Ruben Thomas:
CLASS OF 1984
Norman Thomas High SchoolClass of 1984
New york, NY
Ruben's Story
Life
I still live in my childhood home of almost 35 years (well, September 6, 2008 will make 35 years -- it's still March) in the South Bronx, where I lived all my life.
Actually lived in Hunts Point all my life. From my birth in March of 1966 until September 6, 1974 I lived at 1053 Simpson Street. The tenement was torn town in 1975. Now a 2-story family house stands there.
The neighborhood (Hunts Point) is much better than it was when I was going to Norman Thomas High School. We now have two new parks and several new houses built in the area, not to mention a post office of our own -- FINALLY!!
I am currently single and not really looking.
I have no children, although I have, cherish and love my two godchildren and their siblings.
I have a great bunch of friends and I things are great, God Bless.
For those who knew me in Norman Thomas High School, I was a big collector in old time radio programs, like the Shadow, Lone Ranger, Fibber Mc&Gee and Molly, etc. I still am deeply involved in it. I had collected, traded and purchased old time radio shows. Since the late 1980s I dabbled into collecting early TV shows as well.
I also write and produce a comedy program on a very low-powered radio station, located in the South Bronx. It is a lot of fun. The show is a one-man production: I write, do all the voices, provide sounds, engineer, and direct the show. It is broadcast live on the air and basically is a one-take and practically unrehearsed as I figure out the dialogue in my head as I write it. As of June 2009, I've so far produced over 230 episodes since its inception in March 2001.
School
I went to I.S. 74 in Hunts Point from 1976 to 1980. I was supposed to go to Bronx High School of Science but I decided on Norman Thomas because of my interest in bookkeeping.
(Actually I noticed my uncle, who was a couple of years older than I, doing some homework involving some green ledger paper. Look at us today -- he works in the construction supply business and I work for the city!)
I enjoyed and cherished my years at Norman Thomas and the friends I have made.
It was my first regular time in Manhattan, not to mention I could tell all the youngin's how BAD the subway system was in the early 80s... the local #6 was much faster than the express #4 and #5 trains!! And this was at ...Expand for more
9am in the morning!! And how it was backed up that I am still at my Bronx station waiting for the train!!
College
After Norman Thomas, I went to New York City College of Technology (then New York City Technical College) from 1984 to 1988, where I received an associate's in data processing (now Computer Information Systems) in 1988. I resumed in 1996 and received my second associate's in Liberal Arts in 2001.
I do plan to go back to school in the near future and this time I reckon I'll go for a Bachelors... most likely in the Liberal Arts.
I found school to be a necessary evil, like taxes and brushing your teeth. You don't pay your taxes, you may go to jail; you don't brush your teeth you'll lose 'em. And with more education, chances are you stand to better your pay and position in life.
Workplace
I worked each summer in high school for the Sumer Youth Employment Program, two of them at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx.
After graduating from Norman Thomas, I worked one more summer with the SYEP, then went to doing maintenance and washing dishes at Woolworths in Hunts Point, Bronx. In March of 1985 after 7 months I changed jobs and wound up as a library assistant at my college (NYC College of Tech). It was a wonderful 3 1/2 years (at that position... but WAIT -- there's more).
In August of 1988 I became a full-time position at the same college as a CUNY Office Assistant. In plain English, I'm a secretary/receptionist and clerical dude.
It's a city job, and although the pay isn't of Trump nor Bloomberg status, my job with City University has security (so far) and great job benefits like vacation time, sick time, personal time and free tuition if I decide to go back to school. I do enjoy working with faculty and students and it's a joy to watching students young and old progress in their lives, better themselves and come out as graduates seeking employment and hearing of them in their new post-graduate lives.
In total I've worked for the city for 24 years as of March 11; 21 years full time at the end of August.
Military
Sorry folks, I never did the military although I got coerced a few times from snake-oil recruiters and almost went in because of one of my friends. Whew!! Thank goodness I didn't make a complete ass of myself following that guy!! Even he didn't go into the army!!
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