I just witnessed an interesting morality play. Of sorts.
Being just before payday, I have nothing more to my name than a handful of quarters, and as such have not the wherewithal to buy lunch. In lieu of lunching activities, I decided to walk up to Times Square and back again, just to get out of the office for a few minutes.
On the way back, I heard a woman yelling at someone. "I don't need you any more! I've left you behind like the dirty little thing you are, and I'm happy! No, you're not going to change my mind. I have someone else already. Someone much healthier for me, someone who knows how to support me."
At first I thought this was just another standard New York scene where personal lives are often enacted for an audience. I had just squeezed past the Naked Cowboy to cross the street, mind you, so someone enacting a loud, crazy breakup in the middle of Times Square did not seem to ridiculous in comparison. And then I saw them. A woman, holding hands with a piece of gum. Screaming at a man dressed up as a cigarette. WIth a Nicorette truck nearby.
Now, as a piece of marketing, I thought this was tremendous. As well as being remarkably funny, as this lady yelled at a man in a cigarette costume. But still. I could NOT resist.
I walked back half a block, and lit a Lucky Strike. And walked back past them. And paused, and watched for a second. Ostentatiously smoking.
The cigarette stuck out his skinny little arms, wobbled a little, and gave me a thumbs-up while the girl scowled.
You know I had to.