New York

New Amsterdam Theatre (photo by Andreas Praefcke) – wikipedia.comI love living in a small town. It's where I was meant to be.

I also love big cities but I prefer to enjoy them as a tourist and not as a resident. There is an undeniable energy that is infectious. The architecture fascinates me. The food overwhelms my senses. And the unpredictable nature of it all keeps me coming back for more. I feel it the most when I stand still and close my eyes. There's no denying the buzz that rushes around you in all directions. In all of that craziness, being that vulnerable is exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

I've never been to NYC but you can bet it's on my life list. There are so many things I would love to see. My camera wouldn't get much of a rest, except when my shutter finger developed an agonizing blister, maybe then. I can't even predict what it would be like and that's where most of the fun lies.

Even more than wanting to visit NYC, I would love to visit the hundred-year-old version of NYC. That experience would blow my mind. Too bad I can't add it to the life list. Can you believe the top image and the bottom image are of the same thing? More often than not, progress makes me sad and I wish I could turn back the clock. I guess that's just what kind of person I am. When I look at the image below and remark on the differences from the one above I see space, design, inviting staircases, tasteful window displays and an overall lack of bombardment, visual and audible. I even love how it shows a difference in the world of photography. The photo had such a long exposure that the people are blurry and almost invisible. It's a completely different experience.

I'm starting to sound contradictory but right where the two paths cross is the spot that makes me fall in love with it all. The then and the now and the millions of people moving in a million directions telling a million different stories. And I fall head over heels.

New Amsterdam Theatre courtesy of Shorpy.com