Places
I’ve been thinking recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how humans end up where we do. Is it really destiny that leads us to where we’re always meant to be, or is it all base on choice? But in the interest of places, I am referring to the places we’re born in & then somehow evolve past those initial starting points. I got to thinking about my place of origin also known as Texas. More specifically, the good ol’ Rio Grande Valley. I’ll never forget the days of being a young teenager and thinking to myself, “God am I ever going to get out of here?” Now that I have, I sometimes wonder, how did I get here?
I look back on the moments when I thought things would never change or that it would be forever before I do things that I’ve always wanted to do and tonight I had a moment where I thought I’m doing it! It was surreal, profound, and trippy all at the same time. In that moment and as I type I am so grateful, so blissfully happy. Just me, myself, and I. I don’t know if New York is for everyone but I also had a moment tonight where I just thought to myself, this city is filled with dreamers. Whether its brand new immigrants from another country and I use the term brand new because I think of Americans today as more established immigrants, this land is not ours and we all came from somewhere or artists, entrepreneurs, or people in search of truth or something more, it really is here.
I don’t know how long I’ll be here, and I distinctly remember saying that almost five years ago and here I am, still here somehow. Sure the city drives me absolutely insane especially after living here this long. It’s in your face, it’s the overpriced rent, the constant on top of each other in the subway (yes that part of the Subway is back), it’s the faster almost superhuman pace we walk over the average in-shape tourist, but above all, it is about navigating the social constructs of life, somehow pushing the envelope forward or even just a place to exist. Perhaps the basis of its appeal?
It’s a place where no matter who you are, you are welcomed. This lead me to think about the irony of the places that define who we are or even the places we migrate to that resonate with us and our beings because we somehow don’t identify with our origin and I just thought to myself WOW. In spite of all the nuances that make up life or the human race, I couldn’t help but sit in awe and wonder. I’m absolutely fascinated by places and people as much as they too can be filled with their inner struggles & demons, but I believe in the goodness of others. I believe in love, and I believe in laughing and laughing as much as you can. You have to! It’s the only way to survive and get to the next place we’re going. And I hope more than anything that each human I encounter always gets to where they’re going or where they want to be. What if we all just got better cheering one another along the way, imagine what kind of place this world could be.
