It was at a benefit party for Prada last week with my editor from New City Magazine and good friend, Molly Each, when I discovered I had a problem.
Molly, she's this adorable Minnesotan with a mid-western heart that totally matches mine. But, right now, we pretend we are from no other place than money because it is apparent that is where the other party-goers are from.

Sidenote: I love Prada. I can't afford it right now. But I love it. I tried on this black fitted oxford shirt that fit me like the designer said: "Eh, that-a-Byron-kid, over-a-in the U.S. of A. This should be-a his."(That's my best attempt at Italian dialog). Because it fit like it was built for me. And then when I looked at the price tag is said my rent and then I put the shirt back and pouted because my rent is for rent and not a shirt that was made for me... not yet, at least.

Anyway. So, Molly and I are looking at all the goers. They're all pretty and drinking sugary cocktails. They look tan and most are in their early to mid thirties.

Molly: "Wow, this is like something from T.V."
Me: "I know, it's like that episode of Sex And The City where..."

And there it was... my problem.

Let's backtrack. Let's backtrack way back. How about since the first time I saw the show Sex And The City. I remember it as if it where the day my first child was born. It was summer and I was house sitting for a family member. It was bored and lonely and they had a million channels. Now, I had heard of this show through media and magazines, but when I stumbled upon it--well, I fell in love.

It was the city. I was still going to my first year of college in a school that had more field than classrooms. This isn't what I wanted and I would have done anything to get out. But the city seemed so far... metaphorically, of course. I would have to transfer colleges and tell my parents and, my God, telling my parents I wanted to move to a city... well, I might as well told them I was gay. Oh. Ha. Well...

Anyway, an obsession is born. And it wasn't until years later where I own every season on DVD and since it was the only DVD collection I had, I watched them religiously. And, folks, what happens when we watch something too many times? You memorize them? You quote them. A lot.

And my friends, well, they are good people. Some of them love the show just as much as me and will laugh when I scream something like: "Set a date! SET A DATE!" or "Shoes, shoes I know." But others(hi Josh!) hate it... but tolerate it.

But here's the real deal: I do it because I am proud. It's like people who go through years of med school and then become doctors and use that information with pride--because they succeeded in what they truly wanted: to be a doctor. I, well, I wanted to live in the city and now I am.

And better yet. I am at Prada about to quote an episode that I adore. Yes, it may be a problem to be predictable enough to most people that know me to use some Carrie Bradshaw quote... but that's me. One day it will get old(ha! Yeah right). But it's just a part of me... and it's totally something that got me to where I am now.

It's like this one episode of Sex And The City where Carrie is dating the city. Season five, disk one, episode 1: She's walking down wet pavement in an alley after just making out with a sailor that she realizes got nothing on her real man... the city. Because that is her first love. Because that is who she is--where she lives and how she got to be who she is.