The Speed of Life pt. 2 – A Review

The mist in the air peppers my face as I double my stride. Bleeker. Menahan. Linden. All the one-way streets whose bland differences end up inexplicably making each road look the same. Here, a Polish deli. There, a salon. Here, a burger joint. There, a boxing gym.

I am walking fast because I have nothing to do. I had a fear of the dull sense of boredom that came with going slow, as if I was lurching to a stop. As if the streets themselves would catch up to me, and force me to match their unique sameness.

The door to my building is propped open by a balled-up newspaper. I kick it free and let it shut behind me. I step toward the stairs and am immediately overwhelmed by the reek of the 2nd floor boy’s cigarillos. I lift my shirt to cover my nose and skip every other step as I make my way to the third floor of my building. There, I punch my code in and open then door. The stench of stale cigarettes is immediately replaced with the smell of freshly cooked pancakes. Bacon. And eggs.

I’m starving.

I walk into the kitchen and expect to see a roommate cooking, but it’s empty. There’s a pan on the stove, inside, there’s soapy water. I grab a spoon, a bowl, some granola, and a tub of Greek yogurt. I lay out my portion and eat my cold breakfast standing in the kitchen.

I hadn’t acquired the taste for Greek yogurt. It’s like healthy ice cream she told me, as I held back my vomit.

But this time, thanks to more than enough granola and dried cranberries, I can stomach it without a problem.

I was afraid life would finally start picking up. I’ve been in New York for 5 days now, and things seemed to have remained constant. My fear of the clock creeping up on me and finally stealing all this borrowed time that no one else seems to have hasn’t happened. Soon, I’ll stop reserving the feeling that it might and allow my shoulders to sloop and relax.

I’ve been tense. But three deep breaths is all it takes to lift the world off my back, to put the pep back in my step, and to finally get this crick out of my neck.

Life gave me a whirlwind and a typhoon. But I brought my coat and umbrella.

It’s weird when things just happen to work out. When some random piece of trivia you learned four years ago in a classroom that you didn’t need to be in ends up saving your life. Or at the very least, making it easier.

I’m not fully unpacked yet. I have stuff that doesn’t have anywhere to go, and it’s getting crowded underneath my bed, so I’m not all the way there yet, but I’m getting there soon.

Thanks for reading. Have a great week! Grab some time and see if you’re carrying too much in your shoulders too. Then take your own deep breaths and let some of that stress go. We’re both going to make it, I give it my Sorensen Guarantee.