Twenty

There was a male couple holding hands at the corner of 22nd and 7th. I really wasn't staring, but I couldn't help but notice. As I crossed the street, I noticed a man and woman kissing one another goodbye, followed by another male pair kissing one another goodbye. A few yards down the street were an older couple eating dinner.

The scene made for a wonderful welcome back to New York. If I'd had a camera with an extreme wide-angle lens, I would have documented the moment for posterity.

This was a Sunday night, on my first trip back to the city in months. There was a range of feelings, but none more outstanding than WHY HAVE YOU BEEN AWAY SO LONG?

It was a great night because I was doing one of my patented long walks. I wound up stumbling upon a friend. He was on the opposite sidewalk when I looked up and noticed him. I think he was listening to music, but I screamed out his name anyway:

"DAAAAAVID!"

In New York, it seems you never know what you will see or what to expect. I hadn't seen David since 2005. We had worked together at H&M in Soho the year before and laughed over that experience.

The next day when I was in the crowded 42 St. subway station, there was something else staring at me: a $20 bill.

There is was, right there in plain view. I thought it must've been a practical joke or something, but apparently all those people had missed seeing the money.

If I'd asked if someone had lost $20, it probably would have set off a frenzy. I think I did the right thing by pocketing the money. It must be some kind of running occurrence in my life. I found $20 two years ago while walking around downtown Jackson, Mississippi.

Here's looking at you, 2011.