New York New York, It's a Wonderful Town

Last week a girlfriend and I went to New York to visit my daughter Kari in Astoria. Stephanie (said girlfriend) had never been and she had been eager to see the sights. I'd been a few times but since Kari had moved to a new apartment I gladly went to check it all out.

It was go go go from the time we got on the plane until we returned home 5 days later. We tried to pace ourselves but the very buzz of the city itself made it impossible to go slowly.
If we wanted to go to, say, Times Square, we had to hop on two busses, three subways, and walk twelve blocks just to get there. It would take all day and some careful planning to spend a few minutes at the attraction itself. By then, sometimes, we didn't care. I did purchase some postcards to remind myself of where I'd been.

The crowds were everywhere; the only place there was solitude would be in the bathroom. Even then you had to rush because there were always several desperate people waiting outside wiggling the door handle.

We visited Ground Zero the day after the anniversary of the attack. It was a somber experience to see the memorials, handwritten notes and flowers lined up against the fence.
We also rode the Staten Island Ferry and viewed the Statue of Liberty. Stephanie made sure we rode a horse drawn carriage through Central Park. Kari and I walked partway across the Brooklyn Bridge (we went halfway and back).

Kari's apartment is very nice; she and Gareth have made it into a home. Actually, Maeby and Ferrari, her cats, only allow humans to live there to care for them. Gareth, Kari's fella, cooked us a wonderful italian meal that I am still carrying around my midsection.

I was very glad to return to St. Louis, however. I realized how blessed I am to have a place to call home that I can actually hear... nothing. Busy cities make it difficult to be relational as there are too many people rushing around to get to know many of them.
I found myself longing for the ability once more to chat up the grocery checker, to tease the person at the drive thru window, to nod and smile at someone as they pass.

Relationships are challenging enough without the added pressure of the 'rules of the city.'
For example, Kari grilled me before we first set out sightseeing:
1) Don't make eye contact,
2) Don't talk to anyone you don't know,
3) Don't pet someone elses' dog on the street,
4) Don't wait for someone to go in front of you- you must push forward or you'll never get anywhere,
5) Get through the turnstiles fast or you'll be cursed out or run over.

It was exhausting!

I loved my visit. I experienced a few snags sleeping (Kari woke me up one night because I was snoring. She said I sounded like a dying alien...). Gareth is a great host and Kari is a good guide.

It's been about a week now and my ears have almost quit ringing. By next week I hope to be able to sleep without fighting the desire to look out my bedroom window to watch my neighbor's big screen tv.

If I've gained anything from this trip (besides weight) I'd learned to be glad that I'm a midwesterner. I may not know my way around my own town (read previous blog) but I know I can pet someone's dog (if it's shorter than me- read previous previous blog), and that good manners will always put a smile on someone's face.