So many places and perspectives

February 7, 2015
Day 283

I spent the day yesterday sightseeing around Manhattan.  There's so much to see, of course, so we didn't cover all that much considering, but I think we managed to do quite a lot.

We first walked over to the Empire State Building, then the Manhattan Mall, then Times Square, then Rockefeller Center and what's called the Top of the Rock experience (top of Rockefeller Center with views all around Manhattan and beyond).  After that, we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, and then did a tour of Radio City Music Hall, where we even met a Rockette.  From there, we walked to Grand Central Station, followed by a subway trip all the way downtown.  We made a short stop to see the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park, then walked over to Ground Zero to pay our respects at the footprints of the twin towers.

It was a long day, a very full day, and though my feet and legs were both tired and frozen by the end of it all, I felt very happy to have accomplished so much!

As to the last stop, the World Trade Center site, it was an important one for me for multiple reasons, not least of which was the visit itself.  On September 11, 2001, I watched smoke and flames pour out of both towers from the 29th floor of my office building on 42nd Street.  It wasn't until last night though, February 6, 2015, that I finally got myself down there to visit the site.  I wasn't purposely avoiding it, but I do confess I was reluctant to go.  The place they've created there can be described as nothing less than sacred, as it should be.  It is sacred ground, and always will be, and I was in awe at how beautifully they've honored the souls who perished on that fateful day.

Today we've got two Broadway shows ahead of us: Matilda for the matinee, and Les Mis at night.  It'll be a very different day, and much less busy, but a very exciting one too.  I haven't seen either of these productions yet, but did see the original Les Mis many years ago when I was still young.  It was my first Broadway show ever, at New York's Imperial Theatre.  In the years since, I ended up seeing a show called Billy Elliot The Musical there many, many times, and this will now bring me full circle with my Broadway experiences.

Lots of thoughts going through my head because of yesterday's visits.  Memories of Les Mis many years ago, memories of the last time I toured Radio City Music Hall with my fellow monks from the monastery, memories of the last time I saw the towers standing, memories of Billy Elliot at the Imperial, and even memories of my first time at the Top of the Rock with my friend Christian.  It's all giving me pause in many different ways, and beyond that, it's also giving me, once again, perspective.  From high up in the air above Manhattan to a look down into the footprints of the twin towers, I had different perspectives quite literally, and as I think on all the past experiences mirrored in this weekend's activities, I pause and reflect on the perspective of this moment right here.  Life is short but beautiful, and looking backward before looking ahead helps me see better all the time.