“Wait, stop! I’m coming!” I shouted at the bus, but to no avail. You’d think a bus driver might stop when a young blonde girl runs towards him, clothes barely clinging to her body. But no, this guy meant business and the bus pulled away from the stop as if I had never willed it to wait for me.
Looks like I’m walking.
Which, when you think about it, isn’t such a bad thing. Looking up at the metal monsters surrounding me, I feel safe and secure. Their faces are riddled with thousand-watt eyeballs and their skin is made of two foot thick concrete. The lights on their heads blare majestically in the night sky. The buildings, towering thousands of feet over my head comfort me and their 8 million other children with a blanket of Home.
I arranged my skirt to look a little more lady like; it had been knocked askew in my mad dash to catch the bus back to my apartment. I begin to hurry down the crowded sidewalk crammed with all sorts of people from beggars to gangsters to bankers to white collar, blue collar, and fuschia collar workers. Street vendors selling everything from purses to hot dogs to knock-off watches are posted on every corner. You name it; you can find it on these streets.
Realizing I’m in no hurry, I slow my pace and really begin to take in the goings-on around me. Across the street I can see a small crowd forming. Curious, I cross the busy road to find out what all the hubbub was about. Standing at a daunting five foot nothing, my view is completely obstructed by more averagely sized beings. I manage to squeeze my way into the front row of the circle and into view of the activity. A man and a woman stand beneath a street lamp. She is in tears as he lowers himself onto one knee. He presents her with a small black box containing a breathtaking ring.
His smile spreads from one ear to the other as he chokes out, “Kate, will you marry me?”
“Yes!!” I shout along with the rest of the impromptu audience, answering for Kate.
She is bawling as she nods at her new fiancé. We all cheer as they embrace in a lasting kiss. The crowd decides to leave the couple to each other and we start to head our separate ways.
I continue along the road under the bright lights of my city, a huge smile crossing my face. How this city affects people’s confidence and inhibitions is astounding. I guarantee had that couple lived anywhere else but right here that Kate wouldn’t be preparing her wedding plans for at least another two years.
The next leg of my journey is on a street that always manages to have several homeless people sitting in various different doorways which I’ve dubbed Homeless Ave. Sure enough, as I round the corner onto the street, I see a frail old man wrapped in a blanket sitting in a doorway on my side of the street. When I pass, as expected, he asks if I have any change to spare. The last time I had walked down Homeless Ave I had been out of cash and had felt absolutely dreadful to have had refused these poor people a meal. This time, as if to make up for the last time, I pulled out my wallet and handed the man his next several meals in the form of a crisp 50 dollar bill. He has me stop so he can thank me and shake my hand. We smile at each other; his smile is of gratitude and mine of satisfaction. I begin to stride away, content with the knowledge that I may have just saved this man’s life.
As I continue to walk, I see a young guy in a black v-neck and jeans come walking up the street. I see him eyeball my tight skirt and jacket. He grins as he notices that I’ve noticed his noticing. I give him a wink and a smirk as if to say “Don’t worry, I’d do it too if I were you.”
As he passes, he turns to examine my, ahem, womanly attributes. What the hell, let him, this skirt does make my butt look great. There’s that confidence thing again.
Every part of this city I love, the rich, the poor, the beggars, the crazies, the vendors, every bit of it. Anywhere you turn you can find a representative of anyone of these categories.
I’ve finally made it to my apartment. I unlock the door, walk inside and shut the door on my city and all the chaos that comes with it. To recap, I missed my bus, witnessed a proposal, possibly saved a life, and silently flirted with a guy I came across on the street. What a walk. What a night. What a city.
Only in New York…
Looks like I’m walking.
Which, when you think about it, isn’t such a bad thing. Looking up at the metal monsters surrounding me, I feel safe and secure. Their faces are riddled with thousand-watt eyeballs and their skin is made of two foot thick concrete. The lights on their heads blare majestically in the night sky. The buildings, towering thousands of feet over my head comfort me and their 8 million other children with a blanket of Home.
I arranged my skirt to look a little more lady like; it had been knocked askew in my mad dash to catch the bus back to my apartment. I begin to hurry down the crowded sidewalk crammed with all sorts of people from beggars to gangsters to bankers to white collar, blue collar, and fuschia collar workers. Street vendors selling everything from purses to hot dogs to knock-off watches are posted on every corner. You name it; you can find it on these streets.
Realizing I’m in no hurry, I slow my pace and really begin to take in the goings-on around me. Across the street I can see a small crowd forming. Curious, I cross the busy road to find out what all the hubbub was about. Standing at a daunting five foot nothing, my view is completely obstructed by more averagely sized beings. I manage to squeeze my way into the front row of the circle and into view of the activity. A man and a woman stand beneath a street lamp. She is in tears as he lowers himself onto one knee. He presents her with a small black box containing a breathtaking ring.
His smile spreads from one ear to the other as he chokes out, “Kate, will you marry me?”
“Yes!!” I shout along with the rest of the impromptu audience, answering for Kate.
She is bawling as she nods at her new fiancé. We all cheer as they embrace in a lasting kiss. The crowd decides to leave the couple to each other and we start to head our separate ways.
I continue along the road under the bright lights of my city, a huge smile crossing my face. How this city affects people’s confidence and inhibitions is astounding. I guarantee had that couple lived anywhere else but right here that Kate wouldn’t be preparing her wedding plans for at least another two years.
The next leg of my journey is on a street that always manages to have several homeless people sitting in various different doorways which I’ve dubbed Homeless Ave. Sure enough, as I round the corner onto the street, I see a frail old man wrapped in a blanket sitting in a doorway on my side of the street. When I pass, as expected, he asks if I have any change to spare. The last time I had walked down Homeless Ave I had been out of cash and had felt absolutely dreadful to have had refused these poor people a meal. This time, as if to make up for the last time, I pulled out my wallet and handed the man his next several meals in the form of a crisp 50 dollar bill. He has me stop so he can thank me and shake my hand. We smile at each other; his smile is of gratitude and mine of satisfaction. I begin to stride away, content with the knowledge that I may have just saved this man’s life.
As I continue to walk, I see a young guy in a black v-neck and jeans come walking up the street. I see him eyeball my tight skirt and jacket. He grins as he notices that I’ve noticed his noticing. I give him a wink and a smirk as if to say “Don’t worry, I’d do it too if I were you.”
As he passes, he turns to examine my, ahem, womanly attributes. What the hell, let him, this skirt does make my butt look great. There’s that confidence thing again.
Every part of this city I love, the rich, the poor, the beggars, the crazies, the vendors, every bit of it. Anywhere you turn you can find a representative of anyone of these categories.
I’ve finally made it to my apartment. I unlock the door, walk inside and shut the door on my city and all the chaos that comes with it. To recap, I missed my bus, witnessed a proposal, possibly saved a life, and silently flirted with a guy I came across on the street. What a walk. What a night. What a city.
Only in New York…
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