In Chinatown: Overcoming Grief, Walking into the Year of the Snake
It snowed. Late Friday night and early Saturday morning, it snowed in New York. The official measurements came in at around 11.4 inches at Central Park, far short of the historic storm accumulations on Long Island, in Connecticut, and up into New England. The city was spared the worst.
My dog died. I spent most of the day and evening of the storm at home with my elderly dog. She was sick and on antibiotics. I was looking forward to walking with her in the deep snow the next day. But sometime in the middle of the night, she died. The following morning, I found her slumped on a pile of clothes. It was a great shock, and I didn't know what to do. Fortunately, New York came slowly back to life on Saturday morning, even if my dog did not. The vet's office opened at 9 am for their usual hours, and the staff members were a great comfort. For the rest of the day, I didn't feel like getting out at all.
I walked. When Sunday morning dawned, and it was too painfully quiet, I wanted another shot at a new year. So, I was glad to remember the Chinese New Year. And I knew where to walk. So, I pulled on my boots and set off on a stroll downtown. On Mott Street, Chinatown's main thoroughfare, the sun was shining, the snow was melting, and the sights and sounds of the 14th New Year Firecracker Ceremony began to lift my sorrows.
View Chinese New Year, Chinatown NYC in a larger map
Good dogs teach us that you have to get up and go out for a walk, even when you don't want to. - Walking Off the Big Apple proverb
Happy New Year.
Upcoming Chinese New Year event: 14th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. Sunday, February 17, 2013 1 p.m. See Better Chinatown for more information.
Images by Walking Off the Big Apple from Sunday, February 10, 2013.
My dog died. I spent most of the day and evening of the storm at home with my elderly dog. She was sick and on antibiotics. I was looking forward to walking with her in the deep snow the next day. But sometime in the middle of the night, she died. The following morning, I found her slumped on a pile of clothes. It was a great shock, and I didn't know what to do. Fortunately, New York came slowly back to life on Saturday morning, even if my dog did not. The vet's office opened at 9 am for their usual hours, and the staff members were a great comfort. For the rest of the day, I didn't feel like getting out at all.
"A day of sorrow is longer than a month of joy." - Chinese proverb
I walked. When Sunday morning dawned, and it was too painfully quiet, I wanted another shot at a new year. So, I was glad to remember the Chinese New Year. And I knew where to walk. So, I pulled on my boots and set off on a stroll downtown. On Mott Street, Chinatown's main thoroughfare, the sun was shining, the snow was melting, and the sights and sounds of the 14th New Year Firecracker Ceremony began to lift my sorrows.
"One step at a time is good walking." - Chinese proverb
View Chinese New Year, Chinatown NYC in a larger map
Good dogs teach us that you have to get up and go out for a walk, even when you don't want to. - Walking Off the Big Apple proverb
“There is a good dog and a bad dog fighting within each of us. The one that is going to win is the one we feed the most.” - Chinese proverb
"From walking -- something; from sitting -- nothing." - Chinese proverb
Upcoming Chinese New Year event: 14th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. Sunday, February 17, 2013 1 p.m. See Better Chinatown for more information.
Images by Walking Off the Big Apple from Sunday, February 10, 2013.
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