Streets Crowded

I was once walking across 31st Street between 6th and 7th when I heard someone shout at a slow-moving pedestrian ahead of him, in the deeply impatient and grievously inconvenienced tone that is the foundation of the New York City accent, “Lady, ya gotta move!” To my everlasting horror, I suddenly realized that the words were, in fact, coming from my own mouth. There’s something very frightening about that loss of control when your inner monologue is given voice. Anyway, things are even worse now. And that lady really did need to move. I mean, come on, it’s a goddamn sidewalk. Walk already.