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July 30, 2005
The Perks Of Being A Total Corporate Sellout
I go through a lot more angst than is probably necessary over my career as a sellout to Corporate America. Normal people would just be pleased at their success and feel fortunate. My reaction is to be as unhappy as possible about it, constantly reminding myself that I'm committing both class betrayal of my roots and artistic betrayal of my creative passions in order to pursue the Almighty Dollar on its terms and not my own (and not really even succeeding in that pursuit -- I've learned that you can move up in level, commitment and responsibility without at all moving up the economic scale).
Occasionally though, I will put this streak of self-loathing aside for a few hours to enjoy some of the perks that come with the territory. I enjoyed one such perk yesterday afternoon and evening.
A couple of years ago in one of the earlier jobs I did for my company, I worked with a New York creative agency on a promotional video for the division I worked in then. (We even won two of the industry's highest awards for such videos... yes, they really do have awards for everything -- but I still get to have those awards on my resume!) I ended up really clicking with the guys from the agency; they're still friends of mine, and every now and then they'll invite me to come into the city to hang out with them. And since these guys are real hitters in the New York media business, they're both connected and able to come up with a pretty good time.
Yesterday afternoon, they chartered a fishing boat, and out we went into New York harbor and the East River to do a little sport fishing. (Yeah, I know -- it's the East River. But even if the fish have three glowing heads, they're still fun to catch and release.) We did pretty well - everyone on the boat hauled in at least a few. I managed to catch three: one bluefish, and two striped bass. (Photo of me proudly displaying one of my stripers is forthcoming, as soon as my friends send it.)
After we got off the boat, it was time to head to dinner at The Palm. The matire'd knew my hosts very well, and we got the star treatment, our own private table away from the crowds, extremely attentive service from the head waiter, outstanding wines from the reserve... really went all out. And as delicious as the meal was, it was added to by the whole atmosphere; last night was as close to celebrity treatment as I've experienced. (By the way, I heartily recommend The Palm nearest you, if you're in a decadent mood and want to eat well, if not entirely healthy.)
Finally, they gave me a ride from the restaurant back to the marina in one of the guys' totally sweet Mercedes convertible. And as we were cruising down the bustling streets of Manhattan with the top down, radio up, and just soaking the city in, I decided that I might like New York a lot more if I could live like this every day.
This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but it was a really good evening for me and it's pretty much what I have to talk about today, so you're stuck.
Comments
You put me in a "New York State Of Mind" - I leave at 6:00am on Monday for my monthly trip. Have you ever tried the Japanese restaurants on Astor Place? That was last month's surprise. This month, I'll try The Palm. One of my favorites is Peligrino's in Little Italy. I also enjoy the classic jazz at The Blue Note, then maybe to Zinc Bar or Fat Cat. Ahhh yes, Good Jazz, great food, summertime in NYC!!! Last month I saw a U2 Tribute band in an Irish Bar - what a night! Have you ever walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on a clear night around midnight? For hayseed like me from KY, NYC is the greatest city in the world. "go ahead, bite the big apple, don't mind the maggots" "uhh, sha doobie, shattered ...."
Posted by: Alan Hawthorne at July 30, 2005 03:26 PM
Travel safe, Alan - and I really hope you enjoy your time here this summer. Which Irish pub did you hit?
And for the record, I'm still a hayseed too. :-)
Posted by: Curmudgeon at July 30, 2005 11:44 PM
