Photo by myself just inside the entrance to the subway near Bryant Park, at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
Temperatures are dropping here in New York City.
Just last week, we had days that felt warm. Recent windy days, however, must have been sent straight from the Arctic Circle. Brrrrr!
The homeless and itinerant seek refuge in or near the subway stations, for warmth. It is very, very cold at night.
I have to say I feel decidedly weird sometimes. My day might be spent deciding where to locate a $400 faucet, or choosing between one or another $250 toilet paper holder.
On the way home, I will encounter those begging for change. Musicians will sing on cold sidewalks, dancers will dance on moving subways. Kids with iphones will be standing next to adults slumped over in wheelchairs.
Not to be a downer, but this is reality. It's high and low, rich and poor, and it's right here on a typical night in New York.
Related posts: Castaways, Life in High Contrast and Can You Keep it Down?.
9 comments:
bonne photo, ici cela commence : neige, grand froid
Hi Kitty. Wonderful picture!
Talking a little about the contrasts you have mentioned in Brazil. We have the second worst income distribution in the world according to the Gini index, surpassed only by Sierra Leone.
According to a study released Wednesday by the IPEA (Institute of Applied Economic Research), although the country has managed to improve some of its key social indicators, income distribution is still one of the worst problems of the country. According to the survey, 1% of richest people - 1.7 million people in Brazil - has an income equivalent to the portion composed of the poorest 50% (86.5 million).
Paris is under the cold spell as well... Your picture says more than million of words. We should all do a little bit. Our share, at least. In waiting for greater things.
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
You ain't kidding, sister! I about got knocked over by the wind running across the street this morning, and that would be no small feat for Mr Wind!
But your picture was a perfect reminder that no matter what situation we find ourselves in in life, there is always someone less fortunate...and especially during such a difficult time of year, we could try to do something for others.
Excellent photo, Miss Kitty.
the well heeled and the out of luck
That's a wonderful, but heartbreaking photo Kitty. It really makes me appreciate all I take for granted.
We have heavy snow forecast in London this evening, the city will come to a standstill it that becomes a reality, England doesn't do snow very well.
I know what you mean about feeling weird. This is how I feel when I go grocery shopping and can buy whatever food I want or need & bring it home to my warm cozy abode. Meanwhile there are many children in America who go to bed hungry. It makes me feel better to donate money at the grocery store using those pull off $ tickets by the cash register, but I know it is not enough.
The contrasts you point out tug at «Louis», too. Recently, he grabbed a sandwich from the espresso shop he owns and dashed out front to give it to one of the most pitiful homeless people he has ever seen. The poor soul leaves his stench hanging in the air a block behind him. When «Louis» went back into his shop, his bookkeeper, who had witnessed this, berated him. «Louis» replied, "You are the mother of three children. You should understand! He was some woman's baby once!"
There seem to be an infinite number of possible human experiences out there - it seems that New York offers a glimpse at so many contrasting ones...
Post a Comment