You Gotsta Know...

So, I just love this site... Overheard in NYC It makes me laugh and laugh and laugh and if you read yesterday's post I needed to laugh today. I wanted to just get out and enjoy New York City a bit so I spent a few hours at my garden. I grow flowers, veggies, and other edibles for a client in Flatiron on her terrace on the 15th floor. I find it to be so therapeutic... I was busy for hours just re-potting and trimming my trees and veggies. I am prepping the florals for Fall so I have begun planting Mums and these big Canna lillies that have stunning red blossoms on them. I've been doing it for years and this venture was really my first in NYC and was the launching pad for the renovations and remodeling business that I have been running on the side for the past four years. It keeps me busy.

The afternoon here was gorgeous and when I finished at my garden I wandered down to Union Square and sat on the big steps for a while in the fading sunlight. Really a very quiet moment in what is so often such a noisy city to be in. I got a chance to reflect a little bit and think about how much I love being here. I have always thought of NYC as such a sexy city and it is, especially on days like today.

Okay so back to the laughing... well below is an excerpt from the Overheard site and it so reminded me of my teaching days. I had many a day when students would just flat out say "Yo, Mista, what are you?" They were asking about my ethnic make-up. So after adressing the Yo, Mista mistep (totally not tolerated in my classroom) I would explain that I am British, Dutch, and Scottish... basically as white as it gets right? They always got a laugh out of that. It's a barrier that always seemed a breeze for me to overcome and yet is so pervasive everywhere in the US.

Here's the quote.... more after

Thug boy: Yo, nigga, why you wearin' a tie? You gotta go to court?
Teacher: No.
Thug girl: I bet you gotsta go to a funeral. Somebody got kilt, right?
Teacher: No, I just thought I would wear a tie for my first day. I'm a new teacher here.
Thug guy: Yeah, no shit you new, dressin' like the fuckin' president or some shit. You gonna get your dumb ass jumped.
Teacher: For dressing nicely?
Thug girl: Stupid ass white people don't know shit about livin' in New York.

I didn't realize how Big race was here until I had lived here for a little while. Canada has no history of racial tensions (at least nothing on the scale of this country) and so it seems to pass without much notice there. Being Gay for that matter is just not such a big deal there either. Sometimes that makes me miss home a little... but man, I love New York. What I need right now is a big fun weekend out on the town. Maybe get into a little trouble perhaps? Maybe something like the pic above...?