A New York City experience in keeping it postive

Usually I try to go to a Saturday matinee on Broadway (at least when I've been working as the 1/2 price ticket booth is across the street from my job - AND ... I have the extra money), but I read that there would be a musical extravaganza in various venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn for Saturday.

I wanted to go to a few of them, but (1) they were scattered - and not REALLY in walking distance and (2) there were many at the same time - there are just so many hours in a day. I got to the first one - gongs - and it was supposed to be participatory. I just wanted to watch and listen. I expected a certain amount of polyphony (many sounds), but what I got was cacophony (sounds more like noise). I left and walked uptown.

I found some food vendors and bought something that was Turkish - supposedly had cheese and spinach inside... all I could taste was the dough. Now I like dough, but for $8, I wanted something more. Next there was a street fair. I used to buy a lot there, but this time I just browsed. I don't need anything that they were selling.

I got to the next venue early - no one had even set up yet. It was harp music. I was able to sit at a table and read for a bit. A man sat with me and we talked for a while. He was interesting, energetic, and VERY needy. He liked reading, women's issues, classical music, computer... but was underemployed - working as a custodian even though he was college educated in Colombia (his country of origin); he was "looking" for companionship, but was just "not right" for me. I should've been interested, but wasn't.

The harp music was lovely. The next stop was French horns (close enough to home I could walk there when the concert was over). I got on a bus I'd have to transfer from... then the dilemma - go to Trader Joe's and call it a day? or go to the next concert, then shop at a more expensive... but just as extensive... supermarket. Hmmm. I opted for TJ's and then came home. It was a long, interesting day. And in chatting with the bus driver, he nailed it: I got out of the house and did SOMETHING on this beautiful NYC day.