I always like to think of autumn as a time of renewal and self-evaluation. It’s probably because it’s my birthday month (Libra’s Rock) and as I get older, I like to ponder the future and what it may look like. But, this year, I decided to make a drastic change in my life and move.
That may not seem like a big deal but in Manhattan, moving is akin to climbing Mount Everest – no matter how prepared you may be, an unexpected storm or avalanche can devastate you. And it costs as much to move two blocks as it does to move across the country – maybe a new place in LA – I wonder if I could do the commute every day – with the time change, it can probably be done.
I am not looking to move far but my current apartment seems a bit too big and I wanted views and more sunlight. In my little perfect historically preserved neighborhood, that is a challenging endeavor. Moving a few blocks means changing dry cleaners, parking garages, subway stops, corner bodegas and Remington’s route. He is going to have to get to know a whole bunch of new trees, fire hydrants, street lamps, not to mention new dogs.
I just came back from looking at an apartment literally two blocks away and I felt like I was in an entirely new neighborhood…..and it scared me.
As I was walking those long two blocks home, I realized how much change I ask people who come to see me to do every day. To me, it seems like nothing since I have been eating in a healthy fashion for so long, I don’t remember how to eat poorly and when I do, like on my birthday just recently, I felt so sick, I couldn’t wait to stop eating badly. Of course, that took three days of misery but hey, my birthday is just once per year and I needed an entire birthday cake (not really, the rest is in the freezer for what reason other than my mother taught me to never throw a good cake away and you can make it into frozen ice cream cake anyway); and risotto and dumplings.
Anyway, enough about me, let’s talk about all of you. I ask you to give up everything, start exercising and change your life. Yes, all of what I ask you to do is going to save your life in the long run but short term, it can be brutal. So, as Teresa from Long Island Medium would say, this is me, not as spirit (not yet anyway, although many of my patients say they can hear my voice in their heads when they ponder making the wrong choice) acknowledging what I ask of all of you.
So while food may be easy for me to handle and I may be able to go into any situation and know that I am going to be able to eat something that will promote health; thinking about changing parking garages is, right now, making me a bit anxious – I like those guys. New Yorkers live their lives in a few small blocks of their homes. The proprietors and the workers of the shops we go to become an extended part of our families and to lose that and have to say good bye is difficult. We won’t cross the street to go to Starbucks as we know another one is a mere block away but on our side of the street.
While change may do you good and Mama, welcome to the 60’s hairspray; it isn’t always comfortable but in the end it will have been worth it. I will let you know if I go through with the move because right now, that left-over cake in the freezer is looking pretty tasty to me
As for TV, The RHONJ reunion – need I say more
Until next time….