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Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Modeling Years


It's a clear and beautiful spring morning here in Portland. The dogwood tree outside of my window is on its way to full pink bloom....one of my most favorite of tender trees. I love the dark rich texture of it's trunk in perfect chorus with the swoopy shape of each small petal brushed, as it were, with the tiniest of paintbrushes in a creamy pinkish tint. All of that, to say this: I was going to post about this today. It sort of got my hopes up -- a little, maybe, kind of, sort of, possibly. But then, I reeled. Why ruin a perfectly-orchestrated Saturday morning ... with coffee cup in hand (sugar-free hazelnut creamer, if you please), morning eyes conveniently laden with hard, crunchy, allergy morning junk in the corners of them, and a more-than-handsome Maltese-Poodle that just now came running to my chair with his front paws up on my leg....he got his wish, a trip to my lap to pley pn tie compuicer keyboysrd. So, instead, a Back to the Future sort of moment, instead, about that dude in the picture at the top of my site this month. He was mid-20s, in Boise, and really not quite sure what to do with his life on many fronts. He was working in the Human Resources area of a large Fortune 500 company and wearing some of the funkiest clothes around. Always turning an eye, and -- I'm sure -- a question or two about a couple of things. So, after numerous "You should be a model" comments, I found a modeling and talent school where I became one of the oldest classmates. I studied runway, television, script reading, tearoom, grooming, hair, makeup and all the rest. It was run by a Mormon family who treated me horribly well. I enjoyed my time there, but it was a wild ride on the sexuality and social front. So, the agency's director seemed to push me in the direction of posing for more adult-type positions, including the one in the picture, with the Wall Street Journal sort of feel. You'll be seeing other shots in the coming months. One of the more memorable times was when our entire school did a modeling and talent runway show. There we were, all 25 of us guys, in leather coats and trousers....strutting our stuff to "It's Raining Men, Hallelujah" with the lights flashing and the fake smoke rising around us as we tootled down the runway. Oh my god, if you just could have seen it. And the crowning touch to my career there was when I marched (yes, I did march) into the director's office, closed the door, and told her that I had asked a girl to marry me. "Oh my, Tyler," she said ... "Are you sure that's what you really want to be doing with your life ... are you sure that's the right thing?" (Tyler Lewis was the name she had adorned me with during that brief stint in my life.) She just as well could have said "You're a fag and have no business marrying a woman." It would have been more accurate. I think that was the "nearing the top of the roller coaster" portion of my life. It got increasingly wild and crazy after that. I'm glad that someone pulled the power on that ride.

15 comments:

Dave2 said...

Tyler Lewis has got that "I'm a super-model, bitch... do not go there with me" attitude going on. Tyra Banks would be jealous.

Breenlantern said...

I'm a "sugar-free french vanilla creamer" man myself, but I'll taste yours if you'll taste mine....and I've already confessed my near-fetish thing for men in ties to you, I believe, so you KNOW I'm loving this whole model years string...feel free to post (or send) any and all pics of you in ties and any various stages of undressing in ties for/to yours truly...oops, have I said too much?

dpaste said...

Oh dear.

Anonymous said...

I was just getting swept up in the post... when it ended. :) Look forward to hearing more from the modeling years!
My fav. pic. from the Mason collection is #DSC05523. What a cute family!
Enjoy this beautiful Oregon evening!
Wendy

savante said...

More more pics! And a banner as well!

Doug said...

How can you sashay down a runway to "It's raining men," and then go marry a woman? I'm so confused.

I had no idea you were a model. That is a very captivating idea. Now all sorts of images are swimming through my head.

S said...

Hmmm... I always thought you were a blonde.

Rick Rockhill said...

Oh I don't know, I think a modelling career would have been very exciting for you if you were still at it Lewis...taste-style-talent, you have it all

Ur-spo said...

i think you still could be a fine model.
I enjoyed reading your model post.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you studied tearoom, honey. Haven't we all? :)

Billy said...

Well your just full of surprises Tyler daaaaaahling!

Love your puppy - too cute for words.

My adventures said...

I did some modeling as well when I was much younger... I got started when I accompanied a short friend, who had just finished modeling school, to a runway audition. He didn't get the job, he was too short, I did! I worked for about 3 years and did shows in New York, Paris and Milan. It was so much fun!! Really a blur though, too many late nights and drugs!! Ha! I wouldn't change a moment!!!

Birdie said...

I want to hear the rest of the story. You can't stop there! (BTW, I love the almost-pout in the pic. Can you do Blue Steel?)

Nathan said...

I'm glad you finally told the story of that photos that's been on your site header :) Very interesting indeed!

WAT said...

Hey Tyler, she saved you from marrying that girl!

Now it's time to listen to Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight."