My daughters are relentless, covering the west and east side of the isthmus in record time. We return home, then set out again in search of innovative food and drink. Late at night, I sit down to write, except I am so tired that I fall asleep at the computer.
To be happy. Where does this ephemeral state of contentment come from? Here’s one trick that always works: think back to the closest people in your life. Pick out the ones you can bounce words with in such a way that not only you, but all those sharing your space start to grin as well. The positive energy overwhelms the hour and suddenly the meal, the walk through a city, the pause over a cappuccino or a latte is filled with such joy that you completely forget about all the smoldering fires in the darker corners of your life.
My daughters belong to this select group of glorious word bouncers. When we set an hour into “play” mode, it is impossible not to succumb to joy. How could it be otherwise?
New York has SoHo, NoHo and TriBeCa. Until this day, I did not know Madison had its own: SoJo (South of Johnson).
Madison walk: it's all in the legs
Madison walk: is he mad? not likely. only a painter in Mad City.
Madison walk: competition for my own wild garden
Nina, You wonderfully tap universals in your specific, everyday experiences. Out of anything I've read, your writing has elicited the most moments of me thinking, "yes--I know exactly what she is talking about: that is an unnameable feeling that I'm grateful to be reminded exists!" I know I've written you about similar instances before, but I always had this reservation in the back of my mind--perhaps it's an unconscious bias favoring your personality/general orientation to life... and I didn't want to sound like a kiss-up or freak you out, so I must tone down my enthusiasm (for Nina's sake!).
ReplyDeleteWhen you opened comments, it gave me a chance to see that others were being affected similarly. I don't know how you can draw upon such a vast terrain of latent experiences, within such a compressed space, but you do! And it's always a bit different!
Thank you!
It's been much too long since I set out in search of a great sunset. Many thanks for the photo tips.
Tone down your enthusiasm? Whatever for? jlp, every blogger should be so lucky as to have your enthusiasm peppered throughout their comments. It really is very rewarding!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for writing.
And Susannah: thanks so much for walking. Again. Though at midnight I was too out of it to take photos.