First and Ninth

Here’s my unsolicited interpretation of life in the fast lane…for my fellow Gothamites.

Due to public transportation, no matter where you are headed, you will be 10 minutes early or late, give or take an hour.

If you are lucky, sometimes off duty lights on a cab do not apply.

The lit red hand at the cross-walk is just a suggestion. Getting the white man without waiting at a cross street is like not waiting in line for the bathroom at a crowded bar on a Saturday night.

Sunglasses and headphones…make you invisible.

The sidewalks are our streets. When tourists stop and look at pretty buildings, they are going 30 in the fast lane. MOVE. We’re not all bitchy New Yorkers…just trying to get from point A to point B.

Likewise, we fight, make-out, dance, play instruments, paint, eat, watch movies, groom and do many other domestic activities on sidewalks. I mean, we live in 700 sq. ft., over priced flats.

Times Square?…only when you have someone in from out of town.

We get to go to Duane Reade in our torn PJs because someone will always look more ridiculous (normal) than us. No judgement.

Coming out a subway exit, unless you come out of the same one on a regular basis, is like being dropped off in the middle of a map without a compass.

We may be the only 20 and 30 something year olds, outside of college, that move in with total strangers.

We know when the city sleeps.

Scary homeless people don’t scare us at all. In fact, they make us feel safe.

No matter how long you’ve lived here, the sound of police and fire sirens do not become soothing.

The scent of a cab is the luck of the draw. We all have to pay our dues.

There’s one magical day at the end of the winter, when spring rears its head and causes mass skin exposure, crowded patio drinking and unexpected call-ins to work the following morning. It’s a beautiful thing.

Giving directions feels like getting 100 on a test.

Space is overrated.

You’re never bored but usually broke.

Kevin Bacon and six degrees – out…Mark Zuckerburg and one degree – in. Everyone is one person away from knowing someone. Be careful what you say.

You can point to any pair of shoes in your closet and tell where they pinch your feet or leave marks after any extended trip from your apartment.

Yelling at cars that are about to hit you REALLY does feel great.

Written Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Crazy Love

Wait for the one who pursues you, the one who will make an ordinary moment seem magical, the one who brings out the best in you and makes you want to be a better person. Wait for the one who will be your best friend, the person who will drop everything to be with you at any time of the day no matter what the circumstance. Wait for the one who makes you smile and when he smiles back, you know he needs you. Be patient for the one whose essence you can smell, whose eyes see right through you, whose voice you understand in several foriegn languages. Wait for the one who, when your eyes look up and to the right, in thin air, they see every detail of his hands in a daydream. And most of all, wait for the one who will put you at the the center of his heart, because it’s obvious that he’s at the center of yours. ~SDM

If you should fall, fall with grace. Make sure you’re wearing your hottest stilettos. If you should cry, make sure you follow it up with laughter. Don’t forget to wear water proof mascara. If you should stray from your truth, ask yourself for guidance from the lie. Make sure you keep company with friends that will slap you back to reality. When times get tough, remember that it wouldn’t be brave if it was easy. Don’t wear your hottest stilettos if you’re walking cross town carrying anything over 5lbs. That’s not brave, that’s stupid. When you feel like you can’t believe in anyone, believe in yourself. Generally you are the only one that will show up on moving day. If you feel like you are walking in circles, understand that perseverance will push you forward. Make sure you keep your head up. Tourists like to stop and look around which will stall you from your walk ahead. If you look at New York City from a plane, take a deep breath and try not to close your eyes. You don’t want to miss the view. If you look at New York City from the bustling streets, hold your breath and cover your eyes. You can go without the unbearable scent and scene of liquid disposal and debris. Either way, we must take the good with the bad and remember that we should never let the perfect be the enemy of the good.