There is a quote that expresses my feelings about my New York experience with all the joy and appreciation that I feel and it is “Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated!” (OSHO)
Those feelings also shines through in this photo. Would you believe that I, at age 71, along with three other older adults, was blessed with the opportunity to experience New York with 18 or so young Community College students, mostly between the ages of 17 and 21. Even more astonishingly, I kept up with them on walking tours, subway dashes, and late night dinners. The elation I felt from this adventure is beyond words.
I shared the Greenwich Village that I loved in the late 50’s with this group from 2007 and contemplated the ways it has changed and the ways it has stayed the same. It was gratifying to see that it still attracts the political visionaries and social activists as well as, the young at heart. Walking through the village with Cerro Coso students taught me that the world, as cruddy as it sometimes seems , still gently cradles the hope, dreams, and exuberance of youth and quietly kindles sweet memories of the same in those of us now called seniors.
I watched with awe the eager faces of our future peacemakers as we toured the UN building and reveled in the enthusiasm of the coming generation of artists and humanitarians as we wound our way through historical streets and into resplendent museums.
As our ferry approached the Statue of Liberty, we blinked away shared tears of patriotism and at Ellis Island experienced a collective heart tug as our minds filled with familial thoughts of generations past.
One night, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in search of a prized Pizza Parlor, and then with stomachs full walked back across the bridge to our hotel on the Hudson River. That was the day we walked over 11 miles. Yes, my feet hurt, but not my spirit. I was ready to start out running again first thing the next morning. And run we did, through museum after museum, tour after tour, Broadway show after show, until finally it was time to board the plane back to Burbank and the late night bus trip home.
How do I feel now? I miss the hustle and bustle, but I remind myself that last night I heard the wind blowing across the desert, and this morning outside my window, birds are quietly searching morning food and above me is a sky so clear and so free of pollutants that it dazzles my eyes with its azure beauty. I amuse myself with ruby slipper thoughts and those magical words “There is no place like home, There is no place like home.”
So I dedicate this post to Master Don who made a Community College trip possible and to all who traveled with me on this endeavor. It confirms my belief that all of us, in all stages of life, have much to offer. Here is to memories, to listening, to caring, and to the shared human experience. I love you all
