I love NYC – even as a child growing up in the south, I would look at pictures of New York and think “That’s where I belong…” I have no idea what made me think this at such a young age, other than it just seemed like a magical place. When I finally moved there, I wasn’t disappointed. It just felt so right to have seemingly every iteration of humanity packed tightly together, each culture influencing the other, all striving to move humanity forward in their own small way. It’s really a microcosm of what makes America great – we are a country of immigrants who came to this new world ready to work tirelessly for their future. Ultimately we are ALL immigrants, you just have to look back far enough.
As an older man, I look at this city and have a deep admiration and love for it’s diversity. This is what really sets it apart – the rich tapestry of humanity that flows through it. If you really want to see what’s special about America, go to Queens. It’s as if you took every culture on this planet and packed it into one borough. A Noah’s Ark of humanity – and it works! It’s this living, vibrant, mass of humanity, occupying every nook and cranny, somehow all working together.
No one is trying to kill each other – they all have work to do. Together they are giving birth to another generation, another dream of what might be. Another dream of what WILL be. It’s a beautiful thing to behold…