Playing Teacher

Twenty curious faces and a cocktail dress. What better to lecture in than a tobacco-colored number and lizard skin high heels?

My Learning Annex classroom on Madison Square Park reminded me of my Gotham Writer days. But, of course, instead of squeezing my hips into a desk designed for a ten year-old’s slender frame, I was strutting (tottering?) across the linoleum floor, in front of the blackboard, trying to entertain, inspire and answer questions about GoogleSense, AdSense and the like. Technical mumbo jumbo makes me blush—it’s NOT my thing. I admitted such and swiftly transitioned our talk to more important topics like, Martha Stewart and “Who is coming out with me afterward for a fancy cocktail?” I love elderflower and champagne.

There was an Eastern European beauty and a charming woman with a 7-carat diamond (yes, we became such fast friends that she divulged diamond details in our booth at “Eleven Madison”). There were older men just beginning blogs and young, striking Latino American girls who were a few months into the daunting project. A slice, a cross-section, a grab bag of the Big Apple gave me their attention and time on a cool Wednesday evening and I loved them for it.