Direction

After a late night of meetings and an awkward good-bye with my crush, I walked down 23rd street feeling a little lost, and really hungry. Nothing good looked open, so I went with the old reliable, a slice of hot greasy cheese pizza.

I got onto the N train in the Flatiron District to get back to Chinatown. As I sat on the train, a couple close to the age of retirement sat across from me- holding hands. They smiled at me, and I smiled back, that's when they started talked to me.

"Excuse me ma'am. Do you know the name of the stop we get off on to get to Staten Island?" The wife said, with a southern accent.

"Hmmm, I'm not sure, but I will look on the map for you."
As I stood up, bags and pizza in hand I try to balance myself as the train rolled on. I walk back over to them and tell them the stop.

"We sure do appreciate it ma'am." The husband said, he continued with, "We are from Montgomery Alabama and we have just found New Yorkers to be some of the friendliest people in the world. I am retired from the Navy, and I am staying in Navy housing on Staten Island. We sure are having a nice time here." I of course knew they were from the South, I know my people. We will tell you our whole story (whether you asked for it or not) and we definitely want to hear stories about you.

They told me this is the first time they had been to New York. I asked them how they have been handling the subways and if they have gotten lost.

"Oh, we're not worried about getting lost. Half the fun is finding your way." Said the wife to the husband's laughter and approval.

As I got off the train at Canal Street, in typical southern fashion, the wife said to me, "Thanks honey, see you around!"

Walking out of the subway station a women approached me. She looked distraught, she was lost.

"Do you know Wooster street is?" She said gripping her purse tightly. I could tell she wasn't from the area.

"Uh, I don't...sorry...um, I know it's close. If you know the cross street I would just jump in the cab." I said, trying to get home before my pizza got cold. The women didn't know the cross streets, and she had one of those pre-paid phone, and couldn't call 411. So I broke out my blackberry and helped her find her way. I didn't have a choice- she was practically following me home.

"Thank you, thank you. God, I felt so helpless being lost." She said, jumping into a cab to get to her destination.

I walked upstairs to my loft looked out the window at all the beautiful buildings lit up. Sometimes, I forget to look around and realize how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful city. I thought about my direction and how, I have never really planned anything...and if I have tried to plan, life somehow made it's own plans for me- like coming to NYC. I never knew I would have the good fortune to have moved here.
Right now, I am focused on my direction, I had to look back a little these past few months to look forward. Last night I stood on top of my roof and recited monologues from "Hamlet", "Twelfth Night", and "Richard III". Then went downstairs and danced for two hours. I don't know exactly where anything will lead, and I am o.k. with this. I do know I would rather have the retired couples vision about my life (and love) right now. "Half the fun is finding your way."