Sure New York has crime, which city doesn’t? Personally, I tend to think of my city as that guy who sat at the back of the class in high school. You know, the guy that looked mean, wore a leather jacket, never talked to anyone, and rode a really cool motorcycle. Here everyone was thinking he was headed for a life of crime, when in reality, the guy wrote poetry and volunteered at animal shelters. That’s kind of what New York is like.
Let me give you an example. In New York we have boroughs (they’re how some old guys back in the day decided to split up the city). Anyway, I live in Brooklyn. Now, you may have heard some things about Brooklyn, but I assure you that none of it is true. In Brooklyn, I live in an area called Bedford Stuyvesant. I’m cautious about whom I share this information with, but since you guys are my friends, I feel safe sharing.
Why would divulging where I live cause a lump to appear in my throat? Well, Bedford Stuyvesant is also known as “Do or Die Bed Stuy”. I don’t even know what that means. But a couple of months ago, for my birthday, my sister and I went to a comedy club. When the struggling comedian on stage asked me where I was from, I could swear I saw a twinkle appear in his eye. I had provided him with the material he needed to save his disastrous show. “You’re from Bed Stuy and you haven’t been shot yet?” Hardy, har, har! What a expletive ending in “ing” jerk (keeping it PG for the kids). I’ve lived in Bedford Stuyvesant for most of my life, and I can form complete sentences, walk in a straight line, pat my head and rub my belly at the same time, and oh yeah –I’VE NEVER BEEN SHOT!
So, you see my point. New York and its various boroughs may have bad reputations, but in the end, they’re really not so bad. That Bronx, however, is another story.
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