First week in the city, first week of class

Sept. 10, 2009

Murphy's Law: noun 1. The facetious proposition that if something can go wrong, it will. (dictionary.reference.com)

Morgan's Law: noun 1. The proven fact that when things can go wrong, especially in the comedic sense, they will. 2. Acceptance of the above fact. 3. The ability to laugh at oneself while experiencing 1 and 2.

I came to New York City via Ohio, 640 miles and a world away.

This was my first week as a graduate student NYU. Moving three states away from my home for the past 23 years to one of the biggest cities in the world was daunting for sure, but I was ready for the challenge. I was ready to take on a new life and all that entailed. Working as a reporter at a major daily newspaper in a large city has been my dream since undergrad - and what better place to embark upon this dream than in NYC, the media capital of the country, maybe even the world?

Now, the explanation of this blog title. For as a long as I can remember, hilarious and embarrassing things have happened to me. This makes for an awkward childhood, painful prepubescence and slow climb to social normalcy. And Murphy's Law still claims me every now and then. Or as I like to call it, Morgan's Law. Morgan's Law is different than Murphy's. Murphy's has a sort of dark and pessimistic undertone, a giving-up-on-the-world-and-anything-good-happening-to-me vibe. Morgan's Law is different. It accepts that embarrassing or awkward things happen. But those who abide by this law learn to laugh at themselves, others and the world.

For example. Last week, I had my program orientation. Things seemed to be going well. I made my first friend in line to register; people were friendly, even helpful. I was beginning to feel like the mean streets and frosty, distant New Yorkers I had always envisioned were fabricated. There was a coffee and donut mixer before orientation, so I, new pal in tow, eagerly embarked on a mission for caffeine.

I carried my steaming cup o' joe to the orientation room, sat down and promptly bumped the table to hard with one leg that I spilt more than half of my coffee over the entire table.

I suddenly felt like my middle school self, clothed in overalls, flannel shirt (yes, I wore both together) and unflattering haircut. I looked around at the people in my program, people I would work closely with over the next year and half, people whose work I would read and critique and people whom I hoped to befriend.

So what did I do?

I laughed at myself. What else was there to do?

This is almost as funny as the other day when I was navigating through the streets of the city toward campus and I stepped in something wet. I was wearing flip-flops, so naturally the liquid sprayed up on my legs. It was only half a block later that I realized I had inadvertently stepped in a stream of pee.

These are only a few of many. Maybe next time I'll tell you about the time I got a yellow Skittle stuck up my nose when I was 2 years old - I didn't like the yellow ones, what else was I going to do with them? - and my mom had to pry it out of my very small nostril with a butter knife until it ricocheted across the room.

I have an entire treasure trove of embarrassing stories - all practically guaranteed to earn a laugh. And they make for some great cocktail stories. (While I have yet to attend my first cocktail party, I plan to use many of my Morgan's Law anecdotes at my first one.)

So far, the city has been everything I could've hoped for and more. But not so fast. Let's just see what Morgan's Law has to say about that.