Hmm. He sure doesn’t look like terrorist to me. What do you think?
#BeautifulBeautifulBeautifulBoy is my only answer.
Hmm. He sure doesn’t look like terrorist to me. What do you think?
#BeautifulBeautifulBeautifulBoy is my only answer.
Jag-off is a phenomenal word originated by Pittsburghers in the 1980’s. It quickly traveled to the suburbs, and then eventually, it made its way to the country folk. Almost every Western Pennsylvanian uses the word daily. Once I tried to go without saying it for an entire day, and I made it three hours. Jaggoffs come in all different shapes and sizes. They are both good and bad looking, Wall Streeters or hipsters. Wikipedia defines the word as “inept” or “stupid,” but native speakers do not necessarily mean that all the time. At home, a jagoff is usually the truck driver that wants to race you, or the kid who brags about the buck he killed. Honestly, though, jagoffs are everywhere, and being a jagoff can be a temporary state or a personality type. Surprisingly, the jagoff population is massive in New York. I met three today, but that’s neither here nor there. Here is a good example of a New York City Wall Street Jagoff.
It’s an “I kind of love New York” day. As I stand on the street asking people to simply save a polar bear, I remind myself to smile. Remember what you’re fighting for. I look up and wonder, Is this letting my eyebrows grow out work for me? Maybe that’s why so many people aren’t stopping? Oh, here he is coming towards me. His suit is perfectly pressed, his hair newly trimmed, and he’s washed his face more than once today. His eyes are bright, and there’s that smile, and those perfect teeth. He’s, like, annoyingly perfect. “Hey, take a minute. Save a life man.” “Well, I guess I’ll save a life.” “Great!” I wonder what this beautiful man does for a living. Is it finance? No, he’s too good looking. “What do you do?” “I have a hedge fund.” “Right! Amazing, I actually don’t know what that is, but I hear it’s a great gig!” “Would you like to learn…?” “Honestly, not so much. But you stopped for a reason, right? #BecauseYoureAmazing, so let’s just get to it.” “Of course. I want to save a life.” As I proceed to tell him what cause he’s stopped for, I wonder how much female attention he gets.” So much, I bet.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna sign up.” “What? No, why?” “Because.” “No, please stop! Listen, Jason, right?” “No, John.” “Well it’s a J name, isn’t it?” “Ha, you’re cute.” “This isn’t a boy/girl problem like, Oh, did I text him too much? Did he misinterpret my last text? Usually you did text him too much because you felt the need to explain yourself because he was most likely being a douche bag, and maybe he overanalyzes just as much as you. Mindless text messaging and gossip made you appear temporarily cray. It destroyed what you knew could have been something brilliant. Either way, you showed your crazy way too soon in the game. In his/her eyes you are worthless. Two weeks of crying in your room at night, “Why am I such an idiot?” Then guess what, in a week you’ll be over it. You’ll meet someone who is worthy. And all those nights waiting up thinking “Why wasn’t I good enough?” will be a distant comical memory!
This is a real problem, it’s not going away unless you take action. Save a life, man. Do it for love, this amazing universe that loves you. Because you care, Jason.” “John.” “Oh just go with it” “Okay, I’ll sign up.” “Really?” “Yeah, because you’re cute.” “What? No, no, I don’t want you to sign up because you think that. In order to sign up, I need for you to tell me exactly why you want to.” “Are you joking?” “No, you have degraded me and made me feel very sad, and I need to be sure you’re not going to cancel your membership.” “Okay, polar bears, babies.” “Fine, Jason, that’s enough.“ “I’ll give $20.” “Wow, big spender, aren’t ya? No, $50!” “Ha what?” “Save 50 babies, or go get wasted at Brother Jimmy’s; it’s your choice man.” I show him a picture of a starving polar bear. “Come on, Jason. Just do it.” “Haha, you don’t give up.” “No, I don’t, and I believe in you because you’re a good, beautiful person who loves the universe!” “right, okay, $50.” “Yay, well done you!”
As we finish the sign up process, I close by saying, “Peace, man.” “So am I getting your number?” “Oh, sorry, I don’t give my number out at work, but thank you, thats very nice” “Well, what if I met you out? Would you give it to me then?” “No, most likely not.” “Um why?” “Well honestly, because you’re insanely good looking, and you know you’re good looking, and that kinda turns me off. Also I’m shallow enough to forget that looks fade. I could never be seen with you because I’d be the less hot girlfriend. Ya know? It would never work. Why do you want my number really? I feel like you get plenty of female attention, much hotter then me.” “Yep, and I feel like you’re into me.” “What, why? Because I was nice to you, because I spoke to you? How, man? How is that me being into you? Oh, that’s just — no, no that — no, but thank you for doing business.” He looks at me up and down, as though he’s memorizing my body. I try not to use the word hate, but I strongly dislike my body. Is he making fun of it? He can’t possibly like it. “Listen; if you come back to my place tonight, I will do things that you never thought possible. Then, tomorrow morning you can leave and go back to your everyday life, but let me tell you this. You will beg to come back.” And that, my friends, is a total jagoff.
Sometime in fall 2014. It’s an “I love New York” morning. As I sit on the crowded 6 train focused and ready for my audition I remind myself, don’t obsess. I take a breath and send love out into the universe. I notice the man sitting next to me is looking at my music playlist “Tangled up in blue” He speaks. “Bob Dylan, any good?” I speak. “I’m sorry?” “I said is the guy you’re listening to, Bob Dylan. Is he any good? “Yes I heard you. You’re joking? You know who Bob Dylan is.” “No, I can’t keep up with today’s music. I’m sorry did I offend you? You look upset.” Um YEAH! “Nooo, I don’t get offended. He’s just a legend. I mean I love him, I’m just in total shock! I see you’re wearing a Giants hat. I’m sure you know much more about football than I do. I mean It’s not like you don’t know who the Beatles are. Or who Paul McCartney is haha. “Haha, of course I know who the Beatles are. Can’t say I know who Paul McCartney is? Is that a band? No words. Just no words.
Why do some men – well, I wouldn’t call them men – boys think it’s okay to go to the bathroom outside any time of the day, whenever they feel like it? What goes through these boys heads? I’m outside in front of a really nice restaurant and I have to go to the bathroom, I’ll just go there. If there’s a line in Starbucks, I’ll just go inside the subway station onto the tracks. If I’m in the park and I see a tree, it’s a sign that I should go to the bathroom on it. No it’s a sign you’re an idiot. It’s disgusting. This has been my biggest pet peeve since before I can remember. Growing up near the mountains in Pennsylvania about nine hours away the idea of New York seemed like a dream to me. I’d never have to see a boy going number one behind a tree ever again. I remember one of my friends saying, “If you’re going behind a barn, it’s fine.” What? How is that fine? It bothered me for years, but I accepted that it was happening. I just wouldn’t look. I remember thinking, “When I live in New York City, I’ll never see boys going to the bathroom outside.” Ha. Yeah. When I moved to New York almost six years ago, men going to the bathroom outside was a thought that didn’t even cross my mind. I have no idea why because it happens all the time. It’s also offensive to women because these men are exposing themselves to the world. It’s a total power trip thing. You don’t see women going outside to the bathroom. These are not only homeless or mentally ill people; they’re grown guys. I have now witnessed ten men going number one outside in New York City, not counting the NYC marathon. Twice in Midtown, three times in the Upper West Side, once in Sunnyside, Queens, once in Central Park, and three times on the Upper East. Yes, that Gossip Girl fantasy went right out the window the first time I witnessed a NON homeless man going number one in my neighborhood. I’ve called the police more then three times. Each time nothing has been done about it. One time a police officer actually told me “to go get a drink and smoke a cigarette.” His tone was like, “Relax, stupid girl.” I think he even used the word “relax.” I’m one of the most relaxed women around, but I do not appreciate men going to the bathroom in my face. Do you know I actually know a bar owner who went to the bathroom outside near the front entrance of his bar rather than using his own facilities? How twisted is that? Yeah, I get that there are much more important issues in this city and world, but this shouldn’t even be an issue. I’m just a normal person, there is nothing special about me, but do I deserve to leave my house at 8AM and see a man going number one directly onto my building? I say no.
My most recent and probably most disturbing experience was two weeks ago. I walked down Second Avenue and saw some sort of water spraying and assumed it was some sort of hose. An old man lifted me up and saved me from getting sprayed. I see that the “hose” is actually the homeless man who lives on my street for whom I have baked cookies time in and time out, and he is going number one directly into the street. He’s hammered and high on some hardcore drug. I have a major meltdown as this adorable older man comforts me and pulls out his handkerchief. After a quick stop at my neighborhood bar to tell my friend my traumatic experience and write a detailed Facebook status about the incident, I take some water down to the street to clean the sign and cement he went number one on. I see him half asleep. I’m so mad at him and am so mad at myself for being mad at a homeless man who clearly has a drug problem. I see him sleeping on the street. He looks up at me, laughs, then goes back to sleep. I walk over and say directly to him, “I’m never baking cookies for you until you get it together, but I won’t help you.” A guy walks by and looks at me. “Dude, you drunk? That guys sleeping I don’t think he can hear you whispering” “No, I am not drunk. This man went number one all over the street. He actually sprayed people. I bake for him. I’m not saying I’m a good baker but I just wanted him to be happy, hey don’t laugh it was a very traumatic experience.” “Haha, that’s fuc… up. That’s New York for you.” That’s New York for you? That was the “I’m a 22 year old who just graduated and I think I’m awesome for living in the Upper East with 7 roommates” response. It doesn’t have to be New York. The solution is this: go find a public restroom. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
It had been weeks since the Scarf Starbucks douche encounter, but for some reason it was still in my head. Why did this man, boy really, feel the need to tell me he had a girlfriend? It was so condescending, as if he were saying, “poor little girl lusting after me.” And it wasn’t that at all. All I did was ask him where he got his scarf, and looking back on it, it was not even that cute.
I keep my eye open hoping I’ll run into him, but all these New York Metro men look alike. You’re not Jude Law 2006, boys. Get a new muse!
I’m on high alert so that as soon as I see him I can throw a comeback line his way. To name a few:
“Well, you’re not cute.”
“Well, she’s not cute.” That one’s mean, I know.
“I feel sorry for her.”
“Oh, I was just planning on getting it for my boyfriend Leonardo DiCaprio.” What am I, sixteen?
Last one, this one is the most honest. “Well, I just wanted to know where you got the scarf. I don’t find you the least bit attractive, nor do I care about your personal life. I’m sorry that you have so little self-esteem that you have to make up for it by flaunting your (I imagine unrequited, rocky) relationship in strangers’ faces.”
All these thoughts were pointless and horrible distractions. After weeks of possible scenarios as to why this douche felt the need to insult me, I came to the realization that it wasn’t an insult at all. It was the universe sending a comic relief that will always be there for me. I hope this story made you laugh as much as it still does me. All because of a scarf.
Sometime in November 2012,
It’s an “I love New York in the Fall” day!
I stop in Starbucks and while pondering if I want a tall skinny vanilla latte or a chai green tea latte I notice a very attractive scarf. Sure the guy who was wearing it had a handsome face, but the scarf…so timeless, so well-made, tartan, the best pattern ever created. If I locate this scarf every male in my life would own one. I could even get one for myself! I’m trying my best not to engage in conversation with strangers these days but I can’t hold back.
Me- “Hi! I love your scarf! I’m sorry to be rude, but I have to ask where you got it?”
Him- “haha, I have a girlfriend.”
Me- silence.