It’s 7:38 am.
The train pulls into Grand Central.
I lift briefcase – oh, oh. It’s unusually light.
Meeting notes and reports were left behind on the nightstand.
Late jump. A mere hour difference from your habitual start and you’re unhinged.
First morning call is scheduled at 8:15.
Maps signals a 30 minute walk from Grand Central to the Office.
Cab v. Foot?
I check the vitals.
Temperature? Rain? Cross-town traffic? Mood? Criticality of call?
Vitals check out.
I can beat 30 on foot.
Heavy construction lines the arteries, 48th cross-town and 7th downtown. Tourists crowd the sidewalks and hover over the filming of the Live Morning show – a shapely aerobics instructor flanked by two middle aged men wearing hot green lycra pants.
I glance at Maps. I’ve lost time. Arrival time now estimated at 8:13 for the 8:15 meeting.
I accelerate the pace, and this against a wall of foot traffic heading uptown. A hurdler off-step, I hit each Don’t Walk sign.
I glance at Maps: 8:17 ETA.
Humidity surges. I loosen tie. My neck moistens the shirt collar. Fresh? Not.
The morning sun beams. A smooth thin film coats the forehead, legs and back.
Traffic thickens around Madison Square Garden and I jostle to enter the building.
I reach for my security card in my side pocket. Missing.
I check my wallet. Absent.
I check my brief case. Nada.
I approach the Security Desk and wait in line. The Guard calls up to my floor – no one answers.
8:27.
“Sir, I can’t let you up without clearance.” He calls again.
8:35. I’m clear.
The elevator races up to my floor. My shirt, damp, sticks to my chest. I raise my head to bathe in the air conditioning that blows from the overhead vent. The floor indicator clicks: 1…5…8…12…15…
I find my head pulled down to the text on the lower elevator panel.
Blink, damn it.
Blink.
Notes:
- Photo: Self.
- Related Posts: Commuting
I’m stressed out just reading this!!
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Laughing. Today is a new day!
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God, I do not miss that…i can feel my heartbeat every step of your journey…the sign of a good writer!
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Hi Kevin. Thank you for the kind words. Appreciate it.
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Sounds like one of those days… Hopefully the meeting went well!
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It was Jim. And the meetings did go well!
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Clever!
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Thanks!
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too much stress to start the day – made my heart pound, i’ve been there, back in my advertising days
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Smiling. It is Beth. It is.
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Wow, Dave. You go, man! Enjoyed Memorial Day weekend in NYC, LI & CT. As strange as it may sound, I miss living and working in NYC. Thanks for taking me there, right there. I love this piece.
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It was a beautiful weekend Joel. NYC is a special place. Thanks for your kind words.
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Your writing brought me right back there…late for the daily morning meeting with our president. I could feel all the physical stress reactions…until I walked to the window and saw the lights reflected on the ocean. Phew. That’s good writing!
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Smiling. Thanks Helen. What a view you have!
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All I can say is more breathing Mr K and less blinking! Great writing. 🙂
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Workin’ it Karen. Workin’ it.
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Very well written, enjoyed reading it. But, I’m wishing your tomorrow a smoother walk.
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Thanks Debi. I’m driving to the office today. 🙂
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I do hope it went better then 🙂
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It did!
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Ah Dave…breathe…I read this literally and then figuratively…a metaphor for your going-to-work head….too much pressure either way..😉
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Smiling. Yes Mimi. Yes. Inhale. Deeply. Now.
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Your adrenaline was showing. ☺
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…and thru my shirt too!
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Don’t know how ya do it, pal. When I was in NYC a couple of week, ago I experienced a surge of adrenaline just stepping out into the ‘flow of traffic’ on the sidewalk. I simply don’t think I could do it every day–I’d be like a bottle rocket–off with a boom and then fizzling and spinning in erratic circles as I lost altitude. 😉 Will quite happily live vicariously through you and your fabulous reportage….
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Bottle Rocket. So love that visual. That is so me….
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In a way, glad you were late and unhinged 😉
It’s been a while since you took us all on a Walking Cross-town ride.
You sound like you needed Mr. Bond with a helicopter.
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Funny. I “wish” I had a copter.
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Reminds me of my Chef days, when the party for 1000 was at noon, and if you weren’t standing around drinking coffee at 11, with everything done, then you were in the shits. And if you were in the shits, you could sweat to pulp three paper chefs hats in an hour.
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Because sweating off a paper chef hats has nothing to do with the heat.
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Party for 1000. Wow. I couldn’t imagine prepping for that…
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Great piece of writing…hope today is less challenging 🙂
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It was. Thank you Christie.
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My hands are sweating and my breath is on my chest 😮
You are my hero!
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Laughing. I was rush to find another role model. Fast.
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oh my god.. my heart IS pounding, my palms ARE sweaty .. I now need my morning coffee – fast 🙂
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Sip it SLOW Makere….slowly.
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