MEMOIR, untitled

As many of my readers know, I have been working on a memoir for a while. I wanted to share with you a snippet of the first chapter. The following is the beginning of my circuitous and revelatory route toward becoming a serious student of life that brought deep healing and would eventually beckon me to study Chinese Medicine.

Chapter One:  MEETING EILEEN FORD

“Can you move to Manhattan for the summer to give modeling a try?” Eileen Ford asked me as I stood in the living room of her country house in Connecticut. It was a New York City dweller’s second home, tucked away in lots of trees.

“I can,” I said calmly. My spine grew longer, making my head seem closer to the sky. My feet no longer felt connected to the earth.

That simple “yes” to Eileen Ford’s question started to gently shake my mind loose. It had been wrapped tight and sequestered in the room of my intellect for the previous four years. In that shelter, I bent over to look through microscopes. I studied books on organic chemistry, physics, quantitative analysis, and a litany in every type of life science. I had just earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. I wanted to be a doctor, which is why I opted for a pre-med curriculum. The truth is I was not ready to commit to another eight years of study. I needed to step outside and see what else the world was offering.

Eileen Ford sat on the comfortable-looking overstuffed couch in a squat position: with her feet on the cushion, knees open, and glasses on the end of her nose as she inspected the portfolio of photographs before her that were taken by a local photographer. She flipped through the pages, looking at me, and then the pictures, and then back at me again.

“You need some different photographs,” she said, and then, “When can you come to New York to get some new ones?”

I was in Manhattan the following week, the day after the Fourth of July weekend, ready to hit the streets to try my hand as a high fashion model. Ahead of me were a whole two months of one of the hottest summers on record to see what could happen. It was like some golden gate had swung open before me letting me out of that shelter and onto a wide-open road. Studying medicine would be a world away.

As I finish polishing, copyediting and reviewing the book, I will be on sabbatical. I will keep you posted on my progress. During this time I would like to offer referrals to three fine colleagues. If you are inclined, I suggest calling each and seeing who might be a good fit for your particular issues.

Kelli Taylor (Union Square): 917 403 5527
Mindy Pickard (lower East Side): 646 825 1508
Mary Hart (Brooklyn): 917 797 7445

As always, please do not hesitate to call me with questions.