I got this in an email and liked it so much that I even suspended my aversion to reading all caps, and enjoyed the whole thing. :-)

I am a New Yorker

I live in the five boroughs or on the Island or

I may live hundreds or thousands of miles away

Or I may live just over the GW Bridge

But I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

Whatever took me out of New York:

Business, family or hating the cold

did not take New York out of me.

My accent may have faded and my pace may have slowed

But I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

I was raised on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza,

The Yankees or the Met's (Giants or Dodgers)

Jones Beach, Rye Beach, Orchard Beach or one of the beaches on the sound

I know that 'THE END' means Montauk.

Because I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

When I go on vacation, I never look up

Sky scrapers are something I take for granted

The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me

Taxis and noise and subways and 'get outa heah' don't rattle me

Because I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker

I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct

I eat Greek food and Italian food,

Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food

Because they are all American food to me.

I don't get mad when people speak other languages in my presence

Because my relatives got to this country via Ellis Island and chose to stay

They were New Yorkers

People who have never been to New York have misunderstood me

My friends and family work in the industries, professions and businesses that benefit all Americans

My firefighters died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers

They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans

Because they were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker

I feel the pain of my fellow New Yorkers

I mourn the loss of my beautiful city

I feel and dread that New York will never be the same But then I remember:

I am a New Yorker

And New Yorkers have:

Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm. Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens.

Love and pride in our city, in our state, in our country. Intelligence, experience and education par excellence.

Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond Faith--no matter what religion we practice.

Terrorists hit America in its heart but America 's heart still beats

strong. Demolish the steel in our buildings,

but it doesn't touch the steel in our souls. Hit us in the pocketbook but we'll parlay what we have left into a fortune.

End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans, but we'll take care of them because they are New Yorkers

Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are there are New Yorkers in every state and

every city of this nation.

We will not abandon our city.

We will not abandon our brothers and sisters

We will not abandon the beauty, creativity and diversity

that New York represents.

We are New Yorkers and we are proud to be New Yorkers

s

REMEMBER THE WTC

Author - Vincent Pasquale, Maspeth, NY

Thank you Vincent for allowing us to share this with

our fellow New Yorkers all around the world.

Only those that grew up or lived in NYC

can understand the meaning of this:

THERE I S NO NORTH AND SOUTH.

IT'S 'UPTOWN' OR 'DOWNTOWN.'

IF YOU'RE REALLY FROM NEW YORK ,

YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT

OF WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE...

AND EAST OR WEST IS 'CROSS-TOWN.'

YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE AN EGG CREAM.

YOU RIDE IN A SUBWAY CAR WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING

JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.

YOU TAKE THE TRAIN HOME AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY

WHERE ON THE PLATFORM THE DOORS WILL OPEN THAT

WILL LEAVE YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT STAIRWAY.

YOU KNOW WHAT A 'REGULAR' COFFEE IS.

IT'S NOT MANHATTAN ...IT'S THE 'CITY.'

YOU CROSS THE STREET ANY WHERE BUT ON THE CORNERS

AND YOU YELL AT CARS FOR NOT RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT

TO DO IT.

YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY,

SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE

AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU'RE FROM BROOKLYN ,

LONG ISLAND OR THE BRONX ,

THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

YOU RETURN AFTER 10 YEARS AND THE FIRST FOODS YOU

WANT ARE A 'REAl, Nathans and Sabret Hot Dogs, Carvel, Egg Roll or Spare Ribs, AND A 'REAL' Breakfast sandwich on a 'REAL' Roll or

Bagel, Ring Dings or Devil Dogs

I could go on but this story is long enough

(I had to add just a few very important food groups that I miss A LOT!)

A 500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT IS LARGE.

YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT ANY

HUMAN BEING WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND

A P.A. ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE SUBWAY.

YOU WOULDN'T BOTHER ORDERING PIZZA IN ANY OTHER CITY.

YOU GET READY TO ORDER DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND MUST

CHOOSE FROM THE MAJOR FOOD GROUP MENUS:

CHINESE, ITALIAN, MEXICAN OR INDIAN.

YOU'RE NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN GOING TO

TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.

YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS PERMANENTLY SET TO KNOW

WHEN ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING IS IN

EFFECT.

YOU KNOW WHAT (AND WHERE) A BODEGA IS.

SOMEONE BUMPS INTO YOU AND YOU CHECK FOR YOUR WALLET.

YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THE LADY WALKING DOWN THE STREET

HAVING A PERFECTLY NORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HERSELF.

YOU PAY 'ONLY' $230 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR.

YOU CRINGE AT HEARING PEOPLE PRONOUNCE HOUSTON ST .

LIKE THE CITY IN TEXAS

THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IS A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM,

NOT AN HONOR.

YOU CAN NAP ON THE SUBWAY AND NEVER MISS YOUR STOP.

(this always amazed me)

THE DELI GUY GIVES YOU A STRAW WITH ANY BEVERAGE

YOU BUY, EVEN IF IT'S A BEER.

THAT'S NEW YORK , BABY!