The Flyer Kid Diaries: Tunnel Vision

Its amazing how much working in Times Square changes your perception of things.  From what you need to spend your money on, to your relationships with people.  It's like there is this specific brand of tunnel vision that only those who stand in public places and see thousands of faces a day are subject to. When I work, especially if it's a long day I find myself constantly fighting off the urge to zero in on things are put in front of me. If I spend a shift stationed in front of Forever 21 I pass the time reinventing my wardrobe in my head, mixing and matching things to mirror what is in their windows.  Or keeping myself from shopping their $5 sales, buying something I will only wear once and immediately regret.  On the other side of this coin I have become an excellent window shopper for my friends.  It happens quite often that I see something that Rachel or Chrisena needs to have and by the end of my shift I have texted them a picture or a description and we're both equally excited.

When it comes to relationships though, that's where things can get tricky.  Working in Times Square has definitely made me tougher.  Over the past few years I have developed a thicker skin to rude or sexually explicit comments.  Usually I just brush them off in character and move on.  If someone is really insistent I snap completely out of character and tell them to leave me alone, or grab a police officer (FIGHT THE FUZZIES!).  When it comes to my personal safety I don't mess around.  As a person with these reflexes, and as an introvert, this has caused me to put up walls in my personal life, because when I am on the job I am constantly berated by people.  As a result of this combination I find it hard to take compliments, no matter how genuinely meant, seriously.  Especially from men.

So when I ran into an old male acquaintance last week getting on the subway I didn't think much of it.  It was very nice to see him and talk to him but I thought that was that.  Then, less than a week later I saw him again. On the subway.  At a stop I do not frequent.  As soon as I got on he moved over to talk to me and we spent the whole train ride flirting.  Let me also just say that this man is very attractive.  This had to be fate telling us we should go out for drinks, right? A few days later I was telling bestie Sena about this and we decided to look him up on Facebook only to find out he has a girlfriend! At first I was confused, and then I realized I had made it all up! He had not been flirting at all, he was just being a nice human.  I blame Times Square for my misjudgment; usually the men who show interest in me are either toothless or trying to pee on me.  So what this man meant, I am sure, as genuine, friendly conversation I took to mean he was interested in me.  Because Times Square has completely wrecked my perception of what is right and normal.

Clearly the moral of this story is that I need to get out more. And there are more side effects to being a flyer kid that I could have ever imagined.  So beware kids of Times Square, objects in tunnel vision may be less interested than they appear.  -xo Sydney