It's really too bad I don't live in a city so I could continue this series regularly because I'm pretty good at creating stories for people I see on the subway. As a Vermonter being very underexposed to the inter-nationality in big cities, the stark contrast from person to person in New York is a little overwhelming. I'm sure if I lived in a city for much longer I would come out with lots of stories about the different ways in which people live. Here is some of what I observed. In brackets are traits I have assumed about the person and could be false; I really have no idea if they are true so I don't mean to offend anyone...
A white [single mother] passes out tissues and a note pleading for money to help her and her [children]. Collects them, without a word, in a child's backpack when nobody makes a move.
A [confident] looking young black woman takes out her adult coloring book and pencils
A man on a bike has an actual yelling fight with a taxi driver who honked at him in the middle of the street, spits in his face quite violently. He made such a split second decision.
>This didn't happen on the subway but I wrote it down because, it may not see that significant, but I've never seen that in real life... only in movies. I've heard about some New Yorkers' tempers, but this kind of action just seems so unnecessary to me, in regards to the angry honk and the ensuing shouting match.
A middle aged [fatigued father just wants to de-stress] with his android pinball game
A little black boy wearing wingtip shoes, round, metal rimmed glasses, and a gold chain prances around the subway pole
A [homeless], wheelchair-bound black monoped speaks aloud to the whole subway car about how he'd rather speak to us than sell drugs. That it's not a joke and that any chump change is helpful. "It's really hard out there for some of us"...
>After things like that happen I never know what to think. I'm conditioned to look away, at least that's what all the other adults do. But adults are quite like lemmings, and part of my young adult self still wants to defy that "follow the crowd because its the right thing to do" attitude. Should I feel sorry inside? Should I scoff and assume that he's lying? Signs all over New York state "say no to panhandlers" anyway.
Or, in trying to condition my naïve Vermonter consciousness I think I'll just accept that I will never understand the immense disparity between the wealthy residents of Beverly Hills and the impoverished, broken families living three degrees away. I'll be gracious that God dealt me the hand I have and maybe next time I'll just be... less surprised the next time I come 'uncomfortably' close to a story like his.
footnote: the picture is from the Whitney, an art museum. That sculpture dOeS have burning candles in it and it IS made out of wax and IS slowly burning to the ground...
