Out Here In The World

I was really excited when GMon'y picked New York City for this week's topic. It's the birthplace of myself and my brother, the first place my parents lived after they got married, the place I went to college, the place where I had my first job and apartment, and the place I became the fully realized Girl Friday I am today. Whenever I see images of New York on TV, I feel instantly homesick. I simply love the place. Yet lately, I have been telling all of my close friends and family that I would never live there again. Initially I thought I would write this entry to explain that although I love New York dearly, there are so many reasons I need to leave it behind. But after reading posts by my fellow blogettes, I feel the need to revisit a few of the many reasons I do heart New York.

As Girl Wednesday mentioned, there are a lot of jobs available in New York. This is largely because most professional industries are based in New York. This situation lends itself to a cutthroat attitude that some may find off-putting, but I like that "in it to win it" quality. I have lived in many different parts part of the country; I can tell you that the New York workplace has a sense of urgency that is unrivaled. Now, it's not nice when people are jerks, of course; and many New Yorkers probably take it too far. But I like being held responsible for my performance, for feeling I have no choice but to be the best. Because the moment I don't, there is a young, eager college grad waiting right behind me. I haven't felt that way the other cities I've worked in, and I have missed it.

Another thing I love about New York that I have to say, I don't think about very often, is its history. One can't even begin to list all of the important things that have happened on that tiny island. And when you live there, you are a part of it. Walking by landmarks, sitting on benches, even eating at restaurants, you are experiencing the past, every single day. In that sense, there's not really another American city like it. Right or wrong, you feel incredibly significant in New York, because you are around so much that is significant.

Which brings me to my last point. One day, when I was 17 or 18, I was walking down the street in lower Manhattan. There was a young boy who looked to be about seven years old, vigorously pushing a stroller with a baby in it down the street. His mother was running alongside him, attempting to rein him in. He didn't want to give up the stroller. He exclaimed, "You never let me push it!" His mother said, calmly, "You've pushed it lots of times." He grew frustrated and replied, "Ugh-- that was just the lobby. I mean, out here in the world." I really enjoyed witnessing this encounter. I knew exactly what he meant. Among the bustle of people and things on Fifth Avenue, you really feel like you are out in the world. Have you ever felt restless? Like you were missing something? In New York, you don't. And there are some people who really like that feeling. For others, they like it for a certain time in their lives, as I did in my early adulthood. Daily life can be tough and it isn't always pretty, but there is still something undeniably great about living in New York. I'm usually not a fan of any philosophy that dictates that you need to have experienced a situation firsthand to appreciate it, but I think that is the case with New York City. It's easy to see that it can be dirty, unsafe, crowded and hectic. Its magic is harder to articulate.