especially at night

it seems as though nothing could be as beautiful. as breathtaking. as this place.

spring is invigorating. reviving.
summer is bright. lazy.
fall is crisp. inspiring.

winter is bittersweet. magical.

. . . strolling the streets. the sidewalks. . .

. . . canopies of christmas lights. forests of fir trees. people wrapped like presents.

line the island.

the left and right, the up and down. the cross-town blocks, the avenues.

nothing short of remarkable. incandescent.

this city is constantly outdoing itself.

lesson #1

you have to be willing to be a beginner.

and i'm not.

won't you be my neighbor

i started my new york life in the west village. a small town in the city. i still wander those streets and encounter a slew of neighbors. it is home.

i'd been beginning to wonder if i'd ever know my neighbors in the lower east side.

friday morning. i entered the subway. and there was an introduction. a young guy seated next to me. pointed out, "hey, i think we're neighbors." sure enough. he is right. we are neighbors.

sunday afternoon. i entered the local coffee shop. and there's the neighbor. i nudged him, "hello." and he joined me for conversation. and it continued. for the next seven hours.

we finished one cup.

finished another.

and he suggested, "wanna take a walk?"

a brilliant idea since i was hopped up on caffeine.

and we began walking. we moseyed through the streets of the neighborhood. and we found ourselves at canal street.

he asked, "wanna walk across the bridge?"

sure. why not?

so we made our way across the manhattan bridge. along the way, i pointed out to him the park that lies on the brooklyn side between the brooklyn and manhattan bridges. i explained that park is where i'd slept a few summers ago. after i'd crossed the brooklyn bridge in the middle of the night with some folks. i explained to him where that neighborhood's name, DUMBO, had originated. as he responded with some surprise. i pointed out that he would forever remember our walk across this bridge, if for no other reason than, because he had learned this acronym. he couldn't help but agree.

we landed in brooklyn. a rather unique setting for each of us.

and we found a small bar.

we grabbed a couple of beers. which i relished, in hopes that the caffeine would settle in response to the depressive elements of alcohol.

we talked of u.s. history. family histories. career goals. music.

we made our way back across the bridge.

he placed a bet. a bet that he lost. and i became a dollar richer.

we returned to our mutual address. he on the first floor. i on the third.

and we confidently said, "i'll see you around."

i'm certain we will.

after all. we're neighbors.