I once had a conversation with a co-worker wherein we agreed that after returning from a vacation, it takes no more than fifteen seconds on a Manhattan street to alert one that he or she has returned to the proverbial “concrete jungle.” Recently, I’ve concluded that a vacation can range from a voyage to an exotic island or a few hours on one’s own couch. Whatever the destination point, the common thread of most vacations is a reprieve from everyday rituals and daily activities known as “the grind.”

My most recent reprieve came a few days ago when I purchased a new Apple laptop. As with any new electronic gadget, the novelty of my prized laptop lead me to stay up all night installing software, music and doing a million other things. As I sat in my living room until 3 a.m. without a care in the world, I could have easily been on vacation. The following morning, with only three to four hours of sleep, I ventured into the concrete jungle, ill-prepared for what NYC had in store.

I hopped on a crowded A-train, full of work-bound travelers like myself. By the time we hit 42nd street the train was packed. While a crowded train can be stressful early in the morning, I take my four short stops in stride—that is, until a thirty-something Caucasian male enters the train, gliding effortlessly on his “magic carpet of entitlement.” He clearly considers himself the only straphanger in a rush, and barrels past a black woman before landing squarely on my feet. He carried out both tasks in one fell swoop and without the mere utterance of an apology to either me or his female victim. I tapped him on his shoulder and informed him, “You cut that woman off and stepped on my feet. You are excused.” Naturally, he responded with a dismissive, “Come on BUDDY…it’s a crowded train.” My response, “the crowded train does not negate the fact that I have feet, nor does it excuse the fact that you just stepped all over them without apologizing.” At this point all eyes are on my yuppie assailant and me. As you can probably also imagine, devoid of any degree of civility or social grace, he looked at me as though I were begging for change and promptly dismissed me.

It must have been the word “BUDDY” combined with its cocky delivery that sent a montage of images and a bevy of thoughts through my mind in as little as 30 to 45 seconds. My thoughts led me to assume from the way he treated the woman he cut off that he could have easily done the same to my mother or sister and called either of them a b*%ch when they called him on his conduct; or that he was the type that considered the shooting of an unarmed citizen by NYPD a justifiable homicide. Arguing with him at 9a.m. would have been as pointless as it were foolish. Nothing about my verbal exchange with the genie would bring his magic carpet to earth. He would continue to float above the world feeling entitled, deserving, and warranted in squashing the toes of subway travelers around the City without the slightest request for forgiveness. Although my gut reaction was to go upside his head, I’m not game for an assault charge or doing a 3 year bid for failure to control my rage (no matter how justifiable that anger may be), and he definitely looked like the pressing charges type. A little voice inside my head told me to “let it go,” and I listened.

But as the train approached my stop, I listened to another inner-voice impacted by my initial thoughts. This voice told me to find the offending feet and I did. On behalf of myself, the woman he’d violated in his quest to be first, and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, I “WALKED IT OUT”, “TWO-STEPPED” and danced all over his toes and arches as I exited the train. I remember hearing my great grandmother once tell my nana, “baby two wrongs don’t make a right”, but in the words of the classic Jam & Lewis song, “I’m Only Human.”

If you know me, you know that I am slow to anger. But in the concrete jungle sometimes you must adapt to survive and maintain your sanity. The genie reminded me… “Come on BUDDY…. it’s a crowded train.” The question is what you would do given the circumstances?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This story is less about race and more about civility and social grace.

Rosa Parks – For her courage in addressing the injustice of having her feet stepped on while maintaining her composure and dignity.

Ralph Ellison -For the Invisible Man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Man

Dana Carvalho –Congrats on the birth of your son, Everett (see two shouts in one.) May he be as adventurous as we were growing up.

My Mac Book Pro

Dalton at Bad Boy a/k/a the computer genius.

Penelope Jones - wishing you the best in your new endeavor.

Much respect to all who navigate and stay sucker free in the asphalt and concrete jungles of America.

SOUNDTRACK: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

1. The Human League “I’m Only Human”
2. Jackie Moore “If”
3. Naughty By Nature “Take It to Ya Face”
4. Albert King “Cold Feet”
5. Frankie Smith “The Double Dutch Bus”
6. Kool G. Rap “Streets Of New York”
7. Donny Hathaway “Someday We’ll All Be Free”
Patrice Rushen “To Each His Own” [Bonus Cut]