A SUMMER IN NYC

I like to think of the world in two ways now -- B.C, Before Covid19 and A.D, In the Year of Our Collective Uncertainty. There is no doubt our world has changed and the effects of said change are still being unfurled.

What do we do? Where do we go? How do we let those we love know we love them, even when we can’t see them or come too close for a hug?

We do not know.

That is the only sure thing about uncertainty; you never know what you’re going to get.

I believe it was Forrest Gump's mother who said that. Life these days is less like chocolate and more like Pandora's box. You open it up and things come barreling out.

When things are going at fire hydrant force, it is quite difficult to remember what’s important. Like going after your dreams, or spending quality time with those you love -- away from your phone and the myriad other distractions marketed to keep us connected but not actually "connected”.

We are all craving connection.

We are looking for the ground to stop shifting under our feet and find some semblance of normalcy.

We are looking for reminders that life is still sweet and beautiful like a marigold, catching the rays of sunlight in a way that beguiles you and reminds you of the equally sweet miracle of being in the present moment.

This happened a lot when I was in New York City recently as I was scouting neighborhoods in preparation for my big move there this fall. While looking for work and also meeting my yoga teachers for the first time in Sag Harbor, I realized just how beautiful independence could be. Freedom from worry. Freedom to be authentic and show up in the world in a way where you manifest your destiny.

Being a Mississippi boy who has always been a little peculiar and a lot more convinced I was built for Skyscrapers and not trees, I have known since I was 12 years old, NYC was home.

Upon arriving, the city was in the midst of being gray and rainy. The milieu was not very appealing but my heart was still awestruck. All things considered, there still seemed to be a certain easiness in the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. The core was still intact. People were dancing in the streets of Times Square, some were in masks, some were not. There seemed to be a general understanding that times had changed, but resilience is how we move forward.

Each time I passed a fire station, I was reminded of the strength of New Yorkers after that unforgettable day in September almost twenty years ago now. I was in middle school when the world trade center towers crumbled and again our country went into a great shift. The pendulum shifted hard and fast and without warning. Things would never be the same again. I often think about those almost 4,000 people who lost their lives that day. They left home with plans to return and dreams to live out. They did not know 9/11 would become a day of devastation and great loss.

And here we are again, but this time we are not as united as then. Remember how the country rallied together through prayer and financial efforts to pull through? Tragedy shook us awake, made us get out of bed and take inventory.

Who are we? What do we believe about what we believe? How do we move forward, using the trauma of the past as a springboard to our collective healing and the expansion of our consciousness?

We do not know.

But are we willing to do the work to find out?

There was a moment after returning to the city from The Hamptons where the sun had come out. After so much cloudiness and raininess and where it seemed we were resigned to continue in the same fashion, I saw the city transform before my very eyes.

The energy shifted.

People were smiling and seemed more vibrant.

Such is the beauty of weather. It is the ultimate teacher in the way it reminds us how little control we actually have. All we can do is try to be prepared. We keep putting one foot in front of the other and believing “This too, shall pass.”

Jehrod Rose-Alain

Thank you for reading this piece. If you would like to support me, please consider tipping. This gives me the freedom to create and continue to provide you with great content from the heart.