong. I remember one time when a kid my age was giving me a hard time. I told him I was going to kick the shit out of him, and he ran off. Later, he came back to the schoolyard at Beecher School with his brothers, who thought they were tough guys. They rolled in on their Harley’s, maybe thinking they could scare us. But at 16, me and my crew weren’t afraid of anyone. We had more guts than brains.

The kid’s older brother, who was in his late 20s, couldn’t believe I was only 16. He said I was lying, that there was no way I could be that young because of how big I was. My friends backed me up, telling him, “Believe it, he’s 16”. In the end, there was no fight that night, and they left. But there were plenty of other fights.

I can remember getting into fights and just blacking out, not remembering anything afterward. My friends would tell me later that I was throwing people around left and right. I had this seething, burning anger inside me—a rage that I couldn’t control.

But on the surface, I was a pleasant person. I’ve always been funny, someone who liked to smile, laugh, crack jokes, sing songs, and joke around with friends. But despite all that, I was not someone to be fucked with. And neither were most of my friends.

We started drinking at a young age too. I was about 15 when we would get beer and drink in the school yard. Harry’s package store would sell to us underage kids. Sometimes we could have parties at someone’s house if their parents were out. My apartment became a popular spot because my dad went out every Friday and Saturday night. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of supervision growing up. I was left alone often. There was not a lot of heart to heart talks between my dad and me. I don’t fault him for his short comings. I have long realized that he was probably neglected as a child himself.

Eventually we started going to bars. There was...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 26.9.2024
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
• ISBN-10: 0-00-078905-4 / 0000789054
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-078905-1 / 9780000789051