I was a junior at an expensive, Catholic all boys high school. My best friends invited me to go the The Big Apple with them to catch a burger at Shake Shack. “Hey, it’s going to be fun,” my friend, Nick, told me. He really was trying to convince me to go and in that moment my mind was clouded by dull and boring experiences of the same city when I was 5 years old. All of a sudden, I pictured Nick holding my hand with that same iron grip my dad had on my once brittle hands. That grip that left my right hand red and super sore for the rest of the day. My parents were ok with me spending time with my friends because they saw me as a “responsible” adult. A responsible adult doesn’t start skip class late May because he wasn’t “feeling it.” May at my high school is usually the last month of the school …show more content…
This is the first thing I saw when we arrived at the final train stop, the World Trade Center. I took my first steps in New York for the first time in 12 years and it felt refreshing. I wasn’t there because my parents had work-related business to take care of. No longer did I struggle to maneuver through tall legs and feet. The most important thing is that I was there to have fun.
As I walked with my friends to Shake Shack, we talked about lots of cool things. Some of those topics were sports, struggles in school, girls, etc. This was something I couldn’t do 12 years ago but now it’s made into a reality. We walked into the Shake Shack and then I met an inconvenience that reminded me of my dad’s iron grip: expensive food. The burgers were great but their price was greater.
I didn’t go because of the burgers. I went because this was the first time I got to experience New York on my own. All it took was one Saturday afternoon for my perspective of New York to change. A perspective that was hampered by a childhood of boring visits and strict parents was made new. I admire the city for what it is and the environment that’s made it famous. Maybe I’ll go back with my parents to visit since I know we’ll be there to spend quality time. Also, my dad won’t be holding my