Monday, September 30, 2019
New York Minute 160 - Fare Dash
This is one of those moments that paints a vivid picture of the day to day experience of living in New York. Anyone who’s spent time here will be able to relate to it.
As I descended into one of the local subway stations yesterday morning, an electronic sign indicated that my train would be arriving in one minute. Perfect timing! I had that jackpot feeling knowing that I wouldn’t have to wait around for a train.
Unfortunately, my smooth running plan got complicated when I swiped my Metro Card at the turnstile and the display flashed the words INSUFFICIENT FARE.
“Great job, numbskull! Why didn’t you recharge your card during the week?”
I dashed over to the fare machines and pressed buttons frantically as I heard my train rumble into the station. I added twenty dollars to my card and dashed through the turnstile. I still had to run down a staircase to reach the track level, and I didn’t think that I was going to make it.
Luckily, the doors stayed open a little longer than normal. I made it to the train before they closed. As I was dashing across the platform, I notice that an old man with a cane doing his best to hurry down the stairs behind me. I wedged my body in the doorway so the doors could close. Once the man was down the stairs on safely on the car, I stepped all the way in, and we were on our way.
It’s in exciting little moments like these, especially in situations where you end up helping someone, or when a stranger helps you, when you come face to face with the inexplicable magic of living in this great city.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
New York Minute 159 - Leaky Bus Stop
The weather was quite warm last evening given that it’s the end of September. As I as walking up one of the avenues, I passed a bar with tables on the sidewalk. One of the patrons, a young guy, stepped away from his table, walked over to a covered bus stop that was just a few feet away, and started urinating. In addition to leaving a big puddle of urine on the concrete, he managed to spray part of the bench in the process.
Why? Well, I have to admit that wondered that myself. I guess that walking into the establishment and using the official, and I assume functioning, toilet facilities that they provided seemed like too much of a waste of time and effort to this leaky chap, so he went into male dog mode and marked disputed territory.
Going forward, he’ll have no dispute with me. I’m not going to sit on that bench.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Tonight
Haiku 101
Days Of September
Love Like Crazy
When you fall in love with someone
Whom you would never leave
For anyone else
For any reason
You know that you have found
True love
Or you’re an obsessive maniac
But since being in love
Is being obsessed
With someone
Who adores and returns
Your obsession
It’s okay
Everything should be fine
As long as it’s genuine
And - very important - reciprocal
So
Go ahead
Obsess over them
Love them like crazy
Cherish every second
That you have together
And appreciate your blessings
And good fortune
If you have someone like that
In your life
Someone who adores you
Finds joy in your imperfections
And earnestly years
For as much time together
As possible
Then
Luck has smiled upon you
In a very special and
Extremely precious way
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Old School New School
Old School
New School
Be prepared to break the rules
Any method
Any tools
As long as the results are cool
And meaningful to you
Confidence And Arrogance
There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance. You won’t get far until you cross it.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
In Passing
We can take two lessons from the sudden passing of Senator Lindsay Graham. First, we never know how much time we have left. Focus on what...
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Trash stinks. But when large piles of garbage bags sit out in the sweltering summer sun waiting for the Sanitation Department to come along ...
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I quit drinking In part Because it makes me pee I makes me pee a lot And once I get started I have to go Frequently One night When I was dri...