Love Letters To New York City II

Dear New York City,

For the first time since forever I slept through a complete 8 hours. Anyone with child(ren) will tell you sleeping a full 8 hours without being sick, that’s a luxury of pre-child(ren) days.

I look out my hotel window…

And suddenly I’m missing the sight of the open field filled with spring time flowers over my back fence.

Wait! Where is the sky???

Aha…a glimpse of sky.

Kinda.

This particular morning, I’m having breakfast alone. The hotel has a bar and grill that served up a lovely breakfast buffet with the best sausage I have ever tasted in my entire life. As well, this is the longest breakfast I’ve ever spent in my entire life. Not from eating. But sipping coffee and enjoying my view of life outside the window overlooking the corner of E. 37th and Lexington…

There are signs at E. 37th & Lexington that become burned in my brain.

“Don’t Block This Box”…Which box? The red one??? And what exactly does that red box do???

“Fine + 2 Points”…I’m fine thank you. And what? You’re giving away free points? Free points are good right?

“One Way”…There’s never really just One Way. Such is the beauty of life.

“E 37th Street & Lexington”…You are here.

“No Turns Until Park Ave”…Hmmm…I wonder how far Park Ave is from 37th???

So I’m sitting at this window overlooking E. 37th and Lexington. For some reason, I feel invisible. And invisibility gives me the right to regard every human being that crosses the intersection of E. 37th and Lexington. I am watching women in business suits and sneakers crossing against the “Don’t Walk” sign. Business men as well. A few young twenty-somethings walking a pack of pampered pooches. Taxis and trucks pull up to the corner. Each one of these people becoming a moment of morning entertainment for me. No one is smiling. Not even the man who just walked his love to the corner of E.37th. He kissed her and then she turned and raised her arm for a cab. They parted not even taking a look back at one another. Something I can never do. I always need one last look because one can never tell if one will ever see the other again. I count a total of 56 people who hailed a cab on E. 37th and Lexington. They were all women. A few women of those women have catastrophic eyebrows. Sharpie pens should be outlawed for some folks I think. There’s a man standing in the door way at one of the buildings across the way. He talks to each women who leaves the building and watches them walk down the street. He is the only one smiling. At first I think he must be some kind of freak. But then I realize he’s the doorman just doing his job. And it’s a job he obviously likes.

I continued my existence of invisibility in the window for at least an hour before I noticed the sky was blue. How could I have missed it? The day, was calling me out to play. But, how could I? I am invisible. Then the sky disappeared as UPS truck pulled up to the corner. I tried to look past the truck to be able to look anything other than the truck. Is the doorman still across the way watching women walk down the street? Have morning frowns been replaced with smiles, even slight ones? I notice from the corner of my eye, movement from open UPS truck door. Glancing over I see a graying man behind the wheel. He is smiling. I wonder what he’s smiling at before realizing he’s smiling at me. He puts his hand up, pauses, then waves. The wave is tentative at first, but then takes on the confidence of a real wave. My hand goes up as well and waves. I realize that I’ve a smile on my face as well. It’s a new smile. My lips are slightly parted and my smile is lopsided. He still has a smile on his face, but I can see he’s surprised I’ve returned the wave and smile. Perhaps he felt invisible at that particular moment as well. And here we were, two complete strangers in New York City no longer invisible.

It’s funny the things we find strength in. The discovery of my new smile, a gift to me from a complete stranger in NYC. My body was no longer freezing as it was the night before. The sky was complete blueness from the window from which I sat. I suddenly felt a braveness I’ve never felt before to got out and find out if I could fall in love with NYC. Worse case scenario, I would not fall in love and would return to my home with at least pictures of places I’ve been and seen. But as I got up and paid my check, something in my heart told me I was so ready to fall in love.

Exiting the hotel, the doorman holds the door open for me. He smiles and his eyes twinkle as he bows his head a bit and tells me to have a lovely day.

And I do.

Okay so if you've make it this far, please click on this link to check out the wonderful movie Last Girl On Earth put together. Further reason why I love New Yorkers! :)