Steve Buscemi, the veteran actor with the one-in-a-million face, known for his depictions of weirdos and gangsters, inspires a lot of creative description: The Guardian referred to him as a “strangely attractive shoelace” and one critic recalled Buscemi as “pale, almost pallid—as if he’d been reared in a mushroom cellar.”
The Independent once suggested an “unvarnished ordinariness” was the heart of Buscemi’s appeal. He has been said to look like Don Knotts, John Waters, and Angelina Jolie.
Less frequently noted, though, than the Boardwalk Empire star’s fascinatingly famous features are the details of his life before acting, when he worked as an FDNY firefighter in downtown Manhattan. That’s right, Mr. Pink used to pull people out of burning buildings for a living.
And in September 2013, a post on the Brotherhood of Fire Facebook page informed the world that the actor regrouped with his old engine company in the days after 9/11, lending a hand when it was needed the most. Beneath a picture of Buscemi, it read:
Do you recognize this man? Do you know his name?Lots of people know he's an actor, and that his name is Steve Buscemi.What very few people realize is that he was once one of New York's Bravest.In 1976 Steve Buscemi took the FDNY civil service test when he was just 18 years old. In 1980 Steve Buscemi became a New York City Firefighter.For four years, Buscemi served on one of FDNY's busiest, Engine Co. 55 in Manhattan's Little Italy. He later left the fire service to become a successful actor, writer and director.After 9/11/2001... Brother Buscemi returned to FDNY Engine 55.On September 12, 2001 and for several days following Brother Steve worked 12-hour shifts alongside other firefighters digging and sifting through the rubble from the World Trade Center looking for survivors.Very few photographs and no interviews exist because he declined them. He wasn't there for the publicity.In 2003 he also gave a speech at a union rally supporting higher wages for firefighters and to stop fire houses from closing. He got arrested along with other firefighters.Also not very well known is that in 2012 Brother Buscemi showed up in Breezy Point, NY and quietly assisted in the clean-up efforts of the damage and mass destruction left by Super Storm Sandy.Once a brother, always a brother!Just so we're clear… this guy is a Badass!!!Tip of the helmet Brother Steve!
In a world of Kardashians and Charlie Sheens, it’s always great to hear inspiring stories like this about successful people in film and television.
And those of us who were in New York the morning the planes hit remember the chaos and fear; every set of capable hands was needed. But even “notable” stories like Buscemi’s contribution after the attack are just the tip of the heroic iceberg, an introduction to the amazing narratives of selflessness and courage that define the experience of our active firefighters and emergency service workers.
That’s why in 2014 Buscemi hosted the HBO documentary A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY, presenting “behind-the-scenes footage and firsthand accounts” of what it’s like to work as a firefighter in New York. According to the film’s official description, it captures, “camaraderie and the bonds formed around firehouse kitchen tables, the cumulative effect of trauma, both physical and mental, and the stories—the good, the bad and the exciting.”
In the September 11 attacks and their aftermath, 343 firefighters from 75 firehouses gave their lives to protect and rescue others and many FDNY personnel are still suffering from illness, injury, and trauma.
“Firefighters are great at helping others,” Buscemi told CBS Newslast year. “They're great at helping each other. But they're not always—they don't always know that they, themselves, are in need … Their first reaction would be, ‘Oh, the next guy has it worse, you know?”
Image via Twitter user ClassicNavalAir.
Buscemi, who grew up on Long Island and now resides in Brooklyn, also serves on the Board of Advisors for Friends of Firefighters, an organization that looks out for the welfare of New York City’s firefighters and their families. Beyond fundraising and publicity, though, it seems the personal bonds and sense of responsibility he formed at the Department were strong enough that 20 years after he served he was still willing to throw himself physically into the fray.
“It was a privilege to be able to do it,” Buscemi said at the time of his efforts at ground zero. “It was great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some of the guys I worked alongside. And it was enormously helpful for me because while I was working, I didn't really think about it as much, feel it as much.”He continued, “It wasn't until I stopped that I really felt the full impact of what had happened. It would have been much harder for me to get through it if I hadn't been able to do that.”
I Love You Elf GIF by MOODMAN
"Love you!" Oops.
Green Flag GIF by The Last Talk Show
Embarrassed Hide GIF by flor
Eating the right foods is crucial for mental health.
media3.giphy.com
Legumes, like beans and lentils, are super foods and chockful of Vitamin B9.
Photo credit: Canva
Spending time in nature for at least two hours a week is great for overall wellbeing. 
There's an innate need for human connection.
Even a simple hike, no matter what the pace, is effective when combatting feeling bad. 
Tracking your steps can help motivate you and keep you motivated. 
Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, 1889Image via 
Turbulent flow illustrated and animated.
Animation of art referencing science.
Animated Starry Night
An animated depiction of The Scream.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."