#ginger #stephen #1995 #iykyk #gingerrip #indomitableforceofnature #loverofanimalsaboveallelse #longbelievedimmortal #onetoughboss #oneexcellentneighbor #taughtmehowtoswear #andmydadwasasailor #bard #bardsoftball #themwasthedays
@stephen.shore
When once asked, by (IDENTITY WITHHELD), why it was that he played softball for the Publications/Public Relations team instead of the Photography Dept team, Stephen looked at them like they were, like, I dunno, young and stupid maybe, and answered: "Well, when I go home, after the work day is done, I don't get into bed and sleep next to the head of the Photography Department."
Ginger Shore was a unique human to me, despite a lifetime replete with unique human encounters. I could totally fucking write a book about her. But I won't. It could never get her right. And...I don't have the attention span anyway, so...
Complicated boss. Excellent neighbor of decades. Tireless, fierce lover of animals. And of Stephen.
I learned a LOT from her. In fact, among the accumulated knowledge, I haven't had to have a "normal" job since working for her and Stephen at Bard full time, which ended in 1997.
Freelance ever since, including, eventually (lol...took a while), continuing to work with her for many years to shape the external image of the college (in which context I was just one of several hired photographers, of course).
Those many years working for the school, for her, might have actually zeroed out, or better, my previous tuition payments to the institution. For that alone I could be grateful, yet there is a list of other things. Not the least of which being tolerating my offspring in your back yard.
She taught me how to swear. Even more than I already did. Which was no mean feat seeing as my dad was in the Navy before he was a priest.
There is now a big ol' hole down Montgomery St that once (barely) contained an absolute force of nature whom I had long believed likely to outlive us all.
