Blind Prophecy

So I missed an anniversary of sorts last week. I moved to New York exactly one year ago last Monday. The only reason this occurred to me is that I was walking around the financial district the other day having one of those internal policy debates where I imagine how I would answer certain questions (what, doesn’t everyone daydream about political arguments?), and in my imaginary debate, I answered a question (about the Mosque near Ground Zero) by pointing out emphatically that I am a New Yorker.

Then I realized that I had no idea when I started thinking of myself as a New Yorker and started to think of this place a bit as home. Probably sometime after I moved into my current place in Harlem. But the subways no longer intimidate me, I’m mispronouncing fewer place names, I feel relatively comfortable giving tourists directions… yesterday I was told that I’m losing my Nevada/Utah accent.

Anyway, I wouldn’t go so far as to claim I’m a “true New Yorker” yet – I think one has to spend a little more time outside Manhattan than I have – but I’m certainly starting to settle in.

So, I’ve got one week left at Lambda. I’ve really enjoyed working there this summer and hope I get to work with them again in the future. I’m definitely planning to stay in touch with the staff I’ve worked with.

I got offered a fall semester internship working with the EEOC in Newark. I accepted the position and look forward to figuring out how to make all the pieces of my fall semester schedule work together. That’s four classes, a journal, a competition team, an internship, a board position for a networking group, and a handful of volunteer commitments. I’m already looking forward to the winter holiday. I’d been talking about putting some volunteer time in on one of the political campaigns this season (you may have heard that my congressman has been in the news this week, guy by the name of Charlie Rangel), but I think that’s not going to happen now.

Yesterday’s pool party and the house of Puntabulous was a lot of fun. I got to meet some people in the flesh for the first time, catch up with other friends, and generally spend a relaxing day out on Long Island. I took exactly 0 pictures because everyone else had their cameras going all the time, so I imagine the documentation will arrive soon.

Today I’m on my way back to school for training in how the Journal will function this year.

Filed under: miscellaneous, NYC by Jere Keys