I mention these merely to show that New York is peculiarly constructed to absorb almost anything that comes along（whether a thousand-foot liner out of the East or a twenty-thousand-man convention out of the West）without infliction the event on its inhabitants，so that every event is，in a sense，optional，and the inhabitant is in the happy position of being able to choose his spectacle and so conserve his soul.In most metropolises，small and large，the choice is often not with the individual at all.He is thrown to the Lions.The Lions are overwhelming;the event is unavoidable.A cornice falls，and it hits every citizen on the head，every last man in town.I sometimes think that the only event that hits every New Yorker on the head is the annual St.Patrick’s Day parade，which is fairly penetrating-the Irish are a hard race to tune out，and there are 500，000 of them in residence.
The quality in New York that insulates its inhabitants from life may simply weaken them as individuals.Perhaps it is healthier to live in a community where，when a cornice falls，you feel the blow;where，when the governor passes，you see at any rate his hat.
I am not defending New York in this regard.Many of its settlers are probably here merely to escape，not face，reality.But whatever it means，it is a rather rare gift，and I believe it has a positive effect on the creative capacities of New Yorker-for creation is in part merely the business of forgoing the great and small distractions.
Although New York often imparts a feeling of great forlornness or forsakenness，it seldom seems dead or unresourceful;and you always feel that eitherby shifting your location ten blocks or by reducing your fortune by five dollars you can experience rejuvenation.Many people who have no real independence of spirit depend on the city’s tremendous variety and sources of excitement for spiritual sustenance and maintenance of morale.In the country there are a few chances of sudden rejuvenation-a shift in weather，perhaps，or something arriving in the mail.But in New York the chances are endless.I think that although many persons are here from some excess of spirit（which caused them to break away from their small town），some，too，are here from a deficiency of spirit，who find in New York a protection，or an easy substitution.