Dave Ford Does Earth

Posted by Dave Ford

I am sitting on the gritty gray steps in front of Union Square on a evening in early July. It is 8:07. I got out of work around 6, went to gym, and ate dinner.  Union Square is a few blocks away from the gym and it lies on the R line–the subway that I use the most as it runs directly from my house in Brooklyn to my work in the garment district of Manhattan. Union Square is overflowing with people. If I stood up and tried to count the number of people around me I know that my attempt would be futile. There has to be at least 500 people in my immediate sight-line. Not counting the people that are passing in and out of my view. There are soft drums coming from a group of street performers to my left. There is also an abnormally large crowd of roller bladers huddled together blocking my view of the percussion ensemble. I am not sure if the group is coming or going. I am not even sure why the plans of the roller bladers pass through my stream of consciousness—I find roller blading silly. The accents I hear around me are varied. The people within 20 feet of me are made up of all different shades of color—not just the standard black, white, brown, and yellow. I imagine they represent 20 different countries.

There is a women in front of me with died fire red hair and combat boots. She might be Irish.

It is a perfectly normal Union Square experience—just like any other night at ten after 8pm.

Union Square is on the east side and displays a prominent statue of George Washington in its center.

I am getting used to my new city: the ebb and flow, the fast paced walk to and from wherever I am going, the obnoxious car horns that after a few weeks of living here blend into white noise.

I like living near the park in Brooklyn. I enjoy riding my bike over the Manhattan Bridge into the city—weaving in and out of traffic. I yell at cars quite a bit as I ride and most of the time they deserve it.

A few days ago I felt myself slipping. Slipping back into a familiar groove of working too hard, mixed with going out to much, mixed with taking myself a bit too seriously. Then I remembered, life is way too short.

I am enjoying the release of just sitting here on the steps taking in the energetic buzz of the city: watching, listening, breathing, and experiencing life in the present tense.

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