Rap City Chic

Life in the big city is like no other. Yes, I know I have addressed this on numerous occasions, but my experiences in this crazy yet wonderful place never cease to amaze me. And something I seem to learn quite often these days- face your fears. From down in the hood to up on the haughty east side- here in NYC I am constantly encountering great people in great and what can sometimes be considered 'not so safe' places. On just the right rainy- Harlem can actually be one of my favorite secret spots here. During a recent adventure, dressed  down as much as possible with no makeup in broad daylight (I know my grandmother is reading this so I want to assure her I am safe)- I gallivanted around the streets taking everything, engaging each of my senses. Not only did I hear the constant idle chatter in Spanish as if everyone knew one another, but the blaring music, flashing lights from small street vendors, and sizzling ethnic foods wafting from street trucks made my experience all the more enriched. This neighborhood was not scary, but rather filled with life, love and noticeable happiness. Granted there is grief and distress in any town, city, or home but it is the connectedness of a community of people that made me a lot less fearful of this place. Days later in another not-so-hot neighborhood, my cabbie passed by a large congregation of homeless people. Stopped at a red light in traffic, my natural reaction was to ensure that my right side door was locked, but I was instead in awe of what I saw. A homeless man, who had just received a cup of soup and a roll of what from what I now realized was a soup truck (hence the large congregation) was enjoying his meal for what seemed to be like his 1st in days. What was most shocking to me was that he was sharing his roll with a group of birds (pigeons, yes I know flying rats) that had also formed a small circle nearby. Instead of fear, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of compassion- realizing that this man who literally had NOTHING was sharing food, his possible only source of nourishment for the day, with an animal. The point of both of these experiences is that sometimes when you have a fear- face it. Whether it be a neighborhood, a group of people, or a new experience (please note I am not telling you to stare danger in the eye here) you will never truly know how great it can be unless you give it a chance. Open eyes, eye mind, open heart :)
xoxo AA