It was December of 1970 that I hit New York. I had just had an action packed year of crazy experiences in Toronto after graduation  from college. I was kind of burned out, not to mention broke. Before leaving Toronto, I paid $200 for a brutally  sodomized Chevy Van that had a good motor, but that was about it. It ran well, but nothing worked on it except those bare necessities that were required to pass inspection in Ontario. I’m not even sure what color it was other than rust with a little primer here and there. See for yourself in this picture.

My friend Rory and I drove it to New York and found an apartment that had just been vacated by a fellow named Ed Sanders who led a rock group called the “Fugs“. It was on Avenue A in the lower east side of Manhattan.

The wild ride was to continue for some time in NYC, mostly driven by Rory who was afraid of nothing. It was fun, but I knew there was a different life that was better and I had to find it. My parents had taken great care and made great sacrifices to give me the knowledge and education I needed to take control of my life.

In the fifteen years that followed, I had made a lot of changes. I found a way to make money through honest work and without exploiting people. I was able to get a new car and an airplane to go along with it. I also got a much nicer apartment and a bed with a mattress.

I was happy then and I’m happy now.

What ever happened to the Chevy Van? After accumulating lots of parking tickets in NYC , I drove it back to Toronto and sold it for $200.