On a particularly tough day where I had a bit of a spat with a woman I happened to fancy, I was feeling a bit down. I don’t really remember what the argument was even about, but knowing my tendency to say the whatever comes to my mind with the filter of tact from time to time, ha, it was probably my fault. So, I did what most people did in these situations; I went shopping.

So, I get myself together and head to Koreatown, Manhattan where there was (RIP) a very good store that carried popular Korean movies that I loved going to because the owner was also an Arsenal fan. His english wasn’t very good and he kind of smelled, but he loved movies like I did and he was always exceptionally pleasant. Yeah, I was looking forward to talking to my man.

However, I discovered as I turned down the blow there was some sort of festival going on. Annoyed, I began to dodge people as I have pretty deft at since I moved to NY, and made my way to the store.

I really don’t pay too much attention to folks when I’m going somewhere, but out of the corner of my eye I caught this older Korean woman who was quite gracefully strolling through the teaming masses. I was intrigued because she seemed to be moving at her own pace, but yet no one ran into her or even expressed that she was impeding their progress. Eventually, she caught me looking at her, and almost immediately, she turned up the corners of her mouth in one of the most subtle, but genuine smiles I have ever seen. I kind of grin back and nod in acknowledgement, and she simply returns the gesture, her smile still gleaming on her face and returns to her walk through the crowd.

I’m still not sure what kind of interpersonal alchemy had happened, but I just felt… better. Instead of buying a movie, I ended up just getting a milkshake and just looking around to get a feel for what was going on.

And that shake was fucking awesome.

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