The Zander Zone

As a naturally left-brained individual, I approach problems rationally and sequentially. Unsurprisingly, technology and analytical logic are my most evident comfort zones. However, I do attempt to explore outside my comfort zone, and sometimes even venture into the danger zone (aka: “The Zander Zone”). My most memorable occasion was an adventure on the subway. As a frequent commuter on the subway, I know to not ride the rails going through Jamaica alone after sunset. However, one night after staying late in the city with some friends, I found myself in the same subway station, riding the same cars, but in a completely different setting. The train was dark, quiet, and unsettling; the people around me emitted an air (and smell) that was unwelcoming to say the least. Every few minutes, a few estranged individuals walked between the cars, asking for change. Standing next to me, a man finished a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, clutching the bottle in seemingly mutated claws – each hand possessing only 2 fingers. In the middle of the car, a disheveled man unfolded a newspaper and lay down for the night. I took a seat in the corner, aware that something as trivial as a wrong look might incite a conflict. Truly, I had overstepped my comfort zone; I now sat prudently, waiting for my stop, and contemplating as I teetered between my comfort zone and my danger zone on this late summer night on the E train.