"Cultivating a Spot
People are not the only ones neglected in New York. Things are
neclegted as well. I don't just mean big things like bridges and
subway tracks, I mean the small, barely noticeable things standing
right i front of your eyes: patches of sidewalk, walls, park benches.
Look closely at the things around you and you'll see that nearly
everything i falling apart.
Pick one spot in the city and begin to think of it as yours.
It doesn't matter where, and it doesn't matter what. A street cor-
ner, at subway entrance, a tree in the park. Take on this place as
your responsibility. Keep it clean. Beautify it. Think of it as
an extension of who you are, as a part of your identity. Take as
much pride in it as you would in your own home.
Go to your spot every day at the same time. Spent an hour watch-
ing everything that happens to it, keeping track of everyone who
passes by or stops or does anything there. Take notes, take photo-
graphs. Make a record of these daily observations and see if you
learn anything about the people or the place or yourself.
Smile at the people who come there. Whenever possible, talk to
them. If you can't think of anything to say, begin by talking about
the weather.
March 5, 1994"
Tekst af Paul Auster fra "Personal Instructions for SC on How to Improve Life in New York City (Because she asked...)" eller "Gotham Handbook"
