Happy Healthy YOU
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Kelly Spencer - Happy Healthy YOU
(A wellness column by Kelly Spencer: writer, life coach, yoga & meditation teacher, holistic healer and a mindful life enthusiast!)
My daughter was home from University and we decided to take a road trip. I wanted to get lost hiking in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, and she craved exploration of the concrete jungle of New York City.
She had been before. I had not. I didn’t really have a big desire to go. I had just read an article on the size of the rats and the raccoon problem they were having in the big city, so I surmised from hearsay that NYC was not the place for me. In fact, I was imagining a bigger, dirtier, louder, scarier version of Toronto.
Our first day was spent riding the Big Red Tour Bus to see Manhattan and all of its glory. The contrasting historical century old buildings standing strong beside a modern architectural skyscraper was breathtaking. Stopping and spending time in Greenwich or as New Yorkers call it “the Village,” Chinatown and the Financial District offered the diversity of the city and the people in it.
We took a quick tour over to Brooklyn and the tour guide was an outgoing mid-aged woman that reminded me of Melissa McCarthy’s character from the movie Bridesmaids. She had inexplicable charm with an apparent no-nonsense attitude. “Hey hottie with the sunglasses” she said to one young guy, “Do you know the proper way to eat a pizza pie?” The guide (who we will call “Brooklynn”) was very interactive and referred to the tourists on the bus by what they looked like or where they were visiting from. Her thick Brooklyn accent made me laugh as she continued to explain the proper way to fold a slice of sausage pie to eat properly.
As we crossed the Manhattan Bridge, snapping pictures of the old Brooklyn Bridge, this guide described the day of 911 and how the bridges filled with people trying to get from the city. “Brooklynn" asked us if we all remembered what we were doing the day the planes hit, as she pointed to the place where the towers used to stand. Her usual jokester repertoire got serious in a hurry, as she explained the accounts of that day from her experience.
She worked on the 92nd floor of one of the Twin Towers but was still in the lobby reception when the first plane hit. She spoke of the courage and tenacity of the people of New York, helping each other and working together, not only that day but the bewildering and shaken days after, as they tried to recuperate and rebuild. My relationship with this city just shifted.
“Real Magic in relationships means an absence of judgement.” - Dr. Wayne Dyer
Throughout our experience in NYC, we encountered people that were kind, generous and real. The loud rude New Yorker that I had pictured in my mind was only encountered once, and granted he almost got hit by a quick-driving taxi. In fact, the people we met were not only kind but were endowing of goodwill and engaging conversation.
When travelling down our hotel elevator, my daughter and I witnessed the several small groupings of families and friends speaking at least three different languages than ours. I openly smiled at this gathering of people of all types and life experiences, all here to see the same thing: this fascinating enigma of a city.
As we walked the fast-paced sidewalks by our hotel towards the stunning Public Library, Bryant Park and Time Square, I was amazed at the cleanliness of the city. The sidewalks and streets were continually being swept and picked up with not one rodent-sighting. I had definitely misconceived Manhattan.
On our foot travels, I saw a poster for an “Anti-racist rally” at Trump Towers against Donald Trump himself. I was little bit shocked as I thought the potential next President of the United States might be embraced by the city he lives in. So I inquired with a few local folks while on our travels, how New Yorkers felt about the native Republican? Well, let’s just say this is where the strongly opinionated voice of the New Yorker was not quiet. In the handful of those asked, they were definitely non-supporters and used very strong wording to describe Trump.
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.” - Djuna Barnes
Our last day in New York, we took a train from Grand Central Station to Central Park. It was in this stunning, 145-year-old station that I witnessed the perfect understanding of the realness of New York City. Two men were sitting on a bench in the centre of the station aisle, both with a coffee in their hand, having what appeared to a very engaging and pleasant conversation. One man was a police officer. The other was a homeless man.
The authenticity of this city is transparent and aligning. The depth and layers and history to this island has a duality of complexity and simplicity that I cannot describe. The misconceptions I held have dissolved and I have learned once again, to not judge what you have not experienced.
(If you would like to see an article on a specific topic, please email kelly@indigolounge.ca)