city snapshot

I'll admit it's somewhat melodramatic to begin mourning our eventual (and maybe temporary?) departure from New York.

But as Toni Morrison put it, "It's sheer good fortune to miss someone long before they leave you." So, I don't see it as a necessarily bad thing that I'm already missing New York. And in this early stage of 'missing', I've started to think of little moments experienced here and there that make me smile, or think, or drive me cuckoo about living here. One such moment:

I left the office one night unprepared for rain. The sidewalks along Broadway were crowded with the usual blend of tourists, fashionistas and the general mid-town rank and file. I braced myself for a quick and determined march. I'm excellent at weaving my way to the front of a crowd.

As I was walking, an African-American man tilted his umbrella slightly towards me. Curious and a little surprised, I inquired: “Are you trying to share with me?” “Sure, why not?” Since it was coming down pretty hard, I suppressed the faint, faint echoes of my mother (who I fear will never, ever be able to give up warning me to about having conversations with male strangers).

It might have been one of the most pleasant conversations I've ever had with a male stranger on the streets of New York. We shared weekend plans: he was going to Home Depot to get some parts to fix a broken toilet. I was—I can't remember. We got to the 34th Street station right near Macy's and said goodbye. It was totally unsketchy. And for some reason, made me thankful.