You know it's going to be a bad day when you wake up to the whistles and screams of protestors outside your window. I have no idea what their message was, except that they weren't winning any friends or followers with these barbaric tactics. I live really close to the United Nations, so this type of behavior in this area isn't unusual. It's just the first time it has served as an alternative to my alarm clock. Last week, I actually got (unintentionally) caught up in a protest/march against Mayor Bloomberg and his budget cuts. Thousands of people gathered downtown where I work, to march around Wall Street with their signs and whistles (who knew the whistle was such a powerful thing). Their proposition was that the bailed out banking institutions pay for the city's deficit. I was just trying to make it to my gym, and couldn't find a way to cross the street. So, I just jumped in, waded my way through them, all the while screaming something about Bloomberg being a boob. It was quite the rush.
Can we just talk about street etiquette for a minute? I know that I have mentioned this in previous posts, but since I spend most of my days walking around this city, it is a topic that is close to my heart. I believe they should divide each sidewalk into two lanes, fast and slow. For those people who just want to casually stroll around with their Starbucks, they should walk closest to either the building or the street. These people are typically tourists, but also may sometimes be New York residents who are either elderly, maimed or intoxicated. The interior lanes should be reserved for those of us who have places to be, and know where we are going. We do it on an escalator (slow to the right, fast to the left), so I seriously do not understand why this can't be adopted in other places. Also, I am considering wearing some type of protective armor while walking outdoors...or using a shield, perhaps. This way, when you get body slammed, you will not be as affected as the person who saw you coming plain as day, and refused to move into the plethora of space available to them.
Actually today was pretty standard, and ended up having some really fine moments. For example, when I was calling into a new company with a sales lead I had received, I had a little treat for me on the other end. The lady I had reached was hesitant to speak with me since it was a cold call, as people usually are. Before she had the chance to hang up, I said "If you don't mind me asking, where exactly are you from?" Maybe it was the fact that she sounded genuinely sorry that she didn't have the time to speak, or the fact that I heard her say "fixin", but I knew something was different about this woman. She paused, and then replied "Well...I'm from Brentwood, TN." I swear I almost jumped through the phone to hug her. We proceeded to talk for about half an hour, and are actually having lunch on Thursday. Also, we had a new guy start at work who is from Florida, but played football for Ole Miss. We had a great conversation about the SEC, and I think he would've been more impressed with my knowledge about it had I not been holding a Mississippi State cup (my roommate has a bunch). Regardless, it was a great day of connecting with people who don't think I sound ridiculous when I talk! The only other thing that gets me through the day on Mondays is my Bob Marley playlist. I like to refer to them as my "Marley Mondays."
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