walking skills

As i was walking down 14th St. this evening after work, dodging left and right the traffic of people, something occurred to me:

I was trained for these sidewalks.

That's right, i was trained, and trained well to dodge oncoming traffic and swerve past the slow pokes on the mean sidewalks of NYC. It all began in 6th grade in the hallways of my middle school. I dodged like none other! In fact, i have recollections of using my elbows to aid in weaving through the crowds. Perhaps my petite size had an impact on this. I was more easily able to maneuver my way, slipping past groups of students at a time. See, we didnt have much time to make it to our next class, and sometimes that meant heading to the other end of the school. Tough times called for tough action. And as petite was i was, i still packed a punch (or an elbow swat).

Now, let me convey that i have ceased using the elbow swat. It was useful at the time but now i fear that it would lead to much more trouble than simply a confused glance.

So nowadays, on the sidewalks of New York, i use my walking skills. I dodge, i swerve, i hustle, i even occasionally awkwardly run-walk. And these learned skills have been with me since age 12. They are put to good use on a daily basis. The feet of New Yorkers are like cars for suburban folks. They are our primary mode of transportation. So i suppose that these walking skills are like the steering wheel, the windshield wipers, and even the fuel gauge - necessities to survive. All need to be in excellent working condition.

So halls of middle schools, i do hope you are continuing to serve as the training ground for our future New Yorkers. You have certainly served me well.