It sure seems like it sometimes doesn’t it? New
Yorkers have certainly mastered the bored, forlorn look with an air of superiority. We don’t make eye contact with anyone walking down the street in order to avoid
meaningless chatter, we have no qualms about correcting anyone when they’re
wrong and thanks to that infamous New York attitude, we do not retreat from quarrels.
Yorkers have certainly mastered the bored, forlorn look with an air of superiority. We don’t make eye contact with anyone walking down the street in order to avoid
meaningless chatter, we have no qualms about correcting anyone when they’re
wrong and thanks to that infamous New York attitude, we do not retreat from quarrels.
As a New Yorker, I’m guilty of all those deeds, — although not deliberately. I don’t wake up in the morning determined not to
make a connection with another. But because we are all a product of our environment, that
nonchalant attitude New Yorkers are known for, has become an instinctual part of my personality.
make a connection with another. But because we are all a product of our environment, that
nonchalant attitude New Yorkers are known for, has become an instinctual part of my personality.
In our defense, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to keep a
perpetual happy face, especially when daily routines are involved. A New Yorker who has been taking the train for twenty years isn’t going to get
up one day excited at the thought of their morning ride. Habitual tasks such as those are the very reasons we tend to look detached from everyday occurrences,
even the ones that garner attention, like say, a crime being committed just a
few feet away from us. Let’s face it, we really have seen it all. Personally, it takes
a lot to redirect my focus to another situation when I’m on the go.
perpetual happy face, especially when daily routines are involved. A New Yorker who has been taking the train for twenty years isn’t going to get
up one day excited at the thought of their morning ride. Habitual tasks such as those are the very reasons we tend to look detached from everyday occurrences,
even the ones that garner attention, like say, a crime being committed just a
few feet away from us. Let’s face it, we really have seen it all. Personally, it takes
a lot to redirect my focus to another situation when I’m on the go.
However, walking around with our dulled temperaments
and noses up in the air is so unbecoming. Being a jaded New Yorker is one quality
that can be unlearned. Sometimes I envy the tourists in Times Square, the genuine awe on their faces is so priceless. Seeing New York through their foreign eyes
is just another reminder of how much we take for granted.
and noses up in the air is so unbecoming. Being a jaded New Yorker is one quality
that can be unlearned. Sometimes I envy the tourists in Times Square, the genuine awe on their faces is so priceless. Seeing New York through their foreign eyes
is just another reminder of how much we take for granted.
New York’s atmosphere is beggaring description, the
melting pot of cultures, a dream, yet I still sometimes find myself impervious to
its charms. I’ve lost that sense of discovery that is so essential for showing appreciation.
melting pot of cultures, a dream, yet I still sometimes find myself impervious to
its charms. I’ve lost that sense of discovery that is so essential for showing appreciation.
I remember the first time I saw Manhattan as a child. I desperately wanted to
take in all the sights, taste all the food and hear all the sounds I wasn’t accustomed
to. It was simply magical. To this day, my first trip to the city has remained one of my fondest childhood memories. I’m thinking a re-introduction to New York is in order.
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