Concrete Gratitude.

I was almost hit by a huge SUV yesterday while crossing my street (in the crosswalk, with the right of way). It was scary, and I made sure to cause a scene by cursing him out and being the complete opposite of zen. Sometimes you just can't control it. I forget that I can curse like that sometimes, but then again, my whole family is from NYC so it's just in my blood. I was grateful to have been spared and it was just another reminder to be extra cautious, because let's face it...this is now more than ever, a country full of careless people driving huge cars in small areas while fondling their technology (all interpretations are deemed acceptable).

Okay, I'm gonna unleash the hippie here for a minute..but I think it's relevant. I was in a yoga class last week and it's typical for the instructor to share a story, or read before we start. She started talking about gratitude. Not necessarily big things, but the things we don't usually think about. I thought about being able to just stumble sleepily into the bathroom in the morning, turn on the shower, and just have hot water...or have a shower at all. She then looked out the window and remarked on the beautiful sunny day we were having and how that makes such a difference in people's moods in NYC. "However," she said, "I lived in California for sixteen years, and there's sun almost every day. Suddenly it takes a lot more than sunshine to make people happy." She went on to discuss how unless she saw some crazy looking exotic bird, she would take no notice, but that here in Brooklyn she was amazed to see a Cardinal every now and then. I realized this was her personal take on California vs. NY, and that for her coming here made her appreciate the smaller, less frequent beauties. I enjoyed it, nonetheless...especially the part where she said that she was thankful for the cracks in the sidewalk. It's true, depending on how one looks at it. They can make you trip and embarrass yourself, but if you're lucky enough to trip and look down to see a flower growing up through one...well then...maybe a crack in the sidewalk is just enough to be grateful for. Still, I hope the guy in the huge SUV hits some slightly larger cracks in the street...