Okay winter, you proved your point: I’m a pussy.
But you also helped show why Newark Mayor Cory Booker is one of my favorite people. I blogged about Cory once before, and I’m still in awe of the job he’s doing to rebuild his city. By the way, after the Esquire article I referenced was published, which completely deified Cory, he sent an angry letter to the magazine, chastising it for not portraying his city well. What politician does that?
The day after Christmas, Newark had a total snowfall of 24.2 inches, and Mayor Booker decided to single-handedly dig the city out. That’s him, above, in the hoodie. He never slept, living off Advil and Diet Coke after he hurt his back shoveling, and used Twitter to coordinate the effort to clean the streets.
It began with a simple tweet:
@CoryBooker: I'm patroling with my shovel helping dig out. Let me know if any seniors or disabled need help.
Soon after, he freed an ambulance so it could get to a dialysis patient.
There was drama:
@CoryBooker: Responding to a distress call - woman in labor. EMS on the way but I have a feeling my team will beat them there.
Corey did beat EMS to the woman, and called her “courageous.”
He was hands on, responding to citizens:
@NewNewark: Tell mayor, Mr Lou Jones 224 Richileu ter. He's disabled needs help.
@CoryNooker: Can u DM me his phone #?
@tmhester: Highland Ave b/w My sis can't get out to get diapers.
@CoryBooker: I'm delivering the diapers now. We will get her street soon
He kept his patience with the unappreciative types:
@NEAKO: I'M SO UPSET WITH YOU! CLEAN THE VAILSBURG SIDE STREETS
@CoryBooker: We'll be working on them through the night
@HobokenSinkhole: why'd U even let it snow in the 1st place?!
@CoryBooker: Lol! I feel like I got that yelled at me a few times 2day
And when it was all over, the mayor still maintained his sense of humor:
@Honky_B_Cool: can you send a salt truck to Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana? The bartender forgot to salt my margarita.
@CoryBooker: Huge Laugh!
I mention all this because a) my dad used to tell me he believed there are 11 people put on this earth to make it a better place, and no doubt Cory is one of them, and b) this is still prime resolution-making time, and I don’t know about you, but if I can vow to work one-tenth as hard as Cory Booker, and aspire to be as genuine and compassionate as him, there’s no telling what I can do this year.
*Note: after posting this entry, I received this direct message:
"Wow, thanks for that flattering blog. I pray in 2011 I can live up to (or close to) your exceedingly generous words. Cory"
