The Unbearable Banishment: Declaring His Love

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Declaring His Love

This probably isn’t going to be meaningful to anyone other than myself but I’ll post it anyway.

The New York Times asked some notable New Yorkers what they're looking forward to in the upcoming fall season. A gaggle of bold names contributed a paragraph each. Much of it was fairly ego-centric; theater people were looking forward to upcoming openings, restaurant people were anticipating the fall menu changes, museum curators were anxious for the fall exhibits to open.

The very last contribution was from composer and lyricist Charles Strouse. He didn’t mention the latest musicals, as I expected. Rather, he spoke about the city as a whole and it put a big, stupid, humiliating skip in my heart:

Autumn is the time when New York has found the perfect tempo, the perfect weather, when its people walk the streets and look up at the buildings and see the theater marquees and the millions of other people from here and everywhere and swear: this is the best, the most vibrant of cities! People of Denver: please forgive me, I’m in love!

I realize that’s a bushel of hooey but I didn’t see it coming. It was a sneak attack and it clobbered me pretty good.

7 Comments:

Blogger Stan D. said...

At least you didn't get weepy watching Sex & The City, like I did last night...

October 14, 2008 at 4:30 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Really?! Do you mean “weep” in the metaphorical sense or did you actually shed a tear of longing? I think either one is bad news.

October 14, 2008 at 8:08 PM  
Blogger Sid said...

New York ... one day I'll make it over there.

October 15, 2008 at 4:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

my favourite city in all the world

October 15, 2008 at 5:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is the best time of year to be in NYC. You don't have to deal with the oppressive heat in the subways and the xmas crowds haven't invaded yet. Its great!

October 15, 2008 at 9:33 AM  
Blogger Digital Fortress said...

Was so anxious and glad to get away when I was younger, but the city will always have a place in my heart.

October 15, 2008 at 3:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know, I feel Charles a bit. I went to New York City in 2005 for a tech writing conference, and was completely blown away by how nice everyone in the city is there (albeit an aggressive sort of nice). 95% of the time the people there were nice and went out of their way to show off their city. Maybe someday. . .

SA

October 15, 2008 at 5:46 PM  

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