A story in 3 parts

A couple of days ago, I sent Doug a rap song called '24 Hours To Live'. It's about various rappers discussing what they would do if they knew that they had 24 hours left to live. Some of what they would do is uplifting 'take kids from the ghetto, show them what they could have if they never settle', some banal 'eat some fried chicken and drink a Nantucket', and some well, bitter 'I'd even look for my dad, that I never knew, to show him how I look and my beretta too'. Doug and I talked about we would do. Doug said he would drive to Virginia. I didn't understand why he would drive 6 hours when he only had 24. I said the furthest I'd go is Brooklyn to see my family and friends.

After 9/11, I spoke to my brother about having a plan in case something goes wrong. I'm really close with him and I could see him trying to get to Manhattan while I'm making my way to Brooklyn. So, we decided that he should stay where he is and that I would come to them.

Yesterday, I was on the phone with two old friends, a girl living in Manhattan and a guy living in Brooklyn. We were talking about new years plans and she was thinking about going to Brooklyn to meet him at a party. One of them made a comment about how I never go to Brooklyn and that I hate it. I protested 'I don't hate Brooklyn! In fact, I was just recently saying that if something went down in Manhattan, I'd try to get to Brooklyn to save myself or die, whichever.' The girl said 'oh yeah, I've been thinking about that. Should I try to get to Long Island or also go to Brooklyn?' The guy said 'you girls really think about that kind of stuff?' I said 'of course!' He said 'I don't know, I just can't live in fear like that'. 'But it's not living in fear', I said, 'it's the opposite of being paralyzed by fear, it's knowing what you'll do in a bad situation, it's having a plan so you don't have to be afraid.'

I suspect it might be the difference between living in Manhattan, which frequently feels like living in a bulls-eye and living in Brooklyn, which, although known the world over for being a scary place, is almost suburban in its isolation. So, I ask you all: do you have a plan? Do you agree that our lives now must be this way?