With the RNC in town, I’ve been confronted with my minority status more than a few times in the past week or two. What minority status, you may ask? Heh. I may be a WASP, but - even with the GOP in town - Republicans are a minority on the west side of Manhattan. Supposedly, 1 in 5 New Yorkers are Republicans. Ha! 98% of them must live on the Upper East Side, because I certainly never run into any of them in my neighborhood.

Everyone is feeling a little overrun and overwhelmed by the 10,000 extra tourists and multitude of extra cops in the neighborhood. Of course, we all despise tourists of any kind (liberal, conservative, foreign, American, old, young, whatever). Somehow they always manage to be in the way. But, WOW, my neighborhood friends seem to have a special abhorrence for the Republicans. I feel like a spy when I’m listening to them bitch and moan.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am NOT a right-winger by any means. I consider myself fiscally conservative but socially liberal. I am distressed by the Republican Party’s swing toward "moral strongarming" as of late and would happily defect to a more socially reasonable party IF I could trust that party with the state of the Union.

Do I voice any of this around my neighborhood friends. NFW. Not that I am not willing to be the lone voice on one side of a debate - I can and will do that. But no one has specifically asked for my opinion and I just haven’t felt the need (or the energy) to debate. Maybe sometime, but not now.

I’ve made some interesting, creative, and fun friends at the dog runs in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen over the past 6 months. I have had the greatest summer I can remember having in a long time… I spent more time outdoors, met more people, and became more involved in my community, all because of the dog. One of the best parts has been meeting and getting to know people that I wouldn’t normally meet. It has been a long time since I have socialized with people that I didn’t meet at work.

I work in investment banking, I cheer the Yankees, I read Newsweek… but I live on the west side and I also read the Times. I chose this neighborhood for a reason and I love it here. And I love my friends. And my dog loves their dogs, so I choose to focus on our similarities instead of our differences. The DOGS don’t care about our politics; they just want to play together, love us, and have a good time!

More on politics another day maybe.