Have you ever heard a friend’s work voice for the first time? he asks. The question throws me back to cusp-of-30; Friends who talk system integrations and M&A deals while lamenting how quick the weekend goes That manager at
"I almost gave myself away because I know nothing about carrots." This line is a lead, Alicia. Use it again as an opening line for a short story. Beautiful!
"...my mark of adulthood, [is] that I know what a dutch oven is..." Another brilliant lead line! It instantly made me ponder the mark of my own adulthood. At my advanced age, I should know the answer to the question, but I don't... yet.
I’m so glad the carrot line stood out to you! I will have to use it as a lead. All these years later and I still don’t know anything about carats, either ☺️
The markers of adulthood — it is quite the writing prompt! I’ve only truly felt “adult” more recently at 37.
Haha. Perhaps that would be an American-made Lodge, available in a variety of colors around $80 for a 7-quart. (I spend way too much time browsing these things online!)
Hi Alice! Great word play. The carrot one was a bit sneaky, but wonderful. I almost gave myself away",and carrots I had to come back to, but dutch ovens created the whole way of life, apparently a matter of choice. My mark of adulthood was to choose dutch ovens for my children.
Thank you, Ann. They really do make for beautiful gifts! And so often at big milestones.
I'm not sure the way-of-life was so much a choice as both a subtle and sudden transition -- probably COVID-imposed, having a quarantine boyfriend at the time and not wanting to embarrass myself by not knowing how to cook, so learning, as I should have, or always intended to, so many years ago from my French host mother. But cooking has gradually become something I love. (Which is a sentence I never would have imagined writing in my 20s!)
Loved this! The work voice line reminded me of the movie Office Space where a woman says, “Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking, *just* a moment,” over and over and over again.
I really enjoyed the poem! And I also love the line about carrots.
I hadn't thought about 'work voices' much but now you mention it, it's striking how people can change they way they talk, according to context. Growing up on a dairy farm, there was no mistaking my father's work voice, which would be audible from several hundred yards if a cow became difficult in some way. Especially at 5.00am.
Loved reading this! I found the last few lines particularly wonderful. And thanks for the shoutout :) Glad I could play a part in inspiring this piece!
Thanks, Mark! It's funny, I spent quite a time mulling over a response to your piece and actually had a long rambly draft of something else written out, but when I edited it through I felt it all boiled down to a poem. There are still bits and pieces I may pick back up in a separate piece. (Namely, was thinking how, in the midst of existential crises and questions at the cusp of 40, sometimes friends' work voices can sound surprisingly steadying/comforting.)
Ah! In the movie "Devil Wears Prada," Anne Hathaway's character takes a stressful job at a fashion magazine and it causes a rift in her friend group, which I called 'posse' here, because the job turns her into a different person and she starts showing up late to happy hours and skipping out on birthday parties, etc. She always has to work late and is at the beck and call of a very famous and demanding boss.
The moral of the story seems to be you shouldn't sacrifice yourself for a job. But if I remember correctly, Daniel Lavery had an interesting alternative take when he ran Dear Prudence -- that the story should have instead celebrated Hathaway's ambition.
Sorry to make you go through the movie summary. I'd seen and remembered liking the movie.
But thanks for clearing up the "posse" reference.
In a strange circumstance I actually once had a (short) meeting with Anna Wintour in her office after the movie came out. I was focused on two things only: 1) How much did she dislike my specific outfit (a suit and tie) and how much did the actual office and her various assistants resemble the movie (a lot as I recall).
And that is so cool! How much *did* she dislike the suit and tie? (Men can never go wrong in a suit, IMHO! Although I tend to think Europeans tailor them a bit better.)
I do think there's something fun about dressing to fit a part.
She didn't comment on what I was wearing. This was about 15 years ago, and I'm sure she sized me up as just another finance guy whose suit didn't fit him as well as it should!
I'd have a better story to tell if she had said something!
Like being in the audience at a comedy show and being picked on by the comedian.
I guess I just lived vicariously through you when you were running all around travelling, and once being in a fun reality show, and doing various interesting jobs, and participating in storytellings, etc. etc., and I know you still do those things - but now with a greater sense of Dutch Ovennyness 😂
"I almost gave myself away because I know nothing about carrots." This line is a lead, Alicia. Use it again as an opening line for a short story. Beautiful!
"...my mark of adulthood, [is] that I know what a dutch oven is..." Another brilliant lead line! It instantly made me ponder the mark of my own adulthood. At my advanced age, I should know the answer to the question, but I don't... yet.
I’m so glad the carrot line stood out to you! I will have to use it as a lead. All these years later and I still don’t know anything about carats, either ☺️
The markers of adulthood — it is quite the writing prompt! I’ve only truly felt “adult” more recently at 37.
Very beautifully written, Alicia -- as always . What's a dutch oven when it's at home?
Haha. Perhaps that would be an American-made Lodge, available in a variety of colors around $80 for a 7-quart. (I spend way too much time browsing these things online!)
Thanks. I'm still no wiser. A lodge here is something you live in, like a hut or a chalet
You Brits are so odd ;)
It's all relative, Alicia 😂
Touché 😂
😎
"write in a way that affects
carelessness in a way I couldn’t
when I was actually
carefree"
Mm hm. 💜
💗 One of life's little ironies
Hi Alice! Great word play. The carrot one was a bit sneaky, but wonderful. I almost gave myself away",and carrots I had to come back to, but dutch ovens created the whole way of life, apparently a matter of choice. My mark of adulthood was to choose dutch ovens for my children.
I love your using Dutch Ovens as a metaphor too!!!
Thank you, Ann. They really do make for beautiful gifts! And so often at big milestones.
I'm not sure the way-of-life was so much a choice as both a subtle and sudden transition -- probably COVID-imposed, having a quarantine boyfriend at the time and not wanting to embarrass myself by not knowing how to cook, so learning, as I should have, or always intended to, so many years ago from my French host mother. But cooking has gradually become something I love. (Which is a sentence I never would have imagined writing in my 20s!)
Loved this! The work voice line reminded me of the movie Office Space where a woman says, “Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking, *just* a moment,” over and over and over again.
Thank you, Lyle!! Ha, corporate accounts payable. The more boring, the more absurd, the more hilarious, the more ripe for fodder, maybe.
I really enjoyed the poem! And I also love the line about carrots.
I hadn't thought about 'work voices' much but now you mention it, it's striking how people can change they way they talk, according to context. Growing up on a dairy farm, there was no mistaking my father's work voice, which would be audible from several hundred yards if a cow became difficult in some way. Especially at 5.00am.
Oh wow, that is quite the upbringing!! I can only imagine. (And the cows’ voices, too!)
Lovely! I just found my puppy voice and it brings me great joy.
Puppy voice! I love that.
Loved reading this! I found the last few lines particularly wonderful. And thanks for the shoutout :) Glad I could play a part in inspiring this piece!
Thanks, Mark! It's funny, I spent quite a time mulling over a response to your piece and actually had a long rambly draft of something else written out, but when I edited it through I felt it all boiled down to a poem. There are still bits and pieces I may pick back up in a separate piece. (Namely, was thinking how, in the midst of existential crises and questions at the cusp of 40, sometimes friends' work voices can sound surprisingly steadying/comforting.)
Loved the poem.
But did not get the "posse" reference!
Ah! In the movie "Devil Wears Prada," Anne Hathaway's character takes a stressful job at a fashion magazine and it causes a rift in her friend group, which I called 'posse' here, because the job turns her into a different person and she starts showing up late to happy hours and skipping out on birthday parties, etc. She always has to work late and is at the beck and call of a very famous and demanding boss.
The moral of the story seems to be you shouldn't sacrifice yourself for a job. But if I remember correctly, Daniel Lavery had an interesting alternative take when he ran Dear Prudence -- that the story should have instead celebrated Hathaway's ambition.
Sorry to make you go through the movie summary. I'd seen and remembered liking the movie.
But thanks for clearing up the "posse" reference.
In a strange circumstance I actually once had a (short) meeting with Anna Wintour in her office after the movie came out. I was focused on two things only: 1) How much did she dislike my specific outfit (a suit and tie) and how much did the actual office and her various assistants resemble the movie (a lot as I recall).
No apologies necessary! I loved that movie.
And that is so cool! How much *did* she dislike the suit and tie? (Men can never go wrong in a suit, IMHO! Although I tend to think Europeans tailor them a bit better.)
I do think there's something fun about dressing to fit a part.
She didn't comment on what I was wearing. This was about 15 years ago, and I'm sure she sized me up as just another finance guy whose suit didn't fit him as well as it should!
I'd have a better story to tell if she had said something!
Like being in the audience at a comedy show and being picked on by the comedian.
Still so fun that you met her! Getting picked on by comedians is one of my favorite things 😅
How I wish for you to forget what a Dutch oven is, buy store-bought stock, and feel carefree again...
I'd rather be carefree with a Dutch oven 😅
I guess I just lived vicariously through you when you were running all around travelling, and once being in a fun reality show, and doing various interesting jobs, and participating in storytellings, etc. etc., and I know you still do those things - but now with a greater sense of Dutch Ovennyness 😂
Simply brilliant.
💕 💕 💕