May 17, 2003

Beyond the Efficient

On a cab down to Chinatown, he realized his sudden knack for being more aggressive than the average New Yorker. It's generally assumed that the island's natives are fast people, passionate about living an efficient lifestyle. But he, an immigrant from the sun-drenched South, had adapted far quicker than anticipated. Maybe it was in him from the beginning. Maybe this is where he was meant to be.

As the cab was trying to cross 9th Street, a hesitant pedestrian put a foot forward on the pavement before receding; this simple act forced the cabdriver to stop and miss the go! go! go! action of the yellow lights. And it made him realize that, if it were him, this would not be an issue.

When he was in high school, he prided himself in being able to navigate the halls quickly, criss-crossing through the bodies in space toward his next class. After coming to this city, he realized those halls were preparation for the pandamonia that he was to face.

Intersections are key: You start walking as soon as the light turns yellow. The idea is that the person driving towards that yellow will see you walking and will hesitate, thereby shutting off his go! go! go! mode. And you'll have first dibs to the empty street. This way, you get from Point A to Point B before anyone else takes a step.

The efficiency meter is high in cases like these. It's the cornerstone of his life. But it also creates a life of waiting; sometimes, coming up with seamless methods of action take forever to devise. Theories must be formulated, hypothesis analyzed, data researched and tests performed. The path to the efficient frontier is a long and tedious one.

But he doesn't mind. The ultimate goal is somewhere over the rainbow, and all he sees currently is an empty, dark horizon. Somewhere, there's a voice whispering that in the future, there is a day and space waiting for him, reserved with a golden nameplate. He just has to survive until then, and the world will be his.

« A Semester of Uncertainty / Round and Round »

Excellent example!

You haven't been in my car for awhile now, have you. I can out drive any NYC cabbie!! ;-)

gorgeous, gorgeous writing...the type that always manages to place a smile on face. thank you. xo

haven't seen you in so long. how're you keeping? love the new look. if its new, that is. regardless, definitely one of my favourites after the original obsidian in amber pale green one. so old skool, i know. sigh. i'm all nostalgic now.

its sort of industrial and natural at the same time, you shouldda gone into fashion design! every time i come here there's a new design. either you're more efficient than you think or i'm a lazy son of a bitch..