Gee, Think.

Commuters standing on thr newark platform in the heat.

Today the New Jersey police were getting really serious. They had both
entrances to the PATH platform gaurded by squads of 6-8 officers with
several canines as well. They had large sandwich boards that said by
entering the PATH train you must submit your bag for search upon request
of an officer.
DANG!!
Now I’m not smuggling anything illegal, but if I was I would not have
taken the PATH today. No way was anyone going to get through there
looking suspicious.
This was a little scary. I’m not in emotional distress now, but it gave
me a little jump. I would have taken a picture, but I didn’t want to be
searched or detained.
I think when it comes down to it I’m okay with this police state scare
tactic because I believe that there is a real threat out there. Have I
been fooled by 5 years of government propganda? Has the state created
an environment of fear in order to control the poeple? Maybe. But
really I’m glad that squads of police with dogs are going to scare the
**** out of “the bad guys.”
If the boogeyman IS out there, do I want him riding my train? HECK
NO!!
Thank you officers.

There is a massive cemetary just off the parkway near Newark. This
thing is absolutely filled to the brim with stones. I’ve never seen a
site as packed as this one is. The keepers will have to stack the
stones end on end soon enough.
It’s one of the many bits of evidence that this area is bustling with
population. It’s not only the neighborhoods that are getting crammed,
but even the cemetaries. I bet that crematiions are getting cheap and
burials are going through the roof.
Will this cemetary be the site of a quarry one day? Think about it.
These stones are hauled out of the earth, polished, carved, and set back
on the earth in a different location. What will it been like in a 1000
years? A cobblestone valley?

A man of wordly dress. This man has thirty bracelets on each arm. Each
bracelet had several dozen beads of mixed colors. He was looking
colorful. I love seeing people like him. Maybe it shows that I’m new
to the area, but I can’t help it. People looking like that are
intriguing. There’s something about a person that chooses to dress
dramatically different than the crowd.
Is it a conscious choice to stand out? Is it a reaction to the pressure
to conform? Ot is it just an outward expression of an individual mind?
I used to think that I couldn’t be original without defying conventional
style, but I was even more a slave to “judging a book by it’s cover.”
There was a time in my adolescence wheni wanted to dress differently
just to see what people would think. I even went so far as to dye my
hair a range of colors. It was deep blue for a while, which I rwally
liked. It attracted a lot of attention when it was blue, but the extra
attention grew old. There were times when I didn’t want to hear what
other people thought about my hair color. Of course I was looking for a
reaction when I first did it, but it got old.
I’ve now swung to the opposite extreme of embracing the “uniform” of the
financial district. I like the ability to slip into the crowd as just
another face. It’s not so bad to have a camoflage. It provides a
certain anonymity that allows for some precious “alone in the crowd”
time. Of course, the blue shirt is getting a bit old. I see at least
five other people wearing blue shirts when I do. It’s some kind of
unspoken dress code.
Independence, anonymity and self knowledge. It’s all on the inside.

Rusted warehouse, where have your people gone?
Who has spray painted you? Will there be ever be more deliveries to
your door? Did you close for crime? Did you lose in a time of
hardship?
What is your story Rusted Warehouse?

It’s another crowded day on the train. I’m starting my week on Tuesday
after having a relaxing Monday off. I really got to chill out. It was
so nice. The sun was warm as I stood on the front lawn playing my
guitar. I worked through a chord progression that I used to know very
well. When I started trying to remember it I only knew three of the
five chords. I kept at it and eventually they all came back to me. I
can’t quite remeber their names. I think it went E, G, A, C, A and
repeat. That could be part of “Wading In The Velvet Sea” by Phish.
Today it’s back to the city, which is not so relaxing as playing the
guitar in the sun. It is exciting though. I’m interested to see what
happened with the projects I left last week. This should be a hectic
morning. Or should I say interesting? I think I would like it to be
more interesting than hectic, but I haven’t gotten my head to that place
yet.

That’s when the supwrnova exploded, bringing choas and joy to the
world. It was thoroughly unanticipated. An unexpected tide of light
swept through newark. The sun looked like it had been switched to the
third click. Plants began to grow at astonsihing rates. Weather
patterns shifted and the peoples of the world migrated to suitable
climates en masse.
The people of earth were liberated from the 40 hour work week.
Supermarkets were replaced with groves of fruit bearing trees as the
forests surged in what had become a predominately tropical world
climate.
To be continued…

Street Performer and Crowd in Union Square
Originally uploaded by Emily Hambige.

The ride from Jersey is a long one. 90 minutes from locking the outside door to my apartment I am swiping my access card at the inner door to the office. I travel for 3 hours a day.

The trains are usually full with commuters. There are hardly any empty seats, and so I choose to stand in the front of the train. I’ve learned to read on the moving train. I still get a little nauseated from time to time, but its all right. Reading has recently come back into my life, and I’m loving it. There’s nothing like getting lost in a book. I couldn’t remember how nice that feeling was until I experienced it during the week of October 3rd, my first week at work.

Usually I am the first person to step onto Newark Penn Station. That’s the halway point in my commute, exactly when my foot hits the Newark concrete. From there its a hurried walk to the PATH train. It leaves every five minutes, but that doesn’t mean the commuters are willing to wait for the next one. There are some days that I am packed literally shoulder to shoulder with the other riders. Those days are trying.

So why would I bother with all of that? Why bother to travel for 3 hours a day? Why not get a job in Jersey with a 30 minute commute and spend the extra hours at home? That’s certainly an option, but there are a lot of good reasons why I work in New York City.

Street Performer and Crowd in Union Square
Originally uploaded by I Copy That.

The biggest reason is the daily excitement of the crowds. To understand that you have to look at my life in context. I’ve grown up in a small New England town. There’s more diversity in the PATH train I ride every morning that there was in any of the towns I experienced in Maine. There are people from every kind of background on that train. It’s as diverse as a UN summit.

35-photogs Originally uploaded by Romulusnr.

That leads to my second reason, the culture. The immigrants brought their culture with them in their food, clothing, and language. The crowds here are so vibrant. The selection of restaurants boggles the mind. I can choose from literally dozens of different restaurants for lunch, all within walking distance. Many of those restaurants will serve a different cuisine as well. It’s so incredible. I think people who have grown up here may not realize how good they have it.

The crowds and the culture are largely what keep me coming back. I love the prospect of talking to someone who has come from a distant country while I order my morning bagel. I like learning spanish from people at the deli.

There’s just so much, and by and large I love it.