WHEN I WAS in first grade at St. Ignatius elementary school, UNDERDOG. It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.

Transcription

1 2 UNDERDOG It i a rough road that lead to the height of greatne. LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA WHEN I WAS in firt grade at St. Ignatiu elementary chool, Siter Jean Agne, a teacher who never heitated to mack my finger with a ruler to punih me for my poor handwriting, walked up to my mom and dad on parent night. I wa tanding next to my father when he aked the Siter how I wa doing in chool. Well, Mr. McDermott, he aid, all but ignoring my ix-yearold ear, Bill a good boy and behave well, but jut don t expect too much of him. He ll probably be a mechanic, or maybe a truck driver. My parent had nothing againt mechanic or truck driver, but a few week later, they pulled me out of St. Ignatiu. It wa too late. I had overheard the bleak forecat, and depite my parent obviou diagreement with the nun aement of me, her word tung, and then they tuck. 13 McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 13

2 14 WINNERS DREAM STREET FIGHTER I remember the date: March 8, It wa the day that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought at Madion Square Garden for the world heavyweight championhip. The bout wa called the Fight of the Century. Everyone in my neighborhood wa talking about it. The fight had alo captured the imagination of people around the world. In America, the boxing match became a ort of releae valve for a lew of tenion that gripped the country at the beginning of the 1970: Vietnam. Intene racial divide. Women lib. Thee and other conflict that wirled around ociety didn t penetrate my life my parent didn t argue about the war or debate Preident Richard Nixon policie nor did the outide world take up a huge piece of the real etate in my ten-year-old mind. On the afternoon of the Ali-Frazier duel, I wa riding the chool bu home to our econd-tory apartment in Brentwood. My family had jut moved into one of the identical, two-tory brick tructure built a part of a new houing development. The block I lived on wa o freh from contruction that there wa no gra, only gravel mixed with chunk of cement. I didn t know many kid yet, but we d relocated o many time that I d honed my ene, and could walk into a chool yard and figure out who wa in charge. That afternoon on the bu, the kid in charge wa an eleven-year-old boy named Angelo. I wa looking forward to litening to the fight on the radio with my dad, and everyone on the bu wa talking about the night big event. Ali wa eeking to regain the title that had been tripped from him in 1967 when he refued to obey hi draft notice to join the US Army. He d fought only two time ince coming back to boxing in Like the country, the bu wa lanted heavily toward Ali. Secretly, I alo liked Ali, who wa phyically much bigger and a more compelling figure than Frazier. But my dad, he wa rooting for Smokin Joe, the current heavyweight champ. So I wa, too. McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 14

3 Underdog 15 Who you for? Angelo aked me a we got off the bu. I told him I wa for Joe Frazier. Wrong anwer. I m for Ali. Let fight. He punctuated the tatement with a right hook to my chin. Even though my dad, a former US Marine, had taught me how to fight, I had never been in a real match. I didn t even like to get angry or raie my voice. I wa competitive, ure, but never a troublemaker. Unlike me, though, thi kid Angelo wa a treet fighter the kind of boy who probably pent more time outide than in. He alo wa older and bigger, and while I wa a decent ize for my age, good at port, and no lightweight, I wa no Joe Frazier. The chool bu rumbled off, leaving Angelo and me tanding face-to-face in the unfinihed gravel lot. We began to pummel each other, a kid and even adult formed a circle around u; a main event before the main event. Angelo wa relentle. He kept coming after me with hi fit. I wa holding my own, but he had the edge. He alo had the crowd on hi ide. They knew him and tarted chanting Angelo! Angelo! He backed away for a moment, jut long enough to reach down to the ground and pick up one of the cement chunk left over from the contruction. He jumped on top of me and tarted pounding me with it. I tated blood on my lip. But no one houted for him to top. Their hoot and chant only got louder, encouraging him to keep going. I knew I wa on my own and riked a lot more than a bloody lip. No way wa I going to loe an eye, or die, in ome cockfight over Joe Frazier. My fear turned to reolve. By being the firt to draw blood, Angelo had, according to treet-fighter rule, given me the right to defend myelf in any way I could. The jagged chunk of concrete came at my face, and my urvival intinct kicked in. In an act of elf-defene, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the firt thing my finger touched: a pencil. Jut a regular lead pencil. Frantically, I thrut the harpened end at Angelo, and it punctured the kin on the right ide of hi face, jut below hi eye McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 15

4 16 WINNERS DREAM and near hi ear. When I yanked out the pencil, it created a two-inch gah down hi cheek. The face bleed heavily, and Angelo jumped up and off me, dropped the rock, and grabbed hi cheek. I tepped back, relieved but alo in hock from what I had done. But the kid had gone too far with the rock. He left me no choice. I had to get out of there, but I didn t run right away. A in the movie The Godfather, where Michael Corleone hoot a mob rival and a corrupt police captain in Louie Italian retaurant, and then calmly drop the gun on the floor and walk out the front entrance, I dropped my pencil, backed away without looking anyone in the eye, and walked to the treet corner where I tepped it up until I wa afe at home behind the bolted door of our apartment. When my mom aw me, I wa caked in weat, dut, blood, and tear. Mom, I felt like it wa me or him! I had no choice but to get him with the pencil, and I m jut telling you becaue I think they re going to come and try to kill u, and I don t know what to do! Bill, don t you worry about it, he aid a he walked me into the bathroom to clean me up. You are afe now. She wan t angry. She knew that if I hurt omeone, it wa becaue I had to defend myelf, not to prove I wa a tough guy. If they dare come to our home, I ll take care of it. She wiped a wet wahcloth acro my face and kied me on the head. That night, Dad and I litened to the radio a Muhammad Ali dominated Joe Frazier for mot of the firt three round, before Joe delivered a head-napping blow to Ali jaw. Good ol Joe held hi own, attacking Ali body for twelve more round. In a brutal battle that lived up to all the hype, Frazier won. Walking to the bu top the next morning wa the econd cariet thing I d ever had to do on my own, after fighting off Angelo. Would he and hi friend come after me? Harder? I had no interet in fighting him again. But when I aw Angelo, the ide of hi head platered with gauze and tape, he didn t do or ay a thing. I didn t ay anything either. Maybe omeone told him that I had every right to defend myelf with McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 16

5 Underdog 17 the pencil, ince he d tarted with the rock, or maybe he and the other kid now knew that I could defend myelf. Whatever the reaon, it wa over between u, and I wa relieved, but I wan t proud that I had to hurt omeone to end it. I never had another problem with Angelo or anyone ele in that neighborhood again. Plu, I had proof I could urvive on my own. The underdog could win. JOB ONE My parent gave me permiion to dream big and got me believing that I could do anything I et out to achieve. So when I decided to tart earning my own money, I had very high apiration epecially for a paperboy. At eleven, I wa young to be delivering newpaper, but till I anwered an ad to be a paperboy for the larget newpaper on Long Iland at the time. Each morning, a truck dropped off a few tack of flat paper in front of my houe. After tuffing any pecial inert into each paper, I d load a many a I could into the big metal baket on the front of my blue Schwinn bicycle and the two baket on either ide of the back wheel. I carried the ret of the paper in my backpack. School tarted at eight thirty, o to get through the roughly 150 houe on my route in time for the firt bell, I wa uually pedaling by ix o clock in the morning. The more houe I had on my route, the more money I could make in tip, o oon I wa going door-to-door to ign up new ubcriber. I had my htick down: Good morning. I m Bill McDermott, the newpaper boy in the neighborhood, and I noticed you re not currently getting the paper home delivered, o I jut want you to know about my ervice. I had tudied what good newpaper delivery looked like. Some delivery boy were loppy: they jut threw newpaper on lawn, rain or hine, but if there wa even a drizzle, omeone paper lot it value. I made it clear to people that I took the job eriouly and wanted to be concientiou about how I erved my cutomer. McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 17

6 18 WINNERS DREAM I can be flexible in term of how you d like the paper delivered, ma am. Inide your door. In the mailbox. In platic, o it won t get wet. And I alway put the coupon in the right place, o you never have to worry about that. Eventually I more than doubled the number of houe on my route. The key to getting good tip wa whether or not the newpaper howed up how people wanted it. Mot people aked for it in the mailbox, but older folk preferred it between the creen and the door. Back then, a few people requeted the paper in a platic bag, o I alway had ome on me. The job got trickier a the number of houe on my route increaed, but my two-hour delivery window tayed the ame. Deliv- ering all the paper in one run became impoible, o I had to bike back home to replenih my upply. To make ure the paper arrived before people left for work and before my chool tarted, I thought through my route. Speed alone would not olve the problem. I could pedal only o fat. I came up with a methodology to maximize the time by redeigning the route in a way that allowed me to cro town quickly, come home to reload, and finih in an hour and a half. Collecting my money each week required another plan. Mot folk left my weekly fee and hopefully a generou tip in a white envelope that I d left for them; ome cribbled Thank or a miley face on the front. I d to all the envelope into a bag, and then go home and dump the bag on the kitchen table to count out who d given me what. I wa meticulou in tracking how each cutomer paid me, information I recorded in a little green book. I put circle around the name of the good tipper, and I treated thoe folk extra nice, maybe taking the time to put a pecial weekly flyer on top of their newpaper, with a note calling it out, o they d be ure to ee it. The bigget problem wa that ome people ignored the envelope and didn t leave me any money, which became a cah-flow iue, ince I paid the newpaper company for all the paper myelf. To get McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 18

7 Underdog 19 the money I wa due, I had to knock on my cutomer door and ak for it. I didn t like to do thi, but I did it uually on weekend when I had more time and people were more likely to be home. Still, ome folk could go for week without anwering their door. It could have been eay for me to loe track of who owed me how much, but with my careful record keeping, I could alway defend myelf when omeone who owed me $7.50 denied it. What are you talking about, kid? The paper i only a dollar fifty a week. I know, ir, I d ay, pulling out my little green book. But my record how you haven t paid me for five week. I d mile, and, invariably, becaue my note were o good, I d get my money with little hale and often with a ubtantially bigger tip, a thoe late payer got a little heepih about tiffing the polite paperboy. Keep the change, kid, they d ay and hand me a folded ten-dollar bill. I became keenly aware of the connection between my money and my cutomer happine. If I gave my cutomer what they wanted in the way they wanted it, they would give me more money. And for a kid who wanted to make money, thi wa an important revelation. In addition to the cah, I conidered it an accomplihment if people liked me. I felt good when I got a nice word out of a grouchy man who jut wanted to get back to hi football game, or when omeone mother thanked me for doing a good job and invited me inide for a gla of lemonade. Over time, I expanded my buine. By the way, I d ay, I alo have holiday card, if you d be intereted. Back then it wa common to ell boxe of American Greeting card to houehold, and I would bring a bunch of boxed card with me on day when I went door-to-door. I figured that adding another product wa a good way to make the mot of the opportunity I already had, tanding in front of my cutomer when they had money in their hand. Later, when I old cookie door-to-door, I loved the ene of anticipation whenever I rang a tranger doorbell, and the more McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 19

8 20 WINNERS DREAM heated ruh I felt when that tranger aid ye. If we had a friendly converation, all the better. A naty no or a lammed door didn t faze me. I jut walked fater to the next houe, where the potential for another ye awaited. I wa enjoying the proce of making money more than counting or even pending it. Pitching Chritma card to newpaper ubcriber. Tracking cutomer who didn t pay to keep my cah flowing. Chatting over lemonade about a houewife new couch. At the end of each week, I took my route money and wrapped rubber band around the tack of worn bill, and then tahed the thick roll in a hollowed-out cro of Jeu Chrit that hung over my bed. While other kid were aving up only for baeball card, I wa after omething more. Something bigger. Anything I could do to make my parent mile buying a little piece of jewelry for my mom or picking up the dinner check at Howard Johnon for my dad brought me incredible atifaction. Having a teady job and money aved gave me a ene of control in my unpredictable world. WEAR THE JACKET Mot people in our neighborhood knew that I wa alway trying to make a buck, o they often aked me to babyit their kid or do odd job. Once, a young couple who lived down the treet offered to pay me twenty dollar to move an enormou pile of dirt into their backyard and pread it out o they could reeed their gra. The couple wa nice, and twenty dollar wa another twenty dollar. Unfortunately, I mijudged the time it would take, a well a the intenity of the labor. I had no glove, and the hovel wood handle began cutting into my hand. Thi work wa hard and phyical, but even a the afternoon I planned to finih turned into a econd afternoon and then a third, I didn t top. There were moment I wanted to throw that hovel into the canal at the back of the houe, but I didn t quit. I d watched my McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 20

9 Underdog 21 dad get up in the middle of the night often enough to know that work i ometime doing what we do not want to do, and I believed it wa important to do the job I promied. I kept hoveling. When I finihed, it didn t feel right to ak the couple for more money. We had an agreement, and I didn t want to ruin my relationhip with the huband and wife, becaue I liked them, even if they knew they were getting a weet deal. Beide, aking for more money would come with a megadoe of guilt the kind that come with a Catholic chool education. If I gave anyone any reaon to think I wa cheating him or not delivering what I d promied, guilt engulfed me. My firt chance for better-paying employment came when I wa on the cup of fifteen, and the Finat upermarket chain opened a tore in our neighborhood. When I heard that Finat wa hiring, I picked up a job application and filled it out at home. My mom igned it becaue I wa a minor. On the appointed day, I tood outide Finat in a line of applicant that tretched two block from the tore front door and bright red ignage. Scanning the competition, I realized that I wa clearly the younget peron in line, the leat experienced, and thu a definite long hot for one of the few opening. Why hire the kid? they d think. I wa edging cloer to the front of the line, where a woman behind a card table wa accepting application. When I tepped forward and handed her mine, he placed it on a pile of inditinguihable white form. That when I noticed a man wearing a green port jacket tanding a few feet away. Nice jacket, I thought. Mut be the bo. I thanked the woman behind the table after he told me the tore manager would review my application and be in touch, and then I walked traight over to the man in the green jacket. The name Jack Kelly wa embroidered on it. Hi Mr. Kelly, I m Bill McDermott, I aid and put out my hand. I jut want you to know that I waited on line for the lat hour to ubmit my application becaue I really want to work here. He hook my hand and looked down at me, an eyebrow raied. McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 21

10 22 WINNERS DREAM Sir, I guarantee that if you give me thi job, I ll work very hard for you. I jut need a chance. Jack Kelly looked over at a coworker who wa within earhot, and they both thanked me for my interet. When I left the tore, the applicant line wa till down the block. The new tore wa le than a mile from my houe, and the econd I hut our front door, my mom called to me. Bill, there a Mr. Kelly on the phone, and he want to peak to you! A Mr. Finnegan i alo on the line. They re with Finat. She miled a I took the receiver. Hello, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Finnegan. How are you? Bill, we think you have a lot of energy, I heard Mr. Kelly ay. You can tart tomorrow. Jut like that, very bruque. Make ure you dre in nice pant and a collared hirt, and get here ten minute before your hift at four o clock. I m a real tickler for being on time, you hear me, kid? Ye ir, Mr. Kelly, I ll be there! Me being me, I arrived a half hour early. The work wan t glamorou, but I wa excited to have a real alary. I tarted out corralling hopping cart from the parking lot. I wa careful never to ram them together and hove them againt the tore wall. I treated thoe cart like china. In the parking lot, if I aw a cutomer truggling to get bag into her trunk, I d run over to help but refue to take the quarter tip if he offered. No thank you, ma am, jut doing my job. Really, it my pleaure. I wan t lying; I loved that job. I graduated from the parking lot to tocking helve. The day I accidentally cut my hand with a box cutter a I liced open a carton full of canned good, a coworker drove me to the hopital and waited while they titched me up. I wa back at Finat within a few hour. The way I aw it, I owed Finat at leat ninety minute. Plu, I wanted to prove that my injury wouldn t top me from completing my tocking dutie, and get me demoted back to collecting cart. I took every job eriouly, and whether I wa tacking can in a upermarket mock, digging dirt in muddy hort, or delivering paper McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 22

11 Underdog 23 in my chool clothe, I tarted to develop baic work habit. By maximizing my time, being polite and concientiou, taying true to my word, howing up on time, and holding myelf accountable, I wa acting like a profeional before I had to look like one. I wa wearing the jacket long before I could afford or need a real jacket of my own. I undertood that whether omeone pay wa hourly or alaried, hi collar blue or white, profeional work habit alone wouldn t get people promoted, but a lack of profeionalim wouldn t get people anywhere. So even when my job were mall, I acted big. I don t think my bo, Mr. Kelly, who wa a good man and wore hi own green jacket well, employed a lot of kid like me. He going place, he told my dad one day, which wa a much roier outlook than Siter Jean Agne prediction about my future. EVEN BETTER I wa fifteen, making minimum wage, about $2.30 an hour. But it wa a union job, o, like my dad, I took every ounce of overtime I could get becaue it paid time and a half. Double time during holiday. A I d topped doing the paper route, I had hour that weren t being eaten up by Finat, chool, or baketball, o I took two other job. One conited of doing mundane tak for the village of Amityville, like painting fence or picking up litter around town. The other job, I liked much better: I wa a floating buboy at a white-glove Italian retaurant, Amato, which wa o high-end that it took American Expre card and even had it buboy wear tuxedo a uniform that demanded more repect than the job itelf. I loved the tux. At Amato, I made $10 for a five-hour hift plu any money the waiter hared with me for taking their cutomer dirty dihe to the kitchen and pouring coffee. After every hift, a the waiter tallied their tip, I prayed they would take into account my effort to treat their cutomer well and throw me everal buck. I alway McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 23

12 24 WINNERS DREAM aked diner if they enjoyed their meal, and uggeted a cannoli or ome pumoni for deert. By the time I wa ixteen, if I wan t at chool, I wa buy tocking, bagging, hauling, and buing. For a while, I even worked the midnight hift at the Merritt ga tation, where jut trying to tay awake wa a chore. From midnight to eight in the morning, I d ervice twenty car at mot. Not an ounce of kill wa required. The boredom wa torturou. Still, I had more money than ever too much to keep in the cro above my bed and enough to buy myelf the occaional luxury. My favorite purchae wa a hardy heepkin coat, the kind with the faux fur trim, chic in the I picked it up for about $200 at an outlet hop that old clothe not quite a high-end a Macy. The minute I aw that coat, I wanted it. Walking the treet of Amityville in what became my ignature coat, I felt a cool a New York Knick baketball guard Walt Clyde Frazier. I wa grateful for the work I got, and to men like Mr. Kelly, who took a chance on me. And while I loved the work and the money, I upected a hodgepodge of minimum-wage job wan t making me a much cah a my time and effort deerved. One afternoon, walking home from Amato in my waiter tuxedo and black velvet tie, I noticed a Help Wanted ign in the window of Amityville Country Delicateen on the corner of Bayview Avenue and Merrick Road. I walked in. It wa a mall box of a place, nothing fancy. A pay phone. Rack of chip. Beer, oda, houehold good, and a deli counter. What are you looking for? I aked the man tanding behind the cah regiter. I m looking for omeone who want to work hard and i willing to put in a lot of hour. I miled, partially at him, partially to myelf. Work hard? Pleae, thi guy had no idea who he wa talking to. McDermott_WinnerDream_3P_yc.indd 24

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