but kind of like clark kent who morphs into superman when the need arises, i am also "Aliey" (a spelling of one of the nicknames for my given name that I made up myself along the way - reading specialist, anyone?). In most of the world, it's ali as in ali mcgraw. but not in my world.
For most of my life, people have called me Alison. My family, however, has called me Aliey. This has been a nice thing, like going home from college to do laundry. Hearing that name meant safety, coziness and the familiarity of make your own sandwich night. but in school, in life and certainly in business, I've been Alison. Since I got married and changed by last name from S. to L., some have taken to calling me "AL" (at which point I need to ask myself who is better, Paul Simon or Elvis Costello). But "Aliey?" not so much. doesn't really evince the kind of take no prisoners attitude required to get the job done.
until one year, when arriving at my adoptive summer vacation spot, a certain island off the coast of Massachusetts with no stop lights and only four public restrooms and a "fog happens" laissez faire attitude that only slightly covers up the fact that there's a line up of gulfstream G200's at the airport like taxis at grand central station, my mother-in-law happened to introduce me to someone as Aliey. this moment goes back about 17 years and little by little, as I've aged and decided that it makes a lot more sense to spend as much time as possible away from the real world especially in summer, Aliey has kind of taken over the month of august.
in many ways, aliey and I are similar - we are perfectionists sometimes to a fault. we have two kids. we like to play tennis. we have a job. we have a handsome husband.
but aliey is different. she is more socially graceful and makes friends easily on the tennis court. she rides around town in the morning, in her tennis whites, on a bike with a 12 year old baby seat on the back that sometimes holds a tennis racquet, sometimes a child, and sometimes a case of wine. people wave to her when she rides and say "good morning aliey".
full on Aliey took time to emerge. in the early years, aliey and alison were much closer. the first year that Aliey spent two weeks instead of one, she got into a rhythm of ladies doubles with a group of pals she met in the tennis clinic. alison hadn't really figured out how to get out of the way at this time, so was carrying her blackberry court side in anticipation of a call from THE BOSS back in NYC. A little frazzled and possibly even a little late, she jogged up to the court and explained her absence with a shrug and "work" with a gesture toward the blackberry on the bench. One of her opponents, a tall drink of water with the kind of brown tan that doesn't come from just a week at the shore with a last day of SPF 15 thrown in for good measure looked up and said
what is this work that keeps getting in the way of our tennis?
umm, I work in advertising
ADVERTISING???!!? at this point her lovely face is drawn long by her hands as in The Scream god that's a terrible business, my husband used to own an advertising agency.
Of course he did.
Aliey didn't miss a step of course and got right down to spinning her racquet to see who would serve.
Years have gone by and little by little Aliey has taken over more and more of the month of august. alison is there, of course, in the background attending to the work that she needs to, but Aliey lives large. Hosts cocktail parties, gets invited to cocktail parties and brings her signature hostess gift of a reused jar with a bunch of flowers from her cutting garden tied with a ribbon, plays in the parent-child, ladies doubles and mixed doubles tournament. Aliey has so many sets of tennis whites that she doesn't need to wash them but she does just for kicks. last year, upon returning to NY alison was s0 overwhelmed with getting the kids ready for school and finding a new job that she didn't really attend to some basic housekeeping details like unpacking, moving aliey's bike to the basement and so forth. some crossover friends who have taken to spending a week in aliey's back yard came by to pick up a dog blanket they had left behind. Alison didn't realize that they were coming IN to her apartment as she and Aliey would never let anyone see the place in a such a state!
B walked in and nearly screamed "aliey doesn't live here".
Oh no she doesn't, Alison does.
There are a few other key differences between Alison and Aliey. Aliey lives in houses with names like Aurora Villa, Shanunga, Top of the Hill and friends will come to find her and then later say I stopped by Aurora Villa but you weren't home. Alison lives in a back of the building apartment with the usual alphanumeric designation. Aliey rides her bike with no helmet. Alison takes public transportation. When Aliey gives a party she gives a basket of hand written invitations to her children to hand deliver around town. Alison uses evite. Aliey has a brazilian cleaning lady named isadora who never loses things and can be called on to clean up the kitchen after dinner in a pinch. Alison has carmen need we say more.
Occasionally, Aliey and Alison collide. several years ago, after some friends had come and took some tennis clinics and purchased some merchandise on Aliey's account at the tennis club, back in NYC Alison send them an email with an accounting so that they could send her a check.
RE: Casino Bill
It was so much fun playing with you all up at the Casino- sorry we didn't win more - next year! As you asked, the bill came and you owe us $462. No hurry, I've already settled up.
xxxAliey
Moments after pressing send, a note comes back from a controller in a sister company who's last name is the same as Aliey's friend (damn those tricky email systems):
RE: Casino Bill
I don't think this was meant for me
Great now some finance geek in Detroit worn down by Sarbanes Oxley compliance thinks Alison is a gambler
RE: Casino Bill
Thanks - oh, and not that it matters, but just so you know, that's a tennis club, not a gambling outfit.
Reply
RE: Casino Bill
Sure.
Oh dear, Alison's reputation besmirched by Aliey.
No matter. It's August 3 and Aliey has already logged a few hours on the courts and is while Alison is annoyed by the fact that this post didn't go up on August 1 as intended, but Aliey knows that it was much more important to accomplish things like getting the little ribbons tied to the back of her new beach chairs so that everyone would know who's is who's. In four short weeks, it will be all over and alison will go home and see if the krugmans have moved in yet.
But in the meantime, aliey sure will have some fun.
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