My sister Meg texted me yesterday and asked me to recommend some good books for her to read. I think she's not having the most fantastic time right now and wants to occupy her mind with something fun. She's in New York. I immediately thought of my not fantastic time in New York.
It was terrible, really. I met some wonderful people while living there, but for the most part I felt invisible and awful. Terrible relationship, terrible job, terrible propensity to smoke cigarettes at every opportunity. New York can really put you in a choke hold if you're not in the right state of mind to tackle its challenges. Riding the train to lower Manhattan to work each morning felt like going to war. Lots of headaches, pushing, people pissing, mumbling obscenities, sweating strangers, and never ever sitting down. Really hellish.
My then-boyfriend had an apartment in Bed-Stuy which was as inviting as a knifey psychopath. I remember nights when heard the screaming street conversations wherein a dad was leaving a family, or being kicked out of the house. Was that a gunshot? No..no...that's paranoia. I'm just too suburban to understand and appreciate the thrifty, raw experience. Gross.
The bright spots of that year all occurred at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater, and it still remains my one pang of yearning for NYC. But I'll never move there again (unless ol' Lorne gets on the horn!).
The book I recommended was The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle. It lifted my spirits when I had to ride the G train, and I hope it lifts hers.
It's almost Spring Break, Meggy! We'll eat so much breakfast. Promise.
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6 comments:
Your post was timely...I was in NY early last week for a couple of days...stayed right in Times Square with the GF. As per usual, coming back to Boston after that experience left me yearning for something a little bigger. Each time I visit NYC, it gets harder and harder to leave. But then again, I'm usually staying in Times Square, and always in a "vacation" sorta mood. I'm not sure how things would be in a permanent or semi-permanent fashion down there. Needless to say, however, we are considering a move, perhaps just to sublet for a short amount of time...there's something to be said, I think, for being able to say "yeah, I lived there for a bit"...even if eventually we find our way back to good ol' Winthrop By The Sea.
Probably going to avoid Bed-Stay though, or Ben-Stein, or however you spell that.
It's supposedly "up and coming" now. I'm sure there are really fantastic parties thrown by hipsters who resent the title.
It's a great city if you're up for it!
one time i woke up next to someone really pretty in new york. do you remember when that was, erin?
Hi Robert,
I hate you.
Love,
Erin
[1950s secretary voice]
G'day, Ms McGhee, I've got Lorne on the horn for you. Shall I patch him through?
[unplugs and plugs in a number of wires into different holes in a giant switchboard]
[dissolves into liquid mercury puddle]
But really everything you just described sorta fits in with my rural bumpkin perception of what new york would be for me as well. I'm glad those days are over for you Erin!
yeah new york can really grab ya by the balls and twirl you around till you wanna vomit on it with aching balls. but im feeling better, i made the connection last night between the weather and myself. i literally EMBODY the weather during this time of year. so when its cloudy and shitty im cloudy and shitty and when its nice and sunny im nice and sunny, like today. so hope for no shit showers anytime soon for me. and YESSS i cant wait for so many bfasts.
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