New York, the city that never sleeps in a world that constantly trudges forward. The people move quickly down the streets, rushing from point A to point B as expediently as possible. As I watch them move, listen to their speech, and feel their intensity I can tell that they are not like people from the Central Valley.

People from cities throughout the world all have varying personalities and traits, however they do share certain mannerisms and characteristics. Accents, traditions, and culture vary greatly depending on where people are born and raised. For instance, the people of Boston sound completely different than those that live in Fresno.

The differences between the lives lived in big cities and smaller country towns are glaringly obvious. But the most interesting differences to me are the values of the respective groups. On one hand we have the New Yorkers; the uber modern people with lives that never seem to stop and ambitions as tall as the skyline. And on the other hand we have those of us from the small towns, where we hold more traditional values and focus less on personal ambition.

As I observe the streets I see the eyes of the New Yorkers and I can see an absence in them. The people of the massive metropolis maintain a distant and unaffected attitude as they peruse the city, their eyes cold and distant as they maneuver through the thousands of other people. I can’t help but feel their almost robotic gaze, as they try to analyze the most efficient way to pass me on the street.

The bright lights and tall skylines inspire all who visit the Big Apple. The art, the views, and the buildings bring out the hope for self-improvement. The desire to forge our own futures epitomizes the greatness of New York. However therein lies the danger for myself; that I might become obsessed with my own improvement at the expense of not caring for those around me. — Rees Roggenstein

The heart of the city bursts with life, each street like a vein pumping with energy and adventure, offering new sights to be seen by any who are willing to trek them. But with such excitement, such commotion, and such amazing amounts of energy come at a price. The people, as exciting as their lives are, have lost a certain human aspect. The people of the city do not feel for one another, they have lost their empathy for their fellow man.

This is understandable, and quite frankly there really isn’t any other choice but to forego human empathy while in a city as large as New York. With about eight million people loose on an island of about 305 square miles, it would be difficult to relate and see others as fellow human beings. One could not survive in a city like this if they are not selfish enough to fend for themselves; the city is like a jungle and only the strong survive there.

I too am no different from the typical New Yorker walking the streets. When I arrived and began walking Times Square, I started paying less and less attention to the people in the street. I began seeing them as obstacles in my way that I needed to overcome, something I needed to avoid. In a sense, I dehumanized the people and made them less than what they are.

The bright lights and tall skylines inspire all who visit the Big Apple. The art, the views, and the buildings bring out the hope for self-improvement. The desire to forge our own futures epitomizes the greatness of New York. However therein lies the danger for myself; that I might become obsessed with my own improvement at the expense of not caring for those around me.

The people of New York truly impress me, because I could not endure the amount of others without losing my empathy. I hope to take the inspiration that I have received here but maintain the values that I have been taught in the San Joaquin Valley.

For the previous New York column, please read COLUMN: Greater knowledge deepens emotion.

For more about The Feather in NYC, please read Feather takes NYC: Day 3.