Steven Velásquez - Granting "Sirenity"

by Steven P. Velasquez Ever feel like your life has been set to music; somehow choreographed? Ever feel like there should be a camera crew filming you in your own reality TV show? A few nights ago would have been a great night for my film crew and I. A Place For Us Is Born When I was a kid, a roller rink opened up near my home in Rutherford, NJ. Its name was the " Wallington Skating Center " and she first opened her doors on Labor Day 1982. A buddy of mine (Anthony DiMeo) invited me there for an afternoon skate one day and curiously, I went. I had no idea what a "roller ring" or "roller rink" was. Once through her doors though, I discovered an enchanted wonderland of music and movement. Arcade games, a light show that reflected colored lights to the beat of the music - and girls - lots and lots of girls. What more could a pubescent Latino ask for in life than this? Life Has Rhythm Immediately, this thirteen year-old fell in love with th...

by Steven P. Velasquez Sept. 29, 2013   Rutherford High School - Rutherford, NJ I'm driving up Interstate 85 between Charlotte and Greensboro, NC in my hot rental car. I'm frustrated because the cars on the highway seem immobile. A glance at my speedometer has me at 85 mph though I feel like I'm standing still. Comfortable, but probably not a good change from a safety standpoint. The radio is filling my ears with literally ALL the sounds of my formative years as I've found an 80's station that has me in complete nostalgia mode. The thought of getting a radio signal from a satellite in space vs. AM waves on terrestrial radio? Never thought we'd see the day back then, but here it is. I say this is a good change as the clarity, selections and lack of geographical restriction are seemingly endless.   The personalities on the satellite radio are none other than the original V.J.'s of the earliest days of MTV before it became ...