The Glass Ceiling...

Lunch, mentoring, and a good boogie...

Yesterday I had lunch with Stephen at Le Printemps under the stained glass dome. If you recall, I met him in December when my flight was canceled out of IAD to CDG. We stayed in touch through email and finally had a chance to get together for a meal and conversation. He's a great guy, witty, intelligent, and gracious enough to allow me to bounce some ideas around.

My life has taken some twists and turns over the last few months. I am a strong believer in fate, and I believe that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Which brings me to where I am today; learning a new metier. Perhaps it isn't so much learning as it is putting into use what I have already learned, but didn't have need for, or so I thought. Timing is everything.

Over the years, I have had the great fortune to be blessed with several mentors; those people who come into your life, take an interest and give you a mind meld like no other. Many of those lessons I hold close, others... meh. (Sometimes the "reason for everything" just doesn't hold water.)

My most recent venture is one that I have been preparing for for most of my life. If you've been one of my faithful three readers, you'll know that I love typography and layout. It is a coming together of words and fonts, the message and media, the serif and sans serif. In 10th grade, my art teacher gave us a sheet of acetate, a font book, a pot of paint, a paint brush and said "match a word to the font; give it style!" My word was Boogie. I used a serif font. It was orange. The well-rounded o's became bodies with jiving stick legs. The capital B and gorgeous, squiggly lowercase g gave it rhythm. I was so in my element.

It wasn't until decades later, after I had been living in Paris for a few years, that I had the opportunity to revisit my letter love affair. At the same time, I learned about computers, desktop publishing and layout... the pieces of the puzzle that make a page come together. That led to a bit of copy writing and editing, which brings me to the present.

I have been entrusted with the role of communications for the folks I am working with. I have the wonderful opportunity to define the position and learn from experienced professionals. Once again, I am in my element.

Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.
~Denis Diderot (1713 - 1784)