The last couple of days I’ve just been working at BROADWAY, NY. I’m learning the ropes and meeting all the different employees who float in and out depending on their shift and the store they’re scheduled to work in.
Today I am off. It’s a nice break. The work at BROADWAY, NY isn’t difficult but the you’re on your feet (on hard tile over hard concrete) all day. It wears you out.
This morning I had my third and final (?) interview with the GAP. I’ve talked with several people back home and mentioned that I was going in for a third interview and the comment was, “Third interview? How hard is it to fold a sweater or ask if someone needs something in a different size?”
After today’s interview and getting to know the management side of GAP, I’ve learned that there’s a lot more involved in the kind of business they seek to run – especially at the location off Times Square (where over 4,000 people comes through the doors every day). They approach their work and store differently than a lot of other retailers and with each interview I’m appreciating it more and more.
It is their belief that I will be a benefit to their store and staff and next Friday I will begin.
I’m looking forward to the job and the possibilities that it presents. Both BROADWAY, NY and GAP are a departure from my work in publishing but I’m embracing it and enjoying the shift. Working for the GAP (and continuing to work with Peachtree Publishers as well as Toronto’s Fitzhenry & Whiteside) will allow me the flexibility that I’m needing to pursue auditions. I’m open to anything and everything.
Tonight the rain moved in…but there was no way it could dampen our plans.
Elizabeth and I went to VIRGIN Megastore off Times Square to see the cast of All Shook Up at their CD signing. I already have their CD and we’ve both been listening to it for the last couple of weeks but we still wanted to hear them perform at their mini-concert. We caught the last half and found them just as enchanting outside of the theater as they are on stage.
When the four-song set was over and the store began setting up for the signing, we darted into a huge rainstorm to head up a few blocks to the Roseland Ballroom.
The big event of our day today was seeing Indigo Girls. The Girls have always been advocates for accessibility and their concert tickets are always affordable. Elizabeth and I are both on a very tight budgets – so, more than ever, we appreciated the spirit they embody.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE fan of Indigo Girls and their music. It was Kara Bailey who first introduced me to their music when I was 13. We were pulling out of Lakeland Square Mall and she cranked up the song, Hammer and a Nail.
Wow. I hadn’t thought of that memory in years. Where did it come from?
Anyway…I have all of their CDs and I have seen them numerous times in concert with a band at places like Chastain, in acoustics sets like a benefit they performed at the American Library Associations conference when it was in Atlanta, and also with the Atlanta Ballet – thanks to a free ticket from my friend Charlie Miller. I always leave one of their shows wanting more from myself, my community, and my country.. Wanting to be a positive force of change in my world.I have always said that anything I might’ve learned about harmony I learned from singing in church and listening to Indigo Girls.
Indigo Girls, if you don’t know them, are a great folk/rock due made up of Amy Ray and Emily Sailers. I have seen them many, many times and each time it is an experience. Tonight’s show was no exception.
Tonight there was an unbelievable energy in the air. Both girls remarked about being excited to be playing the Roseland Ballroom (a frequent stop on their tours). They played for almost 2 hours and mixed in a couple of new songs with many familiar favorites.
I have a strong attachment to them and to their music for many reasons. I love their writing styles and the positive force of change they seek to be in this world. Many of their songs are touchstones to relationships and experiences in my life. Tonight they played a song that hit very close to home for me and my past. I hadn’t heard it or played it in over two years. When Emily started playing the opening chords, I could feel my throat tighten and tears come into my eyes.
Though I have absolutely no desire to go back down the dangerous and damaging road that made up large parts of that relationship, my heart’s desire is to once again obtain what’s reflected in the lyrics of this song.
power of two
now the parking lot is empty
everyone’s gone someplace
i pick you up and in the trunk i’ve packed
a cooler and a 2 day suitcase
cause there’s a place we like to drive
way out in the country
five miles out of the city limit we’re singing
and your hand’s upon my knee
so we’re okay
we’re fine
baby i’m here to stop your crying
chase all the ghosts from your head
i’m stronger than the monster beneath your bed
smarter than the tricks played on your heart
we’ll look at them together then we’ll take them apart
adding up the total of a love that’s true
multiply life by the power of two
you know the things that i am afraid of i’m not afraid to tell
and if we’d ever leave a legacy it’s that we loved each other well
i’ve seen the shadows of so many people trying on the treasures of youth
a road that fancy and fast ends in a fatal crash
and i’m glad we got off to tell you the truth
cause we’re okay
we’re fine
baby i’m here to stop your crying
chase all the ghosts from your head
i’m stronger than the monster beneath your bed
smarter than the tricks played on your heart
we’ll look at them together then we’ll take them apart
adding up the total of a love that’s true
multiply life by the power of two
all the shiny little trinkets of temptation
something new instead of something old
all you gotta do is scratch beneath the surface
and it’s fools gold
fools gold
fools gold
and now we’re talking about a difficult thing
and your eyes are getting wet
but i took us for better and i took us for worse
and don’t you ever forget
it is the steel bars between me and a promise
suddenly bend with ease
and the closer i’m bound in love to you
the closer i am to free
so we’re okay
we’re fine
baby i’m here to stop your crying
chase all the ghosts from your head
i’m stronger than the monster beneath your bed
smarter than the tricks played on your heart
we’ll look at them together then we’ll take ‘em apart
adding up the total of a love that’s true
multiply life by the power of two
As Emily played and sang, I let the tears go. After a couple minutes, Elizabeth slipped her arm around me and I cried it out.
It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful Indigo Girls’ songs. If you haven’t heard it – check it out. If you own no other Indigo Girl’s CD – pick up their album Retrospective which highlights some of their most fan-loved favorites.
They played some new songs but mostly sang their most beloved tunes. Unlike any other artist I know, they have a remarkable relationship with their audiences. There were so many moments throughout the evening when the Girls would stop singing and the audience would sing out their lyrics back to them.
There was an incredible energy that ran rampant around the hall and everyone felt swept away in it. It just grew throughout the night. By the end of the show the Girls were overwhelmed by the audience’s applause and welcome. They play their encore and were called back for a second. Amy and Emily exchanged glances and shrugged. They whispered and finally agreed on a second encore.
As we filed out of the ballroom everyone was smiling and basking in the glow of the show. It was a WONDERFUL show and it was just what I needed.
Visit: www.indigogirls.com
