Cup of Joe #3

New York has so many stories; so many people all walking around "faux-hand holding," some with a purpose or a clear destination in mind, and others, like me, sort of wandering aimlessly without a concrete idea of where they'll end up. I love watching people on a sunny day in the park, trying to figure out their story, or at least where they came from to arrive at this very moment in time. On the subway this is always an interesting phenomenon; glancing around at all those bodies, "smooshed" together in 'urban oneness,' I often wonder where they began their day. Did that man just come from a brutal argument with his wife, and now, sits smoldering inside? That woman probably just had sex; a "lady in the street but a freak..."(you know the rest).

How would you be able to tell if, god forbid, someone had just committed a crime? That man grabbing onto the pole in the corner, getting off at 59th street just like you and I, is a murderer. But you'd never know in a city like this - so many layers - so much possibility for things to happen, good or bad. In one city block alone, people are working out, having sex, cooking dinner, practicing the art of "self love," studying, watching 'Seinfeld' reruns, and much, much more.

To clarify what I mean by faux hand holding: this essentially means those couples that hold hands because they feel they should, not because they really 'feel' it. Maybe, the girl is really into him but he's a "faux hand holder," or vice versa. I personally played the role of faux HH, and it feels kinda cool, like you have this power to deceive the masses, but then you realize people are hip to your game and probably glare at you with those "I know you're fakin it" eyes.

So we inevitably realize we never know the stories of New York; the stories, for that matter, of every individual on the planet with who we co-exist. This is why I find it hard to really judge someone temperamental on the train or on the street; you never REALLY know what their day has been like up until that very moment of confrontation. Sure it's annoying at first, and instinct makes us very angry and put off: "What an @asshole!" But, just like you, they have bad days, and whereas you might be floating on a cloud, they might be lower than low.