Ode to the N.Y.C.
so, i have been back home in nyc for a little over 2 weeks now. i can honestly say that i am extremely happy with my decision to make the move back home. when you are originally from nyc where else is there to go? i enjoy nature, but when you get down to it, i am a 'concrete-loving-noisy-yearns-for-diversity' kinda guy. the only thing missing is the boyfriend. and the dog.
as i made my way over the george washington bridge 2 weeks ago the sun roof was open and madonna's 'i love ny' was pulsating from the speakers within bullet. not4nothin has moved around a lot the past few years and for the first time in a very long time i felt that i was truly home. it was a beautiful day. boats were making their way up and down the hudson. the city looked quiet and peaceful (from a safe distance of course). and not4nothin was home.
as my first week of work ended, i met friends out for drinks one friday night happy hour. with my earbuds in and my nano on i blended in among evereyone else who were all possibly heading out for friday night happy hour with their earbuds in. the great thing is that no one knew i had been gone for nearly 5 years. and it didn't feel like i had been.
in my 29 years on this planet i have lived in 4 different cities. the first being the largest melting pot in the world. 2 on the larger, more cosmopolitan side. and 1 that should be completely blocked from memory. i found that the 2 larger cities had qualities about them that were similiar to nyc. shopping. great restaurants. culture. the lighting of some large tree at the holidays in some very public place. and still the 1 city that should be blocked from memory.
say what you want about nyc and new yorkers. i've heard it all before. we're rude. the city is dirty. it's too expensive. everyone there just looks out for themselves. there are too many people. my response to all of that is true. true. true. true. and true. we're all of those things. and so much more. i have always stopped and given people directions when asked. i have even butted in on conversations on the subway and suggested easier ways for people to get where they want to go. we are also a city who will not judge anyone from where they came from, how they look or ultimately who they are as a person. one night i saw 2 women kissing, and i mean kissing, right in the middle of grand central. did people stop and stare. no, because it is nothing out of the ordinary and quiet frankly, no one cares. wouldn't see that in the middle of a red state. i also saw a woman changing with the blinds open in her hotel room across the street from my office. again, just another day. had 2 minor celebrity sightings. diana degramo, runner-up on 'american idol.' sitting at the next table in a bar i was at. did people crowd her and flash lightbulbs in her face. nope. no one cares. she's just another person walking the streets. and carlos leon. madonna's daughter's baby-daddy. no one to fall all over, but i was only one degree away from madge herself. and i did consider jumping him and obtaining his cell phone. madge's number has to be in there somewhere to get a hold of little lourdes. and i forgive the chinese food delivery man who almost ran me over the other night. i was in the wrong and forgot to cross in the crosswalk. i saw an opportunity to cross and i took it. hey, you live and learn.
sometimes, we need to leave something in order to realize how much we miss it. and also wonder why we left in the first place. check in with me dead smack in the middle of the summer when the tourists are at their peak and heat vibrates off the concrete that i love so much.
as i made my way over the george washington bridge 2 weeks ago the sun roof was open and madonna's 'i love ny' was pulsating from the speakers within bullet. not4nothin has moved around a lot the past few years and for the first time in a very long time i felt that i was truly home. it was a beautiful day. boats were making their way up and down the hudson. the city looked quiet and peaceful (from a safe distance of course). and not4nothin was home.
as my first week of work ended, i met friends out for drinks one friday night happy hour. with my earbuds in and my nano on i blended in among evereyone else who were all possibly heading out for friday night happy hour with their earbuds in. the great thing is that no one knew i had been gone for nearly 5 years. and it didn't feel like i had been.
in my 29 years on this planet i have lived in 4 different cities. the first being the largest melting pot in the world. 2 on the larger, more cosmopolitan side. and 1 that should be completely blocked from memory. i found that the 2 larger cities had qualities about them that were similiar to nyc. shopping. great restaurants. culture. the lighting of some large tree at the holidays in some very public place. and still the 1 city that should be blocked from memory.
say what you want about nyc and new yorkers. i've heard it all before. we're rude. the city is dirty. it's too expensive. everyone there just looks out for themselves. there are too many people. my response to all of that is true. true. true. true. and true. we're all of those things. and so much more. i have always stopped and given people directions when asked. i have even butted in on conversations on the subway and suggested easier ways for people to get where they want to go. we are also a city who will not judge anyone from where they came from, how they look or ultimately who they are as a person. one night i saw 2 women kissing, and i mean kissing, right in the middle of grand central. did people stop and stare. no, because it is nothing out of the ordinary and quiet frankly, no one cares. wouldn't see that in the middle of a red state. i also saw a woman changing with the blinds open in her hotel room across the street from my office. again, just another day. had 2 minor celebrity sightings. diana degramo, runner-up on 'american idol.' sitting at the next table in a bar i was at. did people crowd her and flash lightbulbs in her face. nope. no one cares. she's just another person walking the streets. and carlos leon. madonna's daughter's baby-daddy. no one to fall all over, but i was only one degree away from madge herself. and i did consider jumping him and obtaining his cell phone. madge's number has to be in there somewhere to get a hold of little lourdes. and i forgive the chinese food delivery man who almost ran me over the other night. i was in the wrong and forgot to cross in the crosswalk. i saw an opportunity to cross and i took it. hey, you live and learn.
sometimes, we need to leave something in order to realize how much we miss it. and also wonder why we left in the first place. check in with me dead smack in the middle of the summer when the tourists are at their peak and heat vibrates off the concrete that i love so much.
posted by notfornothin at Tuesday, April 11, 2006
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