Simplicity

The Central Park I am currently sitting in is one completely different from the one I found myself in less than a week ago. I'm in the city visiting a friend from high school, and while he sits in meetings, I decided to take a step outside into the crisp, rainy morning. I walked twenty blocks from the times square hotel where he is staying to a little salumi shop on the upper west side called salumeria rosi. After admiring the display case chock full of beautiful imported pork products for several minutes, I dicided on a bit of parmacotto, a steamed parma ham, and a few slices of arista, a roast pork loin.

I walked a few blocks east to central park and wandered through the empty trails, until I found the perfect spot. Under a shelter overlooking a pond I sat myself and got ready to enjoy my snack. Few people would call a half pound of pork and a block of focaccia the size of my face a snack, but we've already established the fact that I'm not exactly normal.

The rain is coming down, there's a gentle breeze blowing errant drops against my face. The taller buildings are covered in a thick fog, making the city seem a little less intimidating and a little more like home. Cigar smoke from a gentleman on the bench across from me is strangely calming, and the only sounds distracting me from my salumi are the chirping of birds and the sound of rain gently falling. Although my generosity in giving a few small sparrows a nibble of focaccia has escaladed quickly into a "if you give a mouse a cookie" scenario, and bigger, more territorial birds are now stalking my bench, I am at peace.

It's moments like these when you take a little time to enjoy the little things, that life seems so much simpler and so much easier. Take a walk in the park, sit outside and enjoy a really good ham sandwich, you'll be amazed at how happy it can make you. Life is beautiful, folks... Just take a little time to enjoy it.

Mike