I love and hate this place. On any given day you will find me relishing in the fact that I live in the "greatest place on earth" while cursing the tourists, cost of living, inability to get a cab, and weather. Sure, it would be easier to live almost anywhere else. Have a car to go to the grocery store with. Have space in your apartment... but no other place has a beat the way that Manhattan does.
When I was younger, my grandmother would take me into the city every six months or so for shopping or a broadway show. She still lives in NYC, although in the "always getting trendier" Brooklyn, and has always had a great love for the way Manhattan makes her feel. She once said to me, "NYC has a beat, a pulse, it's alive, and that is why I love spending time here." Well, at age 6, or 12, or even 17 I wasn't so sure. It was dirtier than my Long Island suburb I called home. It was loud. And wasn't it dangerous?
I took an internship my junior year of college and chose to live in the NYU dorms to create a more "real-life" experience (but really, I think my parents just wanted me out of the house). That summer, the summer of 2005, was when I found out what my grandmother had spoken about. After I graduated, I took a job and embarked on my first year as a Manhattan resident. I fell in love, whole-heartedly, with this city. There is something happening at any given moment. It has the ability to make you feel lost, but also feel as if you know the entire island. There is nothing like going out at night, the whirlwind of cabs and clubs and restaurants and late night dining. There is a quiet like nowhere else before noon on a Sunday.
Like all of us, I have my personal memories of September 11, 2001. But rather than looking to the past, I want to look forward. So today, on the eleventh anniversary of the greatest tragedy that struck this city and our nation, I am now, more than ever proud to be part of this city. There has never been a city like this, made up of all these different types of people, of people who want to achieve the best and are often beset by adversity. We are bound together by the love of living here, but also by the acknowledgement that making it in NYC is no small feat.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The land of opportunity
Whether you've been tuning in to the National Conventions last week or this week, whether you are highly political or not, there is a likelihood that there are issues that are part of the 2012 election that are near and dear to your heart. For most of us, spending time year round following the ever-changing (and sometimes shady) political landscape does not happen. But during this time of year, during the ramp up to what I believe is a tremendous election that will determine our path as a nation and a people, you're likely (and hopefully) paying attention.
Last night was the first night in the Democratic National Convention in which Michelle Obama delivered a speech that has been revered as extraordinary. There was a line from last night's speech that spoke to me as I believe it should speak to all of us: "When you walk through the door of opportunity you do not slam it behind you," she said. "No. You reach back and give other people the same choices that help you succeed." We are not alone in the success we find. There is no such thing as the Republican platform, "We Built It" (which should be translated to, "I Built This With No Help From Anyone"). For me, this belief is the crux of what is at stake during this election.
What bonds Americans together is that we can transition from a have-not to a have with hard-work, determination, and opportunity. We all have a story like this. My story, Michelle Obama's story, those are not unique. What is unique is to have success handed to you and not want that same success for others. Listen, the way our economy, a free-market economy works means that some will have more than others, we should all understand that. However, the way our country is set up is to support those who have less and to provide opportunity and chances to everyone who wants it. We are at risk of giving that up.
So why should you care during this election? There are many reasons. The war, the economy, the budget, new jobs. But above and beyond all of that, it is the question of opportunity. Personally, that is something I am not willing to give up. I grew up in an apartment, sharing a room with my brother my whole life. We stayed in my town because the school district is top-notch. I worked my ass off in high-school to get into a good college and when I got accepted to nearly every school, I was elated. I went from the University of Maryland to an internship at a media agency, which turned into my first job. I've continued my career in this industry, knowing that I've been lucky to have these opportunities, but that I alone was not responsible for this success. We are helped by those around us: my parents, my teachers, my grandparents, my uncle, my mentors- they have supported me. That is why I take time to help others to offer advice or to make an introduction. My opportunities were only available because someone was willing to take a chance on me. Which ironically, is the belief that our country is based on: taking a chance and offering an opportunity.
Last night was the first night in the Democratic National Convention in which Michelle Obama delivered a speech that has been revered as extraordinary. There was a line from last night's speech that spoke to me as I believe it should speak to all of us: "When you walk through the door of opportunity you do not slam it behind you," she said. "No. You reach back and give other people the same choices that help you succeed." We are not alone in the success we find. There is no such thing as the Republican platform, "We Built It" (which should be translated to, "I Built This With No Help From Anyone"). For me, this belief is the crux of what is at stake during this election.
What bonds Americans together is that we can transition from a have-not to a have with hard-work, determination, and opportunity. We all have a story like this. My story, Michelle Obama's story, those are not unique. What is unique is to have success handed to you and not want that same success for others. Listen, the way our economy, a free-market economy works means that some will have more than others, we should all understand that. However, the way our country is set up is to support those who have less and to provide opportunity and chances to everyone who wants it. We are at risk of giving that up.
So why should you care during this election? There are many reasons. The war, the economy, the budget, new jobs. But above and beyond all of that, it is the question of opportunity. Personally, that is something I am not willing to give up. I grew up in an apartment, sharing a room with my brother my whole life. We stayed in my town because the school district is top-notch. I worked my ass off in high-school to get into a good college and when I got accepted to nearly every school, I was elated. I went from the University of Maryland to an internship at a media agency, which turned into my first job. I've continued my career in this industry, knowing that I've been lucky to have these opportunities, but that I alone was not responsible for this success. We are helped by those around us: my parents, my teachers, my grandparents, my uncle, my mentors- they have supported me. That is why I take time to help others to offer advice or to make an introduction. My opportunities were only available because someone was willing to take a chance on me. Which ironically, is the belief that our country is based on: taking a chance and offering an opportunity.
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