White Guys w Guns

When I was a college student from small town midwest, we'd go to New York for Christmas. Our excuse was "theatre seminar." They give you college credit fer going to plays and writing a paper. Pretty good deal. 

But the cool thing was - kids from all over the country, N'Joizy to California, alone together drinking and partying. California girls are fun. 

Christmas Eve was cold dark night and big fluffy snow starts t'droppin' from the sky like paratroops. And I'm so anxious to go to Central Park and watch it fall, and see God's present to his eager children. I almost do, but so fearful of being killed by gangs who roam the park "wilding" mugging, killing, and off-limits for humans after dark. 

A couple years later I'se selling cars in Hot-Lanna and a little old retired Army colonel comes in to buy. I'se makin' small talk, so when he says he just lef' New York, I tell him that story. And he tells me his. He went to Central Park late at night and got attacked by angry young men who came at him with knives. "That's terrible" I tell him. "Yeah" he says "three young men lost their lives that night."

But there's more...twenty year later I'm in a tourist in Rome with my kids. Our first day here. And now I'm up at 4 am with anxiety, afraid of what I've got them into. Down in the hotel lobby there's a mini bar so I grab a whiskey. And I see this old guy and his wife gettin' ready to go out. "What's up" I ask him. He smiles "Rome is amazing this time a night."

Some places seem sinister, people are leery. Don't make eye contact on 8th Ave at night. Other places are easy, get lost in the crowd at Leicester Square. Wander around anywhere in Venice, it's all the same. 

When I was a small town kid, when the sun went down, the fun began. But old people get up early to catch every second of daylight. Cuz whatcha can't see - could kill you. Fear begets fear and it ends in death.