… full of dreams and colorful skies
There was a time when I dreamed of living in a big city. I loved seeing the lights and the pictures of the city streets, with store windows full of wares and products. You don’t need to drive everywhere. You just walk out of your house or your apartment, go around the corner, and voila. Stores and restaurants and schools and everything that you could hope for. I loved looking at paintings of cities with wet streets and misty lights. I remember having read “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” by Crockett Johnson when I was a kid. Or my mom read it to me and then I read it to me. It was a magical book. With a purple crayon, a tiny boy created a world, including a city. That led me to thing that cities were astonishing places because they could be created by purple crayons.
Well, oceans could, too. But Harold nearly drowned in the ocean of his own making, so… um. Living in the ocean isn’t a plan, but living beside an ocean would work. Maybe a big city by an ocean.
I’ve lived for short amounts of time in big cities, where I discovered that I don’t like big cities. All of the things that seemed wonderful about them: the people, the bright lights, the fact that they never sleep, were the things that proved to be overwhelming and overstimulating. Too many people, too many chaotic crowds, I couldn’t wait to get away from the vast multitudes of pushing humans. Subway cars that were so full that you could scarcely draw in air without feeling you’d used up more than your share.
So I spend a lot of time walking in the woods. It gives me the peace that the busy city does not give me. I was excited about seeing birds and so many plants and animals, both large and tiny. There were insects and amphibians and reptiles. And I felt at home. Of course, there are dangers in the woods, which include ticks and poison ivy and coyotes. But the forest is a place to visit, and, so… you can expect more forest stories in the future. And maybe a few sea stories, as well. And you can also expect all styles of writing, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and maybe a play???
Love this, Alice!
We are so alike! I was born in the Big City! Midtown Manhattan! I went to school at P.S. 87 and walked there as a young child. I LOVE New York City. I love the hustle and the bustle. I could move back there in a heartbeat (if I could afford it, of course – LOL).
On the flip side, however, I am so amazingly peaceful out in the woods and hiking. I could backpack and be miles from anyone else and enjoy the solitude.
Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome. My parents were from New York City, and my mother loved it. She always wanted to move back there, but never did. I think that she found it to be very exciting!
After working in New York City for 5 years, I was certain I did not want to live there. I am an island girl at heart. I love trees, mountains, and a clear view of the stars at night. My daughter, on the other hand, loves the excitement of New York City and looks for every excuse to return there. I say, “To each his or her own!”
Yes, agreed. I know people who have moved to New York City and love it. I prefer the forests with their trees and mystery and the river that reflects the color of the sky. I think that people should just find the things that make them happiest and live accordingly!