Sunday, May 24, 2009

Sunny Day, Everything's A-OK

So they reopened Washington Square Park this week, after a year and a half and millions of dollars, they have moved the fountain at the center of the park, so that it is perfectly aligned with the arch. (Apparently, they had to dig up the whole park to move the fountain by 30 feet.) But people were out in force on Friday afternoon to begin the holiday weekend, little kids were stomping around in the fountain and a couple rough around-the-edges guys were washing their feet.

But from the department of how cool is it to live in New York, they were filming Sesame Street in the park, using the fountain as a background! The poor guy under the puppet had sweat pouring down his face -- it looks like it's really hot under there. This was way more cool than when I almost walked into Jennifer Aniston that time in Brooklyn.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Can You Spare $100 for a cup coffee?

Walking to work today I heard something unusual. It was a panhandler asking for money. That is not unusual, unfortunately, in New York's streets, but he was working a unique angle while reclining on the sidewalk:

"Good morning. Can I have a hundred dollars?" After a pause, "can I have a hundred dollars?" No luck. "I have two dollars, all I need is 98." He looked around at the somewhat surprised passers-by: "Can't you tell I am trying to make you people smile this morning? Lord have mercy." I guess New Yorkers can't tell when a panhandler is pulling their collective legs. He made me smile anyway.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Baldies Need Not Apply

So I found myself browsing on an online dating site tonight. I saw an ad by a woman who looked truly intriguing. She was a widow with whom I seemed to have a lot in common. I was thinking how cool it would be to make a connection with this lady until I got to the last paragraph. She ended up her description with a poignant little note that said she was only really interested in men with full heads of hair: baldness reminded her of her deceased husband, a cancer victim. Normally, I condemn women who insist on full heads of hair as shallow and superficial. I think I'll cut this lady some slack.


That being said, it's definitely time for me to take my hairstyle in a different direction. The comb-over is just not working for me. Going to either go with the buzz cut or call Donald Trump's guy.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Let's All Set Our Sights a Little Higher, Shall We?

"I love Jennifer Aniston," I heard the young college woman checking IDs at the gym say to her friend. "I want to look like her and I want to be her."

Other than acting on a popular sitcom and breaking up with Brad Pitt, what has this woman accomplished exactly to be a role model for this woman? I mean she has nice hair, I'll give her that. But other than that?

Do you know a recent poll said that more mothers would trust their children to the care of Jennifer Aniston (who has no kids) than to her arch enemy, Angelina Jolie? I think I would turn my kids over to a pack of wolves before leaving them with some narcissistic celebrity.

Do you know it costs about $53,000 a year to go to NYU? What on earth are young women learning in the classroom that they can't gravitate towards a more worthy role model?

I won't dispute that Jennifer's cute .... and wait ... that thing with John Mayer is over. Hmmmm ... think she ever comes to New York?

Friday, May 8, 2009

A Not So Random Act of Kindness

Sitting at home on Wednesday night, my parents arrived home from Manhattan. (Yes, I live with mother -- for a few more weeks, anyway.) My father, with a few glasses of wine under his belt, announced that he had lost his wallet in the city. The man who has never used a PC also has never used an ATM, so there was about $350 in cash in there, along with credit cards, etc. My mother asked me to pray to Saint Anthony. Apparently, he is in charge of God's lost-and-found.

Dad had lost his wallet many years ago, and the cab driver returned it to him. He was so pleased that he wrote a letter to the mayor and the guy received a citation of some sort. Mom said, that time they'd received a phone call at 3am. "It's not three yet, Mom," I reminded her.

When I got up the next day my mother was awake, and told me she hadn't slept well, thinking about Dad losing his wallet. A little before noon, I received a phone call at the office. The cab driver had found the wallet. Dad gave me his number and asked me to arrange to meet him. He also made sure that I got the guy's name and asked me to give him $100 from the wallet to thank him. I talked to Brant on the phone. He explained that the wallet had gotten wedged between the seats somehow, that this happens all the time, and that he was happy to return it.

At the end of the day, I met Brant on the corner outside my office in Greenwich Village. He handed me the wallet:

"Please count everything so that you know it's all there," he said earnestly. I smiled, thinking to myself, this guy drove all the way down here to return this -- I think I can trust he didn't skim a little off the top.

I handed him a piece of paper, and asked him to write down his name. I pulled out five 20's and said, "Dad wanted you to have this."

As he sheepishly took the $100, he did not smile. He looked at me and said, "Are you sure?"

I said, yes. He took the money and looked down. I wanted to say something more, but he began to pull away and just said, "God bless you man." And then he was gone.

I had been telling the story of the cab driver who returned the wallet filled with money all day long and every person I told smiled and then had their own story of when a New Yorker showed some unexpected kindness. But what struck me about the whole deal was that Brant didn't light up when I handed him a wad of money. It wasn't about that for him. It was about doing the right thing.

When I got home, I handed Dad his wallet and he hugged me. I think everybody felt a little better about the world. Chalk one up for St. Anthony.

Now if we could just get the cab drivers to stop driving like maniacs ...