Walking to the restaurant, I had to get off the train at Times Square and walking through the throngs of people I was getting SO ANGRY. I have never had such a bad "angry New Yorker" frustrated stride and it was getting me scared just how agitated I was getting by the neverending sea of slow-moving, slow-reacting people. I always feel quite unsafe there, too. It boggles my mind how parents who have never been to NYC think it is a good idea to take their children there. Not only are the chances of your kid getting trampled/kidnapped/LOST uncomfortably high, but it is also NOT FUN and I just feel like you're guaranteed to get something stolen off you. If you want to see fun lights and listen to loud honking and shouting... I would listen to Fun House and look through a kaleidoscope or turn on a disco ball. That actually sounds fun.
I used to listen to Fun House regularly and religiously, and LOUDLY. I am getting old. The idea of doing that alone, without any social lubricants or partners in crime seems sort of painful now...I got to the restaurant (our usual place- I am so tickled that I have a "usual" spot with a friend where we have our monthly/bi-monthly lunch dates) and all my frustration dissipated with the help of a DELICIOUS lunch and beautiful company.
Then we went to see the Language Archive at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre and I really, really enjoyed it.
I usually hate theater, but I liked this. And that's not me being a tough critic, or me giving this shit high praise. It was good, and very good considering that the idea of going to a play usually makes me want to die. In fact, until I sat down in the theater and saw the amazing set (which was inspiring in itself), part of me was already preparing to die.
But it was romantic and troubling and many times throughout the performance I found myself teary, just thinking of my own past love troubles, and I had to scream to myself "Camille, you think about yourself 24/7. How often are you given a chance to easily and freely explore the beauty and pain in others' lives (even if pretended, even if for just a short time)?"So I shut my mind off and let go and really appreciated what was going on. And it was good.
Then we went out for tea and it was freezing and the 123 line is undergoing "major construction" and I experienced "severe delays" in getting back uptown.
But the afternoon was wonderful, I am loved, I love in return, and humanity is beautiful.
And I went back to my friend Nina's brownstone, we made salad and stir-fry, and had a good quiet evening.
So, overall, good weekend.
-Camille
That sounds like a lovely weekend, and I witnessed an "Angry New-Yorker" as well, only this was an upstate angry one. When Brian came to visit last time, we saw this man, He was on a nice Sunday afternoon walk with his wife, son, mother, and dog. He was beating the dog and putting all his force into yanking the leash back and forth and pretty much strangling his dog. We drove past him, and Brian simply yelled "don't hurt that dog". Nothing too hostile, but it was met with a "WHAT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT". The rest of the family looked embarrassed at this explosive ogre in charge of their family. AH
ReplyDeleteOh my god, that's horrible. I wasn't that angry, I was just scowlin' and walking quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt infuriates me when people who are so lucky to have (potentially) loving families and companion animals mistreat them so cruelly. If I had a border collie... boy, I tell you...