Where was I? Or “Lessons in Serendipity….”
A week ago, I met a guy for breakfast. The meeting ended early and I decided to get a coffee at Starbucks, pick up the papers and read in a cab down to my chiropractor. Usually, I walk the mile to the chiropractor, but it was raining.
This is sounding like a parody of every boring blog post ever. Hang in there….
Starbucks is crazy holiday crowded. Screw it. I’ll get the papers and come back. I come back, wait five minutes, still too nuts. Okay, I’ll read in the cab. I walk outside, Lexington is a parking lot. But it has stopped raining. So, I’ll walk. Now, mind you, it’s the holidays and Manhattan has decided to make up for the last three seasons when nobody could afford to come here. Usually, I walk on the West side of Lex because it’s sunnierthat time of day, but the rest of the Tourista Universe had made that same decision.
So, let’s sum up. Breakfast ends early, two failed trips for no coffee, too much traffic, no rain, East side of the street. All those arbitrary decisions and variables.
I walk four blocks. Who is walking in the other direction? At that moment? My old editor from HarperCollins, the guy who was absolutely responsible for my first two novels being published. ”I can’t believe I’m running into you,” he says. “I just bought six copies of EVERYTHING HURTS to give to my friends for Christmas. We’re all falling apart. You were way ahead of the curve with that book.” A book he passed on.
We talked for five minutes and caught up. I told him about my new book and my band. He told me to send him the ms and that he’d make the show at the Red Lion “if I’m not in surgery.” Later, he sent a book to my office he just put out about Lebron James, THE WHORE OF AKRON.
If you don’t mind, I’m going to live off this as long as I can.
