A hero lies hospitalised. We've heard from the talking heads; the big politicians, his comrades, and everyone inbetween. But what does the average New Yorker think?
Hello, New York! I'm sure many of us have read the excellent opinion piece written by Victor Voss for the Wide Angle, but many of us may be wondering; what does the average New Yorker feel about all of this? Well, I spent yesterday, or "Bump-in-the-Night Day", walking the streets and getting the opinions of people; and not just New Yorkers!
My first interview was probably the most dramatic (and indicative) by far. A man who did not give me his name, but rather, his Twitter handle; "Lightskin Threat" (yes, really.) When presented with what his opinion might be on the badly injured Bump-in-the-Night, Mr. Threat told me that he chose to make a 'Get ready with me' video on that day for engagement, but later deleted it as it 'did not work out so well'. In continuing this attitude, he made his opinion plainly clear; 'I don't care'. This may sound heartless, but from what I saw during my time in Times Square, it's an opinion shared by many people. Which begs the question; why? A hero, who puts his life on the line for us, lies dying. And people don't care. For Mr. Lightskin Threat, he made this even clearer, declaring that 'everything is a stunt for me'. He said he takes whatever opportunity he can to keep his social media image.
He then ended the interview by asking for my number. I'll let you all form your own opinions on that.
It would be remiss of me to continue talking about the interviews without also mentioning the day's events. Despite being a day off for a rather tragic event, many people found themselves caught up in fistfights. I dug into the cause and it seemed that, for most people, it was a matter of ego. New York keeps moving, if nothing else, but it felt tasteless, fighting in such a crowded place, on a day that should be sombre.
My next interview was much less unusual. A woman who simply gave her name as 'Raquel'. She remarked on how unusual it was that things kept spinning on. How off it all felt. But she also proclaimed she wasn't someone to 'let negative stuff affect me', she did give a touching message about life. How short it can be, and what a stark reminder it was, seeing such a large figure in such critical condition.
Another man, Apollo, gave his opinion as such. He feels as if he looks over his shoulder more at night (a good practice, wherever you are in New York!), but that he had faith in the other heroes to keep the peace. I share his sentiment for hope, but I imagine many other people are feeling the same concerns. Those concerns are valid. It's not every day you see such a large figure fall, after all.
One set of interviewees were a pair of (what I believe) are brothers, from out of town. All the way from sunny California, no less! Their interview was short because, frankly, neither of them actually knew who Bump-in-the-Night was. Still, it was interesting to get their opinions on everything. They both ardently oppose the Sons of Adam, and they've got a healthy suspicion of our interstellar visitors! Hopefully, their time in New York involves fewer fist-fights from now on...
I would like to end off this piece with a quote from a man who preferred to keep his anonymity. When I asked him about the tragedy, he told me this;
"It'll pass. As most things do. It's good to keep hope when faced with such tragedies. It's all we can do, and it's all we have done."
Ultimately, I think that's what this should be about. Hope. A hero has fallen, and it's a great tragedy, but we must never give into despair, into fear, into worry. We can only carry on, and help others as best we can.
That, I think, is the true spirit of New York. Not street brawls and unusual influencers. Hope.