Peace amidst Chaos

Thursday we spent a full day in New York City. We took the George Washington Bridge on the north side of Manhattan so as to avoid the Holland Tunnel. It took a considerable amount more time, but at least when we crossed over, we were in Brooklyn; close to the “House that Ruth Built”. We drove around Yankee Stadium. The ballpark is nothing special, it is the heritage of all the world class ball players that have graced the field that brings a sense of awe to the stadium and the surrounding neighborhood.

We were warned long before we left Topeka to park outside the city and walk or take the subway to wherever we needed to go. We could have easily taken their advice, but we would have missed out on so much fun! By driving around the city (in our minivan with a cargo carrier on top, no less) we were able to get a great view of the entire city. We almost never got out to walk around, which would have also been an amazing experience, but we were able to see so much more of the city from the comfort of our air conditioned quarters. We traveled from one end of the island to the other and back. Past and through Central Park, by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Opera, past the Juliard School of Music, down to Little Italy and China Town (where the girls did get out to shop while we boys circled the blocks as best we could) and finally to the site of the former World Trade Centers, the tragic site of 9/11/01. We then drove up and down and around the Broadway and 42nd Street area. Heather and Lavon got to see part of a show and the other kids and I found a parking place and merrily headed for the 3 story Toys R Us.

But the most fun I had in NYC was driving. You’ve heard that the drivers there are crazy and especially the cabbies. You don’t know the half of it until you have experienced it for yourself. Beginning with the Holland Tunnel, where 8 lanes of traffic magically merge into 2, all vehicles on the road are suddenly in a stiff competition to see how many cars they can cut off and how many pedestrians they can weave in and out of without doing any major damage. And the busses own the road, or at least they drive like they do. At any time, if a car wants in front of you, they will inch (or rocket) the nose of their vehicle in front of yours so that you can’t proceed without running into them. Busses are no exception. If they want in your lane, they simply pull over and expect you to stop. The cabs will even pull around you while you are waiting for pedestrians to clear so that you can turn, and then they turn in front of you! And as best I could tell, “no parking” and “no standing” doesn’t apply to New Yorkers. It was the best game I have played in a very long time, and it was amazing to watch the other vehicles around me.

I will advise folks to stay clear of our car for a while after we get back, until the newly formed habit subsides.

Yet, amidst the chaos – the thousands of cars and people, the one way streets, the homeless and beggars, the street vendors, the lights and video boards, and the hundreds of other tourists who didn’t have a clue – I felt a peace, knowing I was in no hurry and nothing depended on whether I got into the next lane now or three blocks from now. I was content with not having to be in control.

I feel that peace each and every day knowing that my Savior is in control of my life so that I no longer have to be. Knowing that He guides my path, that He guards my life, that He protects me, is the greatest feeling in the world. I pray that, someday, everyone will feel that peace.