Saturday, June 21, 2008

Any Friday night

Friday night.

As the elevator doors slide open, a heel materializes at its entrance, followed by a toppling woman, wine glass in hand. Once we reach the night air, we are greeted by a green balloon, bouncing down the middle of the street. A survivor if I've ever seen one.

E. turns to peer down a corridor. "The hookers are out. I always feel as though I am out too late if they are around when I am heading home."

Prostitutes as any sort of litmus test seems like very much like a big city phenomenon.

I've decided to ride the Night Bus tonight, rather than risking the peril of hunting for the elusive taxicab amongst the drunk and flailing. I'm now merely a bridge away from downtown, which makes small places with loud people vastly more tolerable. The path to the bus shelter, though, cuts directly through the "entertainment district".

The "entertainment district" is a very strange place indeed for the non-smashed. Even having consumed enough wine to hover at the giggling stage is not enough for this street to feel natural. I feel as though I stand out, like an anthropologist of sorts, merely by virtue of my flat shoes. Although I'm sure the canvas shopping bag thrown over my shoulder with a board game peaking out isn't helping with the blending.

At the mouth of any alley, three girls crouch precariously on their narrow heels. One is sobbing, the other has her arms thrown around her. The third is perched with a camera in hand, apparently seeking the perfect angle to catch the sparkle of her friend's tears.

As I wait for the bus, I slide my headphones in, but my finger hovers over the play button. I am torn between wanting to fully observe the scenes playing out in front of me, or simple distraction. I choose the former for five minutes, until eventually pressing my finger down. The world in front of me looks like the most surreal of music videos.

I need to be reminded to turn off the social scientist sometimes.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

i def would have felt out of place too.

Laurie Stark said...

That green balloon line is beautiful. And I know just what you mean about the music-- when I lived in New York, there were times when I'd be walking with headphones in my ears, but I'd be so immersed in all of the sights and sounds of the city night that I'd forget to press play. It's nice when that happens.

P said...

Why on earth did one girl want to take a picture of another one crying???

Anonymous said...

oh the drunk girls crying? that reminds me of my friends and I in college. I'd be the one with the camera. For some reason when you're drunk it always feels right to take a picture.

Anonymous said...

One of the saddest pictures I've ever seen is of two of my best friends (at the time) bawling in the bathroom at a birthday party.
I don't know who took the photo, or why, but it makes me feel terrible to this day.

B said...

why would anyone want to take a picture of somebody sobbing?

t.k.foster said...

But if you turned off the social scientist, we wouldn't have anything to read and deconstruct. I think it is fascinating, though, how one affects one person, yet totally different for another. Glad I'll never know though :).

Therapeutic Ramblings said...

Voyeurism is the crack to the masses, we've all been hooked by the next rock....blogging.

Anonymous said...

I always find it very interesting to observe situations like this. There's something to be said for stopping the music from time to time.

About your gym, how are they allowed to have 2 out of 4 TVs on the same channel? That would drive me crazy!

Nina said...

Yeah, I still don't get why anyone would want to take a cry picture. Hm.

Bayjb said...

If my friends took a picture of me crying rather than comforting me, I would kick them with my high heel. Way not cool.

alexa @clevelandsaplum said...

poor girls. my finger would have hovered as well. and social science isn't even my field of interest.

but observing is. and that's exactly what i would have done.

ps and im sad im not making it to chicago too : (

Rahul said...

I hope it was a Coldplay music video. those rock.

Melissa said...

I dont understand how someone would want to take a picture of a crying person.. That's just sad, drunk or not..

Yoda said...

That you called it a 'taxicab' and not a 'taxi' or a 'cab' made me giggle a bit. I mean, who does that??

:-p

Anonymous said...

"Prostitutes as any sort of litmus test seems like very much like a big city phenomenon."

An astute observation.