Friday, July 29, 2005
So this is it...
So that's me looking very pensive though I guess I should be smiling because today is my last day ever as a legal assistant at Friedman & Levin and also, my last day ever (I hope!) in the 9-5 workplace, but I'm surprisingly sad. I grew up in that office; I experienced everything as a young girl from the death of my mom to the death of John Lennon and George Harrison; the birth of both of my children; both kids joining Rock School and becoming superstars, performing with Eddie Vedder, Jon Anderson, Alice Cooper, Ann Wilson, James Iha, Stewart Copeland, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ike Willis, Marky Ramone, Carlos Alomar, Chris Opperman, etc. etc.; (and yes, I will once again say it: I got hugged by Jon Anderson over my kids' talent and had pizza with Eddie Vedder and yes, yes, Eddie Vedder also hugged me and told me Julie and Eric were incredible...I still don't quite believe the events of May, 2005) the retirement of my beloved boss Larry Friedman; the move from Rittenhouse Square after over twenty years...ack...as I take a walk down memory lane, I realize no one will be interested in this besides me, so I guess I'll stop now before I start sobbing uncontrollably and worse, I bore you all to death.
Anyway, with today being my last day, I can now concentrate solely on my two projects, i.e., the sequel to Three Days in New York City -- my publisher has already had the book cover done for months and she's been more than patient waiting for the actual contents -- it's called Another Bite of the Apple and features the same wacky cast of characters in Three Days and a few new ones:
And of course, I continue to work obsessively on my creative non-fiction memoir, The Tour, which has turned out to be a study in what happens to all of us rock and roller, pot smoking baby boomers who are suddenly getting mail from AARP and prescriptions for colonscopies and high blood pressure/cholesterol medication (raises hand) when they swear to themselves they are still 19 years old and who the hell is that middle aged person staring back in the mirror? Like when I went to see Eric play in NYC recently and the whole audience was made up of NYU students and here I'm thinking I'm so cool with my long blonde hair, black t-shirt and jeans...arghhh...I may as well have been invisible; in fact, I probably was. So there's a lot of emotion pouring out there, as well as a lot of fun flashbacks to the seventies music scene and free love era. (Well come on, you didn't really think I'd write a book without sex, did you?)
Anyway, instead of singing the Who's I'm Free at the top of my lungs like I've been doing for the past two weeks since I gave notice, instead I surprisingly find myself melancholy and singing the Beatles "In My Life", which I dedicate to Larry Friedman, who shaped me as a human being and in turn shaped my children as human beings -- something for which I can never, ever thank him enough because Julie and Eric...well...they are without a doubt my proudest accomplishment and really, the only thing I feel I've done in life without fucking up in some way:
In My Life
There are places I’ll remember all my life
Though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these mem’ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I’ll love you more
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I’ll love you more
In my life I’ll love you more
***********
I also want to thank Larry's partner, Craig Levin, who has been my sole boss for the past three years, for putting up with me when he knew my heart was elsewhere; that I wanted to write and no longer had the passion nor drive to give him the attention to which he'd become accustomed. Craig is a great guy as well and I feel bad abandoning ship, but it was time and I'm pretty sure he understands and may even be somewhat relieved.
Ah well, it appears I'm way too emotional to post any more today, so I will leave you with some fun pics of the kids performing Sunday night in New York City that appeared in New York's premiere nightlife pub, Paper Mag. Click on "Party Pics" and enjoy!
Con-HUGE-gratulations!!! What a great step you are taking!
ReplyDeleteOh Robin... I feel for you with the last day on the job!!! I quit my job of 12 years in June and started a new job the following Monday and like you I grew up there. Its a big step and you will do wonderful! Congrats!
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