"Blondie- nice legs; a little skinny though"

...Is the winning comment of the day I received at 7:51 AM this morning heading into the 72nd St. subway station. It's comments like these that, as a New Yorker, generally make your day due to their quirkiness- and humor for the most part. Obviously, at times they can be scary or even alarming to the unsuspecting passerby- but living in a city as crazy as ours, one has to be light heart-ed about these sorts of things. The clearly smooth homeless dude's comment got me thinking about a topic that's been on my mind for quite sometime: homeless people in NYC. Miguel, my friend from the last post- was one of them. But I notice more everyday that as city dwellers, we tend to pass by homeless folks on the streets without noticing they are even there anymore (with the exception of this morning's comment which did not allow me to do that). But why is it that so many of us can so easily walk past a homeless person sleeping on the ground in a subway station, as if they have become apart of the floor they now consider their bed? NYC is known for that moment- that feeling you get when you 1st arrive and are blinded by the massive buildings and glistening lights. Our city is known for being comprised of the unique stories each person brings to it- every neighborhood and person that lives here has a different story. So why is is that we dismiss the people living here that don't have an address to call their own? Many times, just recognizing their existence once in a while makes their day (consider this: how often do you think homeless people engage in conversation, besides when asking for money/food?). And the same goes for cab drivers- though they are not poor, many of them have come to the US far from their country of origin to make a living. Have you ever taken the time during your 6.75 minute ride from Grand Central to home to ask them about their story? I'll admit I certainly need to work on my communication skills with cabbies- but for the hell of it I chatted with a cabbie a few months back- and now I can't stop lol. Their stories of struggles and cultural battles in our country are moving. I'm not suggesting engaging in a convo with the homeless dude on your corner- but what I am talking about here is compassion. Take a second to look at what and WHO is around you- you might be surprised...you might even make someone's day but just smiling or asking them their NYC story :)
xoxo AA