Things happen. Good things happen. Bad things happen. But things always happen.

A few decades ago I transferred from one college to another and I needed part time work. My first venture was a school that taught English as a second language. ESL.

Perfect. I knew English.

Unfortunately, the school’s Director told me I needed a Master’s Degree to teach ESL or anywhere else. Undeterred, I found four teaching jobs within a few weeks; one at an ESL school, another at a local business college for night school students, a third at the local university as an ESL instructor, and the last as a modeling instructor.

Say what? Modeling? Seriously.

While waiting for a student to show up for my first ESL class I scoured the Want Ads and found out that Barbizon School of Modeling was looking for an instructor. The school was in the same building as my ESL classes, so I grabbed a copy of my resume and headed for the 12th floor.

I got the job as a modeling instructor at Barbizon.

That required me to learn— quickly— about poise and charm, makeup and photography, clothing and posing. It also meant I was surrounded by pretty young girls and instructors at every class.

One day the school’s Director came to me and said, “We need your students to interview for a TV commercial.” So, one by one I sent them in, guys and gals, to meet the client and walk through the requirements. One by one they sent them back. With no one left for the client to interview, the Director sent me in as something of a last resort.

I got the job.

The school got paid well for their efforts and I starred in a TV commercial for a Japanese beer brand with Laura Baugh, a professional golfer who also did commercials in Japan (golf, beer, and pretty blonds are popular in Japan).

That was the extent of my modeling career.