When I was ten years old I had friend named friend Jeff. And you know how it is with young boys some like the Mets, others like the Yankees. Well Jeff loved trains. Whether it was LIRR or New York City subway. It didn't matter.
One day he suggested that we take the LIRR to New York City to see the World Trade Center. At that time I was living on Long Island, and had never been to New York City by myself let alone the World Trade Center. So it seemed like a pretty good idea. Something out of Makauly Calukin movie.
You have to understand that the town I grew up in on Long Island is very upscale, very safe, but very boring. The idea of excitement was going to the diner on Saturday night for pancakes. So, going to the city seemed like a big adventure.
Jeff was very confident that we could make it there without any problems. I was less sure to put it mildly. Scared shitless would be more accurate. I don't even know if we told our parents. Probably not. Now, I have been all over the world even to some war-torn countries like Afghanistan, but I don't think I was more scared than when I went on the Long Island Railroad, and especially the New York City subway at that time.
The trip was pretty uneventful to begin with, but as we got on the subway things started to feel more dangerous. There were adults from all walks of life, and I remember after I saw some strange homeless people on the train. I said to Jeff in a upset voice close to crying, " I want to go home." kind of similar to Bubba before he died in the film Forest Gump.
Over the years, Jeff would remind me about our past trip, and imitate my voice mercilessly, but what do you expect I was only ten.
What concerns me is that going to NYC by myself was a pretty rare thing, but nowadays it's quite common. There are ten year old's commuting to New York City schools on a regular basis. There was even a recent incident in which a ten year old boy was attacked by a strange man, and held between two subway cars. If it wasn't for the intervention of a school teacher who knows what would have happened to the boy?
Back then though Jeff was unconcerned, and told me "Don't worry things would be ok," and It turned out he was right.
We got to the World Trade Center, and I was able to see Manhattan and New Jersey in ways I had never see before. It was a trip I will never forget, because it gave me perspective.
The way back was I was more upbeat as we headed home, and in particular when we returned without incident. I don't know if I would go so far and label the trip as life changing, but It showed me a world of possibilities, how big New York and the world is, and what I was capable of in terms of overcoming obstacles.
Since that first trip my friend Jeff now works for the Long Island Rail Road, and I have traveled to over twenty five countries. I have come a long way. Literally, and that first trip started it all.
Life Lesson 114: My trip to NYC reminded me of Frank Sinatra's song New York, New York. Especially the line "If you can make it here you can make it anywhere." Well, I think that in this case the line should be instead, "If you can make it there and back, you can make it anywhere and back." And thanks to Jeff's encouragement and the courage I showed that day it's become the way I live my life.
