Single In New York...

“Sounds of laughter, Shades of Earth are ringing

Through my open ears enticing and inviting me

Limitless undying love shines around me like a

Million suns and calls me on and on

Across the universe.”

While I am not traveling across the universe, I am headed a few states away next weekend. By myself.

I donated some paintings two years ago to an art gallary in the Village to help raise money for Cancer research. One client bought three of the five paintings I donated. He contacted the art dealer who gave him my information. He wants to hire me to paint a few murals in his home and a few paintings as well to hang in various rooms. I am unbelievably flattered. So I scheduled a meeting with him next weekend to survey the rooms for color schemes, inspiration, and dimensions.

I also have a job interview with a newpaper there to write a column about love, dating, and advice. I think it’s very interesting. They actually contacted me through wordpress.com and want to meet with me and discuss a possible contract writing for them. So I managed to schedule my meeting with them for the same weekend, since they’re in the same city.

Also, I got a call from a publishing company there. I was very surprised since I have written many books and many short stories and never sent a single one to any publishers. I took this creative writing class at the local community college a few years back. One of our assignments was to write a children’s book and I decided to illustrate it myself rather than have one of the art students do it for me, like most of the people in my class did. Appartently my professor took it upon herself to send my book out to an editor and a few publishers. Again, all in the same city. So I have a meeting with the publisher that weekend as well. Funny, I always thought my first book to get published would be a memior, not a children’s book. But, we’ll see how it goes. No promises yet.

But it makes me wonder. There are so many things pulling me toward this city lately. Is it a sign? Should that be my next destination? I might want to give it a try, even if it’s only temporary. I thought I would always be a New Yorker. But perhaps it’s time for a change of pace.

Here’s the dilemma though. A few posts back I mentioned this fellow artist that I met on MySpace. (Pathetic, I know.) Anyway, it turns out he doesn’t live too far from where I’m headed. I told him the news of my upcoming travels and possible life-altering opportunities ahead of me. I knew he would be excited for me, and he was. Forgetting that he lives about 40 minutes away, he writes me back:

“Are you going to be meeting up with any friends there? If you are, and are there for a few days, let me know. I’ll come out for a drink. Is that weird? Hey for all I know, you may show up as a 6′4″ dude named paul! I’d be disappointed.”

I e-mailed him back right away without even thinking about it.

“Unfortunately, all the people I know that live there, don’t live there anymore. Many of them have come back to good ole New York and others have ventured off into new endeavors across the rest of the U.S. So I am traveling alone. I will have no car, no one there I know, and no computer. (Seeing as how my laptop is temporarily out of commision.) Traveling alone can be… lonely. I would love the company.”

Is it weird that I just replied to that so quickly without really thinking it through? I mean for all I know he could be a 56 year old child molestor. Wait… No. I would be too old for his taste then. Alright, he could be a 56 year old serial killer. (I don’t know why his age would matter if he was a serial killer…)

This morning I was thinking about what I had written to him the night before. And I was almost regretting saying that and wishing there was an “unsend” option. But then I thought about it some more and realized that I really wouldn’t mind meeting him for a drink. And that I really wouldn’t mind the company. So I suppose, if he’s ok with it, I’m going to go through with it.

I will however, make sure we’re in a well populated area. Just to be safe.