New York , New York.

I always say it takes one to know one – A native New Yorker, that is.

I had a brand new client last week who after 10 minutes of spontaneous mutual banter I assuredly asked, “Where did you Grow Up?”.

Before she’d answered “here.” I knew full well she was made of the same stuff I was.

Born among a resting level of noise that is not found in nature.
Thrust forward at birth into a rapid-fire tempo unmatched in the rest of this great country we call America.

And, like any born and bred New Yorker; Expectant.
Perhaps above all - expectant. New Yorkers expect things.

They expect to get what they need.
They expect others to expect things of them.
They expect to be….heard.

Expectation may be indigenous to New York City.

As a hub of success and achievement, people don’t come to New York to settle down and raise a family.
Nor do they associate setting up in New York as a quality of life change.

People come to New York to do something.
Not just something – something important.
People come to New York to accomplish something.

It’s pretty hard to accomplish something if no one is listening to you.

So they practice.
Native New Yorkers practice being heard.

They speak out loud. Loudly.
They voice their displeasure. To perfect strangers.

They talk on their phones in public, read their books out loud on the train, sing while strolling and carry on conversations with coffee cart servers and taxi drivers ad infinitum.

They try to be heard.
They, in fact, make themselves heard – above the din.
And at any cost.
Adding their volume to the organic clamor that defines this Big Apple.

If they persist - someone, somewhere will take notice.
But more often than not, it’s just another native, recognizing one of their own.