I still have notebooks in some back closet of the years that I spent in NYC. Once or twice I have cracked them open and looked inside. The writing is all bad. Crazy sometimes, disjointed others; usually confused & chaotic. My foolery during those years grieves me still when I think about it.

Obama’s reaction to NYC was correct. The chaos instilled fear in him. His correct behavior was reinforced by the close proximity of chaos. One false move and you have no idea who you are. Not the place to soak in the scenery.

But all it says is that Obama is a survivor. I was that too in the end. But survivor is someone very different than a leader.

Oh and Melville was right about New York. There is some kind of wierd back bite one receives by leaving.