Gadabout

The biggest benefit of being out in the city maundering is getting to see the human spectacle of New York City.

I'm not sure what it is about this city that specifically breaks people. Probably drugs, the competitive job market, and the random smells that are always seeping in from a mysterious location. It may just be too specific for each person to find a common connection other than the geographic area they live in. Whatever it may be, the city plays host to a ton of unsuspecting entertainers.

I like to think of the city as the greatest amusement park there is. There's a ride that takes you wherever you need to go for 2 dollars, there's overpriced crummy food everywhere, and there's always a danger of being ripped off. Also, for folks like me living in Jersey, you have to pay to get in.

I love seeing the characters that roam the grounds. There's the woman in pissed sweatpants who is walking back from the grocery store. There's the man who is nearly falling off of his park bench from being asleep. There's the guy in the sandwich shop yelling about how he ordered "6 PLAIN bagels!" There's a boy in a wheelchair walking his 3-legged dog. And of course, there are celebrities.

The only celebrity I've seen is Horatio Sanz, and I keep seeing him. Three times in the last month or so.

Coming from a small town, where noise can travel and not be drown out by 5,000 taxi horns, I still find myself waiting until I get some distance from some wacky individual until I make any sort of comment. And when I do, it's usually in a whisper. I know that if I were to break into laughter right behind somebody who was doing something crazy, the person wouldn't even flinch. Everyone here is so wrapped up in what they are doing, they don't bother listening to other people making fun of them. That's probably what made them crazy in the first place.