It's Just A Bad Rap

I'll be totally honest and I hope I don't disappoint you, but here goes.  It's been more difficult for me to spot my "Chockful and Bursting with Joy" moments since I've started living in NYC. 

I know!  I know!  I know this is exactly opposite of some people. They look around and see excitement!  The city energizes them!  Unfortunately, I struggle to share that sentiment. I look around on the daily commute and the walk home from the train.  It's loud. It's crowded. There is a lot of garbage and dirt.  People aren't smiling.  Laughter is rare. I find that rather than energizing me, the city drains me.

New Yorkers have gotten a really bad rap, however.  In over 16 months time, absolutely everyone I've spoken to on the train has been very nice to me, with the exception of only one person (who may or may not be the topic of a future post.) 

New Yorkers are forced to share small spaces and therefore become very private about their space in places like the subway or on the bus. Most people keep to themselves and just travel to and from work.It's kind of an unwritten rule on the metro.Therefore, if anything is said, it's typically me who says something first. However, when I do reach out I'm greeted with friendliness and a return smile. 

I should have been wise enough to remember that joy is in the people, not the surroundings.