Conversations on New York Subway

I took the subway to and from Manhattan's Midtown for an appointment on the Upper East Side today.  On the return trip I sat next a man who looked in his 50's, wearing an ARMY Tshirt and an Airborne hat, speaking enthusiastically in Spanish to a friend.   On my other side was a youngish punk guy with an earring in his eyebrow and lots of tattoos. 

I turned to the Spanish speaking man during a lull in his conversation and asked if he was an ARMY supporter or perhaps a veteran himself.  Turns out he is a vet and proud of it.  Says his days in the US Army were the best of his life and he is proud to have served. 

That's when we both looked up and noticed that across from us sat a man whose face suggested he was in his sixties, but who was highly fit physically, with ruppling arm and leg muscles that would make a much younger man envious.  What was additionally striking about him is that he was furiously knitting what appeared to be a large sweater.  And it was intricate, with imbedded cabling that anyone who has tried knitting knows is not easy to do.  This guy was a knitting pro and he was fast.

 
The punkish guy on my left saw him at the same time and he said to me, "If knitting would make me look like that when I'm his age, I'd knit every day."  And my Army veteran pal said, "Isn't that great? Now men can do women's stuff and women can do men's stuff.  We're getting better at figuring out that people should do whatever they are good at, if they like it."

Just then a woman sitting next to the knitter asked him about his project.  He held up a nearly finished truly gorgeous wine colored large men's sweater that would sell at Paul Stuart for $600.  Easy.  I heard him say he'd been knitting for a long time, inspired by Rosey Grier, the former lineman for the Los Angeles Rams who took up needlpoint to calm his nerves.  Rosey Greier is an amazing personality who, after retiring from football, became a bodyguard for Robert Kennedy.  As I understand it, he is the person who grabbed Sirhan Sirhan's gun and apparently wrestled the assassin to the ground.  He has written a number of books, including Needlepoint for Men, and has had some acting gigs as well.

My Army pal heard this and got into a conversation with the knitter about Rosie and what a great football player he was.  He remembered Grier's needlepoint interest and said "See?  That proves my point."  All of us nodded in agreement.

 

It was one of those subway rides that made me sorry I had to get off at Grand Central. 

Comments

[Kris Manos]

I want to ride on the subway with you!