Monday mornings and Bob Dylan and being back where I started

Good morning, Monday. Well I've got loads of thoughts on both London and Milan Fashion weeks, but have no time to download you on some of the amazing things I saw on the runway- all I'm going to say is that the Italians killed it in my mind, and Jil Sander's return feels so just right. More on that later this week.

I started a freelance thing this week that has me in the city every day, in a neighborhood where one of my first jobs in New York was all those years back. It was a job at an event production company, where we produced whopping extravaganzas for blue chip brands, and where I was lucky enough to meet one of my best friends- there were many late night runs to Kinko's (those were the days) and office dance offs while listening to TLC. Just being in this neighborhood brings back so many crazy memories, and it's hard to believe that after all of these years away, I somehow feel right back where I started, for better or for worse. New York is sort of like that- as much as this city never stops moving, so very many things stay the same. Sometimes that's a huge comfort, and sometimes it feels a bit like a suspension in time. The jury's still out but does feel a bit weird to be amongst the working wounded again, marching up the avenue in business casual and large latte clutching hands. Perhaps as we sail uncharted waters we can take comfortin the familiar? The cadence of rush hour traffic, the smell of light and sweet deli coffee, the refrain of elevator chatter and pleasantries as we start the day? I guess forging ahead sometimes means making some of the usual stops along the way.

And as I was walking here this am wondering what would be in store, I found myself listening to the Band, whose version of "When I Paint my Masterpiece" (a favorite Dylan song of mine how can you not love rhyming 'gondola' with 'Coca Cola'?) felt especially poignant. I'm sort of wondering if I'm ever going to paint mine- unless this is it and I don't know it? I'm not sure sometimes where I'm headed on this new version of life in New York, but I know it's inspired and creative and wholly my own thing. We'll see...for now I'll just listen to the Band and wonder how in the world I got here. As grateful as I am to have great work on my plate, I'm feeling a strong pull towards my own trajectory- and that includes more work as a writer, or having a store, or starting a business that is my own dog and pony, of this I am certain. As much as I love to travel, I know I am right where I need to be, I'm just not quite "there" yet. And as Dylan said in that amazing song, "someday everything's gonna be different"- I just need to paint that masterpiece. And that's what's up this Bobby D kind of Monday in New York City. XO Check out the song I'm talking about below, off of the Band's album "Cahoots":