Healing

Notes from NYC

My life in New York City got to be a bit too intense for me. That's part of the reason why I've been enjoying New Mexico so, so much. NM has plenty of charms on its own, but then there's the extra charm of NM not being NYC.

I came back to NYC for a week. Just after I got off the plane, I was crossing the Tri-Boro Bridge from Queens into Manhattan, looking apprehensively at the nightime skyline. It was so many times in the last 17 years that I crossed that bridge after getting off a plane, excited to be back in my city. Not any more. I was crossing the bridge with a sense of dread.

But you know what? Then I saw my old neighbors. And Judimar cooked for me. And I went to an art exhibit with Tanya at St. Paul's Church where nuns were rubbing elbows with tattooed artists. And then Manuela asked me to join her Legacy Circle Women's Drum Circle at a health fair in Washington Heights. And I saw so many beautiful faces. And I got to sing next to amazing, inspiring women.

From dread, I've gone to joy. Joy at being here. Joy at knowing I'll soon be going back to Albuquerque. Joy at realizing maybe I can be happy wherever I happen to be at.