Looking Up

As I walked home from dinner and drinks in midtown tonight, a building on Fifth Avenue caught my eye, so I glanced up at it. I glanced again, then stopped walking completely so I could really look at the lights, the ornate architecture around the windows, and the sheer size of the building. I tilted my head all the way back so I could look all the way to the top of the building, then I turned in a little circle to get a view of all the buildings around me.

I realized it's been a long time since I took the time to enjoy the street views of the buildings and to feel the massiveness of the towering structures.

For the next few blocks to the apartment, I walked slowly, keeping my head tilted back for several steps at a time, enjoying the nighttime lights of the buildings and streets. Square, plain brick buildings; curved roofs, slanted roofs, pointy roofs; intricate decorative detailing; tall and skinny, short and stocky; foliage and lights on upper balconies; shiny black windows reflecting the building next door.

Every building had a distinctive look to add to the beautiful New York skyline. When I reached my apartment, I discovered my walk looking up at it all had put a few more dreams in my heart, a few more thoughts in my head, and lifted a few more prayers for my friends and family.

Looking down at the sidewalk cracks, dried gum clumps, and faceless passersby aren't nearly as inspiring...