I'd go back in a New York minute

As I write this, I am still in the process of readjusting to my quiet life back on the farm.

I just returned from spending five days in New York City. The "Big Apple" had been on my bucket list for a while and, although I had hoped to someday see the largest city in the U.S. (or at least parts of it) for myself, I had doubts it would ever happen.

Earl expressed no desire to leave the solitude of rural Gentry for the hustle and bustle of a city that has more than 26,000 residents per square mile (as opposed to Arkansas' approximate 56) -- not even for a short visit. I had pretty well written off the idea until my sister Lois, who has been known to tackle about anything, planned the trip and asked me to come along.

I could only imagine what we would encounter once we reached this place known to me only from what I had read or seen on TV shows. Would we be able to figure out the public transit system? Would we encounter dangerous and scary people? Would we be mugged on the subway, get hopelessly lost in that mega metropolis, or find the city lacked anyone helpful and friendly enough to give us information when questions arose? These thoughts floated through my mind in the days prior to our departure, but I now realize that many of my preconceived notions were off base.

Yes, a city of over 8 million people (nearly three times the population of the entire state of Arkansas) may more closely resemble a gigantic hill of very busy ants than community life here in the Ozarks, but I learned that it actually ranks as one of the safest large cities in the country.

During our visit we encountered very few moments that made us feel even slightly threatened in any way, and there were plenty of helpful and friendly folks around when we needed them. Although traffic was practically bumper to bumper in the streets, it appeared that drivers were generally courteous to each other and to the ever-present droves of pedestrians in the crosswalks.

As it turned out, our hotel was just a block or so from Times Square and also well within safe walking distance of Broadway shows and other activities we had planned. The subway system had helpful attendants available to help us decipher which line to take and at which stop to get off when we couldn't decide for ourselves.

We bought tickets for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour to different sections of the city and got to see many, many things, like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Ellis Island and the great Statue of Liberty that we'd heard about since grade school. We walked down Wall Street and, in the financial district, joined the ever-present line of tourists to take part in the tradition of touching the bull statue for good financial luck and prosperity.

This country girl is glad to be back home where buildings don't block the sky, grass and trees are plentiful, and there's room for all of us without standing shoulder to shoulder. But I am grateful the opportunity came my way to see and experience a few days of big-city life and to adjust my notions of the city based on some first-hand experience. I don't have any desire to live there, but if I could get Earl in the mood to visit, I'd go back in a New York minute.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at [email protected] expressed are those of the author.