The Fortune Cookie

My last week in Raleigh was some quality time spent with some of the best roommates craigslist could possibly offer. I'm going to miss those guys, we were a lot alike. One of the last nights there, while playing copious amounts of Skyrim, I ordered what would be the last sesame chicken and rice combos from Shanghai Express I would ever have. Upon reaching the fortune cookie I opened it to reveal that I "will soon find out how truly fortunate I really am." Given my sullen and downtrodden mood, it was a nice idea to look forward to.
My first few days in this city have been very fortunate indeed. In two days I got two part time jobs. Which I haven't started yet, but considering I looked for two months to find a job in Raleigh after I graduated, I'd say it's pretty darn remarkable.
I've met a spiritually awake insurance salesman and one of the 700 arrested protesters on the Brooklyn bridge from OWS a while back. Nice guy. We talked about Ron Paul. I don't follow politics too much, but I can say he scares me the least of the candidates on the Republican party's Debate Extravaganza 2011.
Tonight I went to get a nice hot beverage with my friend Audra. After the tea she recommended going to a specific bar for a beer. Well, a beer for me; apparently people that follow through with not drinking while on antibiotics actually exist! Solid. Anyway I sit down at the bar and three seats away from me is none other than Desiree. A friend from college whom I knew was in New York, but really couldn't have known was at this bar, or in Astoria for that matter. It was one of those "New York" moments people always rave about. I must say, it felt really awesome. We three had a pretty good time catching up.
Later on, on my way to Chelsea to see Nolan's pretty rad new place, I noticed this Mitch Albom book sitting on a bench. Having read For One more Day by the same author, I was pretty excited about potentially reading another one of Albom's books. I feel I must interject that For One More Day made my eyes sweat. And before you judge me for crying over a book, read it yourself, and if you still want to make fun of me I will let you sling any insults you like while I remind you that you are a soulless robot. It's an incredible book.
It was about this time I noticed a lovely lady who was also interested in the find. I put it back down on the bench and she asked if I was going to read it. I told her I wanted to but was reading other things at the moment. I told her the author was really good and she offered to give it to me when she was finished. I graciously accepted.
I have had some really positive experiences so far in this city. I can really understand why multiple people who live here answer the question, "How have you been?" with, "Oh, still living the dream." I am finding out that I am, in fact, very fortunate indeed. I am finding out that this place has an energy all its own. Unpredictable and seemingly Newtonian in an odd way. I can only hope that my good fortune here is only just beginning, but I don't want to jinx it; so I'll just try and be as thankful as I can for what I have and keep being completely in the moment for the incredible chain of events that has unfolded so far. This city is growing on me. Which makes me think of some sort of unsightly growth on my back in the shape of a skyline. So, not that kind of growing on me, the usual kind instead.