Bugger.

I had a great entry drafted in my mind as I walked up from 14th street to 42nd tonight .. and now its just bits and pieces and flotsam...

Shit.

Something about not being able to walk this distance without fear, apprehension and loathing. Not so long ago, I woulda reflexively caught a cab or train.

So.. I walked. Briskly.

I did this partly because I wont waste the money on a cab. I dont even remember why I considered them so essential. (Laziness, primarily) Heh, partially because I wont/cant afford to spend the money now.

I want the exercise too.
Kinda proud of myself walking that distance and not breathing hard or sweating. Of being able to do it.

What else?
Ahh, not buying something to eat.

I want to continue to lose weight. Not to eat to be full.

Its not a diet. Its a test of discipline.

Its a hard to do here, walking by everything from Burger King to Bagel Places to the zillions of tempting restaurants all over.

Egg Bagel and Lox.. *drool*

And ever since Dave Thomas died, Ive been cravin' Wendy's sumthin FIERCE.

I dont care if all I get is from the 99c menu.

Must. Resist.

But no, this was to be a piece on .. congruence.. synchronicity.. instinct...

Oh yeah...

For some reason, I went from Times Square to Union Square... for Starbux, I thought.
But why?
I passed 8 of them on the way down Broadway. Why, if all I wanted was some Starbux? I dunno. But I did.

I picked up a cup of Venti Mocha (thanks GG), then went to the Barnes&Nobles. Why? Dunno. But I did. I had to.

I searched for books, found some... and then searched for a table to sit.

Somehow, I found what I was looking for. Not a what, but a 'who'.

The poor man thought I was .. strange. But, he was who/what I was looking for. I asked the question, even though I somehow already knew the answer.
"Are you a designer?", I asked.
"Yes.", he answered.
I was clued in by the graphic design magazine in front of him. But still.. I went directly up several floors without hesitation.
So, he is a graphic designer editor, who does print production, with the life experience and choices Im looking to accomplish. And I asked him things. I asked for advice from someone who had the experience I was looking for.

We talked for several hours.

I got the clues I was looking for. Exactly what I needed to know at this point in time.

Connecting the dots.

Like I said, Fred - I dont know what Im looking for, but I know it, even if I dont know what 'it' is.

I dont consider trusting my instincts strange anymore.

And then I walked, briskly, back up to 42nd Street.
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Him: "How long are you going to live out there?"
Me: "I .. dont know, frankly. A few months, maybe longer. Its open-ended. But I do intend to come back."
Him: "Ahhh... you know, I know a lot of people who've come back from being out there. They got tired of having to.. deal with being there, and came back to New York.."
Me: "Exactly, Im going out there.. Im not sure for what yet...but, I have to. Then I'll be back."

He understood, even if we both didnt know exactly why.

The Venti Mocha... err, overpriced mud.. was excellent, by the way Sun.
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Hmm. What was the typical New York moment today?

Did the cabbie yelling VERY LOUDLY at the guy who stepped out of his cab in front of the Starbux at 17th and Broadway count?

Hmm. Odd.. shouting matches, in my experience arent a normal and usual occurence in New York.

Maybe people talking to themselves, or shouting to the world at general, as New Yorkers tend to be quite opinionated.

But heated, full-on shouting matches? I find them to be rare actually.

Most people are just trying to get around with a minimum of fuss and bother.

So, maybe that wasnt a New York moment. Not in this kinder and gentler New York <.end sarcasm>.

Oh wait. I have two....

A) Construction worker, tonight, agitated, walking back to the huge subway construction project at 42nd street... talking loudly.. yells friendly ethnic slurs at his colleagues...

Guy walking by.. hears this.. and shouts down the hole "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"
(As I said, New Yorkers are opinionated..)

The first guy answers back... "NO, *YOU* SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

This pleasant exchange continued until both were out of earshot.

New Yorkers consider this friendly banter.

B) While waiting in line for the Ricki Lake show.. a construction worker riding by on his bicycle, leeringly shouts at several young women... "HEY SWEETHEARTS, I"LL SEE YOU ALL ON TV."

Everyone looks around, see's him, realizes its his job as a construction worker to say this and laffs.

One guy comments.. "Heheh.. he's got his Hard-hat turned backward too."

That made us all laugh again.

You might have had to be there. :-)
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