alison.jpg

Portrait by Greg Bottali

  • Alison Bert

    • I'm a writer who used to make my living as a musician. And somewhere along the way, I developed a passion for photography.

    Whatever I do, I try to make it meaningful. The best training I ever had was as a reporter The Journal News, covering everything from 9-11 to education and business. Now, as an editor for Elsevier, I try to bring the same journalistic integrity to corporate communications.

    In the previous century, I was a classical guitarist and music professor. I will always be grateful for the opportunities it gave me. While working on a doctorate at the University of Arizona, I was a Fulbright Scholar in Spain and studied with Andrés Segovia in a master class. I performed with wonderful musicians in places I will never forget, like Berlin, Krakow, Jerusalem and Caracas. And was able to share what I learned with with some incredible students.

    But ultimately I decided to return to my roots as a writer. When I was on the music faculty of Syracuse University, the Newhouse School was right across the street. I signed up for a few courses, but a professor there convinced me to get a master's in journalism and make it my living.

    Many people ask me why I changed careers, but I don't see it that way. For me, art in any form is about finding what is fascinating and building a technique to express it to others. Which is what I hope to do here. I hope you will join me.

    img_1510.jpg

     My photo gallery 

    When he doesn’t call

    Alison Bert on November 21st, 2007 | Filed under Dancing, Relationships

    So I raise the issue with said gentleman friend Saturday night, I’d like to think in the most diplomatic of tones, but then again I also like to think people mistake me for Eva Longoria.

    We have our first fight. I apologize, we talk it through and we end the evening on the best of terms. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he says, and kisses me goodnight.

    Tomorrow comes around. I occupy myself with a four-hour dance workshop I’m dying to tell him about. (Yes, he’s even more into dance than I am.) But he doesn’t call.

    I’m not the type to wait by the phone, but this time I leave it on after I go to bed.

    Monday’s a big day for me. I start a new job. Still no call. This isn’t like him. I wonder if he was in a car accident, perhaps driving off the road while distraught over our tiff. I google-news his name along with ‘collision.’ No hits. Let’s try ‘accident.’ Nothing. Why am I not ecstatic about this lack of news? I’m a really small person, I conclude.

    Tuesday I wonder if something’s wrong with my cell phone. Maybe he called and left a sweet message I never received. Now the poor guy’s thinking I’m blowing him off. I call my cell phone from my Skype line and leave a message. Shoot! The voicemail works just fine. Over dinner, I talk it through with a girlfriend. “I was supposed to meet his family for Thanksgiving,” I explain, between bites of arugula salad. She tells me to give him another day, he’s obviously thinking about things. Of course I’ll have to call him before Thanksgiving.

    Wednesday night. Still no call. Either he’s in a coma or being a total jerk. I opt to believe the former and feel a slight sense of relief. OK, enough already. I call his cell phone but hang up when his voicemail answers. Of course now he knows I called. And he still hasn’t called back.

    Could it be that he’s just not that into me? Thanks, Greg Behrendt, but my phone log shows a slew of prior calls he made to this number as proof that he is into me. Or was.

    So here I am in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. And yes, my phone is still on.

    7 Comments »


    7 Responses to “When he doesn’t call”

    1. Teri Says:
      November 22nd, 2007 at 9:59 am

      This brings to mind a recent date of mine. It was my first string of five after my break up. After the first four somewhat decent dates where I felt nothing, I concluded that I just wasn’t ready to date yet. Then I had date five. Perfect date, lots of chemistry flying about and I was excited. I never heard from him. When asked by date six (an interrogation type date), about the mystery disappearance, I told him that obviously he had been killed on his way home. It was a certain hit-and-run, it was too bad… just my luck. Date six on the other hand, who was so taken with me that evening and asked for a dinner date the following week, disappeared as well. It’s incredible how unsafe this city is!

    2. Alison Bert Says:
      November 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 am

      Thanks for sharing, Teri — and for making me smile! Have an awesome Thanksgiving.

    3. Krumhorn Says:
      November 23rd, 2007 at 1:42 pm

      Did he call?

    4. Alison Bert Says:
      November 23rd, 2007 at 2:45 pm

      Nope. And I have receive to believe that he’s not in a coma.

    5. Ken Says:
      November 23rd, 2007 at 5:36 pm

      Hey, Alison.

      The heck with him. Keep dancing.

      How’s the new job?

      - No longer a co-worker but still a friend.

    6. Alison Says:
      November 23rd, 2007 at 7:22 pm

      Ken, what a surprise! Thanks for stopping by. I will definitely take your advice.

      The job is great. And unlike last year, I didn’t wake up at 3:30 a.m. to interview Black Friday early birds at Wal-Mart. Please give my regards to the gang. …

    7. Krumhorn Says:
      November 24th, 2007 at 5:25 pm

      Even if he thinks he has a beef, it’s beyond rude to change your Thanksgiving plans without so much as a call.

      I vote for giving him the toss. He has failed an important test.

    Leave a Comment