Concrete jungle where dreams are made of...

new york.
now this is obviously not my first time
working here.
and some of my best friends live here.
so i feel i get to make this observation.
new yorkers.
don't make eye contact.
especially on the train.
now it might be deadly to do so.
and i know we're all very close to each other so
it might be awkward.
but why look at the ground?

this is one of the biggest cities in the world.
with definitely some of the most unique people
from every which corner of this planet.
and you want to walk around with an ipod
and look at your dirty shoes?
you're missing it.
you pay high city taxes so take advantage.
observe.
smile at someone.
it might freak them out a bit, trust me i've had a few people think i'm weird.
but why miss it?
why in the biggest most diverse city
would you want people to leave you alone?
why would you not want to notice people.
know where they're going?
why they aren't wearing pants and just a leotard with leopard print tights. (true story)
why does this city insist on keeping it's cool?
everyone wants to be cool and accepted
yet they don't even look at people.
i'm going to crack it
i'm going to change it.
haha
i might get hit with a purse because someone thinks i'm creepy.
but i'm going to figure it out.


and it's pouring here today.
pouring.
im staying in jersey with aggie.
oh yeah and carrie.
so to get to the city.
i take a bus.
then a train.
so i read and do a lot of people watching.
and it makes me laugh.
we all look like wet dogs.
pathetic.
walking in rain.
a car drove by me as i was waiting for the bus.
and i was about an inch from getting drenched with a lot of dirty water.
bahahah i laughed.
my bus driver laughed at me when i got on.
in rain boots.
a hoodie covering my wet curly hair.
makes me laugh.
today is a good rain day.



in family news....
my mom hit a deer last night.
mama frail is ok don't worry.
car...ehh not so much.
but deer as kat said are "night ninjas"
they come out of no where and usually win.
so as i'm schlupping my wet self to work in my kelly green and pink rain boots.
i can't help but smile.
because last night could have gone a lot different
and mom had some angels watching her.
and so today I have been blessed.
and it's worth smiling over.


and...someone is about to be 2!!!

funny story

so i totally forgot to tell anyone this story.

how did that happen?

i love to tell stories.

and this one is sooo funny

well to me it is.

so my dear dear friend amanda and i

were spending a lovely day

in brentwood last weekend

church.

platos closet.

subway.

hike.

church.

soo we're at the hiking portion of our day.

and i decide to go walking in a neighborhood

that i used to live near.

so we pick a random road to park on.

of course i park on the most steep hill i can find.

my car starts rolling.

we laugh.

i move my car up the street a bit.

as i'm pulling up the hill.

i see them.

hoodlums.

4 kids.

one girl walking.

one boy walking/skipping.

one boy on rollerblades.

one big boy on a motorized scooter too small for him.

they see us.

we look at each other.

"those kids look like trouble!"

we laugh.

we should have gone with our instincts.

we sit in our car to change our shoes.

and these kids huddle up.

start talking and looking at us.

they roll, walk and scoot by us.

stare us down.

we look at each other and laugh.

"haha did those kids just stare us down"

we continue to change.

they continue to roll walk and scoot by us again.

rollerblader rolls by us twice.

hands in the pocket of his hand-me-down stone washed jeans.

like he's not up to anything at all?!! haha

at this point we're getting a tad nervous.

"could they attack us?"

we laugh some more.

nervously.

then they go by again

to the house behind our car

to the garage

at this point

not going to lie

we're nervous.

amanda says "let's just move your car"

haha we're laughing so hard we're about to pee

I say "really, they're like 9?"

"yeah, just pick another road. These kids are about to attack!"

ha we laugh.

stare the kids down.

surely two adults can win in a stare down.

but i can tell amanda is nervous so i decide to move.

we have to drive past them to get off the street.

amanda puts on sunglasses to avoid eye contact.

they come running out of the garage.

towards my car.

two have fake guns.

one has a sword.

hahaha A SWORD.

and i kid you not.

both of the little tikes with guns

PULLED the trigger.

like if it was real

they would have shot us.

we laughed so hard.

it wasn't in our head

they were going to shoot at us

and kid on the scooter that was too small for him

was going to cut us with his plastic sword.

we went and parked somewhere else.

and you better believe when we had to walk past their road.

amanda was really scared.

haha ok we both were.

we walked a little bit faster past those brats house.

who are we kidding.

we were those brats.

life is funny.

that's all.

kids love me.

make eye contact people.

morning friends.

so the past few days have been so fun.

i've just gotten to be around some fun people.

i've gotten to drive a 8'6" blue van

into a 8'6" parking garage.

i've been blessed to wear a "happy birthday" crown

all day to celebrate a friends birthday.

then go off to run an errand with it on my head.

twice.

and i've really gotten to be around some interesting characters.

i'm a huge people watcher.

i always have been.

i remember mr. beck telling us at wzip.

to watch people, if you just watch their actions

you can learn more from them

than anything they could ever tell you.

i love it.

you find out who always leads.

who always looks for guidance.

people who walk fast.

those who are always in the middle.

and people who are too cool to even look up.

or they look so far up and over others heads.

real cool.

i'm going to share something my mama told me.

i know i've told some people but i think it's important.

so i'm going to tell it again.

she said that if you like a guy, don't just look at how he treats you.

look at how he treats others.

so look at how he treats his family. mom. sisters. grandma.

and then she said.

look at how he treats people that he doesn't even know.

waiters.

cab drivers.

the janitor at work.

does he snub them?

does he make eye contact?

does he even say hello?

she says that is a sign.

anyone can be nice to someone that is their boss.

someone they want to impress.

but how do they treat the people that most people ignore?

and mama.

i have watched ever since.

not just guys.

friends.

other strangers.

it's just eye contact

it's just learning someones name.

the janitor Deborah from the Ryman.

it's smiling

saying have a great day.

letting someone know you appreciate them.

and you are in this world with them

we're all in this together.

we all need a "have a good".

we're all human people.

think about it.

if you're rude or ignore your door man.

you're only one person that does that.

imagine how many people a day pretend their not there?

come on.

when did we all start walking around pretending we don't see people.

when did we all get too cool?

take your eyes up from your iphone

and say "hope you have a blessed day"

my friend and i were talking yesterday.

when did it get cool to look like you don't see someone?

i love nashville.

i LOVE it.

but that's one thing i really hate.

a lot of people are trying soooo hard to look like someone.

they forget to be a kind person.

they forget to smile at people.

they forget to look at people that they don't have to look at.

they forget to TAKE THEIR SUNGLASSES OFF INSIDE.

hahahha

did your mom teach you manners?

if she didn't, go to lima ohio.

and i have a mom that will show you.

my grandma and aunts will teach you too.

plus it will do your heart wonders when you see that person smile

back at you.

they'll probably be in almost shock

that you said hello.

i don't get mad often.

but this is something that will get me fired up.

we need to stop.

trying to isolate ourselves.

love.

go ahead.

do something you think "i don't have to do that!"

do it anyways.

i promise.

it will only start a ripple of something good.

did you find out the name of the waitress at lunch today?

just tell her thank you.

or did you pretend not to see her?

i challenge you.

ok here is something else funny that happened yesterday at work.

i was driving to lowe's and threw my gum out on the high way.

and i pull up to the store.

mentally preparing to get lost in the store

and look dumb not being able to find anything.

and i look out my window.

see it?

THAT'S MY GUM.

on my window.

karma?

ha I shouldn't throw it out the window.

hahaha

i laughed sooo hard in the parking lot.

i'm special.