Today at lunch I saw Patti Smith eating two tables away from me in SoHo/West Village with Lenny Kaye. They were eating in a spot that had an obstructed view to them. I recently got to know Lenny (sort of - we keep bumping into each other at parties where we'll talk for maybe 20 minutes), and as I left, I said "hi," they were both incredibly sweet, Lenny hugged me and mentioned something about healthy food choices, Patti asked me about my "little one," while they both seemed to wrestle with the internal question "who the bleep is this chick again?" It was okay. It happens to me, too. And I have e-mail addresses, and I love giving refreshers. Especially to very good, honest people. Who are rock legends.
It is unusual for me to actually eat out for lunch. I enjoy eating at home. And I think that I am the only New Yorker who actually attempts to cook three times a day.
So lately, when people ask me, "What's the next big thing?" and I want to answer something about homeschooling, I forget that I am acutally am a homeschooling parent. I am also an activist, a publicity maven, a writer of magazine articles, yadda yadda yadda. Friends show genuine surprise when they hear that I have been anywhere above 14th Street. "You? Above 14th Street?" Um, yeah. You know, I *live* above 14th Street. "Yeah, but, you like, just need to take the train to get to where you do your thing."
Those conversations make me laugh.
New York can be such a succubus, pulling its inhabitants through a rabbit hole where Image is Everything and Who You Are and What You Stand For mean Nothing. I am settling into a good place. I've become honest with myself and with who I am. It's such a contrast to where I was a year and a half ago. I don't have to keep up with anyone. Keeping up with myself is work enough.
So while my head spins while I attempt to cook three (preferably organic) meals a day, everyday, get my hands dirty in fresh new kid mohair and silk yarn from Japan, pick up a new publicity project, read every single news item every day, schedule the next Fung Wah trip to Boston for A to take courses at Harvard, or dream a new rock and roll event, and get asked what I have next on my agenda, I can genuinely say this:
Horses Horses Horses Horses Horses Horses Horses....
2 comments:
I adore horses! And unfortunately haven't ridden in years. BUT the town we're moving to has several horse farms, so I intend to make use of the proximity--for myself and then for Alexander once he's old enough.
Or are you being metaphorical in some way?
I, too, love horses, their speed, and their need for galloping. I was also being metaphorical - Patti Smith has an album called - surprise - "Horses"!
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