It is the last day of September, and one of those days that could easily win the prettiest-day-of-the-year contest. Where am I? Sitting at my school desk basking in the few squares of sunlight that come through the hermetically sealed window. I am going to grade projects, I really am, but the plan is to get through just a few more articles in the Sunday Times first. Just came across this article about sidewalk seating in NYC called "Curbside, We'll Never Have Paris" and decided to rant about it for a quick second. The apparent point of this article is that New Yorkers seem to be impervious to the many distractions and noxious fumes that surround them while they are eating al fresco. The author Frank Bruni lists several reasons why New Yorkers try to assume the Parisian habit of sidewalk dining, when, according to Bruni, New York streets are clearly not the "cobbled byways of Paris." He sums up the city's love of sidewalk tables in three misguided theories: 1)New Yorkers are trying to pretend like they are in Europe; 2)they have a survival skill or gene that allows them to overlook the rough edges of something; and 3)they crave anything that comes in limited supply. Puh-leeze. How about the fact that they are just as overworked as the rest of us and crave a little bit of outdoor time and sunlight? Wouldn't that suffice for a reason? If there were a decent sidewalk table in Nashville that was actually open on a Sunday, I would find a way to be there if I could. Right now it's back to grading...
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