Well, someday I want to introduce you to New York City. Don’t let the look from the “outside” fool you: “Too many people, too many cars.” It’s a gigantic paradox. You can only know what it's like if you’ve lived here for 40 years as I have. You will be LONLIER AND MORE SEPARATE HERE THAN YOU ARE WHEN YOU WANDER AROUND IN THE "WOODS" in Pennsylvania
It’s the greatness of Manhattan/New York City. Because with all those people, IT’S NOT CROWDED BECAUSE NO ONE EVER TALKS TO OR RELATES TO YOU. The “lonely crowd.” You can be in the midst of twenty people (on a subway) and they won’t be of any bother at all. Absolute freedom.
No one cares. You may bump into one another now and then, but this is no problem. Separate and alone even when you bump into someone (people actually ENJOY bumping into one another—closeness without intimacy or responsibility).
It’s a brilliant arrangement: ALONE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE. I could go weeks without speaking to anyone. But you still have the pleasure of LOOKING AT PEOPLE. On the subway, anyone can look at anyone else, no problem. And you can LISTEN TO EVERYONE ELSE SPEAKING. No problem. This used to comfort me. Sitting there alone, yet not feeling lonely because of the “buzz of the crowd” and witnessing all kinds of different people.
As for “cars,” well—I may have mentioned this to you. I had a car for my first year in New York City. But it was a bother. I was driving on Columbus Avenue and 102nd Street, got out of my car, and have NEVER DRIVEN AGAIN. I actually LEFT THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE-OF-THE-STREET, and my driving days were over.
You can get anywhere in New York City via subway. ANYWHERE. Some people have done experiments, takes days to cover all the different lines. AND YOU CAN’T GET FUCKING LOST IN NEW YORK CITY. Sometimes, I would wander into new territories. Like the way lower east side, east of Chinatown. Lost in space. Or the way over West Side (near the Hudson River). Yet I wasn’t frightened because I knew somewhere there would be a SUBWAY STOP and I could return home. No matter where you go, there is bound to be a subway stop. “Lost, lost found in the nick of time.”
There are BUSES if you feel like taking a “vacation.” A long bus-ride. I used to go to movie theaters in Chinatown (they don’t have them anymore due to the Internet). Double-features, popcorn, and coke, only gwylo (white ghost) in the theater, Chinese knew I was there, but never spoke to me (once again, alone in the midst of the crowd). Then I’d take a long bus-ride home. Relaxing.
I’m laughing. People take special “bus tours” when they come to New York City, sponsored by some company. NO NEED. Just jump on an ordinary bus ('mass transit') and dig the scene (they have "transfers").
I’m tempting you to come to New York City.
Best, Almighty Cous
PS: I don’t get around like I used to. Can find most of what I need on the Internet. This video (click link) will give you a pretty good feeling of the experience of a Manhattan subway.
