The Hazard Chronicles

I am sitting on a bench in Central Park after walking up 5th Avenue from our hotel. It's a perfect afternoon- mid 60s, and a light breeze to raise the sweet, earthy smell of crisp fallen leaves. The air carries the soft sound of a fingerpicked guitar, mixed with distant undertones of a jazz saxophone from further off. Rachel sits down next to me after browsing the offerings of a street vendor, and we just settle into the tranquility of the day. 

Just when things seemed almost perfect, a slight gust of wind sent showers of leaves flying throughout the entire scene. It was as if we were in a snow storm, but with flakes of gold and crimson falling all around us. A little girl with blonde hair and a wool jacket ran into the picture and started dancing, trying to catch the leaves before they hit the ground. Peeking into our peripheral vision was a young couple holding hands, laughing as they picked pieces out of each other's hair. The music played on, Rachel nestled a little closer into my shoulder, and I detached just enough to allow ephemeral waves of contentment to fix this delicate moment into my memory. It was perfect.

That was my favorite part of the week.

*****

Rachel and I sat at a table about 15 feet from the stage. The gathering was intimate- specifically designed for "MAC" members, an organization made "to advance the art and business of live entertainment in Manhattan." I'm still a little unclear about how we even found ourselves in this room, but we were surrounded by professional entertainers, meeting here to try new material "among friends" before bringing it to larger venues. Some of the people were big names, involved in shows we had heard of. Others were upstarts, trying to make their way in a competitive field. As for us- along with about 6 other people? We were just along for the ride.

We sipped our drinks and savored the food, but the real delicacies were coming from the musicians up front. At one point an established singer- an older woman with a voice like melted chocolate- sang a ballad about "The Moments in Between." She had given an introduction to the song, speaking of how we often focus of life's milestones and important events, but how really it's the small moments that end up mattering more- things like getting caught in the rain, taking a deep breath before a jump, or saying I love you under the lights of the city. These are the times that make us who we are, and that this song was her way of asking- begging- her former self to appreciate them more. 

It was a beautiful song. I even teared up a little. When I looked over, Rachel was holding a napkin to her eyes, and we gave each other a little squeeze as we held hands across the table. No words were required; that look and that squeeze said it all. I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.

There's gonna be a whole lot of selfies on this post. That's what happens when there are only two of us.

*****

That night was only one of many that we would spend with amazing performers. Of course, New York wouldn't be "New York" if not for Broadway, and we were able to see three shows while we were there. The one that stood out though- and really the one that pushed us over the edge to come all this way in the first place- was The Outsiders. Adalie had seen it on her class trip, and it wasn't even a full week after she told us about it that we were booking our tickets.

Woah. I don't know that I could really do justice to this performance in a single paragraph. The choreography of the entire show was masterful- not just during the songs, but during the spoken parts as well. Light and Sound were also so freely played with that they almost became supporting characters themselves, and as all of these elements were manipulated I felt that the real artistry here was how easily they were able to have their way with my own emotions, almost like my insides were mere colors on a palate with the actors as painters seeing just how far they could go. The show itself was gritty and told a compelling story with only the shadows of a happy ending. I mean, I was expecting a lot, but nothing of this caliber.

After the show, we went out with friends from New Jersey who had come up to see us. We had dinner and then headed to a jazz club with a dance floor and a big band. After getting warmed up there, we walked a few blocks over to Haswell Greens- an all request piano bar- and sang and danced with the increasingly rowdy crowd until it closed well past midnight. It has been a while since I have had that much fun!

*****

This morning I read an article in National Geographic (stay with me here, I promise it's related) about two rock climbers. They wanted to climb a peak called Devil's Thumb in Alaska, but instead of merely flying to their destination like normal people, they decided to ride their bikes from Colorado up through Canada, and then take a sailboat and sea kayaks the rest of the way before even putting on their packs or racking up for the climb itself. In other words, they took Ralph Waldo Emmerson at his word that "It's not the destination, it's the journey," and put that to the test.

As they found, and as I have found so many times over again, the quote holds true. And the idea that the journey IS the destination became the main incentive behind our decision to walk to our various destinations around Manhattan rather than take public transit or a taxi cab. When you walk, you force things to slow down. You notice more. You engage all of the senses. You feel more like you are a part of the city, rather than a spectator inside of it. I love walking. 

From feeling small among the huge buildings of Lower Manhattan, full of the people who run the world, to feeling extremely impressed if also slightly repelled by the excess-on-display of Midtown, the main point was that I was feeling. I was there, completely immersed in this place. 

Of all the areas we walked, two highlights immediately come to mind. The first started out as a little detour, but ended as a walk of borrowed nostalgia into a world that no longer exists. What I am talking about, of course, is the route, starting in the building that used to be CBGB, down Bleeker street from the East Village, moving across the island into Greenwich Village, and then circling back around to Washington Square park. Oh, the history that has taken place in these streets! From Simon and Garfunkel to punk rock to the plays of Jonathan Larsen, I couldn't help but be in awe as I stood in the very places referenced in so much of my own cultural upbringing. So many stories and music speaking of love and pain and hardship and starving artists and struggling and angry youth- so much lore and history that forms almost a sort of mythology at the very foundations of where culture is today. I mean, I don't consider myself a music or a history buff, but it is hard to have grown up with these icons and not feel something as you walk the roads that are now filled with boutiques and high-end housing for the ultra-rich. Washington Square did retain somewhat of what I imagined it to be in the past, as groups of kids passed around guitars (among other things), or sold art, or held public memorials. It was a nice walk, and definitely a feature that stands out in our week.

A lot has happened on this stage

The second place that really stands out in our wanderings is the time we spent in St. Patrick's Cathedral. At the front of the building was a desk where we got the self-guided audio tour, but before it could begin I found myself just sitting in one of the pews, overcome with the majesty and grandeur of the place. From the soaring architecture to the the stained glass windows, it evoked in me such numinous feelings of sonder that I couldn't help but be overwhelmed. When the pipe organ played it penetrated the soul, and I can see how people would feel deeply connected to something bigger in a place like this. We sat there for about twenty minutes without saying a single word to each other, and then stood and started walking around. About an hour later we emerged back onto the busy streets feeling changed. I think that at some point Rachel listened to some highlights of the tour. As for me, I found my headphones still stuffed into the bottom of my pockets, untouched, when I went to bed at the end of the day.

*****

If you have actually read up to this point, I'm not sure whether I should congratulate you or issue an apology. I wanted to get these things written down for myself though. As I have mentioned many times in the past, this blog is a family journal that we print out at the end of the year, and these stories felt meaningful enough to include. The experiences that I have written about thus far are the main things that come to mind when I think of our trip to New York. There was much more though, and like a large orchestra with second and third chairs to add texture and depth to the music, these things probably won't have a lasting impact, but definitely played a part in our week. Here are a few of them, in no particular order:

Stereophonic: This Tony-winning "Best Play" left me feeling quite unsettled, in that it hinted at certain themes without explicitly telling me what to think about them. For that, I am extremely grateful to the writers. On its surface, the play follows a band as they record a best-selling album. It uses much of the same tropes and characters as other "band dramas," but does an exceptional job of "selling" the story, as it is told by talented actors. The script effectively uses awkwardness and silence to give a voyeuristic feel as you listen in on intimate conversations and watch the eventual demise of something that could have been beautiful. On a deeper level, the play is a case study into the interaction of differing worldviews- you have the stoic, the narcissist, the hedonist, the existentialist, the nihilist, and the pragmatist all interacting on different levels and it makes for a thoughtful experience lasting well past the final curtain call. In fact, I still can't let it go. I think that says something.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): Famous for being the home of art by Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol (among others), MoMA is a must-stop destination. And it's cool. But I'll be honest here, outside of seeing some of the more famous pieces, I think that for my time, I would rather go to the MET or the Guggenheim. If I ever find myself back at this place, I will hope to spend less of my visit indoors and more time taking in the amazing ambience they create in the outdoor sculpture garden. It would be sublime to just settle in to that place with a good book and a warm beverage on a brisk spring or autumn day.

Um...Okay then. This was actually made of metal and protruded from the wall, facts that make it hard to see from a 2d photo unless you notice the shadows. Not too sure what it is though.

Picasso goat, because goats are funny and cool

9/11 Memorial and Museum: Though I had already seen it before, the outdoor memorial was the most striking part of this entire thing for me. I had not been through the inside part until this visit though, and was a little bit underwhelmed. This may be because I had heard it talked about in such soaring terms that my expectations were set too high. For me though, there was a lot of "well-that's-interesting" type of trivia, as well as a section honoring individual victims that felt less exploitive than I had imagined it would, so that was good. Looking back on actual video of the incident brought back certain memories, but not any sweeping waves of sadness or outrage or patriotism that it seemed to be trying for. On the whole, I felt as I have in the past visiting Civil War battlegrounds or watching documentaries on the bombing of Hiroshima- a sense of human tragedy without it being specific or personal to me in any way. Maybe I was too young, or too out of touch at the time for it to cause lasting sentiment.

Catacombs By Candlelight: This was actually really cool. Though I wrote at length about my visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral in earlier paragraphs, we spent more time touring the smaller, older, more original St. Patrick's- the graveyard, the grounds, the sanctuary, and the catacombs beneath. Much of the content of this tour was relevant not only to the church, but to the history of the neighborhood around it and of some of the more prominent people and events in New York in the 1800s. It makes me want to watch Gangs of New York again.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: This seemed like a charming little bit of fan fiction (I know it was JKR though), a theatrical romp into the wizarding world. Though it relies heavily on plot and little on substance, this family-friendly play was a pleasure to watch. Some of the "magic" effects were surprising and fun, and older audiences can appreciate some loose themes of friendship and father-son dynamics.

Natural History Museum: I love this place. One of these days I am going to visit New York with the intention of spending two full days here, and another two full days at the MET. The content of both of these is so expansive that it really makes you consider your place in the universe. This time around, I specifically appreciated the exhibits devoted to the Pacific Northwest. I move around enough in this area that I have come to consider it home, and I have spent some time studying it's history back before European settlers came in. The native cultures are incongruent with how I grew up thinking about "Indians," and it was nice to see entire rooms depicting a people tied to the ocean and its environs. Rachel and I also appreciated the Futter Gallery or, as we called it, the Happy People room, as it was surrounded floor-to-ceiling with black-and-white images of laughing and smiling people. Kind of a nice place to hang out.

Museum of Broadway: Though it probably doesn't merit repeat visitations, this museum was a ton of fun for two people who kinda like to geek out over all things "theater." From original costumes, to rough drafts of scripts (I found that really cool), this place kept us smiling with each new revelation. I really liked a large three-dimensional diorama of a modern theater with all its inner workings. It is amazing to me how, as big as the auditorium may feel from within, it comprises only a smallish portion of the space it takes to put on a big show. Likewise, how the actual cast of a show represents a very small minority of the people who are involved in its production. This was one of the first museums we visited, and I'm glad for that as it helped me to appreciate the shows better as we were watching them. 

I'm trying, unsuccessfully, to be like the creepy-sad monkey music box from Phantom.

Food and Shopping and Stuff: I know that New York is a bucket-list destination for foodies. We are not foodies, and we did not go to any acclaimed restaurants. But we did have fun looking for the best Manhattan pizza (Lombardi's), cheesecake (Junior's) and bagel sandwich (random street vendor on the corner of 50th and 6th). Also, though the food was only average, Ellen's Stardust Diner has to stand out as one of the best dining experiences and is a must-stop for every New York trip involving a Broadway musical. Also, New York could be a shopper's paradise. I could easily spend over 100k in a single day on just clothing and accessories. We don't have that kind of money, but it was awfully fun to look in the windows on 5th Ave. or Hudson Yards and pretend. We did come away with a few things. North Idaho, for all I love about it, just doesn't do fashion the way you get in the city. That fact probably keeps our bank account happy.

*****

Okay- I think I am about out of things to say at this point. The week was wonderful. My parents were great to come and hang out with the kids so that we could have this little escape from real-life. We will for sure be back- hopefully sooner rather than later. Who knows- maybe one day we'll even make an extended stay just to see what it is like to really live there.

Farewell...for now. I think New York will always "stay gold" in my eyes.

Have a good week!