Running Across the Grass

As far as parks go, it's hard to beat Central Park. I'm sure you can, but there's something about a massive (843 acres) park surrounded by skyscrapers that makes it magical. There's a zoo, two ice-skating rinks, and a castle. Come on - how do you beat a park with a zoo and a castle?

Amazingly, this post is not about Central Park but rather Bryant Park. Bryant Park sits steps away from Times Square and is home to the New York Public Library. Not surprisingly, Bryant Park used to be a bit shady (not in the tree-lined sense of the word) and was the frequent site of muggings and drug deals. (It says so on the park's website. I'm not just exaggerating.) Now, Bryant Park hosts Fashion Week twice a year. It's also the permanent home to public ping pong tables, chess tables, restaurants and bars, and a carousel. During the winter there is a skating rink on the lawn surrounded by a holiday market. In the summer time, they hold free outdoor movies on the lawn.

Normally, the lawn opens in the late spring for the local business person to enjoy during lunch. Because of all the rain we had over the winter, the lawn is currently roped off. There's a sign that says it will open on April 30 - only a few more days! Amazingly, people don't cross the rope and walk through the grass. I was incredibly tempted to run across the park the other day, but resisted. I envisioned being tackled by Bryant Park security guards like those crazy people at baseball games that jump into the outfield and run across the grass before they're tackled and arrested. I don't think I would have been arrested for running across the park lawn, but I didn't think it was a good theory to test.

On Friday, I worked from Bryant Park for the afternoon. (Did I mention free wireless?) A coworker and I got there right around lunch time and it was packed. Luckily, we found two seats next to a couple finishing up lunch at one of the few tables in the park and slipped into their seats once the left. They offered to let us sit with them, but I didn't want to crowd them. (Who says New Yorkers aren't nice?) As the day progressed, the business people left and more tourists and families arrived. I looked up and there was a couple next to me waving to someone behind me. I turned to see who it was because I'm nosy like that and saw a little girl, perhaps 2-years old, wandering on the lawn. Her parents were beckoning her towards them, but all she saw was freedom in the grass. She ran her waddle-y run further into the middle of the lawn. Not wanting to cross the barrier onto the grass, her parents followed along the edge of the lawn. Unfortunately, hundreds of people sat along the perimeter of the lawn, myself included, and so they had to walk behind a few rows of people sitting. The little girl went deeper and deeper into the lawn and thus further and further from her parents. Everyone sitting along the perimeter began to watch as she ran uninhibited through the grass, jealous that she was free from judgment for running through the yard. As the little girl approached the far end of the lawn she realized her parents were "lost" in the crowd and she turned around to run back. Sensing that this was not the course she should take she turned back again. Then she started to cry. Her parents called her name and waved to her frantically. She saw them finally, started waving back, and ran towards them.

Inhibitions are one of those weird, learned behaviors that are introduced at a young age. The little girl never cared that people were watching her run across the grass. It was only when she couldn't find her parents that she noticed something was strange. Still, she didn't care about the people watching her. Although I don't know for sure, I would put money down that the little girl would be much more cognizant of all the watchful eyes in a few short years. Certainly, some are less concerned with what their peers think than others, but most people have some level of inhibition.

I wish I was a brave as the little girl running through Bryant Park.