Fame
By Gene Aronowitz
Judi and I were separated, and I was not living in our house. However, she needed to be away to attend an educational program. While I was staying at the house, my daughter, Lisa, asked if a few students from the New York City High School of Music and Art could stay overnight because they were giving a performance near the house at her Westchester County high school. On the night of the performance, Lisa called and said that some of the parents had backed out, and would it be possible for us to host more than the few I expected? I agreed.
I hid my car keys and remember hiding some other items, a shameful but understandable reaction to having New York City kids spend the night in our suburban home.
In the morning, I awoke to find dozens of kids—black, white, Hispanic, and Chinese— in the living room, where they had apparently all slept. It was like the movie “Fame”: talented youth all over the place, playing instruments, singing, and dancing. I went shopping and made three dozen scrambled eggs, toast, and juice. The whole scene was spectacular.
And naturally, nothing was missing.
A version of this memoir is included in Brief Memoirs.