Gotham Glimpses

New York, NY -- March 8, 2010 -- The young woman rushed past me to be first through the revolving door at the entry to our building across from Penn Station. The heels on her shoes clicked quickly and briskly as she walked over to the elevators. I ambled along behind her. We got on the same elevator. We even got off at the same floor. At the same time! Am I missing something? Should I be rushing along to get someplace when I can arrive at the same time if I take my time? Maybe I am doing something wrong? Maybe if I rushed more, I'd be . . . what? Rushed?

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Those earbuds on the man sitting on the train this morning were so loud that I could hear them clearly, even 10 feet away! Even above the din of the New Jersey Transit commuter train! Wonder what he's missing? Is God trying to download a poem to him but the line is busy? When I was a feature reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, I got some of my best story ideas in the morning while I was in the bathroom shaving.

I'm reminded of Neil Postman's book Entertaining Ourselves to Death. Maybe we are.