When I first moved to Boston in 1977, I worked at The Caption Center at WGBH, the local public broadcasting station. I was part of the crew that added subtitles to the nightly Captioned ABC News, which was broadcast across the country as a service to deaf and hard-of-hearing TV audiences. It was a good place to work, staffed by earnest and dedicated people. And as we provided this captioning service, we also learned the basics of TV production, direction, lots of things. This photo was taken at a Caption Center cookout and the sunglassed individuals featured here represent a cross section of the kinds of people I worked with. Wickedly funny and smart Leda. Conniving and self-promoting Laura. Dazed but worldly Rebecca. Allyson, who grew up in some foreign land without knowing who the Beatles were. I’m in the center, probably somewhat dazed myself...this was taken on my last day of drinking. I wish I could claim that the beverage in the glass in front of me was my actual last drink, but I suspect that I had a few more when I got home that evening, knowing (hoping) that the following day a new way of life would begin.
"Earnest and dedicated people" ... but where's Ernest? Ah! There he is ... just off to the left of the frame. The wristwatch on his left arm gives him away. He had been wearing that watch for 10 years when this photo was taken. Now, nearly 30 years later, Ernest is still wearing that watch on his left wrist as he writes these lines. The watch (along with ageless Leda) still looks as great as it did then ... unlike its wearer.
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