6:32 a.m. I exit Grand Central onto 47th. I glance at my watch, plenty of time for the 7 a.m. breakfast.
The crane’s steel arm groans and stretches up four floors. One worker guides the load of sheet rock in through the window. Another waves off the early morning commuters with his red caution flag. He looks me in the eye and directs me to the other side of the street.
I cross.
Have you ever walked this side of 47th? Ever? Eight years. 100’s of cross-town walks. Zero recollection of ever walking on the other side.
I glance over. It’s now free of construction. The wind whistles. Come back. Now. Come Home to me.
I lean right but resist. No. Not today. Live dangerously DK. Go way out on a limb.
I walk.
The legs and feet are heavy. I trudge on alien ground. The Amygdala twitches.
I pass delivery upon delivery truck offloading the day’s supplies.
“Fiji Water. Fiji. Untouched by man. Every drop is green.”
I pass the jewelry district
“Time in Motion – Watch Repair”
I pass the Palace Theatre.
“Nothing on Broadway looks like this.”
I pause on Times Square – and there, an invisible hand pulls my head up – Look! A massive neon sign flashes a Hyundai Hybrid auto ad:
“Making the switch…will be like night and day.”
I’m frozen in place as the words flash on the screen.
I pull out my smartphone to peck out the words but they don’t loop back.
I get to the office, and google Hyundai, and smile, after finding the same ad:
THE CURE FOR RANGE ANXIETY IS HERE.
Worried about venturing farther than your
electric vehicle range will let you? Relax.
Get outside your charging zone.
Get outside your charging zone.
Right.
Notes:
- Photo: Walker by Carla DLM via Your Eyes Blaze Out
- Related Posts: Commuting
Live & Learn 
message from the gods.
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yes ….
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Outside the city then? Lol with or without a car, more relaxing.
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A whole lot of truth in that. But, sometimes it’s unavoidable. 😉
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Watch for the signs. They are there for us. 🙂
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Ha! Genius…..
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Even in a busy city the signs are there for us. Fate. :o)
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Truth!
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Stunning photo!!!
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It is!
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Laughing,,,glad you charged yourself up across the street from your usual route. But firing up the amygdala? You went from zero to seventy awfully fast…sounds like you’re more of a tesla…😉
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This intricate mind can fire up anxiety with a snap of fingers.
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Definitely a tesla…
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Definitely something…..
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Beautiful! I can almost smell the stench of New York City in the summer as I read… 😀
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Laughing. And that summer stench is real! 🙂 Thanks Todd
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I did my time 33 years ago and I can still smell it.
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something one just doesn’t forget, gets in the lungs and lodges in the mind…
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Good stuff DK!!
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Thank you Val!
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Outside one’s charging zone…might be the goal.
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That’s it Van.
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Words of wisdom.
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Thanks Peggy. Thought so too.
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8 years? Walked the same side of the street for 8 years?
You know what my Hyundai sign would say to ?
It would address me by name and say “Can you for once, just once, stay within your charging zone?”
My Hyundai might talk to me and say it someday.
Great story, as always, David.
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Smiling. Let’s hope your Hyundai stays in the garage. Thanks for the kind words Sawsan.
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LAUGHING…
Don’t jinx me, please.
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We are worlds apart, David. Your post is well done but I shuddered to think I might ever have to live like that (in a huge city) surrounded by cement and traffic and all that goes with it. I would be so unhappy there. Having said that, I know there are (obviously) millions of people who love it. I would definitely go out of my (dis)comfort zone, hoping for a recharging station so I could continue my escape from the city.
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We are worlds apart Anneli. There is much about NYC that I love. It still has an incredible magnetic pull. I can see a day in the future that will change, meanwhile the gravitational pull continues…
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I’m glad you like it if you are living there.It would be sad to have to live in a place you don’t like.
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Love being on this magical mystery tour with you, pal. Never know what’s coming… Me, I move my toothbrush from the right hand to the left and everything changes up… 😉
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Smiling. So true. Something so habitual, right to left hand, and it’s as if you are on different planet. Thanks Lori.
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Incredible how we become creatures of habit. I can see where the old Amygdala would be on high alert.
I love the big cities, in my case San Francisco; but maybe it’s because I worked there, but didn’t live there.
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So true. San Francisco is my fav city too!
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“Everything you want is just outside of your comfort zone.”~Robert Allen
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And there’s the answer!
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