Quality of Life

Boston has grown on me. The city’s initial welcome was most unwelcoming. But over time, I’ve settled into the fact that people are miserable here because the government and its agencies do such a poor job at providing a rich quality of life.

The roads, schools, parks, libraries, business community, transportation, cultural institutions, prisons and various public works all lack leadership and a cohesive vision that results in proper urban planning. Brookline and Milton (two communities not a part of metro Boston) stand apart as examples of stewardship.

Nevertheless, I owe a public apology to the Museum of Fine Arts.

When I first moved here (September 2008) and visited the MFA, I was appalled at how Aztec art was piled upon 19^th century American art, and how painting and sculptures were stacked about and randomly hung as if it was someone’s garage. I now eat these words.

Unbeknownst to me, the MFA was in the process of building the new “American Wing.” I recently visited the newly opened Wing, a stunning piece of architecture and so well blended into the neoclassical design of the original building.

Moreover, I was blown away by the thoughtful presentation of artwork. Collections were grouped sensibly and pieces displayed with such care, I had mental and physical room to move about and contemplate them from all angles.

In my opinion, the new American Wing at the MFA is not only a critical success, but a shining example of what all of metro Boston could be like if leadership, time and creativity are applied.

Reinventing "That Day"

On Sunday I climbed to a mountaintop (Mt. Tom, NH – 4,051 feet). My objective was to get as far away as possible from TV/radio/Internet/newspaper––and all the endless rehashing of 10 years ago. I understand it’s important to reflect, but what about today? Yes, I know what happened then, but what about now?

           

I didn’t think about “9/11” on my walk. Instead, I had tremendous clarity/breakthrough on a creative project. I also mused about some disagreements I’ve been having in my life and wondered what I’ve been doing to attract those unfortunate situations.

Mostly, I thought about stopping and turning back. “It’s too hard, I’m going too slow, I’ve gone the wrong way off trail, what if I get hurt, am I safe, I’ll never be found if something happens to me.” (Roll down a ravine, sprain my ankle, have a dead tree fall on me, pinning me.)

Now truthfully, I did go the wrong way and did walk off trail once. But as soon as I asked for directions from a couple of Unfriendlies, I was back on track and determined to push on.

But man, the mind chatter did not stop, not once. Not even crossing some fun, mildly challenging streams, or passing by the rushing-forth power of cascades. It was only when I got to the top did my mind shut up. And that’s because my mouth got talking.

I met a group of hikers who had carried up a 12-foot flagpole, lashed it to a dead tree stump and flew the Stars and Stripes. It was their annual way of commemorating the events of 10 years ago and I thought “Good for them.”

So we sat, we chatted, we ate our granola bars, drank from our Nalgenes, discussed the 360º view of the mountain range––all under a fluttering flag.

I sought to forget “That Day” and ended up creating a lovely moment of remembrance with strangers in a perfectly peaceful setting.

These Are the Good Times

My summer vacation involved visiting with a string of old friends, who are now mothers of young children. As such, their lives are a little hectic.

For starters, many of the kids are no longer cute babies. Instead, they are toddlers or school-age children with a fierce determination to be paid attention to. Their personalities are taking shape and all of that growing and expanding consciousness is not always easy to deal with.

Fits ensued, fights developed and several parental reprimands were handed down. My friends profusely apologized for their children’s behavior, but I waved away those apologies.

All of the children in my life (friends, family) are happy and healthy and growing up big and strong. This blessing of good health is not something we can take for granted. So many children in this world suffer from lack of nutrition and adequate medical care.

Also, my friends are blessed to have the resources to care for their children and be available to guide their children. There are so many parents worldwide who are simply focused on survival. Taking the time to nurture, educate and ensure the well-being of their children is a luxury that many, many parents can only dream about.

Poor health and poverty cannot be overlooked. And with the cold, hard facts of this reality in mind, I realize that these are the good times for those of us who are healthy and able to feed our families.