To say it's been a while is an understatement!!!! What have I been up to...the grind of life. Working...pausing (Sabbath)...working. My job got off to a good start, there have been some bumps in the road, but I’ll write later about that. In other news everything is trucking along here in the Big Apple. Some days I am amazed that I made such a big move. There are things I like and things I would do without. There are also some things I miss about Huntsville (I know…this is growth).
I love the fresh fruit, and other basic things, on the side of the road for basically pennies (4 bananas for a $1…yes, please). I like the transit system, it’s cheap and fairly efficient (no air in the subway though, that’s no good). It’s hard to believe that I can go wherever I want in the city on my metrocard for $104 a month. I used to use that in two weeks driving around (my budget is impressed). I love the abundance of culture. Unlike in the south when you are simply white or black or at times Mexican (no not even Hispanic). Here you are a Southern Indian, Ethiopian, European, Puerto Rican, Dominican, the possibilities are endless. So for someone like me who is a Black (although I’ve been asked because of my hair and complexion if I am something other than “black”), Seventh-day Adventist, pescotarian I feel close to normal. There is always something for me to eat, people are tolerant of my sunset Friday to sunset Saturday beliefs. There is always something to see and things to do. I saw my first Broadway show two months after I got here. It was called a Streetcar Named Desire starring Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Wood Harris. It was good and the acting was great. Honestly, I didn’t think Nicole had it in her. While I was there I saw Jasmine Guy (Whitley from A Different World and Boris Kodjoe, Nicole’s Boo and actor) And I can’t forget to mention the zillions of restaurants.
However as the facts of life teach us you must take the good with the bad. I could do without the New York “lifestyle.” The cost of living here is crazy and it seems everyone is always trying to keep up with one another. I mean seriously a 800sq ft apartment for over $5000. -_- Ridiculous. I miss my house… The small portions at expensive restaurants, I am not amused. The New York attitude that is ever present most everywhere you go. I’d never thought I long for the random grocery store conversation in the line. I miss driving a little, something about turning the music up while I cruise along. It’s nice to have someone drive for you, and occasionally folks will feel obliged to share their music with you and those on the subway car, but sometimes it gets old. The amount of weird people roaming the streets, I feel like they got all the weird people they could find and just dropped them in New York (a big sarcastic Thanks). The amount of homeless/underprivileged people. It breaks my heart every time I walk into a subway, turn the corner, walk down the street. The poverty here is overwhelming, I feel quite powerless. One day if I get the chance I want to do my best to create a permanent change until then a $1 or two here or there always helps I guess.
I know leaving Huntsville in February I was leaving behind something the familiar and that by itself is something I’d knew I’d eventually miss. I miss being in town when people decided to stop by, living here visits have to be intentional (and so far we’d had two guests). I miss my job and my coworkers. I didn’t realize how much I liked it until it was almost time to leave (and the benefits I would be leaving). I miss church. So to be completely honest, I haven’t been going as regularly as I did in Huntsville. Before you judge…I still honor the Sabbath…ok now you can go ahead. I just haven’t found a good church to attend. The black churches seem to be looooong (get home at 4 PM long…I’m not about that life) and most have been lacking in the area of hospitality (instead of inviting me to the foot washing service, I was asked to watch some ladies’ purses). The mixed churches are missing the passion I find refreshing in the music and the sermon usually (the music is dry and the sermons are boring). So I’m in a rut when it comes to going to church. I still go, but I feel no need to sit in the pew continually as a mere insurance measure that I’ll make it into the kingdom. Last time I checked it doesn’t work that way anyhow; so the jury is still out on the church thing, but God knows and will provide.
Overall I think New York like most things in life is about growth and improvement. It’s about allowing God to lead and going where He wants me (us) to be. I would have never picked this place and, honestly, I am glad I didn’t. God led us here and is blessing us here, so here is where I’ll be at least until my next divine appointment.
