Word came down from the Governor. Coronavirus was spreading and we’ve been told to stay inside until further notice. The ‘New York State on Pause’ executive order has really put a screeching halt to everyone’s ability to enjoy life. Most of all, it has shut down people trying to connect. Sometimes it can be difficult for me to meet people. Now it’s impossible.
I live alone on the 20th floor of a high-rise luxury condo on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. My building is one of three that are identical to one another. The complex has an upper middle-class population of almost four thousand. It is a great place to live, clean, safe and quiet. Other than a courtesy hello in the elevator or at the mailbox, most people keep to themselves.
It was my ninth day inside. I wasn’t going out anytime soon so there was no reason to get dressed. In fact, I started to enjoy the freedom of no clothes. If anything came out of this, I realize that I’m a nudist. My time inside was spent spring cleaning, emptying closets, sorting through old clothes and catching up on reading, always in the buff.
While cleaning the hall closet, I came across the digital camera and lenses that my daughter gave me for Christmas last year. This was a great opportunity to finally learn how to use it by taking some random shots from my window. I attached one of the telephoto lenses.
There is a large picture window from floor to ceiling in my living room. It provides a great view of the East River to the right. A tug boat was cruising by, so I focused in and took about a dozen shots. As it passed out of sight, I let the camera drift to see if anything else looked interesting. I never paid much attention to the surrounding architecture. The way the light was shining that day created some very interesting shadows on the buildings. I kept snapping away, imagining I could be the next Ansel Adams.
My lens wandered past a window with the curtains open. At first, I didn’t pay attention to it. It was the condo directly across from mine with a similar floor to ceiling window. It is only about a hundred feet away. As I scanned back, I realized I was being watched. We had a perfect view of one another. It was a woman with long brown hair in what looked like a white terrycloth robe. I’m guessing she was in her mid-fifties. I don’t know why I would think that no one could see me. I’m standing there, camera in hand, wearing a smile and nothing else. I focused and took her picture. She didn’t seem to mind and waved. There was nothing to do but wave back. How have I never noticed this woman before?