Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
taking it all in
i was at my internship today, Stonewall Communities, and i think i need to start making a list of everything new that i need to learn because there is so much! too much sometimes. and this is why i came back to school...to learn, to absorb, to be challenged and broadened. but wow, is it more than i expected and how humbling it is.
and then, as i was headed to the public library to work on homework tonight...i stopped at "fanagle a bagel" to get a quick dinner and as i was standing there, looking out onto copley square, i was once again struck with how amazing a city boston is. and this girl was walking by the window of the store, in her own world, maybe coming home from work or the gym or school and i thought to myself, "do you even know how great this city is? how rich in history and people and stories?" and i realized it's probably not something she thinks about because she's probably lived there longer than me or maybe not. but i'm always looking up when i'm outside because i want to take it all in. i want to absorb this new city and all the sights that are so different than buffalo. and then it hit me, that even though buffalo may be poor and may not be the booming metropolis that boston is, it's still an amazing city. and i knew that, i still know it...because i took the time to get to know the city and all the quirks and hidden corners.
and now i see why people would be so wide-eyed and eager when they would come through my line at the lexington coop and tell me they were "new to buffalo"...having moved from colorado, minnesota, ohio, oregon, texas. because they saw the city with potential and hope, possibly something we lose when we live somewhere too long and end up cynical and jaded because we see the oddities and quirks of the city as misfortunes and burdens. but then you get new eyes, that see the possibilities and beauty, even in the darkest corners and most run-down areas. not that copley square is run down or unfortunate, but it helped me to appreciate where i am from. it helps me appreciate the beauty and unique qualities that make each city different from the next, in spite of them all being cement jungles.
so next time i'm in cleveland or buffalo, i do plan to look up, as i do in boston. i never want to stop seeing my cities with new, hopeful eyes. and maybe, when i'm back in my "homes", i'll see something new because i'm looking with a new sense of appreciation.
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