Luis

He’s somewhere between 4’11 and 5’2.  He has a shiny bald head thats contrasts his long, grey and white beard, frizzling outwards as if he accidentally put the whole thing on a candle, and it almost all burnt up, but not quite.   I’d actually say that I like his style, it’s kind of cool if you’re into giant loose t-shirts where the sleeves are so large that they pass as long sleeves. Usually a cap is thrown on his head, or a ratty jacket around his shoulders.  He wears glasses but they’re thin and clear… the real kicker are his eyes.  His eyes are huge and so very wide open at all times. His facial expression is pretty relaxed but his eyes are alert and looking everywhere, often making eye contact for long periods of time.  He almost looks like he’s frozen and he can’t move, but somehow isn’t freaking out about it.  Just sort of calm and collected, but physically frozen solid.  He stands like this, a gnome-y statue, in most every corner of the building.  He stands inside on the bottom floor and lingers near the elevator, he stands outside holding the door open (for no particular person).  Often he stands even farther away outside, leaning on a stoop or fire hydrant but not even smoking a cigarette or anything. Just hangin’. Standin’.  One time I was walking down the stairs from the 7th floor to the bottom one, and I passed him on the 3rd floor, sitting on the narrow hallway windowsill.  I said hello, to which he said nothing. Another time, some friends came over to eat Chinese takeout, and on our way out the door, a friend that had come with a friend saw him outside, leaning against the wall of the building.  I guess he tried to do a good deed, and held up his chinese takeout, with “here man, you want this?” Luis (that’s his name) looked at him in silence for a few seconds and said “No–in fact I live here,” clearly and rightfully offended.  But it isn’t being truthful to say that he doesn’t look exactly like the quintessential homeless man of your nightmares.

At this point, it probably sounds it sounds like I hate him.  However, what I have gained from observing this person from afar, is an acceptance of them, and ultimately a tolerability.  I would even go as far as to say an appreciation.  Not that I know Luis’ personality, and can name any qualities about him that seem appreciation-worthy.  Also, not that I think his complete silence and creepy eye contact as a response to my polite good mornings are appreciation-worthy, either.  I just think I have learned some things from living in New York since my move from LA. Sure there is such thing as a commute back home, but it’s primarily a solo one, to which you can get away with successfully not seeing another person in the flesh for an entire day if you wanted to. NYC is so different.  You can’t get away from anyone, let alone in the privacy of your own building.  However, it’s up to you if you want to be a miserable person, constantly annoyed by the presence of the inherent regulars in your life.  The thing about Luis is he’s creepy, but he brings no surprises.  Every day he has acted the same way, and I don’t believe he’ll ever change.  Luis will continue living his life the way he is and has, and it’s up to me to accept it, tolerate it, and possibly learn to enjoy it if I want to save myself from insanity.  I won’t say that Luis rocks, but I will be sure to give him a hello tomorrow morning, and don’t not look forward to it.