New York, New York

I was accosted yesterday in quite a minatory manner, where a person actually followed me into a very very small restaurant after asking for money. He was yelling at my roomate, so I bought him a sandwich, and he still continued yelling at us. It was very difficult for me. I've had family members that have fought and died in wars, and this person, who there was a strong chance he never has spent a moment serving our country in that manner, had given the "Vietnam" speech for so long that he was able to run it on autopilot, and didn't even need our reactions or questions to do so.

It gives rise to a question of legitimacy. To what percentage are we able to give to those who are homeless or in need the ability to act for themselves and find a way out of their difficult situations. I make an argument that there are actually a number of people who don't even want help, or choose to ignore the help that is offered. I saw an advertisement for NY sending out homeless teams to reach out and help, and it seemed like a very awesome idea, but I wonder their plan of action if met with resistance.

I'm all about building relationships with the people you can, and then being better able to intimately meeting someones needs, and not just buy a sandwich, but meet the deeper emotional needs that someone has, which is to be known, and to have people who legitimize what you say and think, and value you and your contributions to any discussion, work, or life experience.

the fishing hole

whew!

so i'm in NY! finally got the internet, 3 days later. orientation at the bank has been pretty great. Today was volunteer day, and words don't really do justice to the 83 year old Jewish woman that i had the privilege to chat with, and the lovely Hispanic ladies who I got to enjoy some rounds of bingo with. it's really one thing to just go through the motions and "do" the volunteer work, but it was quite another thing to truly be laughing when the seniors almost heckled my new colleague Henry, a frenchman, off the stage because he misread the number. Having a bunch of jewish ladies making fun of him and other legitimately angry was awesome.

then I got to play with pre-kindergarten school kids, and just experience the joy and wonder of being young again, if only for an hour. they all had such eager faces, and were so willing to play and learn, and their conflicts were forgotten seconds afterwards, if not immediately or even before the conflict got resolved. they weren't worried about wars, oil, religious conflict, they weren't pushing themselves on to each other, they aren't dirty or screwed up yet, don't have sick minds, they don't hate yet, just a very basic level of living, but yet so pleasant as well.

my roomate's name is ian, and he's a great kid. hailing from ohio state, he looks a lot like my cousins. i have another roomate matt from princeton, and he's great as well. they both work at the bank with me, and that is quite enjoyable. we all went to work together in the morning on our first day on monday, showing up 30 minutes early accidently, and still not being even close to the first ones there. haha that's when you get when you have a bunch of eager ivy league kids and ivy-level workers. so many harvards, princetons, georgetowns, wharton kids from ye old penn (wooo), and your michigans, sconsins, and ohios.

work has been great so far. I got to meet a guy on my desk, which if you didn't know, desks are like the areas where people are placed at banks. A "desk" is essentially the section that you are working in, mine being FX. FX meaning foreign currency, which is great. I haven't actually started started yet, but I "sit my desk" first thing monday, at 7:00 AM. I thought I'd have to get in earlier, but thank God I don't have to. I'll be working 7:00 to 7:00 usually everyday, but haha kiddies I get paid OT, so life is good for the jordster.

and SICKKKKKKKKKNESSS I got to meet plus minus! I went to fireplace studios where they (I thought) recorded, but turns out they are still recording and they were THERE! It was nasty sick awesome great, and I talked with patrick james and chris, and it was very very enjoyable. I definitely looked like a douchebag because I just got off work and was wearing a suit, but I feel like they got that I was a pretty good guy. I also got to talk with the recording engineers, who, I just realized, freaking deja-vued me like no other.

This is a good moment to tell the world that I definitely believe in deja-vu, or propheting, or future forecasting. I don't know exactly in what matter I believe it, but my personal experience I've definitely seen the two individuals who worked at fireplace before, despite only meeting them for the first time in my life yesterday. very interesting. ahhhh my mind feels weird when I think about it, but it's an enjoyable kind of weird.

other than that, life is good, austin regan is here, we haven't got to hang out and play DOTA all night yet, but we will soon. I have been meeting quite a few people, and it's been very great and good.

this is all for now. call me if you want to talk, would love to hear from you.

jord