theres a time and a place for clipping your nails..

and its not the freakin subway!! i mean, seriously.

it seems that there are quite a few people in this city that feel as if its okay to completely eliminate all sense of manners. point one, the nail clipping incident.

im sorry but you need to do that shit in the privacy of your own bathroom. this chick squiggled her ass next to me on the train and proceeded to clip her fingernails right there for all the world to see. and yeah, her fucking nail funghi was flying all over me. so what does she do, turns to me and says "oops". is k. crean gonna have to slap a bitch!!

and then theres the plethera of nasty pushing people on the 4 train. every morning theres a swarm of cranky morning people shoving each other into subway cars. yesterday, myface was smashed into some dudes armpit and that my friends does not make for good monday.

maybe ive been in the south for too long, but i seems as if everyone in new york has a chip on their shoulder. we are in new york people!!! you know, the greatest city on earth, get over it!!

so, while im thinking of my ventures to work, i have to tell you about this boy.

every morning at 8:30am, i walk off the 4 train at grand central and head down lexington towards 45th street, hustling for a grande mocha at starbucks. without fail, each morning, there is this boy that sits right in front of Equinox with his mcdonalds paper cup and cardboard sign that simply states "hungry". same spot, same sign, everyday.

now, i would guess that he's in his mid twenties, but theres a possibility that hes quite younger. he sports a black hoody, baseball hat, jeans and some nike kicks. quietly, he sits cross legged with his back against the wall and at first glance it looks as if the traffic will trample him. living in new york, you see people panhandling all the time, but for some reason this kid strikes me.

he never ever looks up, ashamed perhaps. but when you get a quick look at his face its both terrifing and sad. he looks so innocent and completely scared, like a puppy. ive been taking that route for two weeks and both to and from work this kid is right there. same spot.

today we locked eyes and had some sort of moment. it was weird, like he recognized me out of the thousands of people who walk by everyday. sure, ive given him a buck or two when i can spare it, but by no means, did i feel like that constituted a relationship of some kind. then, out of the corner of his lips, a slight smile. the kind of smile you give your co-workers 6 hours into the day, when a "hi" would just seem redundant. i responded with the same quiet smile and walked on by.

strange though. i came home last week with this kid on my mind and now, a week later, we exhanged a slight greeting. i wonder if he has the same exchange with thousands of people every day and is content with his many acquaintences. content with slight hellos and the few bucks he scrounges up each day to get by. can life really be that simple?