The sun illuminated the earth. The trees provided a great deal of shade that aided me with the perfect spot to sit. I stop and watch the world by this spot every day. I watch the runners make their way down that path to the left, I watch the dogs run around energetically, I watch the birds cut through the blue sky in perfect formations and lines, I watch everything and everyone, and then I think. I think about all of it, then I write it down. All of my thoughts go in this book. I don’t remember when I started doing this or why, but does that matter? Well anyway, the wind is still dancing in the grass and I am still sitting here. And I’m about to finish off this book, another one to add to the pile. But what do these get me? Where will these ever get me in life? I’m just a student in New York City. One in a city of millions and I’m in love with it but even though…
Just as I almost finished the page it blows out from under me. Gone with the wind and I immediately go after it. Barefoot, dirt fills the crevices of my feet. Almost catching it, it meets with a pair of sandals. I look up and a guy stood right before me. He leaned down, grabbed the paper and smiled, and started to read it. What guy in their right mind would do that? Just start reading a paper he had no business reading? “Excuse me, can I please have that back?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, that was pretty rude of me, wouldn’t you think? I’m Ty.” His caring eyes almost made it forgivable.
“And I need to get back to my work, thanks,” I said
“It was really good. I-I-I uhh liked your focus on the word ‘watch’,” he yelled as I walked away.

I am baffled, filled with confusion on why he would read it. Why would he, why would ANY New Yorker even pick that paper up, and then start to read it. All my frustration carried back to my spot. That rock was comforting. That rock was a piece of home that I kind of miss in this big city. I grab my pen and…

…but even though you’re in love with something, does that mean you should let it also eat the inside out of you? I guess you do, right? There is no other way to do it. I would rather die doing something I love then have my life dedicated to something I hate. If that makes any sense? Sense. I laugh. Sense is a funny thing. One minute you can understand something you do, then the next a thought comes to your head, “What was I thinking?” Like when you were in high school and you’d put on an outfit and it would look absolutely amazing in the morning but then you get to school and you just want to hide. I hate that feeling. I guess it’s just something we put up with as people in society. I never understood why we “put up” with things. It makes no sense what so ever. But I guess rebellion is hard but sometimes…



It got dark. The words were covered by shadows of disguise. Baffled and confused I look up, but all of a sudden the shadow is gone. Curiosity overwhelmed me on what that shadow was, but curiosity can be fatal so I kept my distance.
“HI” a goofy smile to the left of me made me jump.
“Hi?”
All he could do was smile at me. Why?
“…didn’t your mom tell you not to talk to strangers?” I said
“Yeah, but she also told me pretty, intelligent girls were hard to come by.”
Oh he thinks he’s charming, doesn’t he?
“I –I have to work,” I managed to get out.
“Oh don’t mind me; I’m just going to sit here. If that’s ok with you?”
“It’s not.”
“Perfect,” He said again with that big smile of his.

…Sometimes I want to jump out of my own skin. I’m so uptight all the time…
“Why are you so uptight all the time?” he said, I think he had a knack for interrupting things.
“Excuse me?”
“What you wrote…you said you were uptight”
Did he really just say that…?
“I mean, I don’t know. Probably suburban me kicking in, but I, I guess I don’t know”
“Come on,” and He held his hand out…was I supposed to take it?
“I can’t, I have work. Remember?”
“I still don’t know your name.”
“Do you have to know my name?”
“Well, It’d be nice,” and out came that smile again.
“Joss.”
He got up, and stuck out his hand again, right by mine, looked me in the eyes and said,
“Come with me”
“But…”
“But nothing.”
I just looked at him with a blank stare.
“You can pick where we go,” he said.
I took his hand and started down the park.
That day I left a piece of me behind. A part of my shell. Sometimes I think what would have happened If the wind didn’t blow my paper away at the park that day. What if Ty hadn’t been so determined? Would I have crumbled from pressure? Would I have moved away? Would we have met in another time or place? But one thing is still certain; I still write in my books. Some things don’t change, but I know I did. My books are still filled with confessions and my thoughts, but they are also filled with adventure and promise. They also still aren’t scripted. I’m just a 22 year old college senior in New York, currently sitting at a rock, but there is something that has changed. I have a goofy boy to my left, my home in front of me, and hope to the left. A change can be beautiful or a disaster. Change is a funny thing.