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posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (6:45 am) Nice. Very nice indeed, and it conjures up late-night memories of my own, which is all one can ask. I have, on several occasions, had the opposite sensation from the "small town girl can't sleep in the big city" phenomenon you describe, whereby if I am in a town/village that is too small I can't sleep and after a while feel the need to get out and go somewhere louder, busier and more anonymous. A population of about 100,000 seems to be my lower limit. Funny eh? posted by: newbie (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (11:06 am) Funny, the way you speak of the city is the way I feel about small towns. This actually sent a shiver through me, all tingly with a smile to keep me company. I like the way you have written about this, it gave me a chance to reflect on how I used to go up to the top of a hill in LA to watch the lights come on in the city...and stay until they shut off. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (12:29 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear Actually, over time I grew fairly fond of large cities... there is something about that life that I find appealing and that's in my blood, I think. But... that particular trip was something of a rite of passage for me. Thanks for the note, as always. j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (12:32 pm) Reply to: newbie Wow. This is a lovely compliment, Chris. I like that it was something that you could relate to and helped remind you of something from your own life. What more could I ask for? j posted by: billlyryan (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (1:36 pm) This memory made me smile softly. You remind me of a friend I had back when I was young and we'd lay awake all night and talk about all the things we'd do in our lives. Sometimes we'd sneak out and go to park and sit on the teeter totters and listen to Rumors and not talk at all. posted by: filbert (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (3:19 pm) I discover you in these memories. This memory.. and the Jennifer Juniper memory.. I've told you this before, I know, but they break my heart a little.. In a rather beautiful way. ams posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (8:00 pm) Reply to: billlyryan Aaaah. Rumours is a great album... and that is lovely memory. Thanks for sharing it with us/me. j posted by: billlyryan (reply) post date: 06.05.05 (8:23 pm) Reply to: juniperflux Dangit! I meant that we went to THE park not that we went to PARK! Don't read that wrong! posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (12:09 am) Reply to: filbert It's only in the most quiet moments that I am able to reveal myself. Thank you for peeling back the layers, dear. jennifer posted by: surrogate (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (4:08 am) Just beautifully recalled. It's sometimes sad, at least for me, to think about memories that have etched themselves into my head too deeply - even nice ones, and I don't know why. Reading this evoked a few of those. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (5:45 am) Reply to: surrogate Sometimes... even happy memories can just simply be overwhelming with how much they make us feel. And... for me, there's always a bit of a sad sigh after the smiles and giggles because even the most clear memory can never be repeated. In the end, the snapshot is all we have left. Thank you for your comments. posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (7:50 am) Led Zeppelin III puts me in the bedroom of the boyfriend in Germany... the one I happened to find the moment you appeared in YM the other night. My Thrash rockstar, if you will. Remember when you told me I was brave for contacting past loves? He came flying into my inbox within a few hours with messages that started with, 'Hi, sweety' and I realized quickly what a marvelous opportunity I had to revisit some good times and to be reminded of excellent music from my past. (and some not so excellent) I wish an innocence remained in tact much as it is between you and your cousin... but that is the after math of romance, it would seem, and I wouldn't change our past. I am happy to report that I thrive in both small town and big city environments. I don't prefer one over the other and find much pleasure in both. Naturally, if I only had one to choose, I might find myself growing restless. posted by: theseeker (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (1:25 pm) So how the heck did I miss your blog? You write beatifully juniper. We visited New York 6 years ago and I still couldn't forget the vibrance of that city until now. posted by: shadowmusic (reply) post date: 06.06.05 (7:09 pm) Thanks a lot for sharing these great memories, j-flux. I too am a huge fan of both big cities (population:300,000 has been my lower limit for where I've lived so far) and meaningful pre-dawn talks with friends. And,on an anachronism-seeking side note: You mention putting Zep III's song "Friends" "on repeat" when you were 16. Knowing your approximate age, am I right in guessing that "on repeat" must've been a manual process, since I'm betting that your "portable stereo" didn't include a CD player at that time? :-) But I could be wrong. (And for that matter, did bells really ring in ancient Rome, as they did in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"?) ;-) posted by: childish (reply) post date: 06.07.05 (10:40 am) really beautiful. posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 06.07.05 (12:00 pm) Reply to: shadowmusic Wow. Good catch, SM. I used to have to record a whole tape full of songs in order to achieve that back in 1987. Actually, I believe there was a function on some portable stereos that allowed an automatic rewind after a certain song. I remember it used to happen when I *didn't* wish it to and at the most inconvenient times, namely when showing off in front of my friends... heh. There were never any clear instructions on how to work it. posted by: shadowmusic (reply) post date: 06.07.05 (8:54 pm) Reply to: lindy Thanks for the response, Lindy! For the record, in 1987, the best example of putting a song "on repeat" that I can think of was when I had a "cassette single" -- yes, otherwise known as a "cass-single" (gesundheit!) -- with the same song repeated on both sides. I remember recording my own version of such a thing by putting songs I liked on both sides of a cassette tape intended for answering machines. As you may recall, you could put that baby on repeat (interrupted after each song with the "thud" of the tape switching sides) until the four "D" batteries in your "portable stereo" ran out of power. :-) posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 06.07.05 (9:35 pm) Reply to: shadowmusic Hahaha. I remember that! We really are *that* old, huh. At least we aren't reminiscing about the good old days of 8 track or reel-to-reel. (eeeep. I just told on myself) posted by: Beyourself (reply) post date: 06.09.05 (5:23 pm) Your story did bring back some fond memories. The last time I was holed up in the East Village was about a hundred and fifty years ago. When I was awakened, I could not find my beat up VW beetle, with the paint peeling off and a dozen dents on each side. Some kids in the neighborhood had taken it for a joy ride, and then ripped off the tires for their nickel and dime bags. Ahhh... the good old days!! posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (12:33 am) Reply to: lindy I love the way the same album can evoke such different memories in different people. If I were an artist, I might find that to be my greatest accomplishment. And... You are brave. But I think that's what draws the rest of us to you... including your former rockstar-lover. Perhaps a little of that bravery is rubbing off on me. *wink* j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (12:35 am) Reply to: theseeker Thank you for the lovely compliment. If I might borrow a phrase from someone dear to me... I'm grateful for the company. j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (12:40 am) Reply to: shadowmusic Hmmm. This has caused me great pause. The truth is, in my memory, I just remember the song playing over and over. Now that I think of it, there had to be some kind of rewinding go on or something. I don't know... maybe I just made the whole thing up. *wink* Damn you shadowmusic for being so... damned smart. :) j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (12:49 am) Reply to: Beyourself Yikes! Crazy kids these days! It appears you emerged unscathed though and lived to tell the tale. j posted by: Beyourself (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (2:59 am) Reply to: juniperflux I did live to tell the tale. But there was another tale of a different color which I recently blogged about. Since you are an observer of note, and a writer with skills, your perceptive comments will be most appreciated. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (6:20 am) Reply to: Beyourself I'm intrigued. Thank you for the invitation. You'll be hearing from me soon. j posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 06.11.05 (8:20 pm) Reply to: juniperflux Hahaha. Yes, perhaps. Or perhaps it was already there and just looking for a way out. I spoke to my rock star former boyfriend tonight for the first time in ten years. I'll give you the skinny later. Wow. Didn't know I was that memorable. hahaha. *shakes ehad Bravery really *is* about the insistence of pressing on in the face of fear, as opposed to an absence of fear. That seems to come in line with who I am. If that draws people to me, then surely I'll have an entourage eventually. ;) posted by: ams (reply) post date: 03.23.06 (1:04 pm) I still love this story. (and I love you) ams |
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It was summer in New York. I was 16 years old. Even though I had grown up not far from Seattle, I’d never been to a city like Manhattan: a city that believed itself to be the center of the known universe – and very probably was right.