I had no idea what was in store for me when I woke this morning, it was just more of the same awesome light hearted fun, jamin’ out to limp biscuit semi ironically as we got ready for central park. It is strange how you have no sense of how important a given day will be but when you look back on that day you don’t know how you could have missed it.
I knew Central Park was beautiful but nothing could have prepared me for the flood of emotions it forced out of me. One minute I was just walking through a nice park, saw strawberry fields, it was nice but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t have seen in Rockford. But then it happened, I turned a corner onto steps and was kicked in the chest by an unnamable something. I looked out on a gorgeous, enormous fountain, behind it a river with tourists rowing row boats in and out of view. There was a faint music you could hear in the distance, operatic spiritual hymns sung as if by an aching soul aching perhaps at the same utter beauty that had just invaded my heart.
I stood for a few minutes unable to move or speak, eventually I had to sit, I knew I couldn’t walk any further. My breath was taken away and I felt tears welling in my eyes and as I took this intensely spiritual moment in one word pumped through my entire body, pulsing inside like a sleeping secret that had been forced awake by a loud uncontrollable knowing, like a bellow it sang to me, “Home”.
I let the tears come and I let the moment wash over me and in this spot, in this place, in this moment I knew that I need to be here, the city is a thing, it is an organism all its own and it has apparently welcomed me into its beating chest.
When I was able to walk again I found the source of the music, a family of singers standing under the bridge for amazing acoustics belting out the music of their faith, the songs that move them the ones they had written, and again I was filled with a sense of fulfillment, of “home-ness”.
I needed some levity after that humbling experience so I had myself the most amazing shake ever at the restaurant featured in Seinfeld. After a shake so good I could marry it I was off to Time Square. Time Square is a visual spectacle at night and everyone should go there at least once. It is a sea of people and they are all moving, constantly buzzing the energy is so strong it’s almost over whelming. I enjoyed the excitement but the novelty wore off pretty quickly. It is an amazing experience but New York is so much more than Time Square.
After a quick subway ride, colored by a crazy drunk guy who burst into our car saying “Ladies and gentlemen…we are in a national crisis…help us out” arms raised speaking as if he was doing a fund raiser, it was off to meet some new friends.
Every were we went last night was great but one place stuck out, the “Lit Lounge” is exactly the kind of bar I think of when I think New York. It’s dark, its dirty, its rad and I loved it. The music was awesome, not some bs house music but rock and rock remixes, the basement walls made of stone and everyone was packed but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just the kind of place that screamed “Kyle goes here”. It was a long day and it was one I won’t soon forget. Central Park I feel was my Mecca; it was the reaffirmation that I am exactly where I need to be. Before Central Park I still wasn’t certain I was ready to take this on…but I’m ready now, oh man am I ready.
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