for those of you that have visited this site [between visits to the lavatory], you will have indeed gleaned, to an extent, that I tend to have the sporadicity of a grade-A, ADHD patient… on speed, and appropriate medication.

which leads me to the following tale…

so I’m sat in my back garden this evening with a close friend (it’s Red Hook, any outdoor space that isn’t pavement, is garden) and my new found acquaintance Ray shows up, after parking his car outside my humble abode - as he usually does after work. I stand and walk over to our “spike-tipped” fence (which I hate, feels like I’m in protective custody) and shove my hand through one of the many holes in the gauze-like “keep the cat from escaping” fabric, to shake his hand. we exchange our usual pleasantries and he proceeds to introduce me to his business partner, Jamal.

I had the pleasure of first meeting Ray about 4 weeks ago, where he proceeded to afford me the gift of knowing what he does for a living - he was a brand spankingly new real estate broker. buying and selling. Ray is a big guy, shaved head, friendly face, owns such an eloquence that is apparently sparse around these parts, and a heart as big as his being. he typifies the elements of what I love about living in this neighborhood.

so there I am, meeting Ray’s partner for the first time, Jamal. very nice guy - good looking guy - and as it happens, a brand new father to a gorgeous new daughter. I congratulate him on his new addition to the family, to which we continue to discuss their crazy Sunday, reveling at what the real estate world has to offer these two decent, hard working men. we stand there, like old war soldiers talking about life, how sweet it is, and how the future has so much to offer those that make the right decisions. or at least those that have an idea, and have the sack to follow through.

I told Ray that I was due to move out of my current habitat next weekend, to which he responds with something I was not expecting. “if you’d like to, you’re very welcome to come and spend time with my family and me and barbeque, any time”. let me start by saying that I accepted without even getting to my next heartbeat. completely flattered that this guy, whom I’d known for about a month, is inviting me to spend quality time with him and his. to say that I thanked him for his kind generosity and kindness is an understatement, and I am very much looking forward to coming back to Red Hook and flipping those sizzling burgers and dogs with Ray; kind Ray, who has an unfailing familiarity with humanity and what it means to be normal.

onto my point in writing this.

if you’ve read my other entry here about the “invalid coach”, you will understand that I sometimes have the compulsion to word play. again, I’m at it.

when I moved here almost 4 years ago, it become very apparent early on in my new york tenure, there is a definitive level of segregatation throughout the city (and let’s not forget, the country) - black, hispanic, asian, white… you get the picture. throughout my time here, I have been a loose member of the white collar social circle, befriending people that are only interested in three things when they meet me:

• where do you live?
• what do you do?
• what do drive?

… to which I have one answer… what the fuck does that have to do with you?!

since I moved, to say, a lesser affluent ‘hood, not once, I repeat, not ONCE, have been asked those pointless, class-defining questions. this, my friends, leads to my summation of this post… I used to hear a lot of discussion about “their kind”… from right-wing fascists with no clue about life but their daddy’s silver spoon to my own father-in-law who probably hasn’t seen an african american in his own streets of Arizona.

my take?

“they’re kind”.

so say hello to your fellow neighbor, regardless of diction voracity, regardless of music preference… regardless of color… say hello - you pretend-upper-class vermin.

I love anyone that extends a hand to me - and so should you, remember that.