I enter a New York University building, behind Washington Square Park, and while waiting at the security desk for clearance, I observe a gray haired, nicely suited, late sixties age man. He could be a professor, as he has that air of importance about him. There is a way in which persons project that the space around them is larger than usual; can’t quite put a finger on it. While standing there, I watch him talk to a small grouping of apparent peers and then move to another group of students. Not certain why he caught my eye. Clear security and head for the elevator, and of the two available elevators, he joins the one that I’m getting on. The door no sooner closes than he starts chatting up the young student next to him. I look over and notice that his eye contact is such that he is not looking at you, but expecting you to observe him… which I continue to do out of the corner of my eye. By the 6th floor, the elevator is down to just we two, and I turn to him and say, “Wow, you are either the official greeter here or you are the president of the University’. To which he answer, Yeah, I’m kinda both. So on a roll of oblivion, I ask his name, John Sexton. And guess what… since 2002 until 2016 that is who he is. We exit at the 9th floor together and he asks where I’m going. ‘Would really like the Rest Room’, I reply. ‘There it is’, he says, pointing to the door on the right. A man for all seasons.
Does This Mess with Your Mind..
You are a tourist on a weekend in the City. You enter the W4th Street Subway station with subway map in hand. On the first floor of this three level station the A, C & E trains arrive and leave. You are standing on a middle platform with trains coming and going to your left and to your right. The C&E trains come and leave on the track to your left and the express A train does the same on the track to your right. If you want the B, D, M or F you have to go down two flights of stairs and again for the direction you are heading it is F&M on the left and B& D on the right. [I won’t confuse you by stating that this only applies to the Downtown Brooklyn bound trains. The Uptown bound trains have their own story two platforms over.]
So there you are The Tourist, on a Sunday afternoon and you’ve just read the note/sign/announcement pinned up by the MTA that states: C won’t be running on this track today, it will be running on the track of A Express, which you sort of figure out is behind you. But while you are standing there reading all of this and checking it with your map, the D train flies by and comes to a screeching halt right in front of you on the C&E track. Not only is this train operating on a track two levels above which every sign in the station tells you is not possible, there is no sign telling you it is going to come here and where it is headed when it leaves here. Also, there is no sign telling you not to bother to go down two flights, because it won’t be there. So, there you stand with your map in hand. Had you gone below two tiers to wait for the F train, you would have not understood the announcement mumbled over the intercom that to arrive at the following stop on that route, you have to ride the F train all the way to Brooklyn and in Brooklyn, catch it back into the City to get out where you wanted to go originally. And by the way, the B train isn’t running at all today. The weekend is when repairs on the tracks and clean up is done and it is anybody’s guess what the reroutings are. Good luck with that!! And of course, everyone around you is coming and going like they know what’s up!
More Subway Art
Life Imitating Art
This photograph, taken by HilaryH looks like a painting. It is taken through a window at the Guggenheim, as you can see the curved exterior of the Museum on the left.
Associations
You have seen this sign in a previous post. I couldn’t figure it out. I made the association that ‘they’ did not want the indigent washing in front of the door. But I wondered, why would they, there is no faucet, no mirror…. and finally yesterday it dawned. Duh. Do you all get what it means?
Begging
Have decided that panhandling fits the definition of a job. Look at it from that perspective.
1- have to get up
2- get dressed
3- leave the house
4- have to be bold and go amongst the folk
5-have to have a story
6- be persistent
7- be social – can’t be a total introvert
8- have a goal
9- bring out the good in others: better to give than…
10-make others feel good or better about themselves
11-not damaging the environment
12- not making any sort of useless product or widget no one needs
How many jobs – can claim to do that for a person.
Certainly healthier than working at McD’s.
A thought.
28th Street
This is the street of trees and plants. A virtual garden all the time. I forget how lush it is until I happen upon it on my way to somewhere. It is a visual delight. Over and over.
Sidewalk
Walking in the Village I felt the change under my feet before I realized what it was. Look at these large, cobble stones. The photo right shows where the old sidewalk butts up against the newer cement flat sidewalk. Who and what and when have tread these stones.
Black Book
My growing up and adulthood experience was that if I saw a suited-necktie-man in a public space, with a black book in his hand, he was holding a bible. With that bible he was going to either hold a street meeting or preach in that public space. It struck me the other day, that many males carry their Ipads in black leather cases and they are looking neither to preach nor hold a street meeting. An adjustment of my expectation.
It Happens in New York
Nothing earth shaking… but attended a highly regarded, well reviewed movie today and thought it was awful. Watched 6 patrons walk out within the first 20 minutes. And they will never know it never got better. This evening attended an off Broadway theatre production and it too was just plain awful. Gives hope to those working in smaller venues who think everything in the City is a success. Nope.