Feel the Power

Be warned:  this is a long entry.  Be happy:  most of it is photos.  Be curious: the best story comes from Bob and it's at the end.

Since we last stayed at the Hotel at Times Square, a Starbucks opened next door.  I went in for a grande flat white and, alas, it will my only one of this trip.  The Weyburn baristas charge $5.20 Canadian for this and here it cost $5.49 American.  I mentioned it to the friendly barista and she said, "Darlin', this is New York City.  We have our own prices.  Go upstate and you'll find more realistic prices."

Brian and Ellen, I know you'll like this sign:

I was heading up to East 51st to find Greenacre Park which is supposed to be a charming park with a waterfall even in winter.  On the way I passed Fifth Avenue which was being set up for the Women's March.

I passed my favorite Barnes and Noble and stopped to admire the window displays.

Park Avenue boulevards were beautiful with winter plantings.

So I got to the park and found this:

I got to look at it through this grating.  Through the grating I noticed the waterfall is dead dry.

But was there a silver lining?  There was.  New York was one of the many placing (including Antarctica) where there were marches staged in protest of Trump. I saw so many people heading to the staging area.  

That's where the power was.  I asked countless people for photos and all were agreeable and all had more comments to give.  All were feeling the power of the people, the power of united voices.  People want to do something and they want to do it peacefully.  This was it.

Not only did I talk to all these people, but I also talked to this dog owner.

Although the dogs are look-a-likes, they aren't related to each other.  They are all rescue dogs.  The woman proudly said, "I made their coats."  I resisted saying, "I can tell."

While I was doing this, Bob & Liz were hunting down theater tickets for us.  They scored big time and we are seeing ten shows while we're here.  Good job, family!

Liz & I then met at the Morgan Museum and Library while Bob did his own thing.  As I walked to it, I stopped to read some of the inscriptions on Library Way.  This Langston Hughes' snippet of poetry matched the sentiment of the Walk and Rally today.

 Going to the Morgan Library and Museum was such a lucky part of my day because these two exhibitions overlapped by one day and this was the day.

I've always loved Emily Dickinson's works.

Martin Luther's Small Catechism was drummed into me when I prepared for confirmation when I was thirteen.

There I was seeing Emily's handwritten poems.

I also saw Martin Luther's handwriting.  This is part of his translation of the Bible.  Wow!

As great as the exhibits were, it was the Library that stole my heart.

We wondered how the Morgans accessed the top two stories of books, and the security guard showed us.  He had us peek through a little slot between two bookcases to see the hidden staircase behind it.  The one bookcase was hinged so it could open.

Like any book lover I checked some titles.  There are lots of Bibles in this collection.

We met Bob in time for the matinee performance of Dear Evan Hansen.  

Dear Evan Hansen brings me to the "Bob story."  We couldn't get seats together and he ended up sitting beside one of the fellows who selects Tony Award Winners.  This man has to see over thirty-five shows.  That's not what I would call a hardship.  The man is in advertising and was doing some branding for the Tonys and a lawyer friend on the committee recommended him.  That's how he got the job.

Dear Evan Hansen has shot to near the top of my list of favorite musicals.  Ben Platt, who plays the lead, is beyond incredible.  This is the first show I remember going to where there was standing-room-only audience.  They get the tickets for $40 if the show sells out and they stand at the back in a row that has numbered slots so that you stand where you are supposed to.

Tonight's show is Bronx Tale which is co-directed by Robert DeNiro.  Once again our seats are split.  Who will Bob meet tonight?