Frank O’Hara draws ideas for his poetry from the surrounding environment. He focuses on the daily aspects of life in the city and is subsequently able to mold his experiences into poetry. O’Hara’s poetry resonated with me because they made me acknowledge how often I tune out my surroundings when I am in a rush. We live in a world driven by how productively we use our time. As a result, many are guilty of not taking the time to stop for a moment and appreciate what is taking place around. In A Step Away from Them, for instance, O’Hara points out the events he witnesses while on his lunch break. Rather than rushing to get something to eat, like most people in New York would do, O’Hara decides to go on a walk and simply take in the vibrancy of the city. After having roamed the streets of New York for what seems to be a long journey, O’Hara ends his poem by returning to work with “a glass of papaya juice.” In a limited amount of time, O’Hara was able to take the reader on an intricate journey around the streets of New York. From reading A Step Away from Them, my main takeaway is that it is important for people take some time to appreciate what they have in front of them. Life is not all about work. Sometimes it is important to take a break from our routine. and making it to an important meeting on time. A good example of this idea can be seen on this time-lapse video of Columbus Circle. There is so much to marvel at in this particular New York City area, and yet people seem to miss out on it because they hurry to get to their destinations.
Living in a city such as New York tends to have this effect on people. With so much going on in one place, people are forced to move around as quickly as possible in order to keep up with their rapidly changing environments. This idea is expressed in the reading by J.G. Ballard titled “Billennium.” While I do not agree with the idea that New York City is terribly overcrowded, I do acknowledge that at times, a city can feel confined. I feel this way in particular when I use public transportation or when I head over to placed such as Columbus Circle, Times Square or 34th Street. These places make a city feel clustered and to some this may be a wakeup call to moving out into a more rural environment. To me, a city offers the freedom to travel and explore. With the simple ride on the train, I can be in a completely different neighborhood than my own in a matter of minutes. I also enjoy the contrast in culture that a city offers.
This reminds me of the past two events we had at Lincoln Center and it was obviously late but we still took the time to sit on the fountain edge and take in the moment. I really do love those moments since everything does feel like a rush and there is something endearing about having some time to appreciate the little things. We feel guilty for not taking a break to treasure a moment but we also feel guilty for indulging ourselves at times too. The time-lapse video can even be said to present people with those few seconds to enjoy a scenery without going out of their way for a whole day to admire the city. All in all, it is good to appreciate the city we live in every now and then.