NY Stories ~ Dirty Santa

So, I'm missing NY a bit. Not that that's a shock. I was looking back on my posts the other day and my mention of feeling safe even in somewhat shady NYC areas made me start thinking of funny stories revolving around my time spent at school or living, or working, in the city. So I decided that on days that I've got nothing 'country' to report, I'll regale you and amuse myself with an old story straight out of New York City.

To kick these 'NY Stories' off, I'll tell you about... Dirty Santa.

Fall '93 or Spring ' 94
7Th Avenue and 28th Street

I'm living on 27th Street and 7th Ave., attending The Fashion Institute of Technology where I'm studying Photography (and later Display & Exhibit Design). My room mate is this awesome chick originally from Wantagh and later from Kansas City, Missouri, Dawn. We're headed up to a drug store on 30th and 7th, maybe it was a Duane Reade., I don't know.

But anyway. We're walking up 7th and there's this old guy shaking a cup on the west side of about 28th street. I think Dawn or I may have tossed him some money. He had long gray hair, big long gray beard, pretty much a hot mess, but he was homeless, you know. As we walked away, Dawn said to me, "He looks like a dirty Santa."

I had to agree.

So, we walk up a few more blocks and cross 7th Ave. to Duane Reade and do our shopping. I think we were buying hair stuff. Or maybe lipstick. Whatever, we bought something. Now, there were two doors to get into this particular store. One faced 7th Ave., the other faced 30th Street. Since we need to walk back down 7th, we go to that door. As we are about to walk through, with Dawn ahead of me, out springs Dirty Santa! He literally jumped into the door way and started shouting at Dawn. "I LOVE YOU, WOMAN!! I LOVE YOU, WOMAN!"

The two of us scream at the top of our lungs. It might be a busy Manhattan store on a busy avenue across from Madison Square Garden, but who's expecting to see an old man, with more agility than you'd think one would have at that age and being homeless, land infront of you screaming out his love? Yeah, you'd scream too.

She flew backwards into me and then the two of us put it in reverse, ran through the door on 30th street and took off across 7th Avenue with Dirty Santa still screaming "I LOVE YOU, WOMAN!!"


Every time I give someone money on the street, I've got to think of this guy. I'm sure he's passed on by now. Rest In Peace, Dirty Santa. I hope you have all the lovely women a dude could ask for!