Times Square: I Can Never Fully Appreciate You

It was at about 1:00am last night when I had my ritual walk to the train through Times Square on my way home from work (no, I'm not a stripper at a gentleman's club, but a production assistant at SportsNet NY), did I realize something.

I work on 51st and 6th, a mere one avenue away from the heart of Times Square. As you can imagine, unlike most places at 1:00am, I'm not the only one on the streets in New York City. Joining me are the saxophone playing beggers, the homeless and their cardboard signs, and yes, the tourists snapping photos.

It was at that moment that I realized, I'm never going to see Times Square the way the tourists do, or in fact, the way it should be seen. As a New Yorker, Times Square is like the swine flu. Our fast-paced lifestyle cannot handle the slow sightseers, the constant street vendors shouting at us, or the ticket offers thrown our way.

But what I find sad is that I can't be a tourist in my own city. Heck, I've wanted to see the Conan O'Brien show for a long time, but not once did I actively pursue it while he was here. I go to LA for a week and BAM, I see The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

So now that I realize this, the next time I pass through Times Square, I want to at least try to remind myself that it's one of the coolest attractions in the world. And maybe, through my haste to get from place to place, I'll find it in my heart to stop and ask that tourist snapping a photo if they want me to take it with them and their family in it.