Sometimes It's Just Like This

I got up out of my seat and walked to the window of the train car as it slid aboveground. The Statue of Liberty caught my eye more than usual. Taking in its green-blue stance, backgrounded by the bluebottle sky, I thought about the ship my grandparents sailed on to Ellis Island. I saw the statue in their eyes for a few seconds and saw two lines converge: Almost a hundred years ago, they disembarked as children here, giving me life, what they might have one day hoped would be a good one.

And suddenly I felt it is. It is a very good one.

The two lines raced toward each other, thin as wire, and touched their tips together for a few electric moments. I felt happy to be older today; I am happy to feel loved; I am surprised to realize there might be 33 more years to get to do it all again, but not just again. More so.

I Will Find Happiness Through Lies, I Herewith Swear

Heard this on Radiolab this morning; an episode about deception:

“We are so vulnerable to being hurt that we are given the capacity to distort as a gift.”

Some researcher, some guy, some lady, said it. And I kept hearing it like an earworm. It explains everything, only not at all.

The show discussed findings that reveal that people who deceive themselves are more likely to be successful and happy. FUCK.

Sometimes They Glow

One Ring Zero, ten-year anniversary show at Joe’s Pub, March 7, 2008.

Thank You, MTA Employee on the F Train Last Night

On the train at 1:30 in the morning, you are rerouted. You are annoyed, but not as annoyed as the conductor who says:

“This train will be making all stops to Euclid Avenue after Jay Street/Borough Hall. The next stop is Hoyt/Schermerhorn. The people who made this decision do not take public transportation. I repeat, the people who decided to reroute this train do not take public transportation.”

After three such announcements you are laughing out loud and mind a little less that your trip will take an extra 20 minutes, at least.