Le Autumn of Janis Joplin

Dear Janis Joplin,

I discovered you for the first time last week. I was at my new job, listening to music on Imeem.com, and letting it randomly take me from one song to the next, when suddenly you showed up singing 'Summertime' to me. It blew me away like nothing has in a long time, and I was sincerely sad that I've gone 29 years without your music in my life.

The irony of 'Summertime' entering my life at this point is not lost on me. Just as summer comes to an end in New York, and Autumn winds gently take over the hot summer days and nights, you have come to accompany me not only for the changing of the temporal seasons, but also a changing of seasons in my life. Right now, everything feels different than it did before, and I am relieved. And when I say different, I mean that I am right back where I started when I left for New York two years ago, much like the shepherd boy in The Alchemist, I feel like I'm back home after getting lost in the dark for a while. Thankfully, I made it in one piece even though I acquired a few cuts and bruises. Hopefully nothing that will scar, and I'm perpetually optimistic. I have a new job, new people in my life, and almost feel like my old self again. Everyday I watch me come back, and I am delighted. The wind of change that has been wafting for a few months now is in full force, and I am grateful for the beautiful music that it has brought with it.

So thank you, Ms. Joplin, for joining me this Fall, and bringing your guitar solo with you.

Love,
Sabrina