Feels Like the First Time

In my industry, August is a little on the slow side. Everyone's boss is in the Hamptons and everyone else (hopefully) gets caught up. Whether or not that happens, September feels like going back to school. No more early quittin' time on Friday. No more long lunches. Back to real work.

I loved going back to school. New notebooks and shoes and seeing everyone you forgot about over the summer. Where I grew up, back to school meant a good bit more of summer weather, even though I wore those new sweaters and jeans the first week anyway. That's what you do to new clothes, temperature be damned.

But I have to say, as I've gotten older, and school became work, the lure of new notebooks (which I still buy) has lost its luster. Of course it has. Work does not equal school. Sometimes it's a whole lot better. Sometimes I'd rather be in English Lit.

My sister sent me a box of odds and ends once, and included therein was the above action figure--a duplicate in her son's collection. I used to run screaming from the room when the Incredible Hulk came on TV, much to my sister and brother's amusement. I don't even remember why, but he scared the crap out of me. But he's on my desk now, a little plastic reminder of the stuff I'm not afraid of anymore. Cheesy, I know. But sometimes things like that work. I might need it right now.

Re: Photo. Sometime in 2007 in Brooklyn.