Way Off in the Distance, Miss Liberty

Photo by myself from the southern tip of Manhattan.

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I discovered Tuesday that the thing about being at the edge of an island is that you can't see what's behind you. In my case, I was standing in a park, with all of lower Manhattan at my back.

It was overcast but the sun was peeking through the heavy clouds at the end of the day. With the Statue of Liberty way, way off in the distance, I thought it was a nice image.

Related posts: The View of Liberty, Life's a Beach and The Cycle of Decay.

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On the Market

Photo by myself of the New York Stock Exchange, at 11 Wall Street.

Although the building has a grand facade, it isn't located in a grand space. Unfortunately, you can only get limited views of the building, which is dramatically lit.

It was a quiet night. Armed guards stood on call outside, just in case.

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Yes, this is the famous place.

You see the interiors sometimes on tv, filled with stressed out bankers. Their arms in the air, they make signs with their fingers to buy and sell or whatever they do. The close of the market each day is rung in by a special bell.

I've only seen this building at night or on the weekend, since I work uptown. I'd love to see what it's like during rush hour. Is there a flood of bankers streaming out? Or is it more like a stampede?

Related posts: Life at the Time & Life Building, Midtown, Architecture, A Glorified Profession and Making an Entrance, in Midtown.

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Remembering Memorial Day

Photo by myself on lower Broadway, around Rector Street.

Along the 'Canyon of Heroes', where championship teams and events are awarded ticker tape parades, over 200 plaques with stainless steel lettering are set into the sidewalk. All along Broadway, you can see a record of each parade in history.

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As humans, we have the need to commemorate. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, even ticker tape parades.

One of my coworkers just celebrated his 50th birthday. I asked him how he felt, since he wore a look of disbelief.

'I feel like I'm 22,' he said sadly. This made me wonder what was worse - feeling your age, or not feeling your age?

Memorial Day is this weekend. Every year, I'm immersed in work, and the holiday sneaks up on me. I usually stay in the city, which empties out.

I would find myself alone with the tourists, which isn't such a bad thing. I walk around and enjoy the city, which is remarkably less crowded. But the feeling is like being at a party when the cake arrives in the next room, and you find that you're suddenly alone.

This year, I'm happy to say, the holiday is not going to sneak up on me. No, I won't be a victim of the calendar.

Mark and I may attend a barbecue or throw a barbecue of our own. Or we might drive out to Long Island to see his mom, or we'll cook a few things, or walk around and enjoy the city that we're blessed to live in. Or we might do nothing at all.

It doesn't matter what we'll be doing. I'm just glad to look forward to the three-day weekend for once.

For more on the Canyon of Heroes, click here

Related posts: Past Times and Tourists for a Day.

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Basta Cosi (Enough)

Photo by myself, at Bowling Green near Wall Street.

Italian tourists horsed around on the life sized bronze bull sculpture, a symbol of the Financial District. The bull represents a 'bullish' or prospering market.

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As I wrote last night, Mark and I have been working hard and rewarding ourselves as a result.

It's an easy pattern to fall into - you give a lot to your job and your family. You stress out over other people's concerns. You work toward perfection in situations which are far from perfect.

There's always another opinion to win over, client to please, deadline to attain. Isn't life just stressful? It's easy to then think that you deserve more in return.

You eat more, drink more, indulge a bit more. Curiously, I feel that it's in these times of stress that one should scale back. While indulging less, I feel that one should actively value things (your loved ones, your job, your situation) more.

It's just my opinion, of course, an opinion that comes at the end of yet another long week. With the risk of sounding like a complete sap, I'll say this: all I need is a moment to stop in my tracks, close my eyes and tell myself that life is good. I don't need anything more. I already have enough.


For an earlier post about Zen, click here .

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