MB Meets World

I am blessed with generous friends all over the world. My first two nights in NYC I stayed with my wonderful classmates from Cornell Law School, Don and Valerie Adleson Watnick, who live on the upper westside of Manhattan. I have gotten to know the Watnicks better over the past few years because their youngest daughter is an undergrad at Cornell and they visit us when they visit her. Henry and I have had the honor of seeing their daughter figure skate with her team; dang! she is good! And we have had many hours of conversation over brunch or drinks. Down to earth, kind people.

An exhibit about the Titanic was available in midtown so, after walking their sweet dogs in Riverside Park, we decided to check it out.  The exhibit did a good job of providing the history, showing some relics, and describing lives of people who were part of this tragedy.  We really enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone looking for something interesting in the city.  

Of course, I couldn’t help but think of the movie from 20-odd years ago with the fictitious Jack and Rose.  “Live, Rose!” says Jack at the end, as he chooses to slip off the door that she used as a raft, into the icy northern Atlantic. I have been saying, “Live, Rose!” since Henry died, as a reminder to myself that he wouldn’t want me to stay in the place of grief; rather, he would rather I fully embrace and use the extra time I get.  I remember at the end of the movie there were pictures of Rose’s life, but the only one I remember clearly was her as a pilot of a small plane; it reminded me of Amelia Earhart.  I have no interest in flying a plane, but for me that is a metaphor for doing things completely out of my comfort zone.  Like traveling to Asia, perhaps?

I am also happy I got to visit our dear friend Robert Yarbrough, whom Henry met in college, is godfather to our daughter Sam, and for years has talked to Henry daily about politics, race relations and sports.  Eavesdropping on their conversations, filled with intelligence, disappointment and laughter, has been one of my great joys.  It was so good to spend time with Robert.