White Light, White Heat: Another New York Morning
I grab the jet black jacket from the wall hook, jiggle the left pocket with my right hand to ensure my keys are there, throw my bag over my shoulder and walk swiftly out of the door into the brisk, encapsulating morning chill. The sun is bright, glowing the block and warming my face against the frigid breeze. The morning hustle, or whatever you want to call it, is apparent everywhere.
When my foot hits the solid pavement outside of the front doorway, I spend a few seconds absorbing the surroundings: the New York people, the New York air, the New York noise, the New York smell1 –the entire New York pill swallowed at once is an inspiring drug.
The average person’s morning priority is to begin moving their legs into a walking pattern towards their destination. But for me, walking becomes secondary to my music fixation. With my legs locked into the ground, stiff and rigid, I pull out out my iPod and browse to the day’s first song. I usually pick something loud and soulful–the only way to compliment a New York morning. It’s the grease to my wheels.
Music: begin.
The bass kicks. The treble screams. The lyrics bring the sonics together. Like a sedative, my legs loosen, the buildings around me melt and the surrounding passersbys become lost, ghostly silhouettes. I begin walking, moving closer to my destination, which is different every day. I like this city. But, I love this city–on music.
I move quickly. No one is timing me, but I still attempt to arrive early, just to feel ahead of schedule.
Where am I going? The destination is completely meaningless. Sometimes I have no destination in mind; other times, I do. But, it’s always one foot in front of the other, knowing I want to be one step ahead, two steps from there and ten steps from there. Ad infinitum.
The beauty of the situation is trapped inside own narrative, expressed here, that means nothing to anyone but me.
- I was going to add the New York dirt, but there is none. This city, especially on the west side, is immaculate. [↩]
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