City Life

You cannot dig your toes down into concrete. You cannot wish on stars that are nearly impossible to see. When you close your eyes and hear nothing but the sounds of rushing cars and emergency response vehicles, without a doubt you are in the city. Flora and  fauna are tucked away in reservations affectionately called parks or displayed with a measure of pride in flower boxes perched on ledges high above. Rain and snow are inconveniences and delays rather than things to be marveled at; rainbows are admired by the weatherman alone. You might have appreciated one of these wonders yourself, but you were too busy trying to decide which combo meal had the fewest calories while trying to check your email on your phone. Your kids are more likely to ask Google what a grasshopper is than trying to go outside and find one for themselves. There is something very sad about these truths, several of which came crashing down on me...at lunch.  Sitting there eating an apple I realized that the crunchy red orb in my hand didn't taste like an apple at all. How long have I been missing the bird's songs? When's the last time I have actually been awestruck or flabbergasted or humbled by something I saw, heard or tasted? When's the last time I actually felt alive and thankful to be? So I'm making a personal resolution (it's a few months off January but oh well), to see and experience something outside the city...and live not just be alive.