Prouder to Be a New Yorker
My beloved hometown — New York City — is the inspiration for my comedy and for everything I do. Once again, the Big Apple has been hit with an immense challenge. Hurricane Sandy has left much of the city reeling. My neighborhood — and also where I perform my weekly one man comedy show — has been without power since Monday. It’s startling to walk through parts of Manhattan and be in pitch darkness. Surreal. Unlike anything else. What a week to happen — when two of the city’s biggest annual events are planned.
Today, Halloween is essentially the ‘national holiday of New York.’ It is THE holiday to end holidays. For the past four decades, if you wandered into Greenwich Village, you would be greeted by fantastic costumes, spellbinding puppets, outrageous personalities and gargantuan floats. In other words, the Halloween Parade is fun. But, tonight it will not happen. For the first time in 39 years. The parade route snakes through Lower Manhattan, which is still plunged in darkness thanks to a power outage caused by Hurricane Sandy. The vibrant spirit of the Halloween Parade will be missed. Normally you cannot cross Sixth Avenue for hours thanks to the parade and the ensuing crowds. This year, people won’t be able to see a few feet in front of them.
News has just come out that the New York City Marathon is still scheduled to take place on Sunday. This is a favorite tradition of mine. As a runner and native New Yorker (and occasional cabbie), I love that the marathon traverses all five boroughs that make New York City great. I love that it’s the ultimate test — something that is not easy to accomplish. Hey, living in New York is not easy either, but if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere as the saying goes. And, there is nothing like watching the throngs of New Yorkers line streets to cheer on the runners or cheering on the runners myself. It is one of the highlights of fall in New York.
While these two events — the Halloween Parade and New York City Marathon — have been on my mind. I am so proud to be a New Yorker. Prouder than ever because of the heroism and compassion shown by my fellow New Yorkers during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I celebrate the nurses who saved the premature babies lives when NYU Hospital’s generator failed, the firefighters who took on those Breezy Point blazes and the off-duty NYPD officer who lost his life while trying to save his family. Once again, these men and women prove that my city has a resilient spirit and is filled with people who care about each other. Thank you New York. Thank you fair citizens of my hometown. I’m grateful to live here and to have the opportunity to entertain you every Saturday night.
And, I’m hoping that the lights come back on soon.
