The Year is Complete!

Please feel free to look back through the 365 days of 2010 sunrises, but "a year of getting up to meet the day" is officially completed. There will be no more new posts.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR MORE SUNRISE POSTS AT THE SUNRISE BLOGGER, WHERE YOU WILL FIND SUNRISE PHOTOS AND REFLECTIONS FROM ME AND FROM CONTRIBUTORS AROUND THE GLOBE.


Thank you so much for visiting.
A one year blog project in which I share a process of transitions: emptying of the nest, reacquainting with my rusty intellect, plowing onward with my first full length book, entering the second half of my first century, and generally reflecting on life.

(see Dec. 29th, 2009 entry for further explanation)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

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.

1 comment:

  1. 92 degrees is nothing - it frequents 96 in there

    ReplyDelete