Afternoon snow painted a lazy haze over the city. I was due to meet my friends on Bleeker shortly, but from where I was on 135th and fifth, it felt like I’d have them waiting a long time. Across the Hudson was the 4/5 train station which presented a faster path to where I needed to be. Getting across the hudson happens only by boat or bridge. The closest bridge waited behind a gauntlet of traffic and blustery winter wind, rain, and snow. In the world of street numbers the journey was only from 135th to 138 and Grad Councourse, a route if by land should be nothing, but the bridge and highway traffic meant it was much more.
Without overstating the journey I found myself dashing between cars with little thought of how I’d react to being hit. I was that 8 yr old kid again–full of life and desperate to prove something to myself. I made it to the bridge, bent my head against the wind and the cold and started walking. I don’t know how long it took to get there. I may have walked less than ten minutes. In that time my mind was empty of all but the goal. It took me back to a simpler time when I recognized that I had he abilit to do anything I was willing to put in the effort to achieve. That premise remains basically true for all people. While there are limitations provided by life they are rarely as profound as the limitations we place upon oursleves. untether from the limitiations of self and fly into the realm of can and will. It worked for young me and can continue should I allow it to do so.