perry st / charles st / gay st / christopher st / leroy st / cornelia st / commerce st (cherry lane) / grove st / waverly pl / bank st / bethune st
4.63 miles
after some blocks of mental math, i have decided that i will walk at least four miles, if not more, every single day, until i finish.
today began this trek, with bruised feet, wearing flats, on cobblestones. greenwich village, west village, christopher park and station, monuments like stonewall inn, stop signs not lights, even more rainbow flags than usual, but it feels more meaningful here somehow.
for a monday the streets were lively, a warm night. a night walk.
i began undaunted; outdoor tables were overflowing with conversation, and couples young and old lined the sidewalks. seeing blocks that i’ve passed before in the daytime, now lit in yellow, red, and green. summer day fading into night murmers. i take some measure of pride in not fearing this city, walking alone wherever i please.
somewhere on leroy street the night darkened; my confidence dissipated. the old cars and alleys no longer quaint, instead hiding places for the creatures of the night.
a few silent moments later, i saw another woman walking alone and it brought me a semblance of comfort.
my feet ached as i walked to the subway station, but i made it past four miles.
what are you willing to sacrifice?
in undertaking the last half of these streets in less than three months, i must choose where these hours will come from. there are things that ought to be sacrificed: lazing around, youtube, stressing over the inevitable. there are those that i hope not sacrifice: my relationships, my lab work. there are the things that will be sacrificed so the thing will get done: reading, cooking, answering messages on time, my feet, my sleep.
rest?
the walk is rest but i am exhausted.
night makes me more wary of the crazies of the city. on my ride back, a man, let’s call him jerry, got onto the train and was fiddling with his pants buttons across from me. i’m not sure, i avoided eye contact. a preppy man across from me got up and switch cars. the train rode on. then jerry walked into the connection between the cars and stayed there for a while. a woman across from me made eye contact; should we be afraid of him or for him? but perhaps the solidarity was imagined, because then she, too, moved to the other end of the car.
a stop later, jerry emerged from his precarious position and began the ‘ladies and gentleman, i apologize'. i breathed a sigh of relief. not a crazy, just the city. the person across from me refused to bat an eye even when jerry waved his hand in front of his phone. i told jerry i did not have cash, because i had indeed used the last yesterday. jerry moved on to the next car.
emerging from the subway station near my home, i was asked for money or directions so many times that i kind of wanted to cry at the end of it.
the sights today, dark: trash bags on a pretty street; bouncing curls; a covetable gingham dress; an abandoned mask; leaf blowing; a bored doorman cracking his knuckles; a cellist on fourth and charles who i’ve seen play before; a gold glitter dress; yang chow fried rice; overall shorts, shorts overalls?; fat cigar; film crew; late night soccer; porch light flickering on'; a walking accordion player, the most pleasant surprise; florence prime meat market; a pothole filled in by art; cherry lane theatre; little owl; multiple triangle buildings; detective claude danny richards way; someone working alone in a swanky apartment, through the window; outdoor dining being packed up; a stairstep argument, ‘i’m done trying to make you feel good’; a kiss.