Manhattan Reflections

Jan. 8, 2010 – Some reflections as I wind up this, the first phase of the Great Manhattan Adventure.

GRAND CENTRAL STATION – I had dinner last night with some old friends who are former circus clowns. You probably wouldn’t want to invite them to speak to your Sunday School group. Rowdy guys. Stories from the road about women who have fantasies of getting chummy with a clown.

CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH – It’s the same church that Lois and I attended as baby Christians back in the mid-80s. But I now find it a bit dull. Fanny Crosby hymns with everyone singing down into their hymnal. No music leader at all. I’d forgotten. It was always that way. And certainly no arm waving or shouts of joy.

WEST SIDE STORY – A wonderful, tear-provoking musical production. First thing I noticed was that the male dancers actually looked like and moved like street toughs from the 50s in Hells Kitchen. Looking that butch must have been a challenge for some of them. Voices. All the musicals I saw (three altogether) had their singers wearing small microphones. Back when I saw “Hair” in London, they had to project their voices. Seems a little like cheating. And with one singer in “West Side Story”, I strongly suspected they were using Autotune on him to keep him on pitch. I asked the bassoonist and he said no, they weren’t doing that. Still, I’m suspicious.

MONEY MATTERS – Yeah, it’s expensive to eat in New York. Or anywhere else, for that matter, when you’re traveling and eating out all the time. I’ve finally devised a routine here in New York. I have coffee, the New York Times and a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks around the corner for about 7 bucks. I’ve had breakfast at some sit-down restaurants and paid 3 times that amount. But I had the same problem in Paris. My place on W47th has a kitchen so I can prepare my own eats.

SENIOR DISCOUNTS – Someone finally told me about senior discounts on the subway. Well dang! Why didn’t they tell me sooner? It’s a dollar a ride instead of $2.25. And it’s good indefinitely because it has a magnetic stripe and it debits your credit card account every time you use it. (Gosh, I remember when it cost a dime to ride the subway.)

FRIENDS, LOVED ONES – Relationships are extremely important to me as I get older. And I know the reality that if I leave Nashville, I’ll probably not be hearing from some people anymore. And with others, we likely won’t have the depth of communications that we do now.

OPPORTUNITIES – The reality is that I‘ve worked in television for 15 years and I’m highly skilled. Now to test that out in the dog-dirt reality of the NYC job market. I’ve made contact at a TV network and a radio station. I’ll be cutting some demo material as soon as I get back to Nashville and I’ll e-mail an mp3 attachment.

FEAR & UNCERTAINTY – Adventure, danger, excitement. They all fit into the same cup of emotions. I don’t know what the future will hold as I return here to New York City. In Nashville, there is predictability. But maybe that’s a bit stultifying? My sister Dixie and her husband Richard lives just across the river in New Jersey. She gave some welcome encouragement. “As Richard says, we live somewhere between excited and terrified, and it changes from moment to moment. You are not alone.” Good to hear.

OTHER TEMPOS – I’m not as full of energy was I was when Lois and I moved away from here. But heavenly days! That was over 20 years ago! Bodies change. If I need to schedule a break for myself, I’ll do it. I do know that drinking and staying up late don’t work for me anymore. The bounce-back factor is more like a “clunk”.