urban dialogue

We just returned from our annual pilgrimage to NYC. The yearly checklist includes Japanese takeout with a small mountain of tuna and yellowtail sashimi, watching the seals feed and the animal chimes ring at the Central Park Zoo, and Novalox from Zabar's on a poppyseed bagel from H&H. New this year was the Cosmic Collisions imax film at the Rose Planetarium (mamela, are we really on that planet right now), finding the legendary curving granite slide in Central Park, and Mary Poppins on Broadway--a very special birthday present from one of my daughter's god mothers. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Pure serendipidity also played a role in defining a fabulous weekend getaway. My three twenty-something cousins, one of whom lives in Manhattan, were also planning a weekend get together. I consider their parents my older siblings. We rendezvoused over indian cuisine. It was delight to hear what inspires twenty-somethings these days. I noted that when dating entered the discussion, I got a big zero for content. As the youngest sibling was describing her course of study and summer research, the following memorable short dialogue about careers and choices ensued.

Oldest sibling: So, you're becoming dad.

Youngest sibling: Well, you became mom.

Middle sibling: I'm neither, so I'm truly independent.

I've thought about this exchange quite a bit, wondering how I might respond in kind. There's serious parental blending in my case. I've got dad's negotiating abilities and a calm demeanor under pressure (thank goodness). I've got mom's creativity genes and a flair for planning large gatherings with mountains of good food (thank goodness). Of course, there are many other good things. I'd just like to take this opportunity to say thanks mom and dad! It was fun thinking about you two being young twenty- and thirty-somethings on your first date in NYC, and wondering what sort of urban dialogue inspired you at the time. xox.