Survival of the fittest

surviving, and coming out ahead, in NY requires certain characteristics and behaviors. simple as it may seem, one is the ability to know your destination and get there as fast as possible. i'm not talking about achieving your greatest potential in life, finding the woman of your dreams, or landing that sweet penthouse on the upper westside. i'm literally saying being able to walk to/from your apt to your next destination...as fast as possible. in a city like san francisco, it's possible to do this without pushing, shoving, or stomping that group of tourists semi-obstructing your path. but in a city pushing 9mm in residents along with the travelers, NY'ers follow the 'survival of the fittest' mentality. elderly lady struggling up the stairs? pass her. children at the corner waiting for the walk sign? pass them. NYPD blocking your subway stop due to a gang shootout? okay well maybe not, but you get the picture. we fight to survive.

from day 1, i've told myself that I would not fall into this mode. i'll observe my surroundings and be happy that i'm walking down broadway with clothes on my back, food in my stomach, and pocket change in the bank. but 11 days later, i'm questioning if it can be done. walking up a set of stairs, i found myself torn between helping a struggling female lugging her rather large suitcase or just passing her. in that split second, the pros and cons were weighed and my mind went through multiple 180s. i ended up passing her, looking back, and then eventually extending my arm and helping that suitcase up the remaining steps. i walked away feeling like i had not fully transformed, but it'd only be a matter of time. but even though i felt this was not a great quality to possess, i've come to the early conclusion that NY impatience is tolerated, accepted, and even welcomed and as long as all NY'ers are on the same page, we'll all survive.

*Updates on past week
this past week has been full of firsts. attended my first yankees game in the new stadium and saw that other 'LA' baseball team defeat the boys in pinstripes. partied till 4am and ended up at a 24 hour diner where the entire back room started singing our own rendition of 'Lean on Me.' there's nothing like strangers coming together in a drunken state and belting out Bill Withers' #1 hit. looking forward to seconds, thirds, and many more.