Why I Love Marci Alboher

Some meetings go better than others.
And, for better or for worse, right now it’s all about me getting out there and meeting people. Talking. Commiserating, given the state of things. Planning for the future, whether it’s short term (how much exactly is the cable bill each month?) or long term (what was it that I meant to do with the time between when “The View” ends and when I die?).
Had a dinner recently with a pal who is in public relations. Nice gal. Very generous of her to buy me dinner. But she told me more than once during that dinner that my partner and I should really be buying a weekend home. That way we would have space, at least during the weekend. Apparently we can get something nice with some land for less than $150K in Columbia County.
Only problem: I do not happen to give a damn about land. Oh, and one other thing: I have no money. So right at this moment I am wondering about how much it will cost to buy groceries between now and Labor Day.
So pardon me if I skim over the ads for weekend homes.
Jesus.
Some people, especially here in Manhattan, think that what I am going through is some sort of intellectual exercise. That this is all just an opportunity for personal growth. Well, maybe. I certainly hope so. But like the vast majority of people on our planet, I have been working over the past couple of decades not just for personal fulfillment. I was also eager to secure food and shelter.
Sometimes during the past few weeks, I have been by the occasional insensitivity upon which I stumble.
That said, more often than not my meetings are great. Take last Thursday afternoon, even with the rain. I met for coffee last week at the adorable Café Henri on the adorable Bedford Street with Marci Alboher, the queen of the slash. She introduced me to the idea of the slash, as in the punctuation used to indicate that one has more than one career. For instance, I could be an “editor/writer/teacher.” Alboher was ahead of the curve on this. Her book, “One Person/Multiple Careers” (another slash right there in the title!), was published by Warner Books in 2007. She is online with a great career blog called “Working the New Economy” at www.tinyurl.com/.
Alboher gave me tangible advice I can use. Like: 1. When talking to someone who wants to help in a career search, be sure to ask something specific from them. 2. “Let yourself be discouraged.” I thought this was simple and brilliant and have called it back to my brain again and again since Alboher said it. If I could follow this advice, I could save the time I waste fighting with myself over my mood. 3. “Career transition takes time.” Which means that one needs to find a way to pay for the transition period.
That’s one of the things I cherish about Alboher: she is inspiring but realistic. She understands that people have to pay mortgages and rents while they go through life changes.
I recommend her blog.
Oh, and is it okay to mention that she is strikingly beautiful? Every once in a while, during our hour-long chat, I would forget what we were talking about and think to myself: Lord, this woman looks good.