Intereactive Audience

Growing up in what is probably the most segregated suburban area in America, I have spent my whole life participating as an audience member the only way I have seen it done--quietly, laughing when you were supposed to, and listening.

So now I'm in Brooklyn, and I can tell you that being a member of an audience is different! At the Brooklyn Tabernacle, if the spirit moves you: shout it out. The choir is singing and you feel inspired: stand up and wave your arms. If the Pastor asks something: answer out loud! At the movies, if the couple on screen is starting to get romantic: shout out 'oh, yeah!' If the main character is doing something you don't like: say, 'don't do it.'

All this is to say that in Rochester, or Metro Detroit in general, I think audiences are thinking all the same things, and I much prefer to be in a place where people's thoughts and feelings are expressed openly. I love Brooklyn!

Smackdown

It's no surprise that I am now in an environment where I am seeing and experiencing things I haven't ever even thought about before, but when these things occur, I am still shocked. Yesterday at work I witnessed two couples going at it. Evidently, a man bumped a woman in the crowded store and didn't say excuse me. I guess that's reason enough for hair pulling, shoving and name calling. And when I say hair pulling, I am not talking about just the women, although there was some of that. I saw a man pull a woman's hair as well. After the fight was broke up by security, one of the men said, "I'm a woman hitter."

And there I was with my coworkers--me in shock, them lined up to see something entertaining.

$$$$

Most of my savings are gone, my job doesn't pay much, and I'm living in a very expensive city. So lately I started to worry about money. This is a habit of mine--turning things over to God, then taking them right back again. As soon as I realized that was what I was doing, I gave it right back to him. I know I moved to the right place at the right time, that I am at my job for a reason, and I believe I am following his will for my life. God knows my bills, rent, expenses. I'll work as hard as I can and he'll have to provide for me.

So when Joshua came, he brought my mail which has been forwarded to his house. And what is in there but a check from a client who has owed me since February of 2008. Add that together with a check I received from canceling my life insurance and my rent is more than covered. And then my work schedule changed from 20 hours this week to over 35 hours. My needs for January are covered! God is good!

Marcy Playground

One of the benefits of having a son in his mid twenties (he'll be 25 in March, can you believe it!) is being 'hip' to things such as rap music. Well, I guess I can't really be hip to it, which you can probably tell because I use words like hip, but at least knowledgeable about certain artists. One of Joshua's favorite artists is Jay-Z. When I told him I lived in the neighborhood Jay-Z and Lil Kim grew up in, he had me drive around a bit on the way home from the airport. I even pointed out a chicken joint supposedly owned by the rapper.

After driving through a neighborhood heavily populated by Orthodox Jews on their way to temple (large hats, prayer shawls, curls and all) which I am pretty used to and Joshua is not, we hit my neighborhood. The Marcy Projects are just about 4 blocks from my house. Which is where Jay-Z grew up, and mentions in many of his lyrics. To hear Josh comment that he thought it was cool that I am living here, and that he thinks I'll be safe and OK as long as I have God on my side, was a huge relief and a blessing. One of my biggest concerns with him coming was that he would worry about me living in this neighborhood. Thank goodness he arrived during daylight hours!

Staten Island

I was off the day after Christmas and spent most of the day in what seems like another state. Since Harry has been here on vacation, he has traveled a lot of the city and has seen so much of all the burroughs. On Friday he took me on an adventure to see some of the sights. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do, I only had to follow along.

We started our day by taking the ferry to Staten Island. It was a great ride and free to boot! It's the closest you can get to the Statue of Liberty without paying to be on a tour. When we got to the island we took a bus (about an hour and forty minutes!) to the end of the island. There we walked along the shoreline. The weather was warm, there was hardly anyone out, and there was quite a while where I could see nothing but water and the beach. No buildings, no traffic, no noise, just seashells and seagulls. Quite relaxing.

Then late in the day we made our way back to Manhattan and Madison Square Park to see the tree huts. Top that off with a burger, french fries and onion rings at a bar/restaurant across the street--Live Bait--and it turned into a perfect day!

Permanent Position

Last week I was offered a permanent position at M's. It is for part-time days, but I gladly accepted. The first printing of my schedule (it tends to change frequently without notice, so you have to check every shift you work for changes) had me down for 20 hours. The second time I checked, I had close to 35 hours. Which isn't enough to cover all my bills, but it is enough to pay most of my bills.

I am very grateful for this job that allows me to develop relationships with so many of my coworkers, (what a great mission field!) and I have faith that something else, maybe even another part-time job, will come along to sustain me. My standard of living has changed, and thankfully, so have my expectations and standards of success.

New Traditions

I've spent the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, away from home (Home now is NYC for me, but in this post it's Michigan) for the first time in my life. I am so blessed to be surrounded by my Communitas family, as well as my platonic friend I'll call Harry.

On Thanksgiving, we spent the morning serving at St. George's church, and then doing meals on wheels (which should really be called Meals on Heels, since no car is involved.) Then I was invited to join Pastor and his family for dinner. It was a fabulous home cooked meal with their family, along with a few other church members who stayed in NY for the holiday. After dinner we played cards and I had so much fun. I laughed so hard playing spoons. (Can you believe Briggsy had never played spoons before!!)

One of the most memorable parts of the day though is when I asked Pastor's wife if I could bring over my work pants to wash at her house. (I had worked four days in a row, am required to wear black, and only had one pair of black pants in NY. The laundromat was closed for the holiday, so what's a girl to do?) I never would have imagined a year ago that I'd be in NYC for Thanksgiving, eating dinner at my Pastor's house while doing my laundry. How strange!

Christmas, by comparison, was normal. I spent the morning having brunch with two of the women from church (I love girl time), then had dinner at my place with Harry, Briggsy and Jenn. Then off to the K's for dessert in the evening. An all around great day. (I even got a little nap in the afternoon.) And to top it off, I had calls and emails from so many friends and family, they didn't seem far away at all.

Now to plan for New Year's Eve...

Best Gift

Now, apart from Joshua, the Best gift I've received is salvation through Christ my Lord. I feel so incredibly blessed to be where I am at this Christmas season, and I feel his presence with me, more than I have in probably all my life.

This is two days late, but Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Blessings

Ok, so I know it's two days past Christmas, but today I received the best gift, my son coming to Brooklyn to visit me. (I'm sure he is also recovering from his first semester of law school & will enjoy the non-stress atmosphere of no work and no exams.) Right now he is upstairs in my roommates bed, (A is in Seattle for the holidays) sleeping for a bit before we head to the city--him to meander, me to go to work from 2-6. I can't tell you how overjoyed I am to have him sleeping in the same house I am in.

My Christmas and Thanksgiving looked a lot different than any I have had in the past, not because of where I am (although that is a huge part of it), but because it is the first holidays I have spent apart from Joshua. I hope it is the last as well.

A New Job

This week on Tuesday, I get to start my new job. I'll be working part time for the director in charge of volunteer services at TFS helping him out with some administrative duties.

I applied for a job with them a few months back, but never heard from them. When I moved to NYC, I contacted them (as well as another organization which I haven't heard back from) to do some volunteer work. It took some emails, phone calls and interviewing, but my first day will be Tuesday. I'm very excited! Oh, and the best part--I'll be working for free! So not only do I have a retail job where they'd have to double my salary to be underpaid, I have a second job earning nothing.

Funny thing is, right now my life is so good, and I do mean that seriously, I don't deserve it. I have never felt so blessed by where I am and what I'm doing. I feel I am following God's will for my life and will continue to trust Him for all my provisions.

Smells

All of my senses seem to be working overtime in NYC. There is always something going on that stimulates all 5 of my senses. For example, sound. Day or night, sleeping or awake, there are always noises I'm not accustomed to, at least not in my previous life. I am to the point where I am not only getting used to the noises in my house (I love my roommates, but they are young and oblivious to when it should be quiet time--although that probably has more to do with my age and not senses so I'll leave that for another post) but I can even block out the noises (which is good regarding the street noises or I would never sleep.)

But the one thing I don't think I will ever get used to is the smells! Sometimes I'm just walking mmob and I will come upon a smell so vile it is hard to breathe. But no smell will be able to compare to the stench on the train of my previous post. And now I think I know why it was so important for Oliver Wendell Douglass to move his wife Lisa to the country in Green Acres...FRESH AIR!

Trains

So I learned some important lessons last week, and this one I will never forget (unlike many lessons where I have to repeat them several times before they stick!) When on a platform and the cars are all full, and you see a car with very few people on it, DO NOT try to get on that car. There is a reason it is so empty and no one else wants to be on it! And if you do get on that car, the next stop will seem like an eternity until you can get off and join all the other people in the crowded car (who probably did the same thing the stop before I got on.)

Which brings me to my next post...

Height

Ok, so I know this is a petty type of thing to write about, but I can't seem to stop myself. I have thought about posting this two weeks ago, but again with the worrying about being petty. Since I'm writing it now, I obviously care less about how I am perceived than I am with honestly writing down my observations. So, here goes...

By New York standards, I AM NOT SHORT. Seriously! I tower over so many people it's unbelievable! Now I know what it is to be of 'normal' height. There are those that I can see eye-to-eye with. Now, I'm not saying I'm tall mind you, I'm not delusional, but I no longer stand out as one who is very small.

I LOVE New York!

Co-Workers

After 4 days on the selling floor, I am really starting to get the hang of it. It feels good to be able to answer at least most of the questions posed by customers.

There is always a sense of frustration I feel towards myself when I don't know something, don't understand something, or make a mistake. I know this is one of my big character defects, rooted in childhood, and the one that I have continually struggled with my whole life. I have made so much progress in this area, (still have a long way to go) but still I have a hard time giving myself credit for those positive changes.

So to be in a place of unfamiliarity is really hard for me. Which makes it so great to have fabulous, wonderful, helpful co-workers! The job I may not be crazy about, but I work with the BEST group of people! I am so blessed to be among such fun people. The days go by so fast, and they are filled with entertainment and laughter. I always believed it's not where you are, but who you're with!

Black Friday

Well, I survived my first Friday after Thanksgiving at Macy's. It was crazy! I have never seen so many people in one store at one time. Nevermind that it is the largest retail store in the world, on the busiest shopping day of the year, it was also my first full day of work on the floor. So, basically, I knew nothing.

As I made my way through the store for breaks, I was squashed among all the holiday shoppers. It took me more than half of my lunch just to get my lunch and reach the lounge. If I was not being paid, there's no way I'd be there on that day.

Here's hoping the rest of the holiday season goes smoothly!