Friday, May 31, 2013

Pink Elephants, or, Not in New Jersey Anymore, Toto


To liken the past few weeks to a whirlwind would be on the equivalent dampening plane as calling the recent emotional turmoils surrounding child star Amanda Bynes, and its accompanied frenzied media diarrhea, simply stress. Perhaps it is just my own stress of feeling constantly under the proverbial gun, inciting this hyperbole, but packing up my life, throwing out old parts of my life, and moving to a new city and a new job have been taxing. Naturally, with the actual apartment hunt having gone, all things considered, smoothly and successfully, I discover, to my dismay, last Tuesday that my telephone land-line has been cut, making my self-installation internet service impossible. A stroke of genius in business cruelty and revenue generation, Verizon has revived the land-line from the realm of unnecessary and novel oddities from centuries passed, by using the land-line, as opposed to the cable line, for their high-speed service. While, for a brief moment, I was ecstatic and relieved that I could potentially make local telephone calls during now infamous east coast super-storms, to other suckers with Verizon land-line service, the realization that an additional week without connectivity was harsh. Thankfully, I still indulge in yet another antiquated novelty, books, so, survival and entertainment were never actually in question.

But I digress. 

My first two weeks on the new job have revealed some wonderful and welcome lessons. Even the most minor modicum of process in place feels like an entirely new and foreign planet when you have been professionally raised, so to speak, in that entrepreneurial milieu of utter and complete chaos at a tiny company. Never, ever second-guess that immediate friendship with the geeky technology liaison; his insights and attentiveness are worth more than the entire arsenal of MacBooks at the agency. Although decidedly not as intimate as those forged between Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, bond with the executive director and creative partner of your entire agency over your safari adventures in Africa. Because, obviously, everyone loves elephants and is awe-struck by their magnificence. Also, after collecting copious piles of costume jewelry and cocktail accoutrement and other riffraff generally discarded by those with a less cultivated sense of nostalgia for years, there is a monumental professional pay off; bond with that same executive director over this as well. Over this insatiable love for bakelite and for art deco furniture and for glass cocktail shakers, decorated with none other than cartoonish elephants. Finally, do not be surprised when said director, of a different and distant generation, admonishes you for not being an active Pinterest member. 




(image taken from Pinterest)

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