A person's wealth is measured
Not by what one possesses,
But by what one gives away.




Sun 7/20


Hot town, summer in the city, in the city, in the city! Even Chloe the cat can't take it anymore. She lies on the floor, half-dead, in the coolest spot she's psyched out, and I'm sure she's checked out every square inch of our living area. The AC is on but that's an ersatz cooling system and she's not fooled by it, neither am I. It keeps you from sweating, but your body knows that it's really hot out there, and you are still drained from it.

At times like this one is closest to the earth and one's animal nature. I cross the park at 9 pm last night; there are hundreds of people, parents, relatives, kids, teens, in it, in the dark mostly. There are scattered lights on the heavily traveled paths, but up where the tables, the grills, the folding chairs and the adults are perched, it is night. A couple of kids walk by me eating ice cream, and off somewhere, I am sure, teens are talking dirty (if they haven't got a sweetie) or making out. The body reverts to its proper needs at such times.

I worked on another Lipstick Jungle set this week, out on the Hudson River in a Circle Line sightseeing cruise ship, and like the people in the park last night, I and a few others, could have cared less what the production company was attempting to shoot. We looked out over the sides at the vast expanse of river, no longer trapped in the city's grid of tall buildings. Early evening, I saw my first NYC sunset coming down over New Jersey.

Nobody interfered with us because we were supposed to be tourists in the show's scenes and would of course be doing exactly what we were doing, checking out the tour. We were told to bring cameras, shopping bags, etc., to fit the part. I brought a Sak's shopping bag, "Make sure the name is visible," said an impressed crewmember. Of course, these things are never seen on camera, but hey, they probably add to the ambience. The Asian woman principle on the show meets some studly guy, or is on a date with him, was what seemed to be taking place.

Meanwhile, I was scoping out the Statue of Liberty in the near distance. At night, on a full moon, she is truly impressive. What with all the crappy symbols our material world exposes us to, she still retains her power, a beacon in the night, offering refuge from the vicissitudes of the great waters. For some unknown reason, I felt unsettled on this night, not wanting to be part of the scene or chatting with anyone. I tend to view such feelings as indulging, but I couldn't shake it off. Being on the water reminded me of my home state of Maine with its many lakes and national parks by the ocean, but what I saw when I looked over at the shore was Manhattan's skyline with its dark, jewel-lit skyscrapers.

Yes, I thought, I know this city, and have explored these very neighborhoods, ate in its restaurants, shopped in its stores. Manhattan has lost its mystery for me; I am no longer impressed. The virgin has been deflowered, the honeymoon is over, and she has become a responsibility that I must shoulder because the city is my home.