Today's MOSTLY TRUE SHORT STORY: Only In New York

Most people are familiar with the saying, only in New York. It's meant to convey the moments of orchestrated chaos that New Yorkers usually take for granted. Things happen so quickly (think New York Minute) and with such endless variety here, when we encounter something others may think "unusual", we merely shrug. Sometimes these moments are outrageous and even grotesque, like someone shaving their legs in the subway. Others are completely unexpected and sublime. The latter was the case for me this afternoon.

I was cruising to work down the West Side Highway. Considering the mess it was for the snowstorm the night before, I was making great time. That was until I hit 125th St. Suddenly, the traffic came to a screeching halt. Having been exposed to the rigors of a daily NYC commute for many years, I knew some mishap ahead was snarling things up.

It's pretty well known that I don't do well in traffic. In fact, it drives me crazy (pun intended). But, I've been doing my best lately to simply accept it for what it is and tell myself it's a just matter of patience. Besides, it was a beautiful afternoon with a spectacular fall sky framing the City and the Hudson River. So, with one eye on the crawling traffic, I let one drift to the sky. I was just south of 125th St. and a flock of seagulls were darting up and down, squawking in unison. Since Manhattan is an island, seagulls are not exactly rare around here. But, there antics still provided a momentary distraction from my dilemma.

Then, something caught my eye: one of the seagulls looked decidedly different. First, it was considerably larger. And, instead of a white body and dark head like the others, this one had a dark body with a white head and bright, white tail feathers. I strained my eyes to get a better look. It was then that I realized it wasn't a seagull at all. In fact, it was a BALD EAGLE. There was no mistaking it. As Bald Eagles are opportunistic hunter/scavengers, it must have been looking to steal a meal from one of the gulls! The unique opportunity to encounter this magnificent animal thriving within the environs of Americas most frenetic and congested city can certainly be classified as an ONLY IN NEW YORK moment.

But, Bald Eagle sightings are becoming more common place here - the soaring cliffs of the Palisades and abundance of fish making ideal habitat. In fact, they've become like most New Yorkers - hustling and going about their business in the greatest city in the world.

Unfortunately (or, fortunately depending on your POV), traffic started to inch forward and I had to turn my full attention back to the road. Besides, she was not interested in hanging around anyway. After a few moments, she was gone in, well, a NEW YORK MINUTE.