New York Ramblings...
I think NYC gets a bad rap- and I don't know why. So often when I hear folks in North Carolina- and elsewhere- talk about New York, they refer to it as unfriendly, the people as pushy and impatient- and perhaps some are. But those are not the folks I have been encountering on these 9 days so far in the Big Apple. On every subway ride, I have b een offered a seat by someone younger than myself, that seat generously given with a smiling response to my expressed thanks. Doors are held open, with one young man even apologizing w hen he failed to notice me and hold the door. When I smile- as I do often- people smile back. When I make a comment or ask a question, I receive a friendly response. Today, I had four lovely conversations- no, five- with a young woman at the bagel shop, caring for her 6-month-old nephew while her sister is in the hospital; with a tall, handsome young man at the table to my left , eating a beautiful salad, when what he really wanted, he s