Where we live has an incredible impact on us. At least, that is what I think.
Sometimes, it is obvious. Take this, for example. The state of Ohio received an “A” grade for social distancing during this crisis, this world-wide pandemic. They also assessed each county in the state. Three counties received an “F” mark. They were Preble, Williams, and Fayette.
I live in Preble County. Let’s hear it for our team.
I’ve always been happy NOT to live in New York City. I’ve visited there, a handful of times. I’m always glad when I leave. I think for an introvert, it is especially hard to take. Lots of people, everywhere. And it shows, especially now, with the rampant spread of COVID-19 and the rampant number of deaths. I’m especially happy I don’t have to live there now.
Theirs is not even the most populous city. The largest city in the world by population is Tokyo, Japan, with a population of 38,001,000. Tokyo is followed by Delhi, India (population 25,703,168) and Shanghai, China (population 23,740,778).
New York is 10th on the list. Eighteen million.
That’s not even counting the alligators. Like they need something else to worry about. There has been an ongoing myth about this. About how those beasts are big and vicious. Terrors or the sewers. Some people have said that they are albinos, because of a lack of sunlight.
It goes that these alligators are supposedly infesting New York City’s sewer system, slithering through the bowels just under the street level. They are constantly there, feeding on rats and rubbish. The sewer workers have to arm themselves with guns for self-defense.
It is a century-old story, but not entirely true. Possibly, just barely true. The city rescues several alligators a year. You know the drill. “Oh, that’s such a cute little baby alligator. Let’s get it, honey. We’ll call him Handbag.” Then, sometime later, down the toilet the thing goes, or left in a box, wedged by some drain. The little beast outgrew the cute phase.
Throughout history, there have been sightings. A 1907 newspaper article described a worker in Kearny, a New Jersey town about 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan, who was bitten by a small gator while he cleaned out a sewer.
Over the years, the reports continue to come in, here and there. But the story grew bigger, and gators started showing up in books, TV, film, everywhere. There was even a 1957 “Leave It to Beaver” episode, where the Beaver and Wally bought an alligator from the back of a comic book. Boys will be boys.
But in truth, there doesn’t seem to be any ravenous beasts below the concrete of that place. The nonprofit Animal Care Centers of NYC, which runs the city’s animal shelters, has handled five alligators in the past two years. Most rescues were pets, they reported. Some came from outside, but none from sewers. Smallish, too.
And the experts say it isn’t likely they’d survive down there, in the rush of the water, which is too cold and toxic for alligators to survive very long, especially if they’re eating rats and raw sewage. Oh. I forgot to mention the rats.
So yeah. Another thing about NYC.
Which makes Preble County look slightly better. Although, we do have geese lingering on our back steps. And such.
I guess, no matter where you live, there are pluses and minuses. The good with the bad, the ups with the downs. Otherwise, Shangri-La would fill up rather quickly.
There’s so much to worry about these days. But for most of us, I think we can check off the item concerning “alligators in the sewer pipes.” A real positive for our lives.
Today, I hope we can all look for, and find, more positives. Even if you are staring down the toilet.
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“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
― Confucius
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“If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful to the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Essays, Letters and Miscellanies
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“I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.”
― Mae West
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