Salutations, Gentle Reader,
It’s the second day of Christmas! What do you expect your true love to bring to you? If you are one of my gentle readers who observes the Feast of the Nativity, I hope it was the time of joy and light it is intended to be. Although my daughter was supposed to have been here in New York this week, plans unexpectedly changed and I found myself with unanticipated time on my hands.
I worked with some leads generated through the office, as well as with some of my own newer clients. December and January are typically slower months in real estate, but there are still a lot of people who need a home or commercial space. For them, I am available to do some business!
With the time on my hands that would no longer be used with my daughter, I ended up attending three church services in the span of 18 hours. The first was on the Upper East Side, at the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, where a friend’s liturgical / sacred dance troupe, the Omega Dancers added to the liturgy. It marked the first time I had ever entered the church, which I think was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s church. St. Ignatius is a beautiful church, and the priest’s homily was succinct yet thought provoking. He admonished all to release the impediments blocking us from the fullness of the Christmas light.
From 84th & Park, I wended my way south and west, through Central Park, to a Starbucks, through the throngs to see the NYC Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and finally across Times Square to my home church, St. Luke’s Lutheran. While traversing the park, I noted two things: first, it was cold! Two, I had never seen Central Park so deserted as it was on Christmas Eve.
I enjoy attending St. Luke’s. I humourously but accurately refer to it as an LBL congregation: Laid Back Lutheran. Christmas Eve at St. Luke’s is especially warming to me. The brass ensemble, candles, poinsettias–they all come together to add to the senses of inspiration, comfort and challenge that I find at St. Luke’s. Our pastor, Paul Schmiege, is not only a genuine man with a very caring heart, he is also one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard on a regular basis.. His words Christmas Eve shared a common theme with the words of St. Ignatius’ priest: that we are to move beyond those things that block our receipt of light and love.
Yesterday, I returned to St. Luke’s and served as Pastor Paul’s assistant. There was no brass ensemble, and the attendance was less, but the warmth of Christmas was still abundant. From there, it was down to “Curry Hill”, close to an apartment I rented earlier this year on Lexington Ave. I met my friend Hamilton and shared lunch at Madras Mahal, a vegetarian / vegan buffet. I love Indian cuisine, but what really made this Christmas special was dining with Hamilton, who shared that his parents had divorced when he was slightly older than my daughter is now. He gave me insight to what she’s likely thinking, He offered some practical advice on how to approach any legal proceedings that might be on the horizon. He assured me that my daughter would figure out what all had happened, and that she would know that I made genuine effort to be with her.
Hamilton left after lunch to go to a Christmas party in Astoria with his partner, and I answered a plea from my friend Noah to go see him at the restaurant he was working at. By the time I arrived, it was busy, the exact contrast of the first hours after opening. I ended up chatting more with the bartender as I enjoyed an Irish coffee–sans the whipped cream, of course. Noah and I spoke enough to better settle some plans to go to an art museum tomorrow. Then it was back home to spend time with my Pomeranians, messenger chat with a mate from Derbyshire, England, pop some corn and unwind watching Notting Hill.
The message I left for my daughter was unanswered.
I try to keep this blog related to real estate, although I’ll be the first to admit that it’s often tangential at best.
Gentle reader, I generally don’t go over the pedestrian events of my days with you. I try to keep this blog related to real estate, although I’ll be the first to admit that it’s often tangential at best. Oh, yes, I did speak with a buyer client while walking through Central Park, and he was impressed that I responded to his request on Christmas Eve. But you know what, Gentle Reader? Something inside me was pushing me to share this with you. I choose to reveal myself to you in various ways. I recall an earlier blog in which I wrote about the various tags I use to identify myself. This week, my tag would be a frustrated-lonely-laughing-on-the-outside-hurting-on-the-inside Daddy, Vegan, real estate agent, seeker of love and affection, and Laid Back Lutheran.
That’s who I am in this moment. Now, if you want unparalled customer service, give me a call.
Remain calm, and speak well.
Be kind to yourself. Be kind to the planet. Cause no suffering. Go Vegan!
David!
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