Self-published local author writes about his 'Lucky' life

With his latest book titled “As Luck Would Have It” hot off the press, Lucky Rimpila seems to be having a lucky streak.

Rimpila, who moved to Northfield 45 years ago, said he’s been writing since he was an 11th grader at Hastings High School: “I had some really good English teachers who persuaded me to keep writing.”

He self-published his first 220-page book in 2007 using iUniverse, Inc. a publishing outfit headquartered in Indiana. That volume, titled “Oh! To Mend Straight: A Tailor of Words,” is filled with poetry evoking vivid imagery of the Baby Boomer era.

His poems span 40 years of history, starting from the Vietnam War era and the draft to dating, music, marriage and the corporate world to well into the 21st century.

“For Baby Boomers, this compilation offers a chance to relive this often tumultuous, yet enthralling time in American history,” he said. “Whether the topic is controversial, momentous or deeply personal.”

In 2011, he wrote the lyrics to songs performed by local musicians Chad Johnson and Jason Paulson for a CD entitled “Just Call Me Lucky.” The ten tracks include country western and rock songs such as “Sweetwater Life,” “Fire and Steel,” “Tell Me About The Tears,” Down That Road Before,” and “Unbound Wounds.”

The song lyrics tell stories that need to be told and impart lessons that need to be remembered, he said.

“Our children need to know what we’ve experiences,” explained the married father of three and grandfather of six. “They need to know how everything got shapes, our country and the world around us.”

Rimpila said the message he wants his readers — who extend well beyond his immediate family — to take away is “Don’t forget our history.”

“It makes me sad to see that our history is being erased,” he said. Whenever a name is changed or an important fact is misstated, he said he feels like some of the past he values has just slipped away.

“That’s why I write about all the stages of the life I’ve experienced,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with a meaningful life, filled with great family, friends and teachers.”

Rimpila said his lucky life began when he married Connie, his high school sweetheart whom he met in the band when they both played trumpet. Through his career as the former owner of of medical supply company and Diamond Dave’s restaurant, Rimpila said he only works part-time now as a driver for Apple Chevrolet.

Although he doesn’t write every day seated at a desk in the basement of his home, Rimpila said he’s on the fourth chapter of a fictional story tentatively titled “The Behavior” about a rock band from the 1960s. He hopes to publish that book at the end of this year.

So many people ask Rimpila if that’s his real first name, that he has begun to answer them by asking if that’s actually their real name.

“The truth is, my mother’s favorite TV character was Lucky Jenkins,” he said. “Lucky was Hopalong Cassidy’s sidekick.”

And in case you’re still not convinced, Lucky is also clearly printed in black ink on the author’s birth certificate.