city dawn

New Haven, CT

sunrise:  5:54

I spent the night on a futon in the living room of a very lovely apartment in New Haven that my daughters have shared with A's boyfriend this summer.  It was 92 degrees in here when we arrived, so N. broke down and agreed to turn on the air conditioning.  The realities of an electric bill hit hard this summer.  Not only do they keep the AC off as much as possible, but they turn off all the circuits on their circuit board except the refrigerator whenever they aren't home.

City heat and the economies of youth were just some of the new perspectives that I took in during this 12 hour stay.  I have had only a few city sunrise walks this year, but every time I have engaged in some frustrated jockeying for position.  Today I came to the conclusion that if one is to be outdoors on the ground during a city dawn, the best places to search for inspiration may not be the sky.

Though you may find an occasional sliver of pink clouds and that gentle white glow in between buildings, it is difficult to get the full impact of the glorious morning sky. 

But - cities offer us a full range of perspectives, all of which are important to see.  There are early risers out for a bike ride or a run and industrious animals foraging for breakfast.  There is new construction and old decrepit storefronts, bright faces that say hello on their way to work and homeless people sleeping on benches in the park.  Signs of history recall decades or centuries of civilization working for noble causes.  Beautiful architecture and city parks sit alongside garbage- and graffiti-strewn corners.

I learned from this plaque that we have the French to thank for the invention of the bicycle.  The word "dawn" as a heading caught my eye.

You cannot ignore the fact of hardship in a city, but neither can you overlook the perseverance and hopeful productivity of the human spirit.