Thursday Afternoon in TriBeCa

I am in the South Historic District of Tribeca, on the corner of Thomas & Broadway. Teasing out this new pen here at the classic "Odeon", a late night restaurant known for its storied past. An opulent history that tells a multitude of tales since its inception in 1980.

An institution of 41 years, and so now I sit back in the comfort of outdoor dining and watch as a subtle wind lifts the corner of my tablecloth. Well it isn't my tablecloth that's moving but that minor detail is neither here nor there. What is here is a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and uniquely shaped pitcher of water that offers a reprieve from all this walking in the Tribeca area. Sufficed to say, today has been incredibly well in taste and in time well enjoyed. From Brooklyn Roasting Company's espresso & hot chocolate to Ky and I's enriching conversation about capitalism (where do we go from here kinds of questions tossed along the discussion), how to make an (economic) bag and what we have learned by our sensibilities through personal philosophies.

We walked through Dumbo and briefly stopped on a bench to carry our conversation. I then proceeded to the High St-Brooklyn Bridge Station to bid my precocious colleague a brief farewell as she made her way to work. Next stop: Chambers Street Station near Racines. A local hotspot for wine and niçoise fare. Upon traversing the area, I decided to take a walk through Tribeca. To my astonishment, the Ghostbusters Fire Department was nearby. Of course, this was the chance to inadvertently take disharmonized photos with my cell. Following that, I went hunting for a nearby dining spot.

Prior to my arrival, I meticulously searched through a stationary store for black pens, and thus here I am. Arriving with a new set of pens (2) and am envisioning writing much more. For practice. For you. For the freedom of expression of an art that captures our lives in the present moment. Just this alone has been said, let it be known that I've received a text from my mother saying, "Thanks be to God's grace my son, because you have so much to do with your life & spiritual walk, walking through life with the lord is no easy road... But it's the road to his kingdom - not this one we are temporarily in. Don't let the sorrows of yesterday's past, steal the joy God has for you today." On that note... let us walk close with our God and befriend this journey back home.

But also, enjoy your time. I think I am beginning to enjoy mine again. What is the rush? But only if you are trying to get to the next book in life. There is only one, and a dozen chapters still left to go. I find that everything that I need is provided in its right timing. That suffering truly is a choice. I used to have this mindset of not having enough. Until 'not having enough' was revealed to me. Not having enough love. Not having enough money to eat out. Not having enough patience to wait with kindness and with a true smile. These are all recent discoveries through my time here in the city. Everyone doesn't have enough. So it sticks and stays with you. This culture of running around to get to your next fulfilling destination. To find warmth. To find another page of a day flipped from one course to the next.

Sometimes we build our life for who we think we are. What we ponder to be dreams, are just living realities of purpose and reason to flatter our own ego. The eager minded sweep the rug clean but don't notice the intricately woven design. The history of our lives suggest a similar pattern to the Egyptian textile industry. The suggestion is one that beckons to be noticed and utilized yet not to be obsessed with. Obsessions only carry weight and with time, becomes ill valued and wasted. Saying no to your obsessions, of course, is a delicate matter.

To enjoy time is to slow down time. They say a kiss is one way to do that. But what if there is no other? What if 'you' is all that exists in this present moment? That upon reading these statements, you realize that enough is enough. That you are that force that binds your own senses together and collectively wills the able body to rise up out of the bed in the morning. Only you. This force that binds, may not be understood but only awakened from within. An energy that is supplied daily. Only to be reinforced by our aging bodies, we remember just as we were children running and laughing in the streets. That who ever you are, what ever pain you have gone through, God is a witness and so are you. That witnessing may silently bring you closer to a better you. A form that which has not been fully realized yet. There is a love deep within every one of us. That is our truest form. But lest, we not recognize our other forms first and offer our own history a reprieve and not judge our condition too harshly, we will never see the light out of our own darkness. We must make peace and reconcile our own form from the impending formlessness. May we go into each day becoming closer to that light. Understanding how to weave our own personal rug with designs using nature's leaves and united with motifs like tulips and hyacinths blowing with the wind. I remember how beautiful life could be, the stylistic distinctions of each moment. Do you?