"Views We See on Our Journeys." TWE

I remember my first trip to New York City in the eigth grade. It was very exciting to be going further then my normal runs of visiting family, friends, or the hospital. My mom even went out and bought me a nice Statue of Liberty shirt to wear on my trip. Little did we know that when I had my blood tests that week the Dr. would said I could not go on my because it would be was too dangerous. Knowing this might be the only time I could ever see NYC I got up early in the morning and for the first and only time forged my mother's name, snuck out of the house went to school and was off on my trip.

Well half way there a call came over the CB radio on the bus to see if I was on the bus. They were given instructions that I was to be with a teacher at all times just in case something happened to me. I did end up having a good time and the views were amazing as well as giving me many of my firsts. Such as seeing graffiti for the first time in my life, or crossing a underwater bridge which was awesome, but quite dark, and smelly.

The biggest thing was seeing homeless people for the first time and seeing people just pass them by like they were just another sign to be ignored. This perplexed me greatly. I saw bag ladies and men pusing shopping carts with their belongings, others with signs, as well as some that looked like they were still sleeping or maybe even dead. It was really heart wrenching and I remember some of the kids yelling at the window at them saying get a job.

The shaparones quickly telling them that was not allowed, but not why they shouldn't be doing it. They were threatened with havinig to close the windows and it was quite hot that day so they all sat down and stopped what they had been doing.

I remember the sidewalks being shoulder to shoulder people.  I remember how rude the people seemed to be to each other and that there were not many smiling. I kept thinking  I would rather live in the country where you had room to run and play, while being happy. I think this was one of the things that made me not want to be a lawyer. The hustle and bustle was just not worth it.

When we reached our destination we got to see the U.N. which I had always wanted to stand in. We got to see some of the conference rooms and where all of the diplomats meet with their own little sound booths for the interpreters. I kept thinking how grand it would feel to address all of those nations in that room and what they were all coming together for which was Peace, but that was when I was young and believed in what our Nation stood for.

We also went to a Museum while in NYC and got to see a glimpse of ages past and wondering if things of the 80's would be so remembered as these things we were viewing. I suppose so who couldn't forget Cyndi Lauper, or the big hair of the 80's? Time came too quickly with only seeing a glimpse of what NYC had to offer before we made our way back to our own town, with our own things to view and discover in our own journeys through life.