Easy Street (the Hard Way): A Memoir (45 page)

Yet we can do all these things and still be happy. That’s really the point, isn’t it? For me, happiness is this vision of me walking down the street on my way someplace. Doesn’t even matter where. I got my wife on my left and my two kids on my right, and we’re laughing our
asses off. That’s the image that trumps everything. That’s my contingency plan, and knowing I got that, then it doesn’t matter whether I’m an actor or a plumber, whether I’m wealthy or just getting by. All that matters is . . . I’m happy.

Don’t let them steal that from you.

That’s winning. That’s Easy Street, Baby!

acknowledgments

If you’ve made it this far, you already know the many people who I thanked, and I did so with sincerity. As for this book, much thanks to Katherine Latshaw of Folio Management for her belief in this project and especially for hooking me up with Ben Schafer at Da Capo. Thank you, Ben, for sharing the vision I had for this book. Also, much gratitude to all the folks at Da Capo and Perseus who worked hard behind the scenes, especially John Radziewicz, Lissa Warren, Kevin Hanover, Sean Maher, Christine Marra, George Banbury, and Justin Lovell.

A special thanks to Michael Largo, without whom there
is
no book—we started off with a job to do and ended up hecka pals!

And thank you, Ian Gibson, for taking good care of GDT so he could take such good care of RP.

But to my intrepid team, starting with the inimitable Erik Kritzer and the inspirational Brian Wilkins. And the young guns, Kyle Einsohn, Patrick Havern, and David Katsman. And a special thanks to Ryan Bundra, who ran point for me on the evolution of this book. And Ben Levine and Jay Cohen and Brett Norensberg. And Michael Selby, Craig Baumgarten, and Josh and Randy Crook, all of whom dwell in places that make dreaming big just another part of the day.

And to my kids, Blake and Brandon Perlman, around whom keeping it real is the only option and in whose company all is good!