New York State of Mind

Last night I had a great shift. Every person was nice, entertaining and generous. I went all over the city and most of the borough's (no bronx) and while I drove some cool people, like a continental airlines pilot who was on his way to work and a surgeon on his way to emergency surgery uptown, these weren't the prevailing thoughts that I had to write about. Instead, I feel like writing about New York.
See, my whole life I always feel the need to go somewhere else. See more places. Do more things. Travel. When I was a teenager I drove through a few nearby states just out of boredom. Then one day I drove all the way down south and stayed for a few months even though I was broke-ass the whole time. I've seen other countries, still looking for something exciting. I still want to go see some of them... but not right now.
For the first time I can remember I'm completely satisfied being right here. You believe that? I realized last night, in a flash, that I love this place. New York City is THE city. Every other city is just pretending.
Sure it can be a little dirty. Of course some schmuck is going to piss you off, but you can flip him off and be on your way! That's the excitement! I travel through the city and in a relatively small distance you go from SOHO, thru meat-packing, up to the upperwest and see so many different niche's and neighborhoods that it's almost like traveling through different cities all night. Where else can you get that? London is London. Paris is Paris. In New York, it's like, "which part? Upper-east? Awww, so close. I'm from the lower west. I thought for a second we're from the same place but it turns out we're not... close though!"
Myself, I'm from Brooklyn baby! And we're a world of our own.. the "REAL New York" if you will. Ed Norton himself called it "Brooklyn USA!"
So when you're driving the Henry Hudson PKWY and stop off south of 125th at the lookout, or on the FDR looking at the PEPSI sign, and in Union Square watching skateboarders hurt themselves you should take it all in and realize just how awesome it really is. I realize that I'm lucky to get to drive it all night long and see all these things every day. It never gets tiring because there's always something new to see.
So yes, I want to go to Dublin! And I want to go Australia and drive cross country from Sydney to Darwin, and I want to go to the desert in the west and stop by Vegas. But for the first time I don't want to do that right now. That would mean time away from my city. And if you think that I should be out of my city for a while then you can SUCK MY...!! I love it. Only in NY baby!