Total Pageviews

The View of New York Under an Umbrella

Victor Kerlow

Dear Diary:

This New England winter, I found photos from a weekend trip to New York several years ago when I traveled there to see a show.

Before the show, I went for a long walk, even though it had begun to rain. I quickly learned that you meet more people in the rain. Carrying a massive golf umbrella, I discovered many new friends at every street corner. No one spoke at first; they simply converged.

I spied a young gentleman coming out of church uptown (in a downpour, at this point) who had gotten caught in the rain in his Sunday best. He could do nothing, and simply stopped and started laughing. But when our eyes met, he suddenly straightened up, brushed off the water as best he could, and dashed for cover.I crossed the street and followed a crowd of a dozen or so well-armed umbrella folk, all marching in the same direction - except for a mom and her half-pint coming the other way. Half-Pint carried her own umbrella, and cleared a path through the dozen simply by holding firm and letting her umbrella make the way. I heard many “oohs” and “ouches” before she came into view. Perhaps because I was last and had time to step away, I found myself simply standing there, laughing.

The show I’d gone to see was a comedy, but I have to say that New York provides enough comic moments just by being itself.

Read all recent entries and our updated submissions guidelines. Reach us via e-mail diary@nytimes.com or follow @NYTMetro on Twitter u! sing the hashtag #MetDiary.