By Herbie J Pilato, ‘83
Each step took me to the next level, my next place in life, my next journey.
I’m not sure I would have understood how all of it was connected had I not been guided by Joe or any of the additional guiding wise-souls I encountered at Nazareth who helped to pave my path onward.
Certainly, there have been others who have guided me through the decades. My terrific parents, Herbert and Frances Pilato. My generous sister, Pamela Mastrosimone. Countless dear relatives, friends, and colleagues over the span of a lifetime; each playing a significant role, contributing to who I am in the most productive of ways.
Today, I’m writer/producer, author, and pop-culture historian. I’ve written several books about television and a number of celebrity biographies, each with a life-affirming perspective. I produced, written, consulted for, and appeared in many TV documentaries. I formed a non-profit organization dedicated to the positive influence of classic TV shows. I’m a features writer for Emmys.com, owned and operated by the Television Academy. I’m an Editor Emeritus for TVWriter.com. And I’m the host and an executive producer of my own TV talk show, Then Again with Herbie J Pilato, which is streaming now on Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime UK.
Juggling all of that is not always easy, but it’s much less challenging because I learned how to keep it all separate. When I’m writing my books, I’m writing my books. When I’m hosting and executive-producing my TV talk show, I’m hosting and executive-producing my TV talk show, and so forth.
Herbie J Pilato, author, screenwriter, TV producer, talk show host
In the spring of 1983, my final semester of attending Nazareth, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, the legendary rock band, was a hit on the airwaves. Of course, the “airwaves,” at the time, meant just listening to the radio and watching MTV. There were no smartphones, iPads, or even the internet. And desktop computers were just barely introduced to the mainstream, which today, enjoys streaming videos, movies, music, and TV shows on a whole other level. But in 1983, any song by “The Police” helped to define the era, as music and pop culture in general usually does so for any time period. “Pop-culture” is really “culture” of the moment. In looking back… way back…to Ancient Egypt, the Pyramids may be viewed as a “pop-culture” development of the day.
That might be a stretch in time. But you get the idea, and ideas are always a good thing.
Certainly, many wonderful ideas sprang into mind during my years at Nazareth, which remain some of the happiest of my life. The education I received, the friends I made, the wisdom I gained from the enormously gifted teachers, professors, and instructors; all of them, inspirational, and immeasurable with experiences that I still call upon to this day to guide me.
One such experience, in particular, stands out.
I recall working full-time, directing a play at the Nazareth Arts Center, and going to school full-time. Into that mix, I somehow found time for social gatherings. But I was burning myself out, trying to please everyone, and doing too much. I was confused, scattered, and scared. I remember walking the campus like a zombie.
Until one day, I was approached by Professor Joe Baranowski, a lovely man who ran the Theatre Arts program with Dr. James J. Kolb, another terrific and talented human being.
“Joe,” as he so graciously allowed his students to call him, noticed me walking, as if in a daze, from the Arts Center to the Shults Center. He stopped me and said, “Herbie? Are you okay? You haven’t been your usual jovial self, lately. What’s going on?”
A few minutes later, we found ourselves at the Shults Center, on one of the cushioned seats near the main entryway, and I poured out my heart.
“Joe,” I said, “…I’m going crazy. I’m all over the place. I can’t seem to concentrate on any one thing. I have a million things to do, but I’m accomplishing nothing.”
And I will never forget what he told me after I said that.
“Herbie…when you’re working, work. When you’re going to class, go to the class. When you’re directing the play, direct the play.”
I was awestruck by the simplicity of that wisdom. Those words stopped me in my scattered tracks. And it was then, at that moment, that I learned the importance of departmentalization. Thanks to the great philosophical mind and caring, monitoring heart of a Nazareth mentor. Joe Baranowski's words, combined with countless other morsels of genius from various other collegiate leaders from Nazareth, shaped me into the man I am today.
To this moment, I hold close to my heart and mind Joe’s guiding terms in every task I tackle, every step I take, and yes…every breath I take.
Because of Joe and the amassed knowledge and insight I gained from Nazareth, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a whole lot of clarity and newfound patience. I moved from Rochester, my hometown, to Los Angeles, where I went on to serve an Internship as a Page for NBC-TV in Burbank, California. It was a demanding job in public relations, that my previous position as a bellman at the Greece Marriot Airport Hotel in Rochester had prepared me for.
That might be a stretch in time. But you get the idea, and ideas are always a good thing.
Certainly, many wonderful ideas sprang into mind during my years at Nazareth, which remain some of the happiest of my life. The education I received, the friends I made, the wisdom I gained from the enormously gifted teachers, professors, and instructors; all of them, inspirational, and immeasurable with experiences that I still call upon to this day to guide me.
One such experience, in particular, stands out.
I recall working full-time, directing a play at the Nazareth Arts Center, and going to school full-time. Into that mix, I somehow found time for social gatherings. But I was burning myself out, trying to please everyone, and doing too much. I was confused, scattered, and scared. I remember walking the campus like a zombie.
Until one day, I was approached by Professor Joe Baranowski, a lovely man who ran the Theatre Arts program with Dr. James J. Kolb, another terrific and talented human being.
“Joe,” as he so graciously allowed his students to call him, noticed me walking, as if in a daze, from the Arts Center to the Shults Center. He stopped me and said, “Herbie? Are you okay? You haven’t been your usual jovial self, lately. What’s going on?”
A few minutes later, we found ourselves at the Shults Center, on one of the cushioned seats near the main entryway, and I poured out my heart.
“Joe,” I said, “…I’m going crazy. I’m all over the place. I can’t seem to concentrate on any one thing. I have a million things to do, but I’m accomplishing nothing.”
And I will never forget what he told me after I said that.
“Herbie…when you’re working, work. When you’re going to class, go to the class. When you’re directing the play, direct the play.”
I was awestruck by the simplicity of that wisdom. Those words stopped me in my scattered tracks. And it was then, at that moment, that I learned the importance of departmentalization. Thanks to the great philosophical mind and caring, monitoring heart of a Nazareth mentor. Joe Baranowski's words, combined with countless other morsels of genius from various other collegiate leaders from Nazareth, shaped me into the man I am today.
To this moment, I hold close to my heart and mind Joe’s guiding terms in every task I tackle, every step I take, and yes…every breath I take.
Because of Joe and the amassed knowledge and insight I gained from Nazareth, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a whole lot of clarity and newfound patience. I moved from Rochester, my hometown, to Los Angeles, where I went on to serve an Internship as a Page for NBC-TV in Burbank, California. It was a demanding job in public relations, that my previous position as a bellman at the Greece Marriot Airport Hotel in Rochester had prepared me for.
NBC & ME: My Life As A Page In A Book is Pilato's "mock-memoir" of his days as TV network page in the "Big '80s"
And it was that job as a bellman that I was working while attending Nazareth and directing that play.
Each step took me to the next level, my next place in life, my next journey.
I’m not sure I would have understood how all of it was connected had I not been guided by Joe or any of the additional guiding wise-souls I encountered at Nazareth who helped to pave my path onward.
Herbie J Pilato is the host and an executive producer of Then Again with Herbie J Pilato, a classic TV talk show now streaming on Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime UK
Certainly, there have been others who have guided me through the decades. My terrific parents, Herbert and Frances Pilato. My generous sister, Pamela Mastrosimone. Countless dear relatives, friends, and colleagues over the span of a lifetime; each playing a significant role, contributing to who I am in the most productive of ways.
Today, I’m writer/producer, author, and pop-culture historian. I’ve written several books about television and a number of celebrity biographies, each with a life-affirming perspective. I produced, written, consulted for, and appeared in many TV documentaries. I formed a non-profit organization dedicated to the positive influence of classic TV shows. I’m a features writer for Emmys.com, owned and operated by the Television Academy. I’m an Editor Emeritus for TVWriter.com. And I’m the host and an executive producer of my own TV talk show, Then Again with Herbie J Pilato, which is streaming now on Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime UK.
Pilato's book, MARY: The Mary Tyler Moore Story, chronicles the life and career of the iconic actress
Twitch Upon a Star and The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery are Pilato's acclaimed twin biographies of the Bewitched performer.
It’s all connected, but it’s not.
It’s all disconnected, but it isn’t.
It’s just every step you take…that leads you to the next station in life.
In this way…and along the way…I’ve learned to go with the flow; to be kind, courteous, generous, compassionate, and understanding. And most importantly, I’ve learned to be all of those things towards myself in an unselfish way; to leave wide open, the margin for error, for myself and for others.
Nobody’s perfect, and everyone’s flawed, and we’re all in this life together. If we’re going to survive and subsequently thrive; if we are going to educate one another, as Joe and others at Nazareth educated me, then there is no other path to follow.
It is the road less traveled that will turn into the mainstream thoroughfare that will unite us all.
It’s all disconnected, but it isn’t.
It’s just every step you take…that leads you to the next station in life.
In this way…and along the way…I’ve learned to go with the flow; to be kind, courteous, generous, compassionate, and understanding. And most importantly, I’ve learned to be all of those things towards myself in an unselfish way; to leave wide open, the margin for error, for myself and for others.
Nobody’s perfect, and everyone’s flawed, and we’re all in this life together. If we’re going to survive and subsequently thrive; if we are going to educate one another, as Joe and others at Nazareth educated me, then there is no other path to follow.
It is the road less traveled that will turn into the mainstream thoroughfare that will unite us all.
For more information, visit HerbieJPilato.com.
Very inspirational!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great message. I try to teach my own students to just do one thing at a time and do it well.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent piece, Herbie. Congratulations on your many accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteNice work Herbie!
ReplyDeleteMickey O’Brien