Friday, December 5, 2008

I'm back







It all started to come back to me last night. Ok, so I’ll back the truck up a bit to acknowledge that I essentially stopped posting here altogether. I could say I was busy which I was but I’m always pretty busy. That’s the annoying part; lots of interesting, comedic, embarrassing things have happened to me just as they always seem to do but I lost some momentum that pushes me to post them on this lovely green outlet for all my “crazy”. Observations, thoughts and involvement went in and out of me like cigarette smoke.

Back to last night… I was at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Vine for the much anticipated Annie Leibovitz lecture and book signing. I love a good book event and I like it even better at the FLP because I know the way they run their big events so that I can not only see the lecture but know when to cut out early to get to the front of the book signing line right behind the professional eBayers who have no interest in the author or their talk, just their authentic signature for the auction. The last time I was there was to see Garrison Keillor when Liberty came out a little over a month ago and while chatting with the people around me about how much we don’t like Sarah Palin but love her in the media I managed to offend one of those old ladies that hang out at the library and we got into a very awkward argument about the Bush Doctrine. I won’t go into it further. She started it. Moving on, I again was chatting with the fellow Leibovitz while clutching my book for it was soon be marked by a true icon when I thought of something that made me want to kick myself. I didn’t bring my camera. I am not one to bring cameras to these things but how cool would it have been if when I got to the front of the line I handed her my camera and asked her to take my picture. Nothing fancy, just a snapshot but then I could say I had an Annie Leibovitz portrait of myself! The most famous portrait photographer of all time (forget Diane Arbus) took my photograph. That would be one to show the grandkids. She was so kind and gracious when I finally did get my book signed I was sure she would have done it. Ugh! I could really kick myself.

Although I missed this great opportunity I did get something out of it aside from my personalized autograph. For the first time in quite a while I felt clever. I felt like my old self and next time she puts out a book, or any photographer for that matter I will make sure to pack a camera. Finally I feel the momentum building so next time I breathe in the cigarette smoke of personal experiences I will not neglect to blow it in your faces.

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