I moved to New York about ten ears ago from Washington DC. I lived in DC for 25 years and loved every minute of it. The City is clean, has beautiful foliage, spectacular architecture, a low svelte profile to the buildings, first-class restaurants world class (and free) museums, and of course, an astounding history and sense of importance. But it is sterile, and antiseptic. The city if often euphemistically referred to as “Ten square miles surrounded by reality.”
I moved to New York to experience a real city. A place where people have a assortment of interests, (not just politics) a place where they actually make things, a place to experience the gustiness of life while living amongst a most diverse population.
Probably my biggest surprise when I arrived was how hard working New Yorkers are. In DC so many people follow the Governments 9-5 mentality. The woman pictured is on the corner of 40th and Madison every morning from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM selling newspapers. Her name is Mashid. She is on location every day no matter the weather. But Mashid is different, she remembers what paper her customers buy. When she sees a customer down the block, she immediately pulls a paper for you out of the middle of the stack, roll it like a jelly roll and hand it to you when you walk up. She always has a gracious smile.
Cee Cee who runs “36 Cleaners” on 36th street between Madison and 5th Avenues works from 7:00 A.M to 7:00 PM five days a week and from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday. In the ten years that I have been going to her, I have never seen her absent for a sick day or vacation day. Never! When I ask her about taking time off, she replies “I think God for the strength to keep working.”
As I look around the City I see many other examples of hard workers, the push cart vendors, the delivery guys who bring us dinner when it is too cold or rainy to go out, my barber who works six days a week. On the corner of 36th Street and 5th Avenue is a push cart operator. He is there from early morning to just after lunch. Then he goes to he second job at Quick Books where he works until late evening.
Hats off to Mashid, Cee Cee and all hard working New Yorkers.
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