My Favorite Seat

“You got your passport today, Jeremy?” a familiar voice asked me.

“I do, actually…why? You need money?”

“I have a check to deposit, fortunately,” she responded.

“Sweet! Whenever you’re ready, let me know.”

What could I possibly need a passport for in Lower Manhattan? Nothing really, but when you’re as sarcastic as I am, people like to use my powers against me. One of my colleagues needs to go to the bank, but instead of using the three banks in our building or any of the others in a two-block radius, she chooses one that is six or seven blocks farther Downtown. One day I joked that I needed a passport just to go with her and it stuck.

But I’m not writing about how sarcastic I can be. I am, however, writing about my favorite seat in Lower Manhattan. The thing is, if I share it with you, you have to promise not to steal it from me.

Deal?

Okay, my favorite seat is actually in the Wachovia ATM branch located on Broad Street. The strange thing about this seat is, it is not actually a seat. It’s probably more like a radiator unit or something. It doesn’t have any cushions and I don’t think there is WiFi there. But I can sit on it while my colleague gets her money, and look out the large glass window and watch the people walk by. The room is temperature-controlled, there is always money available (which is a plus), and though the door is locked, any ATM card can get you in.

I think what I most like about it, though, is it is a relatively comfortable place to sit and watch the world, to feel like you are still a part of Lower Manhattan, without being overwhelmed by the chaos that can surround us down here sometimes. It’s a place I can go to can regain some perspective on my life, to remember that there is more than just work, to de-stress a little.

Sure, it helps that I travel down there with my colleague, a good friend. And a little time with friends always helps remind us that there is more to life than work. But there is something about sitting down behind a locked door, looking out at the world through a glass window that gives a sense of perspective that we all need from time-to-time.

Do you have any place like that down here?