Head to New York

  Those of you who have read my posts know that I have an admiration for the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.  Ever since my visit to Mexico City and the Frida Kahlo museum, I seek out opportunities to visit her and spend several hours with Frida.  In the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York hangs a single and very small painting of a Frida self-portrait.  She is sitting in a chair with cropped hair.  She stares at you defiantly and is dressed in an oversized man’s suit with a crimson shirt.  The shirt is from her former husband Diego Rivera who she just recently divorced.  On the ground, are shards of hair cuttings symbolizing her pain over the loss of Diego.  Above are the lyrics from a Mexican folk song saying “It was because of your hair that I loved you.  Now that you are bald I don’t want you.”   The beauty of art is it leaves interpretation to the viewer.  In this case, Frida left little to interpretation.  To...

After spending a few days in New York City,  I can see why people like to live in Brooklyn. Relative to Manhattan, Brooklyn is affordable.  There are a lot of parks and places to hang out.  People are actually friendly.  And if you want to see New York City you can go to the waterfront and casually view it from afar Brooklyn is a suburb of Manhattan just on the other side of the East River.  It is filled with tree lined streets and cute but very expensive brown stone and Victorian homes.  I would not describe Brooklyn as casual, but it is more laid back that NYC.   Neither are the place for me.  This mountain man enjoys the towering pines and fresh air.  I ain’t no city boy.

  In the 9/11 memorial, there’s a beam taken from the wreckage of the twin towers. It’s the only exhibit you are allowed to touch. In fact, you are encouraged to touch it. So I did. Not only did I touch it, but I stood there for several minutes trying to feel the energy radiating from it.  It was originally part of the south tower near the 30th floor. The heat was so intense that when the building collapsed it curled the end of the beam back onto itself.  Ironically, if you view it from the side, it forms the small letter “d” representing death. Anticipating I might be able to absorb some energy transferred by the people who were in the south tower on that fateful day, I closed my eyes and tried to hear what the beam has to say. It was cold and dark. I felt deep sadness and rivers of tears. It had distinct emotions of terror, and fear.  I immediately became very sad as I realized that this beam still retains the emotions of the people who survived that day. Some of t...

  Sometimes we get on the wrong train. We can go for  miles before we notice we are on different path.  Then we realize we’re not going to the place we expected. We feel lost, we are aimlessly going the wrong direction. At some point in our lives.  We can end up in a place we never expected.  It’s what we do about it that makes a difference. Life is much like riding a train. We have a destination in mind and a plan to get there. But sometimes, somehow we get on the wrong path. Maybe we just are not paying attention. Are in a hurry. Or we got distracted by something less important. Or Shit Happens. It’s okay to be on the wrong path. It’s more important to recognize we are not going the direction we wanted to go.  So we have three choices.  Stay on the train and ride it out to see where it takes us. Get off the train and reassess. Or take the train back to where we left from and start over. Some recognize this as a grave error.  Feeling they are on ...

  Katz’s Deli in New York is as timeless as an old friend.  So it is appropriate we meet there for lunch.  Back in the day we could put down a sandwich each, but now we opt to split one out of respect for our heart and waistlines.  Katz’s is a staple on the lower east side of Manhattan.  Friends have been meeting here for generations and it is as much fun to order the food as it is to eat.  The process is simple, take a yellow ticket, order food, eat and pay on the way out.  While at the counter negotiate the meat cutting with the server while he proclaims “this is the best Pastrami in the world” in his gruff, bold and brash New York accent.  A visit here is more than having a meal.  It is the entire experience.  Standing in line, negotiating the amount of meat in your sandwich but settling for extra pickles.  You then sit down at a long and shared table with perfect strangers you feel like you have known for your entire life. ...

In Harlem New York, kids play basketball on the streets while police barricades protect them from harmful traffic.  The barriers are imprinted with inspirational sayings.  “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” says one.  The barricade metaphor is strikingly obvious.  As the kids are protected physically, they remind us of how we need to protect each other mentally and spiritually.  Wouldn’t it be nice if while waiting for a traffic light we were reminded of this.  Of how we owe each other respect and gratitude for the life we have been given.  Why we are here on earth, and the importance of putting our own ego to rest and uplifting others. The evening was filled with dance, music and culture.  Near the restaurant a drumming team was playing while a lady celebrated by demonstrating traditional African dance.  What was striking about the drumming team is that it comprised both black and white musicians.  People were on the street walkin...

Airplane Yoga   For the reader (that’s you), it must be difficult to picture this six foot two inch huge guy performing yoga in a middle seat on Southwest Airlines.  Although I won’t be doing downward dog, I’m here to tell you that certain yoga techniques are valid..   Breathing:  This is a great way to feel refreshed and tune out the mindless  chatter of fellow travelers and airplane noise.  Focus on breath or the steady hum of jet engines helps create a mindful state.   Just don’t try lions breath exercises in your seat.  Otherwise you might be hit with the on board defibrillator by one of the flight attendants.   Sitting tall:  straight back and imagine you are bringing your crown higher and higher with each exhale.  Each vertebrae is extended until you visualize your  head touching the top of the fuselage.  Keep your seatbelt fastened as levitation May be possible....