The building where I live has a lobby that is custodied 24/7 by a staff of reasonably interesting characters. Some are friendlier than others, but none was as nice to me as Brian.
He used to tell me stories of the excesses of his youth, when New York was crazier and more dangerous. He burnt the candle on both ends back then, and that’s why he had some great stories to tell. I listened to a few of them, but the truth is that coming into or leaving the building was always the activity I was focused on. Thus, I rarely stayed for more than a couple of minutes talking to the doormen by the front desk.
Brian used to refer to me as his “hero”, because for a period of my life I came and went at all hours and with plenty of party company. With the passage of years those instances became less frequent, until they got replaced by only a few visitors for our little film club during the Covid pandemic. Nothing was the same after that. With the time for reflection that the epidemic afforded me, I concluded that I wanted to move towards a life of personal growth, health, tranquility, peace, and, mainly, greater closeness with the people who are important to me (family, close friends). I also had more serious thoughts about building a family of my own, whatever that may look like.
