Nature in the cities

Spring has finally come into its non-rainy fullness, and as such, I have noticed a lot about the way people react to the weather.

When I moved to New York, so many of my Midwestern friends and relatives commented on how it was to live in a city where it was all buildings and no nature. In some ways, it was a pretty valid question, as I am pretty sure that there is more concrete in NYC than in most places in the world, so of course, nature has to make way.

Last Sunday, I spent nearly all day at Central Park, and I began to think about what people had said to me, and then I started to really watch people and think about how people were reacting to the weather in comparison to how it was back in the Midwest.

This is my second Spring living in the Big Apple, and one thing that I say for sure, is that the people living here LOVE our nature. The moment that the weather eclipsed 50 degrees, the invites to come to the park started flying. Even walking by any of the hundreds of parks in the city, you could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that turned out.

As I walked around a great area in Central Park, I looked at all the people that came out just to hang out. Rich, poor; young, old; all were present. Some with kids, some with pets, some with lovers, some just alone, people were everywhere for no other reason than that they wanted to enjoy the weather and the beauty that the Park provided.

While this may not surprise that many people, especially those that live in the City, the thing is, Kansas City was NOTHING like that. I remember one day, one of my friends invited me to Loose Park to hang out and drink some wine. It was a great time, but I remember thinking at the time how bizarre of a request that was. It just wasn’t something that you hear all that often. Sure enough, when at the park, it was a gorgeous day, but there weren’t that many people present. The only places that people seemed to spend much time outdoors was in Lawrence or Columbia, where the college-town environment encouraged a slightly different attitude.

What I have realized is that major cities like NYC may seem to have “less” nature than our more wide-open counterparts, but it seems like many places in the country, it doesn’t make a difference. You run from your house to your car and from your car to your store/office/event and that’s it. When you live there, you are surrounded by more wide open spaces, but they do little good, as no one gets to really use them.

In cities like NY or Chicago, you are CONSTANTLY outdoors. You walk everywhere, and when the weather is nice, you make it even moreso. In the Midwest, enjoying nice weather was rolling down windows in your car. In the big city, it’s getting off a stop early to walk an extra 10 blocks and enjoy yourself. At least 1/3 of the restaurants here have outdoor seating. Events at a park are commonplace. Trips half an hour away to the beach are standard weekend destinations. The only things that are *standard* in the Midwest to be outdoors are barbeques (which granted, we did very well) and the very rare camping trip.

I lived in the Midwest a long time. Looking back, I can’t fathom why some of these situations exist. Is it because big cities are so much CITY that when you get the chance you hunt for nature more ardently than someone in the Midwest who has it all the time? I think that there may be some truth to this, but when the chips are down, perhaps those raised outside cities have gotten so placated with the idea that they always have nature, that they don’t really actually use it.

I will say that there are a few cities that I know have done their space well. People that live in Denver for example seem to relish in the nature that surrounds them. I know some of the Western big cities do it well too. I am not sure what it is about these cities that set them apart, or what it is about the lifestyles in these places where some seem to breed natural enjoyment while others seem to ignore it. Perhaps if some of the underlying reasoning were more understood, we could all enjoy what we have that much more.

Ah well… this is what hours of meandering through beautiful weather will get you… or at least me: a head full of ponderous thoughts.

To my unconventional Valentine

This year, rather than extol the virtues or reiterate the vices of Valentine’s Day, I decided to take a que from one of our local magazines. Rather than talk of love between people, they dedicated the article to something we can all (at least the magazine’s audience) agree to love: The City. Given that I have no partner to sing praises to, I decided to give my valentine to this island I live on and love oh so much.

Dear New York City,

On this day of lovers, I wanted to share with you how you have reached into the deepest parts of my soul and made me so happy.

How I love that you provide me with a Starbucks close enough to walk to no matter where I find myself.

How I smile every time I turn a corner and realize that there is something I hadn’t noticed about a street I pass every day.

How I love that your subways will always help me make my way home, no matter the hour.

How could I not be thrilled by the multitude of brilliant shows you produce and house every single day?

How I love that even within the sprawling buildings, you always seem to have room for a park filled with green in every neighborhood.

What words do I have to describe the delight I feel knowing that walking down the streets, everyone is able to be who they are without fear of reprisal?

What a wondrous thing it is that out of the millions of people you house, you always seem to provide opportunities to bump into random friends as though we were in a small Midwestern town.

And how can one not love your beauty? Fountains and sculptures, architectural brilliance, and cultural uniqueness make you shine.

Of course how can their be love without taste? Your existence ensures that no matter what my tongue wants, I can find. You can provide new and thrilling, or warm and comforting at any time.

And lastly, my sweet Valentine, I thank you for the people you bring together. So many walks of life, so many reasons for friends to visit, so many people, all brought together by you.

For this and all the wonderful things you are, and all the wonderful things you do for me and to the world, Happy Valentine’s Day!

-Your Loving Valentine, Rick

Living With it All

So, I finally made a return visit to Boston. Having not been there since I left Harvard, it was a trip that was a long time coming. In the years since then, I have sometimes wondered if my love for the city was something that I had allowed to elevate to some mythic plateau. Being the first “big city” that I had ever lived in, I suppose that this was possible. Being back there however, disabused me of that notion completely. I still love it. It is still beautiful. It is still full of warmth and history.

My time there did firm up one nagging suspicion though. I doubt I could live there anytime soon. For all that I love about Boston, it simply doesn’t offer the life that New York does, and I consider that a great travesty. When I came back to NYC, I was saddened by the fact that the city that held more of what I wanted in so many ways, was lacking in so many others.

I find myself wanting a city that has it all. Having traveled all over the country, visiting nearly every major city that we have, I am beginning to think that this isn’t possible. Some people have intimated that Europe and Australia have come much closer, but as I have not experienced these cities, I cannot judge. From my experience, so many things seem mutually exclusive, though for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.

Would making DC have a 24hr train system make the subways dirty and run down like NY?

Would bringing more potent industry (more major corporations) to someplace like Boston damage the fabric of the city?

Does NYC have so many people that it is impossible to make it clean and have some semblance of form and history?

Can a city have an open and lively lifestyle and still maintain warmth?

These are the questions that plague me. I love the wealth of opportunities, the freedom, and vibrancy of New York. At this point in my life, I know that more than anything these things are important to me. But I long for the beauty, and warmth that I find throughout all of Boston and cities like it.

I wonder if I can find that happy combination anywhere.

Southern Expedition

Though I have spent time in the "South" before, my most recent excursion was almost completely new, so I thought I would bring some of my thoughts about such geographic locations.

In general the areas in the South seem to be incredibly run-down. Though I know that there are problems with weather and money in some locations, it seems that there is a significant lack of effort that is put forth. Often times a simple coat of paint or a few hours of work would make a dramatic impact to a home or business, and yet this seems to be beyond the scope of the whole area. Mississippi is by far the worst. The only noticeable exception was Jackson, which was actually a neat small city that seemed to have some heart, though I didn't spend a great deal of time there. It is really a shame, because the land in Mississippi was really quite beautiful, and if not marred by unattractive buildings and towns, it could be really nice.

Louisiana was a little better, but again, the same lack of effort was present. The suburbs still had hurricane trash- not debris that was tough to move, but small trash- all over the place. I did like the houses in Mandeville (a New Orleans suburb) a lot though, and the view of Lake Pontchartrain was excellent. I was also impressed with the 28 mile long bridge that crosses the lake to get into New Orleans proper.

The city itself was almost exactly as I expected: a great culture with a great feel, and a lot of grime. The city was so dirty. Such a shame. The city was kind of like a mesh of San Diego and Las Vegas. It was really spread out, but had some great areas. While I wasn't surprised by Bourbon Street (it was exactly as fun/crazy/dirty as I expected) I didn't realize how close it was to the upscale urban center. It is literally around the corner. That was surprising.

I really hope that more people with a heart go in and clean that place up. Though I understand that they dealt with a terrible tragedy that takes time to recover from, there is a lot that could be done easily with a little heart. City Park, which used to be a huge attraction that was simply beautiful, is now run down. They have let the grounds get overgrown and simply haven't put the time into making it a place people want to visit. I hope that changes.

Lastly, Pensacola and the Emerald Coast. BEAUTIFUL. Pretty much, that is all that needs to be said. Pensacola Beach is in undergoing a lot of building, and I am excited to see how it plays out. I was of course very interested in the small business aspects, but I won't bore you with all the details.

In truth, I enjoyed everywhere that I went, but I was extremely disappointed in the effort put forth. I suppose that to each their own and all that, but it makes me appreciate the cities that make attempts to make the best of their situation regardless of money. Maybe what I see as flaws others see as value, but I still think that most of the time people would be happer and have more pride in what they do and where they live if they put a bit more effort into the places they lived and worked.

City Communities

As I was talking to one of my friends, our conversation led us to talk about the different communities we have lived in and what we looked for, etc. One thing that we talked about was the feeling of closeness in communities, and how this varies from place to place. Specifically, we talked about how a small town feels, and he mentioned how big cities lose this feel.

As we talked about this, I realized that this is a common misconception that people, especially in the Midwest, seem to have. I completely disagree with this fact. All cities have some sort of community(ies) within them. It is inherent for people to create this. Contrary to popular belief where I am, really big cities (Boston, NY, DC, LA, etc.) are not the ones that have the biggest problems creating a feeling of community. It is the mid-sized cities (Kansas City is the perfect example) that struggle the most.

Allow me to explain. Small towns are the quintessential examples of strong communities. Everyone knows everyone, and traditionally people help one another, you will walk down the street, say hello, and move about your business, etc. The assumption is that in big cities, this is lost. In actuality, I have felt stronger communities there, than almost anywhere else. The difference I find is that big cities are large collection of communities that people create for themselves. For example, when I was in DC last week, I bumped into people that I hadn't seen in years, and could only see in DC, completely on accident. I mean I was only there a few hours and walked right up to one of my long distance friends. When I walk out from my hotel room, and am walking around town, I would run into the same people at the coffee shop every morning, and even in the short time I was there, the people I would run into would act as though we had known each other all of our lives.

I think what happens is that people form communities mostly because they are close together, and want that feeling. The closer people are to one another, the easier it is to create that connection that we all so innately seek. In small towns, people live close to one another and see each other because it is necessary. When you go to town, you may only have one of each standardized location, and they all form next to one another because it is convenient to do so. In urban centers, there are so many people, they have to create centers of commerce to supply people with what they need. Often times, do to space restrictions, they are small, drawing in the most local residents. Talk to the people in L.A., and they will tell you that they rarely venture out of their little section of the city. West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, are almost foreign to one another. The same can be said in Boston, with Cambridge, Chinatown, etc. NY with the Village, Uptown, etc. You get the picture.

The problem places like Kansas City have is that they are big enough to have lost the small town feel and need, but they are still spread out, and not big enough to for people to live close to one another, nor is it pedestrian. When you have to drive 15 minutes to get anywhere, and the stores you frequent are Wal-Marts and Price Choppers that are so huge you can lose someone that you are shopping with, chances of you "conversing at the market" are rather slim.

This has gone on a lot longer than I anticipated, but suffice to say that maybe now I have a logical reason for the reason that I feel such community in the big cities I visit or live in, but miss that same feeling when I am back here in Kansas City.

Value of Location

As I come towards the end of my most recent trip to Washington DC, I marvel at home much I love being here. When I was first on my way here, I wondered if the fact that I spend almost 4% of my year here meant that it would lose its luster and become less of an impressive experience. Looking back, I will admit that some of the awe is gone, but even that is only somewhat diminished, and none of my love for this place, or more importantly the way of living has waned in the least.

Wandering around these streets feels so natural. It is the same sense of rightness that I feel in Chicago or New York, and comes very close to the feeling of home I felt when I lived in Boston. I still wonder whether or not some of what I feel here is based on the fact that I am traveling. No matter where I go, I love to travel, and when I do, I find myself reading more, and reflecting more (if you can imagine that). When I think about it though, I think that I am drawn to this urban, pedestrian style of life more than just because I am traveling. When I was in L.A., a large but fairly un pedestrian place, I was continually drawn to the local cafes, and would drive for 45 minutes to get to a place like West Hollywood, where I could walk around for hours. Even in Kansas City, I find I am happiest when I take an excursion to the Plaza.

It also isn't like this time is just spent idly. I find I get a lot more work done in these environments. When I am stifled, the surest way to bring me out of it is for one of my trips to come up, or at the very least for me to walk around, ending up at the Plaza Starbucks with my laptop hammering away at some new idea, or breaking through something difficult that otherwise eluded me. I can't help but feel that there is nothing novel about this sensation, and I would feel the same about it if I lived it every day of my life.

Which, brings me to my biggest dilemma: why don't I live this?

A lot of people put up with a lot in their life that they don't want to for a variety of reasons. I often try and help people find ways to live the life that they want, and there are many instances where looking at something different makes life much more malleable. I live my life very much with this philosophy, and there are very few instances where I will not do something that feels right in my heart. I will break through any barriers, and create solutions to do what it is in my heart. If anything, getting older has deepened my belief that life is truly malleable and that you should not hold yourself back.

So again, why don't I live this life I seem to love?

I could list off lots of reasons, but even typing this sentence makes me feel that I am doing again what I am so dead-set against. Most reasons are excuses that we use to convince ourselves to settle. Am I settling? On one hand, I do think that KC is a good place for my business to grow, but I am certainly not bound there logistically to run it. More than most I could pick up and move any time, and the operations of my job would barely change. I also enjoy the thought that I could help Kansas City develop, sort of be the big fish in the smaller pond, rather than the ocean of one of my more desirable cities. But honestly, is that a good reason? Especially now, I am not ready to make that impact, and there is really nothing stopping me from making those changes in the future. Family? Only a part of them lives there anyway, though I have to admit it is nice having some of them so close. Again though... seems like too good of an excuse. Various other things, like my work with Boys State and the local HRC and PROMO are important too, but moving would probably mean just reorienting myself to a new place, and pursuing those same causes there.

I feel like I could go back and forth all day, and all that does is lead to indecision. I think that is my greatest fear about this situation. Am I staying in KC because I want to or need to, or because I am being indecisive. Again, I see this all the time, and it infuriates me. I can't stand the thought that I might be playing into it myself.

I don't know that there is an easy answer. Especially now that Jake (my little brother) is living with me, I do have more to consider. At times like these though I wonder if I shouldn't make changes in my life that will make me truly happy.

Thoughts by the nation's capital

Written October 6, 2004 11:30pm:

I am writing this on my laptop for you, even though you won’t be able to see it until tomorrow. You see, my Ethernet cable broke, and so I cannot access the internet until tomorrow (or as you read this, today). Despite my inability to put this online just now, I wanted to get it down.

Today was rather busy for me. I ran around doing last minute errands all morning, got my haircut, raced to Jefferson City for the Grand Opening of the UPS Store, then jumped in the car again to get to the airport in time to catch my flight. I am now safely within my hotel in Washington DC. I am staying at the Governor’s House Hotel, the same place I stayed last year which is not far from downtown, and conveniently across the street from the new HRC building. It is a pretty nice place with lots of the amenities that I like the best, so it’s a good fit.

Anyway, it was certainly not the hotel that I intended to talk about. Actually, I want to talk about the drive to the hotel. As I left the airport, I was looking out at the skyline, easily picking out some of our nation’s greatest monuments, and I was struck by the wonder of where I was. Even though I have been here on many separate occasions, I am still amazed at the feeling I get when I am here. I must say it is hard not to feel something when in the capitol of the most powerful nation in the world.

Riding through the downtown streets, I thought a lot about a newfound favorite show of mine,The West Wing. Regardless of your opinions politically, I doubt that few people who watch that show wouldn’t come away with some sort of energy. For me, the feeling is immense. Being here rekindled that fire within me even more. This is where the magic happens. Good and bad, right and wrong, justice and injustice all embodied in one place. One of the things that I like about the show is that it shows so many sides to the struggles. Even if you are in the right, you cannot always succeed. Often when you think you are right, you are in fact wrong. Those who “fight the good fight” will always have to contend with those who are selfish.

The show for me is realistic because it shows that there are many mistakes made here too. Though we may be the only superpower in the world, we, and our elected leaders still make mistakes. A glance at Arlington can show you more than words ever can some of the grievous errors in our history.

I am sure it would come as no surprise to you who know me, but I often feel more like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington than anything else while I am here. I feel that there is a potential here unlike anywhere else in the world. So many times I think that we forget about what is possible. So often we get hung up on the bad things that have happened, or what might happen, that we neglect the potential. So much could be done, not only here, but everywhere, were people simply willing and able to reach out and make a difference.

As I sit here looking at the wonder that is our nation’s capitol, I cannot help but be energized to do just that. I hope that you can share some of my excitement, and maybe you can do something tomorrow that makes you feel as though you have made a difference in the world even if it is to just one person. We all have the potential. Being here helps me find mine. Seek out what unlocks yours.

Chicago and American Education

Well, I am back from Chicago, and although the trip home was obnoxious ( I got transfered to another train and ended up in St. Louis instead of LaPlata where my car was) all in all, things were good. It felt really good to be in a big city again. Sometimes I forget how much I miss it. Walking up and down the streets of Chicago was wonderful. It made me think of Boston, which of course always makes me happy. I made some new friends up there, which is always a bonus. One is a business major who went to this really amazing public school- more on that in a minute- and the other works as the promotions manager for an orginization called the Chicago House. I went to one of their small beneifts while in town and I was really impressed. They help people out a lot with a lot of different things, and I don't think I could do it justice in my despcription, but as I said, it seems like a great organization. Both the guys are really cool, and I look forward to hanging out with them more in the future. I have to say that 2 highly potential friends in 3 days is rather impressive. Hehe.

As I mentioned earlier, one my new friends went to this amazing public school in one of the Chicago suberbs. As he and I talked about it, he was very animated and excited about it, while I seemed not the least bit pleased. He finally figured out that there was something wrong and asked me what it was. I said he probably shouldn't open that can up, but he insisted. I tried to warn him. I went on a tirade about how it agrivates me that there is such a disparity in public schools. Let me first tell you that this school has 3 swimming pools, a TV production studio, has 2 sections devoted to international focuses (including teleconfrenceing around the world), etc. While I find all of these things to be amazing, and I told him so, I was so infuriated at the disparity it showed. He didn't immediately understand. So we talked about the school that was aproximately 10 miles away. This high school has less teachers than it needed, only one gym, no pool or anything close, was over 50 years old, etc. The teachers made approximately 1/4 of those at my friend's high school, there was no budget for extracurricular activities, etc.

What I told him, and now I tell to you, is that the very idea of public schools was thwarted by this disparity. Here he was, by no fault of his own, going to a school that was so amazing, setting himself up for a life of sucess. While I told him I was making no statements against him, and that he may have very well worked hard once he was there, the fact of the matter was that he was no different from someone living 10 miles away, and yet he was afforded a world of opportunities the other could scarcely dream of. And to make matters worse, it wasn't even like he was going to a private school! He, like the boy not so far away, were both attending schools funded by the government. I explained to him that the goal of public schools was to giveeveryone an equal chance for sucess.
He countered that his parents paid more property tax. Can you guess my response? In truth that only made matters worse in my eyes. for one, it only perpetuates the class system. He said that there will always be classes, and I agreed, but the difference is that while class will always exist, it is an American goal for it not to be predetermined. The fact that his parents make money should in no way be able to give him such a better start than someone who was born to a poor family. That is almost as bad as the victorian and feudal system where you are born into a class. It has been proven time and time again that those who attend better schools have an infinitely higher chance of maintaining or raising their social status and making more money. He (at least early on) didn't do anything to earn him the right to attend such a dramatically better school. He said his parents worked hard. Well, since we all know that you can't chose your parents that seemed no better. Why should his life be set up so much better because he was lucky enough to be born with better parents?

In my mind, the idea of the American educational system is to give everyone an equal opportunity  to succeed. Will there always be classes? Yes, because some people will not take advantage of what they are given. It is my belief that no matter what walk of life you come from, you have the right to an education that is equal  to everyone else. I think it is our obligation as a society to provide for our future through our educationsal system, and that we shouldn't be able to discriminate against someone because their family makes less money. I am happy to say that the more he thought about it, the more he ended up agreeing with me. It makes me think that there is hope. He simply didn't ever think of the difference that system made in his life and what it could easily have made in another's. Maybe if more people start realizing that we only hurt our society as a whole by not taking action, then maybe some real change can come about. With situations like these, there can be no doubt that what we are trying is not working, and something needs to be done.

Well, I guess this turned into more of a tirade than I had expected, but it was something I feel strongly about. I was impressed that this empassioned explination was something my friend enjoyed. We had a great time, and I felt really enegized being able to have that conversation. It seems rare that people want to discuss anything serious now days. Oh well. I am going to class. More later!