New York Time’s Modern Love

One year ago, I signed up to receive daily briefings from the New York Times. After reading up on political turmoil, stock market movement, and international relations, I noticed a small section dedicated to food and other miscellaneous topics. One day there was a special section dedicated to a column I hadn’t heard of before: Modern Love. 

While I’ve never been in a serious relationship, I (like most people) have a soft spot for a wholesome love story. The first piece I read, Firefighter Chases Woman Down Street, struck me as completely different than anything I would normally read. 

To put it simply, the story was real. It reflects on a past relationship and in fact, the ending was a bit sad.

Their story begins on the streets of New York City, as the firefighter chased after a woman on the sidewalk and said, “I think you’re a beautiful woman. When are you going to let me take you out?” 

They were complete opposites in almost every single way. She was agonistic and liberal while he was an Irish Catholic conservative libertarian. Despite their differences, they learned from one another and grew both independently and as a couple.

She taught him about her experiences including the microaggressions she faces as a Black woman. Likewise, he shared his experiences with her, like how important his Catholicism was to him.

They also offered opposing viewpoints, especially on police brutality. In fact, his father was a policeman in New York City, and her father was a Black man from the South. 

They stood on completely opposite sides, yet she describes their relationship as, “He and I carried the weight of our fathers, his a cop, mine a Black man in America. Every day, we each worried about our own father’s safety.” 

In the end, it was the fear of commitment that drove them apart. However, this was a real relationship, not one seen in a cliche movie. There are cultural differences, viewpoints, and opinions that are seemingly insurmountable barriers for a relationship.

Ultimately, some people simply grow apart, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. A few months later, she found out he had passed away after Google searching his name. While thinking over all the possible what-ifs, she writes, “The way we had bridged the political and cultural divide was refreshing. It was love. The world seemed darker without him.”

While I don’t think all love is forever, I do believe that people are put in our lives for certain reasons. All relationships, both the good and bad, leave something with us making us who we are. This story is a perfect example of how complex love and relationships can be. 

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