saturday, august 25, 2001
The view of the skyline tonight is so sharp, I imagine I could take a razor blade and cut along its edges with exact precision. It's breathtaking.
I take evening strolls along the main street near my neighborhood, and it�s become a routine of mine. It�s my time to recollect my thoughts and events of the day. I haven�t been one for routine (at least this has been the case since the early part of the year), but I view this as a form of discipline and a means of having some kind of consistency in my life. It is generally a long, peaceful walk, but for whatever reason, tonight is a different story.
Along the route is a Korean restaurant/karaoke bar. It is the only indication of Asian life in the neighborhood other than myself. As I walk pass the bar, a man in his late twenties (maybe early thirties) approaches me and speaks to me in Korean, asking me for the time. I look at my watch and reply to him �it�s 10:30� in Korean. Those are the first Korean words I�ve uttered here. He thanks me and then asks me if I'd like to join him for a drink in the restaurant. I immediately shake my head and respond with "No, that's okay. I've got somewhere to go."
A little further down the block, a middle-aged Caucasian yells out �hey Black Widow� and proceeds to hold out his hand as though he�s trying to reach out for me. I instinctively jerk away, roll my eyes, and mutter �moron� under my breath.
One would think headphones would deter people from approaching you, but it seems to be the exact opposite case for me. Every time I wear headphones in the city, I can almost guarantee someone will come up to me for directions or make some unnecessary comment or lewd remark. I just want to take a telephone booth and encase myself in it just to make it clear I�d rather not be bothered. I�ve become quite unapproachable here in the city, though naturally I�m a very friendly person. People warned me that the city would give me a hard edge. But if you�re a softie here, you�ll either get yourself mugged, shot, or raped. There is no doubt in my mind about this.
I realize I�ve become just as razor-sharp and hard-edged as the city skyline. As to how breathtaking these qualities are, it's simply a matter of opinion.
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Copyright � 2001 Rachel Young
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