Great Romance

Is each great romance 

Destined neatly in advance 

Or the fruit of chance?

Standardized Test

Life is like taking a standardized test. You start with what you know, eliminate bad choices, and trust that if you can stay focused, you’ll figure out the rest before time is up.

Easily Distracted

I didn’t hear you 

I’m easily distracted 

And you look so nice 

Effortless

Practice what you do until it’s effortless and precise. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished and enjoy putting it into action. Then go practice something else, because if you’re not challenged, you’ll feel bored.

Random Thoughts - 20190829

You don’t have to be an expert to know when someone is full of baloney.

Don’t call it a momentary delay if it’s going to last longer than a moment.

Boys are like toys. Wind them up and watch them go!

Why do what other people do? Be special. Be you.

Make someone happy, but be careful. It’s contagious.

The best thing that you can do for yourself is the best thing that you can do for someone else.

Let Other People Inspire You

Don’t be discouraged when someone does something better than you can. Let other people’s successes inspire you. Realize that you can learn to do the same things in the same way that they did. You might not end up being better than they are, but that’s not the point. You’ll be better than you were before. Personal growth is more important than personal comparisons. None of us will ever be Mozart or Michelangelo. We don’t have to be. We can become a better version of ourselves, and when we do, the sense of fulfillment that comes along with it will be uplifting and genuinely deserved.

New York Minute 157 - Cracking The Code

I saw a sign on the subway yesterday advertising continuing education classes. The headline read:

Get Trained.

Get Hired.

The sign was positioned to be read by seated passengers. From my standing position, I didn’t have an unobstructed view of the top line. A light fixture blocked all but the very bottom of the letters.

I had a clearer view of the bottom row, but a vertical pole blocked the middle of the message. I couldn’t see the ‘H’ or the ‘T’.

Presented with this incomplete jumble of letters and partial letters, my mind read: 

Get Framed.

Get Fired.

Perhaps I’ve been watching too much television.

Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

New York Minute 156 - Times Square Station

I ended up working late last night. A storm blew through in the early evening, and I decided to wait it out, because I had plenty of work to do. I ended up leaving the office around 9:30. I debated going home by taxi, but I hate to waste the money, and the air was clear and warm. I decided to walk to walk past a couple of available taxis and take the subway. 

Two blocks later, I had second thoughts about that decision. It started raining again, and before long, it was coming down hard. I hadn’t brought an umbrella; the weather forecast hadn’t mentioned a chance of rain. Before long, I was soaked and looking for shelter. 

I normally take the Q train home, but that station was still several blocks from my current position. There was a station for A, C, and E trains nearby, so I decided to take one of them uptown and switch to the Q at 42nd Street/Times Square.

The first train to arrive was a C. The A (express) was eight minutes away according to the monitors, so I decided not to wait for it.

The C plodded along for the first few stations, but it increased in speed after West 4th Street, and I arrived at Times Square without further delay.

I have walked the length of the Times Square subway station many times before (I think that every New York commuter has at some point). I remember it being a long and complicated path though cramped tunnels and up and down a series of staircases. But last night, it seemed to take forever. It probably didn’t help that it was late, I was, tired, hungry, and wet, and the station was inexplicably mobbed for that hour of the night. But wow! It felt as though I’d spent an entire weekend underground. They should give out medals for people who make that trek.

The silver lining was that the air temperature in the station is well managed. When I first started working in New York, subway stations didn’t have air conditioning. That wouldn’t seem like a problem, given that they are underground, but a surprising amount of heat builds up down there. 

The subway cars are air conditioned, and they blow heat out into the stations. Steam pipe infrastructure probably contributes heat as do the million plus people who ride those trains every day. I remember walking through the tunnels under Times Square when it was at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (I a, not exaggerating.) That was a special kind of misery.

Transit fares have gone up substantially since my early days in the city. But as long as those trains get me to where I’m going, and as long as the MTA keeps those air conditioners on line, I’m not going to complain.

Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

Back On Tour

God bless the bands that didn’t save money. They’re back on tour.

Working Through Lunch

Working through lunch is like paying taxes while making love. Give your food the attention that it deserves.

Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved