~Bumpies

I remember, one night in January of '87, being on the el and writing in my little book. A woman who was sitting near me asked me if I was going to be a writer. Maybe she asked if I was "writing a book", but it's all the same. I'm pretty sure I said "maybe" or "you never know". Exact words aside, I remember the night vividly... taking one of my usual trips into Center City to see my friends... bumping along and bitching about the fact that it was really screwing with my penmanship. I started calling the episodes "the bumpies". Much of my teenaged writing was heavily influenced by the bumpies.

I wonder if that woman remembers that night... and I still wonder if I really am a writer.