Monday, October 6, 2008

New York State Of Mind

Sometimes when life and work become completely overwhelming I wonder why this 24/7 workaholic city is just so damn special.

Last Friday after being herded like cattle into the overcrowded subway at 7:30 AM, I was able to squeeze into a 2” by 2” space in the middle of the train. Truly I was physically closer to the people around me then than I have ever been with 99% my friends and family. From behind me a man starting screaming and hollering for us to move as apparently he thought there was room for him inside. This verbal abuse ensued for three minutes as the doors attempted close on his oversized backpack. His screaming resulted in pushing which led to this asshole getting his way. By the time I walked into my office I was irritated and reminiscent of driving to work.

I fed my nine hour work day with Redbull and coffee and realized that stepping out for lunch was just not in the cards. By the end of the day I was nearly brain dead and exhausted. I walked out of our building only to be immediately greeted by a crazy woman screaming, “Excuse me!” as she plowed through the crowd knocking an elderly woman to the ground. Of course this irritated the bitch as she screamed, “I told you to get the f**k out of my way!”

This just can’t be the NYC I love and work so hard to survive in? What makes these awful people so wonderful? And within an instant I had my answer as three or four people (including me) rushed to assist the fallen woman. A gentleman even hailed a cab for her and gave the driver some money for her fare.

After, as I proceeded the two blocked to the subway, I saw a young man stop to ask a blind man if he can be of any assistance in navigating the rush hour traffic into the subway. As corny as it may sound these actions put a smile on my face. It reminded me of the Liberty Mutual Insurance commercials.

Even though the work weeks are brutal, the streets are dirty, and many believe the New York mentality is brash and offensive – most New Yorkers make this city unique and unlike any other city in the world. Our energy, determination and kindness stand out above the rest. These are the New Yorkers I love. These are the people that make this city what it is.





3 comments:

Carol ReMarks said...

See? I knew I wasn't crazy for wanting to live in NYC! I should never listen to my southern friends anymore! LOL

Anonymous said...

Amen! Its so easy to focus on the bad, but if you see and add up the good...in NYC, it always outweighs the bad. : )

Ben L. said...

You had square inches?! You should save those and come to Beijing to sell them: we only have flat inches here in the subways!