Note to Self (130) Shelter #NewYorkCity

I needed to get out and take a walk. I started pacing through the streets, seeking my oxygen, my freedom, my sanity. I couldn’t stay inside anymore.

I was suffocating.

I hit the crowd of commuters but didn’t mind them coming at me like an angry river wanting to sweep me away. I swam upstream with all the strength I had, always looking at the line of trees ahead of me.

Nothing could distract me from my goal.

I had to get there as fast as the wind so I could feel whole again. I needed to get rid of the poison that cluttered my mind, all the bad thoughts that accumulated all day and I was eager to throw out.

I was so close, I could almost touch the grass.

After moving up eighteen blocks and two avenues, I finally entered my sanctuary. The sound of the City vanished and I found myself alone. The sun set behind the skyscrapers on the Hudson and the sky turned pink, then purple, and finally blue.

I started my pilgrimage.

I passed a squadron of joggers, a few dog walkers and mostly solitary souls like me who sought shelter far from the stress and the agitation of New York City. We all had a purpose. We all knew where we were going. As if a spell had been cast and a little voice told us to stroll along the empty alleyways next to Alice in Wonderland and her big mushroom of a throne so we could find what we were looking for. The lights of the Metropolitan Museum shined behind the foliage and I peeked through the windows at the statues in the main hall, but after a few seconds I felt too much like a voyeur so I stopped watching and resumed my quiet walk.

I listened to the silence.

I let the cold air whip my face and push me forward in my quest for balance.

I loved being there.

I couldn’t believe the beautiful scenery that was surrounding me. The water in the Reservoir reflected the sky like a perfect mirror of silver and gold. I caught my breath and thanked God for giving me the chance to witness so much beauty.

I kept walking but the night fell fast.

When I exited the park, I passed a few joggers still brave enough to defy the darkness. I turned right and moved up Fifth Avenue then right down to First where my building was located.

I finally crossed my threshold and felt at peace. All the negative thoughts were gone.

I found myself smiling and happy.

Every time I’m down, I go for a long walk through Central Park. I’ve discovered nothing better to get rid of my anxiety. I’m proud to say I live in a City that offers a little bit of every world, and today I enjoyed a journey through the best of them all.

Heaven.