The Season of Bleeding Feet

Spring is here and with it came the bleeding feet.

Every spring I feel like a prisoner being paroled, the wicked cold not longer keeps me trapped in the house, dreading my walks to and from work and impeding my otherwise active lifestyle. I go out and buy brand new flats to accommodate all the walking I am going to be doing.

Like said prisoner, I find my new found freedom throws me into a fit of hedonism. I walk and walk, greedily taking in all the excitement and drama of the city in bloom. I walk so much in these new shoes (which were very comfortable when I tried them on!) that my feet end of looking like they came out of a meat grinder. This all happens the first weekend of Spring, the following week of spring finds me gingerly trying to get my battered feet into whatever pair of shoes don't cause me unbearable agony!

Well, my feet are beginning to heal and the shoes will get broken in eventually. I must say it is worth it though, each passing block offers me its own story or character. For example, last week I walked to the library on my way home from work. On my way in, two young boys passed me carrying children's books. They could not have been more than 10 years old. I though little of it, assuming their parents were waiting for them outside. On my way home I pass the outdoor cafe on my corner. There they were: the two little boys were sitting at at table by themselves, sipping soda and reading their books. I found their adultness to be endlessly amusing, only in New York! Turning the corner, I give a nod to the Empire State Building, thinking how amazing it is that I have such an icon as a neighbor.

The city herself seems to be celebrating; the parks are alive with tulips and lavender, and the trees lining the streets are covered in cherry blossoms. I notice old temples nestled between the brownstones and storefronts I never seemed to see before. She is singing to me, radiant and beautiful, finally waking from her winter slumber.

Walking through her streets I feel that familiar sense of satisfaction. I feel so full inside, like there is nothing else in the world I need at that moment. I suppose I have every reason to feel that way: my professional life is about to begin, I have amazing friends who think I am capable of anything, my family adores me, I have a great apartment, a bearable job and I live in the most magnificent city in the world. I also have a deep sense that all the things I don't yet have are coming to me. Mostly though, when I wander through New York on a beautiful spring day, I don't feel loneliness is possible.

Spring is a time of change and growth, and I suppose then it is only appropriate that it comes with a little pain. The season of bleeding feet is here and I couldn't be happier.