central park weekend

sunday in central park

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book The Tipping Point borrows an interesting quote from one of the editors of the New York Times about New York life. He says, "Indifference to one's neighbors and his troubles is a conditioned reflex in life in New York as it is in other big cities." Very interesting statement and having the fortune (or misfortune) of having lived here for over 2 years now, I'd tend to agree.

What was once for me a terrible act of violence against one's neighbor, for example, such as using one's vehicle bumper to literally bump off another car while one parallel parks his or her environmentally-unfriendly SUV to a space that's not even right for a bike is now an everyday occurrence. I guess the New York thinking (or any big city thinking for that matter) is, what the f*ck should I care, it ain't my car. Sad but true but hey, let's face it, there are a million other things to lose sleep with.

As true as the statement is about New Yorkers' indifference, there are however instances when people here are not as self-absorbed. Most obvious example of course was 9/11 when people left and right were helping one another, feeling one another's pain and anger and loss, feeling so alive. But that's too easy an example.

Let's take Central Park on weekends instead. On weekends, they close the streets of Central Park to traffic. And so, for two days a week, people are king of the road in the park. No taxis out to kill you. No crazy drivers out to run over those bloody tourists who apparently have never seen a tree or two before. And so, especially last weekend when it was all of a sudden springtime weather in the middle of winter, everyone was out in Central Park--tourists, families, joggers, cyclists, vendors, lovers, pets, stinky horses and even the ducks of the almost fully frozen over pond. It seemed as though everyone was out to be human. Tourists were there with their ever-present wide eyes and digital cameras, sucking in as much they could of the leafless trees and nature. New Yorkers were there to guide the occasional lost tourist, taking a break from the favorite pasttime of telling 'em tourists that to get to Times Square, they need to take the 6 train up to the Bronx. Joggers, brisk-walkers, cyclists, in-line skaters were there, sweating themselves out but feeling so much more invigorated and alive. Parents were out with their kids, something you don't normally see in this city where you'd easily see more adults with their dogs than with kids walking the streets. People smiling, having fun, feeling great, having so much energy, feeling alive. And in one quiet corner even, a man had brought out a ring, popping -the- question I assume to his girlfriend. Which she most probably said yes to. How couldn't she. She was after all in central park on a weekend.

It's great to be surrounded by such an environment, by such people. Even for just 2 days, you get a break from these long-faced New Yorkers who seem to be bearing all the world's problems alone.

Live life like you mean it. Cool tagline from a definite must-see Irish film, "Rory O 'Shea Was Here".

Live life like you mean it. Sounds like a good plan.