How did I get here?

An old Talking Heads song from years ago, before I "got" here - reminds me how random and unpredictable life is.

Sometimes I think I should've gone to an academic college - a sprawling college campus, where everyone lived in dorms, partied too much and "hooked up" a lot.

I missed out on that - and sometimes I regret it.

I lived in Manhattan instead, took the subway, walked a lot - everywhere, went to clubs and found cool little jobs (mechanical artist for a printer, stylist for a photographer)... I would take the bus up to Binghamton on an occasional weekend to visit my boyfriend who lived in a suite with three other guys - none of whom knew how to clean a bathroom. It was my visits that called them into action for that task (otherwise I refused to go).

I had fun on those weekends, but I was a tourist entering a world of college isolation from the world.

At FIT, I was able to experience the real world. It was scary actually. I was afraid to walk into a bar by myself, I was afraid to take the subway. Slowly I assimilated and grew to love it. The anonymity among millions... where I could walk down the street and no one could "see " me.

It always amazed me how little money I could spend. I was on the "meal plan" so that took care of that - but I literally remember spending $7.00 per day on extras. Coming from a family with not a lot of money - that was helpful. I did spend a lot of money on art supplies though - remember those?

FIT was filled with creative people. Fashion industry creatives as opposed to fine artists and bohemians. I liked being a part of that. At one point I though I could major in fashion design, but as a product of a blue collar upbringing - it just wasn't practical. I couldn't afford to be a fine artist or a struggling fashion designer, I needed to make money and be independent.

Advertising Design - then a Bachelors in Package Design - choosing that over upper level Ad design because I was more interested in the aesthetics of selling rather than the psychological aspects. Plus, I just did not like Ad people. Cut throat and nasty was how I saw them... and I'm a lover not a fighter.

So here I am - 25 years later... meandering through a handful of really great jobs that taught me about small business manufacturing, marketing, product development and design.

Finally! after all this time of wanting to step out on my own and be independent.. it happened, I happened - life happens... and I am grateful.