Santa Cruz Sized World
Last night a woman in my office followed me out to the subway and said, "Oh, great! We can ride together!" It's not that I dislike this woman, but I like to leave the office sprinting, and to immerse myself in reading when I am on my way home. Also, I get unnerved at the shifting dynamic of being OUTSIDE the office with a co-worker. It's suddenly clear that you are friendly strangers and it's filled with stilted small talk, which makes me anxious and antsy. Also, she speaks a little LOUDLY.
So, we are on the platform and she is asking me FOR ALL THE WORLD TO HEAR, where I am from in California. I tell her, originally from the Bay Area. It turns out she has cousins in the Bay Area, but she can't think of the town, so she is dropping geographical clues, to I can name it. I have no idea where she is talking about, but suddenly, a man turns around and asks, "Is it Santa Cruz?"
"No, that's too south." says my co-worker, and he says, "I'm from California too." I am about to ask him if he's from Santa Cruz, because we are in New York, population A BAJILLION, and I moved here from Santa Cruz, population DINKY. Just as I am asking, a young woman behind me says, "I'm from Santa Cruz!" I can't BELIEVE IT. Did she move here from Santa Cruz? Yep. She moved from Santa Cruz at the same time as I DID. We all laugh at our little California, Santa Cruz triangle. I say, "Only Californians would talk so exuberantly about where they are from to STRANGERS in the subway!" It made me SO HAPPY.
Then I got home and there was a postcard waiting from me. From JOAN DIDION. That's right, people. JOAN *EFFING* DIDION. I look at it thinking, is this what I think it is? The handwriting is like rockstar handwriting--slanted and hard to read. It's one of those pre-stamped note cards. I turn it over and there, in the return address section is an address stamp. It's oval shaped, with "John Greggory Dunne" on the top arch and "Joan Didion" on the bottom, and their HOME ADDRESS in the middle.
I wrote her a few weeks ago to an address I hoped would work. Apparently, it worked. She wrote me back. I will treasure it forever. I will also keep writing.
I went inside, feeling suddenly like the world went from New York to Santa Cruz, and I knew everybody and everybody knew me.
So, we are on the platform and she is asking me FOR ALL THE WORLD TO HEAR, where I am from in California. I tell her, originally from the Bay Area. It turns out she has cousins in the Bay Area, but she can't think of the town, so she is dropping geographical clues, to I can name it. I have no idea where she is talking about, but suddenly, a man turns around and asks, "Is it Santa Cruz?"
"No, that's too south." says my co-worker, and he says, "I'm from California too." I am about to ask him if he's from Santa Cruz, because we are in New York, population A BAJILLION, and I moved here from Santa Cruz, population DINKY. Just as I am asking, a young woman behind me says, "I'm from Santa Cruz!" I can't BELIEVE IT. Did she move here from Santa Cruz? Yep. She moved from Santa Cruz at the same time as I DID. We all laugh at our little California, Santa Cruz triangle. I say, "Only Californians would talk so exuberantly about where they are from to STRANGERS in the subway!" It made me SO HAPPY.
Then I got home and there was a postcard waiting from me. From JOAN DIDION. That's right, people. JOAN *EFFING* DIDION. I look at it thinking, is this what I think it is? The handwriting is like rockstar handwriting--slanted and hard to read. It's one of those pre-stamped note cards. I turn it over and there, in the return address section is an address stamp. It's oval shaped, with "John Greggory Dunne" on the top arch and "Joan Didion" on the bottom, and their HOME ADDRESS in the middle.
I wrote her a few weeks ago to an address I hoped would work. Apparently, it worked. She wrote me back. I will treasure it forever. I will also keep writing.
I went inside, feeling suddenly like the world went from New York to Santa Cruz, and I knew everybody and everybody knew me.
posted by Summer Pierre at
9:49 AM
6 Comments:
I just read Play It As It Lays a few weeks ago. Good!
I love that book!
it makes me sad that her address labels still have his name. I mean, I guess you'd have to use up what you have, but it seems like if it was me, my heart would break a little when I used them.
I think about %95 of the population of the North Shore of Kauai is from California. It's so common that there is no giddiness when you realize you may have once lived near the person you're talking to. Last weekend I went hiking with a guy from NYC; now that's a bit more rare. He walked very quickly.
Summer, this post gave me chills...all that synchronicity! :) My brother was once having a drink in a JFK bar, waiting for his flight back to California...he struck up a conversation with the guy next to him...turned out that our mother had married the guy. (She didn't marry HIM--she performed the ceremony.) :) He'd married our childhood friend.
oh my, i am so envious! Joan Didion is one of my favourite authors. I adore the way she writes and makes me feel like other people actually feel the way i do. Treasure it always, as I know you will!
Post a Comment
<< Home