Pre-Misconceptions

Shortly after I arrived in Utah for the first time I was getting off a chairlift at the summit of Solitude Ski Resort and I saw a huge avalanche deep in another section of the resort. A woman working in the summit lift shack burst out of the door and yelled, "Did you see that!" at me. I nodded. Big deal. We're in Utah. Avalanches all day, I thought. On my very first day in New York City I walked past a man surrounded by paramedics and police. He'd been stabbed in front of Grand Central Station moments earlier. Big deal. We're in New York. People get stabbed all over the place, I thought. In all my years in Utah, and all my years in New York, I never saw another avalanche or stabbing. The most exciting thing I saw in each place was right after my arrival. It's a strange coincidence, but I do like to get things started with a bang.