Did you know that the old world is still in there, underneath the new one? I found this out quite by accident one day a few years ago. I was walking in downtown with my laptop on my way from Piranha Sushi to the Coffee Haus below the sidewalk a few blocks south on Houston Street towards the Convention Center. I was heading to the Haus because they have cheap, good coffee and free wireless. I had to finish a P&L review and write an explanation for a few large expenses that had shown up for the month and had to be discussed in the monthly financial review meeting. I was all set for an afternoon of fun with spreadsheets, word processors and email.
Then, as I walked quickly past the old Pier 1 on the southeast corner of 3rd and Houston, I saw a funny light coming out from a small gap in the concrete planter for the Ginkgo Biloba tree on the corner. It was curious-looking enough to stop me in my tracks. Bending to look at it, I realized it was an opening, and not into the planter. Inside I could see a field of grass blowing in the wind on a sunny day. The smell of summer wafted from the opening when I put my head near it. Carefully poking a finger just inside, I could feel warm sun and cool breeze.
"Wow," I thought. "I've got to get in there."
So, I stood up, set my laptop on the sidewalk, and turned and put my calves against the planter, standing to the left of the hole. Bending like I had been taught in weight training, I slid the fingers of my right hand into the hole, got a good grip, and then lifted with my legs. The planter hinged over with a snap and thud and, when I looked, the Ginkgo tree was on it's side blocking Houston street and there was an opening into the old world large enough to climb through. So, I grabbed my laptop and hopped in.
I wrote my financial recap (offline and on battery power) sitting beside a little running brook. I'm not sure what year I was in, but I didn't see another human the entire time. I didn't hear a sound except wind, water and animals. It was relaxing, and I found it increased my productivity by almost 27%. When my battery died I sat for another 27 minutes, until my cell phone, which had no signal but was still set to modern time, told me it was almost time for the meeting.
So, finding the opening again, I jumped back out, choked for a minute by all the exhaust in the downtown air, and lifted the Ginkgo tree and planter back into place. Luckily no one had noticed the giant tree blocking Houston street for almost four hours. I dusted my hands, made it to the meeting and everything went well.
Since then I make a point of going to the old world whenever I can. For a while I always went to the planter at the southeast corner of Houston and 3rd. Since then, however, I've learned that the old world is under everything. You can get to it anywhere; you just have to push the new world out of the way. I recommend it. Don't tell too many people, though. Then it won't be fun anymore.
Well, I should go. Meeting.
Hello, friends. How are you today?
Later. Love.
P. S. - Aphter: 48. Sorry I couldn't write one yesterday. Thanks for stopping by.
