Bonding With New Yorkers
New York City is full of thousands and thousands of people. That's most likely not an accurate sentence to measure the city's population but that's why people like you can goggle and correct my statistics for me. But really, humans have come from the ends of the Earth to be here and some have grown up here their whole lives. Maybe it's because I come from a small island in Florida, but New York sincerely has it all.
There’s construction workers, game designers, Ghostbusters, business executives, musicians, Lena Dunham, elder law lawyers, Spiderman, abstract artists, cheese specialists, taxi drivers, pizza chefs, and even college students I think. Of course, you’d probably find these types in about any city. Wait, that's not true, New York isn’t just any city. It’s a city that has built upon its diverse population of people to create a conglomeration of influences and culture that blend into a hybrid-
“Come on Cameron, no one has time for these digressions”
Alright alright I know. I'm working on it. The point I’m trying to make is that New York City is full of plenty of different people all coexisting with one another. Yet, when do we ever take the time to get to know a fellow New Yorker? Everyone is involved in their own individual daily hustle- making appointments, attending meetings, eating pizza, working long hours- even a cyborg like myself feels some compassion for you busy people. But every now and then, its nice to start a conversation with a complete stranger especially if you share a similar interest. But what do all these New Yorkers have in common? Well, they like pizza, running around Brooklyn, wine tastings and uhh..... Game of Thrones?
Yupp. Believe it or not, Game of Thrones has taken New York by siege. How do I know this? Well I know because I have seen it for myself. But first off lets make sure we’re all a bit familiar with the TV show Game of Thrones. Because if not, I suggest you turn on HBO/HBO Go right now and begin binge-watching your life away. And if you don’t have HBO or you’re not borrowing it from your sister’s boyfriend’s mother, I will save a tear for you before I go to bed at night. Seriously get HBO (or HBO Now). Anyway, ever since I had started reading George RR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice, I have been getting some interesting reactions from some of the people around me...
As I commute from Staten Island to the city to Brooklyn doing what cyborgs do, I always take the time to read a chapter or two from the first book. And every time I take out that iron throne paperback cover, it seems to demand all the attention in the room. One man in a suit typing up reports on his computer, (whose identity has been protected and given a false name) Ned Stark, had taken note of this as I was reading next to him on the subway. After some time, it seemed as though he was reading the pages with me as I flipped forward. Fortunately for me, this guy wasn't being creepy at all and just wanted to see where I was in the book as he later explained to me how the first book sets up plot points in books three and four and how George RR Martin structures his stories.
A week later as I was ordering some waffles and a smoothie at a pleasant Brooklyn diner, my waitress (whose identity must also be protected), Daenerys Targaryen, had noticed my book lying on the table. Before I could even finish my order, we suddenly were talking shop about all of the memorable Game of Thrones deaths that had occurred in the television show and how the next season will differ from the books and.... yeah you see where I'm going with this.
Over the next following weeks I shared similar interactions with people I met on buses, at coffee shops, waiting in Ferry terminals, and in other very unique situations that would seem awkward to write out! The point is, my free-folk friends, is that although every New Yorker you pass on the street may be a stranger, they may also be a stranger that you can totally identify with! Whether its through the release of a new Beyonce album, half-price dumplings in the East Village, or a violent series of mythological fantasy books, we can all find something that we share an interest in!
So next time you start judging that fifty year old guy from Wall Street or Asian tourist lady sitting across from you on the subway, just know that they may of had to experience the same emotions you did during that season four finale...
(*cough cough* Tune into Game of Thrones every Sunday night at 9PM on HBO *cough cough* HBO did not pay me to say this *cough cough*)