Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. I think it's meaning has evolved a little into preparing the turkey and eating wonderful foods and spending a day simply relaxing (for those not preparing the turkey and foods!) with family. And I think that's wonderful, and I really missed it this year.
My Thanksgiving was different. I spent it alone, by choice. I spent it taking some time to reflect on all of the things in my life I am thankful for right now. There was some pain and hurt inside me due to some of the decisions I've made over the past year in coming out here and, now, choosing to remain and learning that I am truly more alone than I thought I really was. And all that pain and hurt is exacerbated on holidays like Thanksgiving. But I thought about what I'm thankful for...
My family is the primary source of my thankfulness. It's taken me to move away from them and begin to grow up myself to realize how truly thankful I am for all of them and how much I love them. I'm thankful for my friends, those that are truly my friends, who help pick me up and support me as my life transitions. I'm grateful for finally realizing that the most important thing I have is myself and I'm thankful that I am finally coming to a point in my life where I can actually face myself, the good and the bad, very openly and honestly. And I'm thankful there are people who are helping me face that, and not thinking any less of me for doing so.
I went to see the balloons at the Museum of Natural History on Wednesday night. Apparently, this used to be a very cool, very Manhattan experience in the "old days" according to people that live here. It's become kind of a zoo, as does everything in this city, but it also was pretty wonderful. I brought my camera with me and took some pretty cool pictures! Because one of my favorite bars in the city (Bourbon Street) is close to there, that ended up being where I went and hung out for a while. Met and talked with some pretty decent people in town for the holidays who have moved away and were just happy to be back in the city. It was a good time.
Yesterday was my "day of reflection". it began by going to the Thanksgiving Parade. I thought I would be smart and go watch it at Columbus Circle and get there at 9am. Well, I wasn't the only person with that plan. I had a lousy view of the parade, so I saw a couple of balloons and took some pictures of them, then came home to watch it on TV. (N.B., if you are a tourist in this city, please don't stand in front of people trying to take pictures with your damn iPad. It's annoying and rude.)
You see the outcome of that day above, so it really was a pretty productive day after all! I ended up getting a TV dinner (ok, roast turkey with potatoes and stuffing) from Gristedes after the Lions/Packers game. Watched the Cowboys/Dolphins game and relaxed and reflected. As I said above, it was a painful, yet productive day.
Black Friday is here and I am preparing to venture out into the city with my little camera and see what's going on. I have a pretty open agenda today. I think I'm going to take the subway down to Penn Station, then start walking home. I'm not sure what I'm doing or where I'm going or where the wind wants to take me today, but right now it's 56 degrees here and should be in the mid-60s this afternoon with not a cloud in the sky. It would be pretty silly of me to spend this beautiful day inside!
To those who read my blog (and it doesn't appear there are many, which is fine), I wish you peace as I search for it in my mind and heart.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Train Goes to Happy Valley
The tragic events at Pennsylvania State University that have finally come to light in the past week are causing a detour on the train this week.
I know a lot of people who attended Penn State. I know a lot of people who bleed dark blue and white. I know a lot of people who are broken-hearted over what has happened.
The reality, and I think Chris Fowler on ESPN said it best, is that the trustees at the university had zero choice in the actions they took yesterday to dismiss the iconic Joe Paterno, the athletic director, and the university president. The justifiable outrage over the allegations was enough to seal their fates. Should they prove true, one can only imagine the ongoing damage, both in reputation and fiscally, this will be for Penn State.
But the train isn't detouring to reflect on what other people are saying, it's detouring to offer a perspective. Can anyone else name an institution that has had this problem of pedophiles ongoing abhorrent behavior being tacitly allowed by non-reporting to civic authorities? I sure can. Now I would ask you to think about the faith histories of the men involved in this situation at Penn State.
It is a safe bet that the men that were involved in this are all practicing Roman Catholics. And the Church has modeled the behavior all of them followed for centuries. It allowed a pedophile to continue molesting children, people who knew didn't stop it, and didn't report it to the police. It is my belief, right or wrong, that the men who did not report this abuse to the police acted EXACTLY like their pastors and bishops have acted over the years. And that, my friends, is very sad.
Because the problem isn't pedophilia. It happens. I can't understand it, nor do I condone it. But it is a psychological illness. The problem is in the non reporting of the actions when they occur. Because in the non reporting is the tacit acceptance of the behavior. And that not only makes me sad, it makes me sick. The fact that someone saw an abusor "in action", did nothing to stop it (which I am still struggling with, as I yell at people for littering), told his boss, who told his boss, who told his boss, and all along that line, NOBODY DID ANYTHING.
It is my hope that the entire country, and to some degree even the Church, learns something from this and does not accept non reporting of abusive acts on children. We can't accept that as a society.
I know a lot of people who attended Penn State. I know a lot of people who bleed dark blue and white. I know a lot of people who are broken-hearted over what has happened.
The reality, and I think Chris Fowler on ESPN said it best, is that the trustees at the university had zero choice in the actions they took yesterday to dismiss the iconic Joe Paterno, the athletic director, and the university president. The justifiable outrage over the allegations was enough to seal their fates. Should they prove true, one can only imagine the ongoing damage, both in reputation and fiscally, this will be for Penn State.
But the train isn't detouring to reflect on what other people are saying, it's detouring to offer a perspective. Can anyone else name an institution that has had this problem of pedophiles ongoing abhorrent behavior being tacitly allowed by non-reporting to civic authorities? I sure can. Now I would ask you to think about the faith histories of the men involved in this situation at Penn State.
It is a safe bet that the men that were involved in this are all practicing Roman Catholics. And the Church has modeled the behavior all of them followed for centuries. It allowed a pedophile to continue molesting children, people who knew didn't stop it, and didn't report it to the police. It is my belief, right or wrong, that the men who did not report this abuse to the police acted EXACTLY like their pastors and bishops have acted over the years. And that, my friends, is very sad.
Because the problem isn't pedophilia. It happens. I can't understand it, nor do I condone it. But it is a psychological illness. The problem is in the non reporting of the actions when they occur. Because in the non reporting is the tacit acceptance of the behavior. And that not only makes me sad, it makes me sick. The fact that someone saw an abusor "in action", did nothing to stop it (which I am still struggling with, as I yell at people for littering), told his boss, who told his boss, who told his boss, and all along that line, NOBODY DID ANYTHING.
It is my hope that the entire country, and to some degree even the Church, learns something from this and does not accept non reporting of abusive acts on children. We can't accept that as a society.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Marathon Weekend in NYC!!!
Normally, I don't get real excited about marathons. When I lived in the Twin Cities, I knew it was the first weekend in October. But that was about it. I never went to see it, despite having brothers and sisters running in it. I'm just not that big of a fan of running. And that was OK. Then I moved here.
New Yorkers have a tendency to make a big deal out of things. They have HUGE parades. It's hard not to mention the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Years Eve in Times Square. Any time there's an 'event' in or around the city, it really does come to life. Thankfully, there are a lot of events here and the city comes to life an awful lot. It was amazing to be here during the US Open tennis tournament and see how many people in this city actually care about tennis. During that month, everyone cares about tennis.
The ING NYC Marathon is one of these events. There has been extensive media coverage about it, not to mention the advertising one sees almost everywhere. We are expecting 47,000 runners to run 26.2 miles through the 5 boroughs and end up about 3 miles away from me down in Central Park. The course looks phenomenal. There will be about 3 million spectators along the route, joined by about 130 bands. The east side of the city will pretty much be shut down most of the afternoon to traffic. It is an amazing event. We even had fireworks in Central Park last night!
And all of that is really cool. And I'm going to watch the marathon, just like 2,999,999 other New Yorkers. But I'm watching it for a very special reason. My brother, Jim, and his wife Karla, along with four of their friends from back in Minnesota will be running in the NYC Marathon this year. It will be Jim's 20th marathon and he is very excited. And I am excited for him.
The entourage got here on Thursday night. They took public transportation (yes, M60 bus) from LaGuardia. They are staying very near Columbus Circle on the south end of Central Park. And they've been busy since they got here! I was able to meet up with them when I got home from Seattle last night. I met them at Columbus Circle. We walked down to Times Square. It's only my opinion, but if it's your first time in New York City, you really do need to go to Times Square. We put our name in at Tony's on 43rd and Broadway, walked back up to Rockefeller Center, then back down to Tony's for a GREAT dinner (it was fantastic food and even better than Jim and I could sit and have a private conversation and get caught up), then back to where they are staying. It really was fun.
Today, they did a couple of visitor things. They went to the 9/11 Memorial. Their word is that it's going to be a very special place when it's all done. I have yet to go to the Memorial itself, but have been down to the site a few times. From there they went to (what the ladies convinced Jim) Chinatown. Magically, Canal Street beckoned. Shopping was done. They called me as they were walking to Grand Central to let me know they were on the way. Some hurried last minute cleaning was done, and I had visitors! We went to the Metro Diner for supper, then they went back to get their gear ready for tomorrow and do some high quality resting and zoning out.
I plan on seeing them in the race a couple of times tomorrow. Hopefully when they come into Manhattan around 59th Street and 1st Avenue, then again somewhere in Central Park. Once the race is over, we'll meet again for dinner and kicking it a little bit. I am really looking forward to it!
The #8 train is rolling! And trying to find a track. One of these days, one will appear. Until then, it's going to roll along and keep looking...
New Yorkers have a tendency to make a big deal out of things. They have HUGE parades. It's hard not to mention the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Years Eve in Times Square. Any time there's an 'event' in or around the city, it really does come to life. Thankfully, there are a lot of events here and the city comes to life an awful lot. It was amazing to be here during the US Open tennis tournament and see how many people in this city actually care about tennis. During that month, everyone cares about tennis.
The ING NYC Marathon is one of these events. There has been extensive media coverage about it, not to mention the advertising one sees almost everywhere. We are expecting 47,000 runners to run 26.2 miles through the 5 boroughs and end up about 3 miles away from me down in Central Park. The course looks phenomenal. There will be about 3 million spectators along the route, joined by about 130 bands. The east side of the city will pretty much be shut down most of the afternoon to traffic. It is an amazing event. We even had fireworks in Central Park last night!
And all of that is really cool. And I'm going to watch the marathon, just like 2,999,999 other New Yorkers. But I'm watching it for a very special reason. My brother, Jim, and his wife Karla, along with four of their friends from back in Minnesota will be running in the NYC Marathon this year. It will be Jim's 20th marathon and he is very excited. And I am excited for him.
The entourage got here on Thursday night. They took public transportation (yes, M60 bus) from LaGuardia. They are staying very near Columbus Circle on the south end of Central Park. And they've been busy since they got here! I was able to meet up with them when I got home from Seattle last night. I met them at Columbus Circle. We walked down to Times Square. It's only my opinion, but if it's your first time in New York City, you really do need to go to Times Square. We put our name in at Tony's on 43rd and Broadway, walked back up to Rockefeller Center, then back down to Tony's for a GREAT dinner (it was fantastic food and even better than Jim and I could sit and have a private conversation and get caught up), then back to where they are staying. It really was fun.
Today, they did a couple of visitor things. They went to the 9/11 Memorial. Their word is that it's going to be a very special place when it's all done. I have yet to go to the Memorial itself, but have been down to the site a few times. From there they went to (what the ladies convinced Jim) Chinatown. Magically, Canal Street beckoned. Shopping was done. They called me as they were walking to Grand Central to let me know they were on the way. Some hurried last minute cleaning was done, and I had visitors! We went to the Metro Diner for supper, then they went back to get their gear ready for tomorrow and do some high quality resting and zoning out.
I plan on seeing them in the race a couple of times tomorrow. Hopefully when they come into Manhattan around 59th Street and 1st Avenue, then again somewhere in Central Park. Once the race is over, we'll meet again for dinner and kicking it a little bit. I am really looking forward to it!
The #8 train is rolling! And trying to find a track. One of these days, one will appear. Until then, it's going to roll along and keep looking...
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Happy All Saints Day!
while many believe that Halloween is one great feast (and I spent the better of my evening last night in Greenwich Village with people who spend 364 days each year living for it), this one is better...
Thank you, Uncle James. Your quiet support of your family and the community of South Saint Paul (despite the fact you went to Cretin) was wonderful. Thank you, Uncle John. Despite the fact you didn't spend a lot of time in my life, you were my first exposure to Downs Syndrome and got me through college. Thank you, Uncle Don. I'm sad I didn't get to know you and even sadder that I can't. Thank you, Uncle Rich. You served your community well and people still talk about how hard you worked. ;) Thank you to all of my family that has gone before me.
Thank you Dad, Thank you Mom. Thank you Gram, Thank you Pappy. My heart and my soul miss you so much right now. I am not sure if you would be proud of me for some of the choices I have made in the recent past, but I am getting to happy. And I am definitely getting to be an emotional grown up. Be happy for that. Rejoice as I grow. And don't be afraid to visit my spirit every once in a while. Because I still love you and miss you more than you could ever know. When you were here, I wasn't grown up enough to talk to you the way I should. I am now. And I will talk to you. So from that dining room table where you're having roast beef (and giving all the fat to Pappy) and solving the worlds' problems, take some time to talk about me. And let some of that grace drip down. Because I really need it.
I love you. You are my saints.
All Saints Day is a holy day within the Catholic Church to honor those who have been identified as saints (that's today) and, according to the church, are in heaven. All Souls Day is a commemoration to remember all those who have died, but the church says they can't guarantee they are in heaven. Nice. If we believe (as I do) that God makes that determination...
Pray for me, Uncles James, Don, John, and Rich. Pray for me, Mom, Dad, Pappy, and Gram. Pray for me those who I have known who have passed before me and are now with God. Today is your day. And I honor YOU.
Thank you, Uncle James. Your quiet support of your family and the community of South Saint Paul (despite the fact you went to Cretin) was wonderful. Thank you, Uncle John. Despite the fact you didn't spend a lot of time in my life, you were my first exposure to Downs Syndrome and got me through college. Thank you, Uncle Don. I'm sad I didn't get to know you and even sadder that I can't. Thank you, Uncle Rich. You served your community well and people still talk about how hard you worked. ;) Thank you to all of my family that has gone before me.
Thank you Dad, Thank you Mom. Thank you Gram, Thank you Pappy. My heart and my soul miss you so much right now. I am not sure if you would be proud of me for some of the choices I have made in the recent past, but I am getting to happy. And I am definitely getting to be an emotional grown up. Be happy for that. Rejoice as I grow. And don't be afraid to visit my spirit every once in a while. Because I still love you and miss you more than you could ever know. When you were here, I wasn't grown up enough to talk to you the way I should. I am now. And I will talk to you. So from that dining room table where you're having roast beef (and giving all the fat to Pappy) and solving the worlds' problems, take some time to talk about me. And let some of that grace drip down. Because I really need it.
I love you. You are my saints.
All Saints Day is a holy day within the Catholic Church to honor those who have been identified as saints (that's today) and, according to the church, are in heaven. All Souls Day is a commemoration to remember all those who have died, but the church says they can't guarantee they are in heaven. Nice. If we believe (as I do) that God makes that determination...
Pray for me, Uncles James, Don, John, and Rich. Pray for me, Mom, Dad, Pappy, and Gram. Pray for me those who I have known who have passed before me and are now with God. Today is your day. And I honor YOU.
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