You have arrived. People passing, doors swinging open, elbows shoving. The lights are never becoming dim, the background only fades into blurry craziness. One foot in front of the other, the eternal motto of residents and tourists alike. Honks, beeps, screeching, yelling, exhaust pipes fuming, whistles, sirens, high heels clacking the concrete. Sound is overwhelming, overbearing, and overcompensating for any moment of silence that could've been enjoyed. You're never alone, you're always occupied. Take a quick look upwards. Towering skyscrapers are merely part of the essence, an attraction to some and a burden to others. Do you feel trapped in? Where are the trees, the flowers, the grass? Where are the parking spaces, the gas stations, the drive-thrus? Eyes slant from side to side, trying to soak everything in before it passes by. Arms swinging up and down, always in a hurry to get there. Where? The possibilities are endless. A metropolis not made for the lazy, your feet become the main mode of transportation. Everyone owns the sidewalk, and you better watch out for the shoulder shove. No one knows who you are, and most never care to. It's their city, not yours. You're too new, so watch where you walk.
The yellow ones don't stop.
Photo Credit: Sproch, Emily. Almost Carrie-All Hail. 2011. Photograph. AskaNewYorker.com, New York.
While I saw this post in class I was still pleasantly surprised to see that I would be using your blog as a partner to mine for this 2nd assignment. Your photograph is a perfect complement to your short blurb about the hustle and bustle of New York. It almost seems like it came from a different time period which is great because it illustrates how New York will never change. It’s always going to be the city that never sleeps and the photo combined with your writing really puts that on display.
ReplyDeleteThe first lines of your piece really make it seem like I'm in your picture, stepping out into the world of New York as someone brushes my shoulder as soon as I step on the sidewalk. Your appeal to the senses with all the onomonopias you used gives the piece an authentic feel to it. The lack of interaction with anyone else really makes you feel as if the narrator is completely alone in the busiest city in the world, which provides some tragic romantic element as well.
Finally, I loved that you ended this with a warning of sorts, "It's their city, not yours. You're too new, so watch where you walk. The yellow ones don't stop." This was a perfect ending to a piece about New York in my opinion.