Connecting with Clayton - Episode One

By John Clayton

As an ex-Brit, ex-Londoner, and a background that included being the Director of PR for the (now departed) San Pedro home ported “SS Azure Seas,” and as the Manager of Publicity for (then LA based Continental Airlines) in a career that’s taken me to 51 countries around the world, and of all the places I visited, why did I chose to live and work in this exquisite American geographical location called Palos Verdes?

I’ve seen a hundred and one appealing towns and villages around the world that have a sort of “you’d really love living here” atmosphere (yes, we’ll cover some of them in future issues of PALOS VERDES PULSE) but nothing took hold of me more strongly than the magic of Palos Verdes. Consider the serenity and awesome scenery in our vivacious valleys and still pristine, often flower bedecked hillsides that look out at the Pacific Ocean, and with our pleasurable climate, and “PV Lifestyle,” all confirm that Palos Verdes IS an obvious choice.

How many times have I driven down Hawthorne Boulevard on an “as always” sunny day and each time been awestruck by the blue Pacific spread out before me like a specifically created beautiful movie panorama designed for a King and Queen. After all these many decades of breathing the dream of our unique PV way of life, I’m continually thrilled to live in this awesome paradise called Palos Verdes.

Many of you might recall my offbeat 8 minute or so RPV-TV features called “Armchair Traveler with John Clayton,” or going back a bit, my 16 combined years on 3 top LA radio stations: KABC790, KKGO/KMZT, and then the CBS station KNX1070. Putting all of these frankly wonderful creative endeavors to use in radio, on TV, newspaper and PR for a cruise AND airline (including 15 years with my Peninsula News travel feature) together, it was a privilege to see, up close and very personal, those fifty one countries around the world.
Wherever I traveled it was an unbounded happiness to return to our home in Palos Verdes to be rewarded by the experience yet again of PV’s enchanting lifestyle.

All of that connects as to WHY I call these PALOS VERDES PULSE features “An EPISODE" and not just story or chapter. At least 98% of my life has been devoted to communication, be it in TV, on radio, a podcast or PR, where connecting with my audience has been – and always will be – of paramount importance. Besides, the word Episode, like much of my life, and possibly yours too – has been just that – little or big events and occurrences, that eventually all merge together to form a whole Life.

That’s also the reason we call it “CONNECTING with Clayton.” In these PALOS VERDES PULSE pages we’ll ruminate about life and its quirks, about offbeat places to travel, and positive pieces about this place called AMERICA that I’ve visualized and daydreamed about since I was kid in London. In three simple words – I LOVE IT.

So, dear Readers’ that’s my “Introduction,” and until we connect again, take care of yourself and, as those words that we hear so frequently nowadays, stay safe, and BE SAFE. Someone suggested I close these "Connections” with a bit of, as they referred to it, a Briticism such as “Jolly Good Show.” But that's not me; I'm more of a "Downton Abbey” type fellow in my journalistic adventures.

Because I love positive, inspiring and raise your spirits statements, each of my PULSE Episodes will always have one just for YOU. Here’s today’s: “Don’t change so people will like you. Be YOURSELF, and the right people will love THE REAL YOU.”