Hello, readers.  My name’s…oh wait.  I swore not to share names.

Ok then, where do I begin?

Hopefully by now, you have a sense of what I want to get out of this blog.  One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2016 is to “write more,” but that just sounds lame.  Blogging appears to be the craze this day and age (kids and their iDroids…), so I figured writing about something I do weekly was a little more specific. And it just so happens that every Monday night, like clockwork, I play contract bridge in the greatest city of all, Manhattan!  I also am fortunate enough to play with some of the greatest people in the greatest city of all, and each and every one of them truly makes each and every week worth living.

So maybe that’s where I’ll start–with the people.  Or at least how it all began…

I moved to New York City from Pittsburgh in the summer of 2008.  I remember that summer so well because it hardly ever rained, and the city never got too hot either.  I had saved up mucho monies to move to New York, so I had 6 months to constantly audition and become a famous actor on Broadway!

#MyFirstRegret.

I mean, don’t get me wrong.  I auditioned a TON that first year.  I even earned some prominent final callbacks.  I also had the opportunity to network, network, and network some more.  These first few desperate months as an actor taught me that networking was equally as important as auditioning.

Here’s where Elaine Stritch comes in…

Now, if you don’t know who Elaine Stritch is (or “Stritchy” as I liked to call her), stop reading this blog right now and never come back!  Kidding, of course.  But no, seriously…go research her now and thank me later.

Before I moved to New York City, I was fortunate enough to work with Elaine Stritch in Pittsburgh on her one-woman show, “Elaine Stritch: At Liberty.”  Oh man, the stories she told me!  She even gave me one of her rehearsal shirts!  Needless to say, as a musical theatre major, I practically geeked out when Elaine and I became friends.  May she rest in peace…

As our friendship developed over a year, Elaine invited me to a party she was having for the 4th of July.  I didn’t want to turn her invitation down, but I was going home for a wedding that weekend, so at first, I just didn’t know how to make it work. 20 minutes went by after Stritchy called to invite me and I realized that I could easily take a bus from Boston to New York City in the morning on the 4th instead of staying home an extra day.  I was missing out on seeing my friends again the day after their wedding, but I knew this was a networking opportunity that I could NOT pass up.

It was at this party that my life would be changed forever…

Sure, there were some pretty awesome people at this party.  And sure, I had the time of my life at this party.  I don’t think I’ve ever had better views of fireworks on the 4th of July, especially some that were so close and had the shadows of the New York City skyline in front of them.  But it was at this very party where I met an older gay couple who were quick to take me under their wing as a fresh new face in one of the largest cities in the world.

Before I knew what was happening, these two men were inviting me to parties anywhere and everywhere, and I was being introduced to anyone and everyone.  Two of the people I met through this couple were my current bridge hosts.  They were probably in their prime back then, at the ripe young ages of 85 and 90.  Give or take a year or two.  One thing’s for sure–this couple loved to party, and even more, they loved to play bridge.  They would tell you that it helped them keep their “brains sharp.”

Now, it was at least another year or two of parties (and lots of vodka) before I was eventually invited to join the bridge group, but when I did, I knew I was joining something not only extra special, but also very rare in the Big Apple.  You see, there’s someone in our group representing every decade from the 1920s to the 1980s.  Whenever any of us have a qualm with life, we each have a different perspective on how to handle life’s most challenging situations.  Which, of course, brings me to this blog…

Unfortunately, one of our bridge hosts is no longer with us, but that’s for a whole separate post.  In the meantime, I am grateful for the decisions I made when I first moved to the city to attend that party with Elaine Stritch.  I am grateful for my friends I met at that party, and even more so for the friends that they have introduced me to.  Even in the city that never sleeps is it easy to settle down and allow life to pass you by just like anywhere else in the world.  But if there’s one thing this city has taught me (and Liza as well), it’s to say “YES!” when an opportunity is staring you straight in the face.  You might not become that famous actor you always wanted to be, but you just might meet people who make you want to be a better actor…