After depression, comes acceptance

I have finally done it, I have finally joined an online social network.  From now on, I will be known to the Facebook community.  I suppose it will take a while to see how known.

Jazz

I went to a pretty cool jazz bar in Greenwich Village the other night.  A guy I know plays bass in a band and I went to see him as part of a quartet.  The place is called Smalls, and it would have been a smoky dive 30 years ago, but now it is a pleasantly air conditioned downstairs bar with $10 Jack and Cokes.  

I hear a lot of older people who have been here a while talk about "Old New York" and how much they miss it.    While I think they are looking back through rose colored glasses, and glossing over a lot of the important improvements the city has made, I can see their point.  

Kerouac never would have paid $20 just to get in the door and hear some jazz.  Of course he also wouldn't have been able to walk through downtown at 1 AM with no fear of being robbed or attacked.  He could no longer afford to live in Manhattan though.  Apparently the artist communities still exist, in Brooklyn and other places.  Safety, cleanliness, and a recycling bin on every corner are the symbols of "Today's New York."  It is certainly a trade-off many were willing to make.  I haven't decided yet if it is a trade-off I would have been willing to make.

Reflections

For the first time in five years I won't be enjoying a Labor Day picnic in the tropical embrace of Hawaii.  I am, of course, sad about this, and I miss our life in Hawaii, as well as Hawaii itself, a great deal.  I am trying to look forward though, to our new life in New York City.  There is certainly a lot more to do here as far as cultural and social events.  My sister has just moved here, and it is nice to be close to her after so many years spent thousands of miles apart.  

 

Growing accustomed to any new place is a time consuming and difficult endeavor, but I hope we are able to do so relatively quickly.  It is a great city, there is no doubt about that.  Today is a traditional picnic day though, and I can't help but wish I was eating katsu chicken with chopsticks at Magic Island.