NEW YORK CITY

Before I say anything, I’ll admit this: Most of my job is painfully tedious. While it never makes news, the majority of the things I have to do err more to the side of bridge rehabilitation projects than some massive policy change. Most of this has to do with the way our government is formatted: States are given power from the federal government, local governments are given power from the states. There’s a definite trickle down effect to the point that most mayors only deal with minor local projects: streets, garbage collection, funding city police departments property tax if they’re lucky. Very occasionally we get to temporarily rename streets because our city will be hosting the 2014 Superbowl (not that I’m bragging…) My big highlights though? It’s things other would find silly. That we were able to run a 3.3 billion dollar surplus budget in 2010 during a recession, that next year there won’t be a single tax hike for New York City residents. Lately, things have looked up. NYC has been named the safest big city in America, amazing considering some of the cuts we’ve made to police forces. It’s funny how even the good things have a tainted side. We’re running a balanced budget, but we had to cut a drop-in shelter, Senior centers and eliminating units in Protective Services. Ironically, our biggest cut or increase has been the seemingly smallest: Parking in midtown Manhattan will go from 2.00 to 2.50 and hour. Total revenue increase? 12.2 million dollars. There are other perks, too. Teachers won’t get raises this year, but while so many other districts are laying off teachers, we will keep the majority of ours. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act has been passed, helping individuals families of those individuals who served their city so bravely not so long ago. I get to help send relief teams to Haiti, make sure our schools have healthy eating programs. We’re getting 100,000 new units of affordable housing. My job is menial at times, just appearances and formalities, enforcing laws that come down from above but occasionally? Occasionally I get to do the little things that make the big difference. Keep one more person employed so that their family can eat, make sure another has a roof over their head. It’s a tough job, and though reluctant to step into a role that carries such responsibility, I can easily say I am honored to be able to serve a city so great. 

1) Life is 25% talent, 75% sheer preserverence and want. One of the top reasons Canada won in the match against the U.S. is that they simply wanted it more. Now, some may be able to argue this: How could America not want a gold after thirty years of it eluding them? Still, it mustn’t be forgotten that this was Canada’s game on Canadian soil. This is their pastime, and to lose to the U.S. again would be an unimaginable blow. No, as far as I could see, Canada played harder for longer, and while the US had moments of stunning clarity, the victory went to those who wanted it more. Now, it must be noted that that 25%? That’s pretty darn important. Without any sort of talent, Canada could have wanted it more than anything and still lost. Similarly, when we have no talent in life, we can desire something all we want but it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to get it. Once you have the talent, however, the sky is the limit so long as you’re working harder than the guy next to you.

2) No matter how good you are, you can’t block all the shots One of the biggest tragedies of Sundays game was the fact that Canada was able to actually score on Miller. To those who didn’t watch the game, this may seem like Miller was obviously the lesser of the two goaltenders. However, it must be mentioned that the shots that Canada took were more frequent and often better placed. It was simply against the numbers for Miller to make every single shot of that game. The loss was by no means his fault, something we often forget when it comes to our everyday lives. We can’t always block every shot. Sometimes, things happen. Sometimes we fumble, sometimes the proverbial puck flips up past our mitts. What we must remember is that this isn’t always our fault. Guilt can sometimes motivate, but it can also cripple, and it such situations it is better to just brush off the goal and learn from it instead of look back and feel better about it.

3) Similarly, no matter how good you are, you can’t do it alone Perhaps the biggest failure of the game on Sunday was the Americans ability to get back on defense. More than once, spectators were forced to watch as Canada often went 3 on two, or four on two, or three on one, or one on zero towards the goal. With no backup, it was a miracle that Miller blocked as many shots as he did. Similarly, if it hadn’t been for the Canadian’s defense, America might have made more than just the number of shots they did on the fumbling Luongo. Another shame is that Parise, perhaps one of the best Wings in the U.S. right now didn’t always have the support he needed. Though this all took place in a hockey game, we can also see it in an office. When is the most work done and done at the highest quality? When people work together. There is no shame on depending on others, and so long as they are reliable, it can help you climb higher than you previously thought possible. After all, while a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, the chain is stronger by bonding those links together.

4) Having the crowd behind you is a must Often times, we get dragged down by the things that don’t matter. It is a proven fact that negative feedback impacts us more than positive feedback. Every time you surround yourself by people that don’t want you to succeed, you are taking another risk that you will give into their negativity and fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy. You could see this during the game when America skated poorer after the Canadian fans got louder. However, there is a bright side to this. A large part of the reason that Canada could keep going and keep up their tempo was the fact that they had a crowd behind them. There is nothing like hearing the roar of a crowd on the ice and knowing it’s all for you. Surround yourself by people that care, that support you, that are willing to catch you if you fall. With the burden of having to worry about what will happen if you fail off your shoulders, all the more is possible.

5) Sometimes, wins come from being at the right place at the right time It must be said that some of the shots that came off during Sundays game were simply because the right person was at the right place at the right time. Add in another check, a trip of the skate, a bench change and the goal may have never happened. Part of life is luck, and the sooner we accept this, the sooner we can start working on the things we do have control over. In the words of that Sunscreen graduation speech (and I’m doing this best I can from memory), don’t berate yourself too much for the things that happen to you, nor congratulate yourself too much. Your life is half-chance. So is everyone else’s.

6) Occasionally, you have to sit one out in order to get a goal OR why taking risks is a good thing. Watching the game with someone who doesn’t know hockey the way I do gave me good insight to what I’m sure at least part of the nation was thinking. When America took out Miller in the third period, my friend thought it was suicide for the Americans. What he didn’t understand, however, was how vital it was that we get a shot. The risk of Canada scoring again was minimal, considering they were already ahead. So what if they made the shot? If we didn’t score, we were behind. I imagine it was torture for Miller during those minutes, knowing he was unable to do anything, knowing he just had to watch and hope his team could pull it off. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is take a step back and let others in our lives try and fly on their own. I’ve found this out as a father, and while sometimes our children or loved ones may falter, if we hold onto them forever, they will never get to stretch their wings. On the other side of this, though, is the risk that was taken by the coach. In life, we are often given opportunities we pass up because it seems like suicide. What must be remembered, however, is that there is often a bigger picture, and sometimes we must bench our goalie in order to put another man on the ice and get that shot that just might save us.

I’m sure there’s some sort of calender that I can create on here, but they let me loose on my own so you’ll have to bare with me!

THIS WEEK:
Immigration Application Clinic
2/06/2010, 11:00am - 4:00pm
PS 181, Brooklyn

Winter Jam NYC
2/06/2010, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Bandshell, Central Park (enter at 72nd street), Manhattan

Earth: An Environmentally Themed Exhibit
2/10/2010, 7:30pm -10:00pm
272 Clinton Ave., Brooklyn

First and foremost, a word on the theme: I wanted something that both reflected the vibrancy of the city as well as something that was easy to read and navigate. Don’t like the theme? Have one of your own you would like to see featured here? Please leave a comment and let me know!

-Mayor Miers