Arch de Triumph
Joan Tally, my second cousin or first cousin once removed (we never figured it out), was right there to pick me up when I stepped off the train in New York Penn Station. After embraces and a brief account of my trip up until this point, we squeezed our way down the crowded New York streets. The hustle bustle of the big city was a drastic and rather unpleasant change from the small town of Wilmington. I could understand some people's fascination with and gravitation towards the sparkling lights and honking horns, but it is not for me. Social isolation. Although it's nearly impossible to take a step without physically bumping into another person, everyone around me seemed determined to keep their eyes fixed forward, absorbed in another world, "plugged-in," as they say. Digital electronic advertisements covered the sides of buildings and continued into the palms of pedestrians compulsively checking blackberrys (excluding the homeless men begging for change). I never made eye-contact with a single person.
Joan Tally, my second cousin or first cousin once removed (we never figured it out), was right there to pick me up when I stepped off the train in New York Penn Station. After embraces and a brief account of my trip up until this point, we squeezed our way down the crowded New York streets. The hustle bustle of the big city was a drastic and rather unpleasant change from the small town of Wilmington. I could understand some people's fascination with and gravitation towards the sparkling lights and honking horns, but it is not for me. Social isolation. Although it's nearly impossible to take a step without physically bumping into another person, everyone around me seemed determined to keep their eyes fixed forward, absorbed in another world, "plugged-in," as they say. Digital electronic advertisements covered the sides of buildings and continued into the palms of pedestrians compulsively checking blackberrys (excluding the homeless men begging for change). I never made eye-contact with a single person.
We had dinner at an excellent little Indian restaurant, and we left feeling contently stuffed. After a short walk, a cab took us the rest of the way home. Her two boys were asleep by the time I arrived, and so after a quick tour of the house, I was off to sleep. I awoke to two little boys poking their heads into my room, whispering to each other in an attempt to make their presence unknown. I welcomed them in and we immediately began on Lego projects. Unfortunately, our plastic engineering adventures were short-lived as the preparation for the school day demanded their full (at least as full as a 4 and 6 year old can get with a visitor in the house) attention. Disappointed that I wouldn't be coming with them to school, we said our goodbyes and had our high-fives. Joan and I took the subway into the city where we walked to her office. I met several of her staff members, shared stories of my adventures, and listened to their advice. Then I explored the city by foot for several hours, checking out the construction at ground zero, touring the Maritime museum, and sampling cheap pizza. With plenty of time to spare, I took the subway to the Penn Station and boarded my train to Syracuse. The realization that this would possibly be my last train ride for a while was bitter-sweet, but I was looking forward to seeing my brother and Sarah.
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