Stormy Weather...

"Don't know why

There's no sun up in the sky;

Stormy weather.

Since my man and I ain't together,

It's rainin' all the time..."

Shortly after boarding, we were told we would be taking off momentarily.
Two minutes later, the engines died. The pilot came on the loudspeaker and informed us we were to stay where we were and wait for the next 40 minutes, as the the weather in NYC was very dangerous at the moment and they had a no go.

We waited. Everyone on the flight, despite the captain's request, wanted to get off the plane, let their children run rampant, screaming up and down the aisles, and complain. (This was a theme that continued through the duration of the flight, to the point that I thought our stewardess was going to have a hernia).

Eventually we took off and, despite some bouts of turbulance, the smell of the toilets whafting over the back wall to my seat (nw I know why people really don't like to sit in the back of the plane), and a woman who insisted on standing every time the seatbelt sign came on or one of the staff made an announcement to stay in our seats, it went alright. Even enjoyable-- I had two lovely women next to me who were eager to share their magazines, gum, and starburst candies with me at every turn. That is, until we got past Lake Eerie.

Suddenly there were clouds-- LOTS of clouds. It was quite beautiful, really: a thick cover above us, like a cieling, the blue of the sky next to us, and below, tier after teir of cloud raining onto one another. Amazing. And then the pilot came on.

"Folks, we've just got word that the hurricane has not exactly subsided in New York. We ave been asked to hold a flight pattern here above the ground. Now, we have plenty of fuel to get us through this, but it may take up to 40 minutes or more...We'll let you know if anything changes."

And so, I proceeded to watch on our aerial map as our plane went round and round in circles for a good hour and a half; sun bursting out when we turned back westward, and clouds and turbulance the closer we got to the East, until...

"Folks, we are running rather dangerously out of fuel, now. Now, I understand that things are clearing up a bit around JFK, but, unfortunately, we do not have wnough fuel to get there, so we will be diverting this flight to Syracuse, where we will re-fuel, and try to get you there as soon as possible. Thanks."

Chaos.

Eventually, after our landing in Suracuse, with the plane skidding and leaning dangerously to the leftm over and over, we DID re-fuel, and proceeded to wait for about another 1/2 hour. When we finally got back in the air, no one wanted to stay in their seats. We flew for another hour, once having toi go past JFK, to let other planes in line ahead of us, get their turn to land. While everyone mumbled, and the stewardesses yelled, I fell asleep again. And tried not to think of the fact that I would now be arriving in NYC in the dark. With possibly nowhere to go. I figured, if worst came to worst, I would stay at the airport.

Eventually we landed; everyone applauded, and filed out. I found my bag (thank you, it WAS on the same flight) and found a pay phone. Wayne answered, and after a few hang-ups due to insufficient funds, the New York subway system and I bacme well aquainted.

Brooklyn. Oh, Brooklyn. How dark and dank and frightening you are;p but I know you now, and I am not afraid of you. (Ha. Ha. What a lie). But I am not afraid to survive in you, and I suppose that is who I am. New York-- Brooklyn at night, in particular, is a terrifying thing and with good reason. But there are other cities, just as dangerous-- perhaps more so becasue no one realises that the are. And, eventually, I found friends, and all was quite well. I am continually impressed by the kindness of friends and strangers. I am also amazed by the ignorance of people, and the fear I am learning to notice that lies behind so many of us and our choices in life. Much of New York is not beautiful: It smells, it is stained, it is dark and violent and harsh and ugly... but I don't have to be anyone here. I can melt into the pavement, and somehow I feel at home. Free, even. I think I may be falling in love with the things I thought I hated most. New York disgusts me...and I want more.