You really learn a lot by talking to random people you don’t know. I was in the Big Apple for business and while waiting for time to pass, I decided to go to Starbucks. (Are you surprised?) The coffee house was packed and there was only one seat open across from a middle aged woman. I was not sure whether she is from around here (she looked like a foreigner) but her eyes told me she was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders. I decided to sit with her and get to know her.
My first question was if I could sit with her. She replied with a smile on her face and nodded her head. I sat down and after she got off her phone I asked her if she’s from around town. To my surprise, she lives in Manhattan. As I am wearing a suit, she asked me what I was here for and so I told her I have an interview nearby. Oddly enough, she too, has an interview at a real estate firm. We were both pretty early to our meetings and just so happened decided to stop at the same Starbucks. It was as though we were meant to meet each other even if it was just for 30 minutes.
She told me that she has been living in New York City ever since she graduated from school. She grew up in Michigan and every year her parents would take her and her siblings in NYC. Instantaneously, she fell in love with New York that she knew she would one day live there. She recalled being taken to plays, nice dinners and playing in the parks. What she said she never saw was the hardship of living in the city until she got there.
I was really intrigued by her story that I just wanted to hear more. As she was going for an interview with a real estate firm, I automatically thought that she has been with real estate for a while. Again, I was mistaken – she used to own her own business of making nail polish. She was later bought out by Sally Hansen. As she had two children (now both in high school) she decided to stay at home and watch the kids while her husband work in Wall Street. Unfortunately, she mentioned that...