escape from stamford

i run into people i know pretty frequently in this big city. many times, they are people i know from growing up in good old stamford, CT or from school in boston. many of us end up in new york, and they just so happen to ride the f train, travel through grand central or work near soho, all things that i do (or used to do).

tonight, after midnight, i recognized a guy getting on the f train at 14th st. it turned out to be a friend of mine from middle and high school...who i hadn't seen for years and years, but who i have thought about from time to time. you know those people you knew growing up who had so much potential, intellect and natural talent, who were stars of the high school, who you just knew would make a name for themselves one day. he was one, and i always wondered where he ended up.

turns out, he's been living a couple blocks from me for the past few months. as we traveled from 14th st. to brooklyn, we got a chance to catch up, and talk about living in new york and escaping from the black hole of stamford. he seems happy and fulfilled, and i think its just great to see people from my hometown doing well for themselves outside of the clutches of a town like stamford, where everyone knows everyone.

but what shocked me most about our encounter was his drive and determination to escape our hometown, and his feeling, which i wholly agree with, that hanging out there is usually an overwhelmingly sad experience. when i go out in stamford i find myself doing things i did in high school, running into many of the same people, and trying desperately to avoid them. but, i wasn't very popular in high school, so i had many reasons to get the hell out.

but, here is someone who had, from my perspective, a great experience in high school as a star athlete and popular kid in honors classes. i always thought people like him would want to stay in stamford to savor their glory days. not only has he moved on, but he's moved out. and he's not looking back. i admire that, and i'm glad i got to talk to him. it was truly one of the better chance encounters i've had in the past three years.