YESTERDAY IN NEW YORK CITY: REFLECTIONS

 

Bowery Savings Bank Building with reflection of Grand Central Station.

 

 

 The feeling was palpable yesterday.

 

New York City is beginning to look like its old self.

 

Midtown was humming.  

 Sidewalks were bustling.

Restaurants were hopping. 

 

Grand Central Station

 

It wasn't 100% back to normal.......

but midtown was busier than I've seen it in a long while.

 It was evident that some office workers had returned, 

and even a number of tourists were spotted.

 

Grand Central Station

 

 

 

 I couldn't help but take pause,

and reflect on how far we've come  in the 18 months 

since we were locked down in our Covid bubbles.......

drinking quarantinis at our virtual happy hours.......

and zooming anyone and everyone with our pants off.

 

United Nations behind Tudor City sign

 

As the pandemic dragged on, 

we took umbrage at "maskholes," 

and scoffed at "Covidiots." 

Flattening our bellies, 

which were well hidden under sweatpants,

took a back seat to flattening the curve.

 

 

 

Finally, almost a full year later, 

we slowly started to emerge out of our Covid cocoons.

The promise of vaccines permeated every conversation,

and the most-asked question of 2021 had to be

"Did you get Pfizer or Moderna?"

 

Chrysler Building

 

And now, a year and a half later,

New York City has come a long way in its recovery.

September saw the re-opening of indoor dining 

at many  restaurants.

Broadway turned its theater lights back on. 

Live concerts once again played in Madison Square Garden.

Kids went back to classrooms.

Many workers returned to their offices, at least part-time.

 

 

Empire State Building peeking out on left

 
 

And the library lions stopped wearing their masks.

 

NY Public Library

 

 Yes, there's no denying that the city 

has regained some of its vibrancy.

 

 
At the same time that we've made progress,

in other ways, it doesn't seem like we've come that far at all.

Infection rates are still sky-high.......

in some cases, the highest they've been 

since this whole thing started. 

And sadly, the US currently has 

an average of 1900 deaths per day. 

 

 

But, yesterday was a day to reflect on the positives.

It was invigorating to feel the city's pulse beating again.

 

Reflection of NY Public Library

 

New York may not have reached its maximum heart rate just yet,

but it's not a resting pulse anymore,

that's for sure.

 

 Linking With:
Our World Tuesday