“One day I stepped out of my building while she was walking by.”
Twins
Dear Diary:
I'm in my early thirties and live in Brooklyn. I have a neighbor who is about twice my age. Over the past few months, whenever I've seen her on the sidewalk, I've complimented her on what she was wearing, and she's done the same for me.
One day I stepped out of my building as she walked by. We wore the same jeans, the same T-shirts with Breton stripes, the same dark sunglasses, even the same gold chain.
We stopped and pointed at each other.
“Good outfit,” I said.
“Good outfit,” she said.
When I looked down I saw that she was wearing black flats. I was wearing sneakers.
“You need to go back and change,” she said.
I took a picture of the two of us and we parted ways.
A week later I saw her again. She was with her partner.
“This is my twin brother,” she said.
“I moved to the flats,” I said.
“Good,” she said. “I knew they would look better.”
She put a photo of her daughter on her phone. She was about my age and had the same blonde hair.
“I think I need to get my hair highlighted again,” I said, handing the phone back and spinning it around for my neighbor's inspection.
“Yes,” she said, “I think you should add some stripes.”
–Grace Bowden
Bronx Tony
Dear Diary:
A few years ago I was in New York City with a friend. We hailed a taxi outside our hotel and headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
We were very happy. The cab was a Checker, and at the wheel was what looked to us like an authentic New York cabbie: heavy Bronx accent, unlit cigar, driver's cap.
When he heard we were from Fort Worth, Texas, he told us stories about the Bronx and advised us where to get the best Italian food in the city. His name was Toon.
When we arrived at the museum, we paid the fare, said our goodbyes and got out. We were just entering the museum when we heard someone calling our name.
When we turned around, we saw Tony walking towards us. My friend had left her sunglasses in the taxi. We asked what we could do to repay the favor.
He smiled and pointed to one cheek.
“A kiss here,” he said, then pointed to his other cheek. “And one over there.”
We were happy to oblige.
– Shelly Gotz
Rough weekend
Dear Diary:
I was walking down the street on a Sunday afternoon with my headphones in. It was the end of a tough weekend.
I was drawn into a song that soothed my recently broken and rejected heart. I wondered if I would ever meet someone new who would love me, or if I should prepare for a lonely life.
A beautiful young woman walked past me. It seemed like she was saying something to me, so I grabbed my headphones.
“You're so beautiful,” she said. “I just had to tell you.”
“Wow!” I said, “And here I am having a hard day.”
“Well, if you want one,” she said, “I'd give you a hug.”
And we hugged each other
– Sarah Hanssen
Reading rush hour
Dear Diary:
I was on a rush hour train into the city with my children, a three-year-old and a baby. I had to stand with the stroller and the baby, but I found a spot where my daughter could sit a little further away.
After sitting down with her Madeline book, she looked up at me.
“Mommy, you wanted to read to me,” she said.
I made eye contact with a man sitting next to her. He was tall and slim, wearing a beige cotton summer suit and a bow tie.
“Sweetheart, ask the man to read to you,” I said.
The man gestured to himself.
“Me?” he said.
I nodded.
He then read “Madeline” from 42nd Street to 72nd as riders nearby watched and listened.
–Claire Steichen
Naked city
Dear Diary:
It was the early 1990s and I was a young law firm associate living in an apartment building in Manhattan.
One evening, when I got home from work around midnight, I decided to take my trash to the dumpster down the hall.
When I pushed open the door of the room, I heard a woman screaming. I jumped back and asked if everything was okay.
“Yes,” she said, “but I'm naked.”
“Why are you naked?” I have asked.
“I didn't expect anyone to be in the hallway right now,” she replied. “Can you just take a step back and then close your eyes so I can run back to my apartment?”