Denise Bonfilio:
CLASS OF 1979
Van Nuys High SchoolClass of 1979
Van nuys, CA
Denise's Story
What a long, strange trip it's been.
Until the mid-late late 80's, I bounced around (A LOT) and mostly did customer service type stuff for a living. Not real responsible, not real satisfying, but it paid the bills. I took a lot of acting classes and decided after a time that I wasn't cut out for the grind of starving while going on auditions, and then hoping against hope that they saw something in me that they didn't see in anyone else.
I discovered something about myself at about age 27 that had always been in the back of my mind ... I have a very keen sense of direction and a photographic memory for maps and places I've been. I have never been lost in my life. If I've been somewhere, I can always get back again, so largely because of this, my background has been in transportation since the mid - late 1980's, and I've become a walking Thomas Guide because of it. If you want to see the kind of view of the city that will take your breath away, ask me, or better yet, CALL ME and I'll show you! I know little streets in the hills that no one knows about, but I digress ...
The only job I haven't done for a messenger company is in accounting/billing. I never was a numbers girl, but if there's one thing I am, it's a talker, so I've done lots of order-taking, customer service, dispatching, supervising, routing, and driving, which is what I love most. Dunno why, but there's something about being behind the wheel that I just love. Presently I'm working for Sony Studio in Culver City near my apartment as a driver. The upside is huge for many reasons: I walk to work; I have benefits coming out my ears from both the studio and being in the Teamsters Union; I love (no, really ... I lerve) the job; I have studio perks like discounts on any product with the Sony name on it, plus anything from MGM, Columbia/Tristar and any other production company that has offices on the Sony Lot; movie screenings all the time ... that's all the upside. The downside is ... between the writer's strike, the time ramping up to the writer's strike, plus the current threat of an actor's strike, I have been sidelined for almost all of last year and most of this year. Unemployment sucks, but I don't want to leave this job over a temporary situation, and regret leaving in 10 years ... so I wait, and I don't buy anything. Bare minimum isn't pretty, but it's the choice I have made and I have family and friends who love me and who have been wonderful.
As for family/husband/kids, I have no children and haven't been married yet. I did, however, live with my ex/bf for almost 15 years before we broke up. ...Expand for more
See, the thing is ... kids are really expensive ! I had it in my mind from an early age that, if I ever was given the opportunity to be a parent, I would want to stay at home and Be The Mom. Unfortunately, as good a man as my ex is, he was never the best provider and we never made enough money as a couple to support a family with 2 incomes, to say nothing of just one income had I stayed home ... so it was a practical, pragmatic choice that we made to not have kids until we could support them. Yes, the ex is a good man, but we ended up being roommates long before we broke up (still are, incidentally, but that's a whole nother story. Suffice it to say that we're the classic story - we get along better as roomies and friends than we ever did as a couple. Go figure!).
For hobbies, I make jewelry and play backgammon, both in live tournaments and with my online community. This game has been part of my life since the first guy I ever loved taught me in 11th grade (ahh, memories ... the one that got away), but none of my family or close friends play so between the time of The Break Up in 1984 and getting my first computer, I didn't play at all. It was a dark time for the dice divas ... but that's all in the past now and I happily try my luck as often as I can. I've got some pictures of jewelry that I've made as well as of me holding a trophy and a plaque that I've won in tournaments (woo hoo !). Yes, the big girl in the pics with the pretty smile and the long hair ... that's me. Yup, I'm a fat chick. * big grin* Hey, it ain't all bad. More heat in the winter and shade in the summer !!
I'll add to this whenever I remember something important *yawn* but, well ... its a funny thing to be doing this now because on the 4th of July (3 days ago), I was at a friend's home in the Palisades for the traditional bash they have every year. This year, one of my friends was telling me how she hated school when she was there, but she ended up being the organizer of her school's 40th reunion this past year and how much she got out of it. I confess to having been under the radar, but that's been by design. My life hasn't gone exactly as I had planned and hoped it would, and I thought why go when I'm such a mess ... but we all have struggles and things we're dealing with, don't we ?
To anyone still reading this ... I've been poking around this site a bit, and why do none of you have PHOTOS ?!?! Come on, now ... get busy ! You're not the only one who's a little bit curious, aiiiiiight?
Life is good, even when it's bad ... especially when you consider your other options.
Love ~
Denise
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