Cold Sunlight Makes Even Stones Shine

Friday, 10:30AM 27F
Just as I got to the bottom of the first real hill of the day, as opposed to the two or three little humpy things already left behind, the music on my Muvo jumped to the upbeat section of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes". I about killed myself trying to stay with the reagae beat and thinking about how 'they ended up asleeping in a doorway... diamonds on the soles of their shoes." Someone, thank you New York City Parks Department, had kindly removed most of the sticks and leaves from the pathway and I huffed/puffed/shuffled in the freezing air to the top. Or almost to the top.

There was no one else on the path. Not a soul. I hadn't seen a dogwalker or any of the usual wandering couples in love. Frigid temperatures will do that. Luckily, there was very little wind. The river was as smooth and shiny as a sheet metal counter top. I started running again with the Gypsy Kings and some song I'd forgotten was even on the thing. Still no one about. One thing living in the city does for you, or to you, is to make you expect to be around people no matter where you are, so the empty paths and stairways began to bring on a little anxiousness. When you are completely alone then you are more vunerable once someone does appear.

I made my way down past the Cloisters, (ah, a passing car, some other human, ah) and hurried toward the drinking fountain at the bend, but it was shut off. Of course, it's shut off with it getting this cold, I reminded myself. From now on until Spring I'll have to bring my own. (There is a water fountain inside the museum, but it's up two flights of stairs.) I started running faster, wanting now just to get home and out of the cold. Way up, yes-almost every path on my run is uphill, I saw the little group. Two people standing to one side watching a woman playing with her toddler. There was much merriment. The mom was showering the baby with leaves and he was having the time of his life, literally dancing for joy as he waited for his mother to pick up another handful. The two other people, grandparents I'm guessing, were doing the appropriate oohing and ha-hah-ing. The sunlight was pouring down over them and me and all creation. Everything was glowing in the cold, even the stone walls shone like the sheet metal river.