The Pros and the Cons

I've been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of living life in New York City.  I think it all started when I read a blog post recently where a women stated that she does not understand why anyone would want to live in a city and that city people miss out on so much.  The comment bothered me much more than it probably should have, but for whatever reason I have been thinking about it a lot lately.  I will never forget the days leading up to my move to NYC and the many different responses I got when I told people where I was moving.  I think the one that bothered me the most was "well why would you want to do that". Although I would try to respond with a polite answer, in my head I often thought "Well why would you want to live where you live"  It was a choice for sure for me to move here, but it was also very clearly where God was leading me.  For those who walked through that season with me know how greatly God's hand was in every step.  But even still life here for me has not been the easiest.  This week especially has been a hard week. The weather is still cold and dreary, the buildings have felt taller and more enclosing, the pace of life has felt fast and furious, and the people on the streets have felt more annoying to me.  As I was chatting to a friend today on the subway while commuting during rush hour, I could not help but think about how intense life is here.  It just is.  The people, the pace, the expense, the diversity, the small space, the total use of public transportation, the expectations, the pressure. The list could go on.  Many describe NYC as  pressure cooker and in many ways it is.  And on weeks like I am having, I just want out.  I want to smell the fresh air, I want to see the sunshine, I want to lay in a field and hear nothing but the birds chirping, I want to walk down the street and have not one person bump in to me, I want to ride in a car with the windows down and the radio playing, I want to see stars, and bask in creation. I miss those things and I always look forward to experiencing them when I can.

But then I think about all the absolutely amazing things I experience as I live life in this city.  I may miss out on grass and open skies, but I have gained so much.  I have the privilege of living daily life with people from all over the world and experiencing different cultures in friendships, I have the opportunity to be exposed to poverty on a daily basis and not just hear about it tv, I continually get to be challenged on what it means to love and serve those in poverty all around me. I daily get to learn what it means to share as I share my sidewalks, my subway seat, my personal space.   I have the priviledge of being surrounded by people who are the best of the best in their fields and constantly learning from people who are actors, musicians, doctors, opera singers, dancers, wall street bankers, designers and so on and  I am continually wowed that these people are my friends.  I experience the beauty of a city through the lights and the skyline of the buildings.  I have many once-in-a-lifetime events that I take part in through the amazing opportunities city life provides.  Everyday is an adventure is this city and I am constantly taking hold of what life here brings me.

so some may think I am missing out by living in a city like New York, but I like to think I am actually experiencing so much more.  I will never be able to replace what the Lord has brought my way on this island of millions and would never want to try.  One day I may go back to my roots of open skies and a slower life, but for today I want to soak this life of mine up, take hold of of the pros and the cons, and thank God for the the good days and hard days... for each one is part of his perfect written plan for my life.