Courage/ˈkərij,ˈkə-rij/: Starting Down a Road That May Never End.

I have finally gotten up the courage to write about New York. About Social Work. About faith. About things I’m learning and pieces I’m struggling to put together. Yesterday when one of my students was too upset to talk, I left her alone with a pen and a piece of paper. Do you think you can write it? She nodded. Half an hour later she handed me two pages of things she had never been able to verbalize in our sessions. Writing naturally opens us up to a world that may not appear during our regular walk through the day. This is the beginning of my attempt to find that world, to make sense of it and to share it with all of you. 

15 Things I’ve learned about New York: 

1. The average New Yorker spends about 1,000,000 hours a week on public transportation. 
2. Appropriate things to do on a subway train are: Play “Candy Crush” on your iphone, plug into some music and subtly (or not so subtly) bob your head along to the beat, stare straight ahead just above eye level and pretend you are not listening to the loud fight going on between the couple next to you, if two seats open up- move over (apparently, its not ok to stay squished up to the person next to you), read your book standing up, bring your guitar and sing about everything you see on the train.
3. It’s called the 1 train, not the red train. You will be corrected.  
4. Everyone has dietary restrictions. Learn how to cook Vegan, Cave-Man and Gluton-Free before you have people over. 
5. If you say, “How’s it goin?” or “Hey y’all” people might not understand you. Try “What’s good? or How’s everything? instead. 
6. People will not judge you for your religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or life-style choices, but they will judge you for your shoes. 
7. If you don’t like this pizza place, try the one half a block over. 
8. Never assume that someone speaks Spanish or doesn’t. That taco joint down the street is actually owned by a Chinese man who speaks Arabic. 
9. Schedule coffee dates 3 weeks in advance. These people are busy. 
10. Steer clear peak tourist zones and hours when on a bike. Don’t expect them to understand that you are in a hurry or speak your language when you say, “On your right!”  
11. LES, BK, UWS, SOHO, NOHO.....and SOBRO...? 
12. “Up and Coming” actually means gentrified. 
13. Neighborhoods are more defined by race and ethnicity than they are by maps. 
14. In many ways, your neighborhood actually defines you. “Do you know who I am? I’m from the Bronx.”
15. It really is the City that Never Sleeps. I have yet to stay up late enough to confirm that, but I’ve heard stories and seen pictures. 

5 Things I’ve learned about Social Work: 

1. You have to know yourself and discipline yourself before you can give yourself. 
2. If you don’t think you have issues, that’s where you have to start. 
3. A career in Social Work gives you a new lens through which you view the world. To that end, it is impossible and even dangerous to separate work and life. 
4. My economics degree in undergrad is one of the best choices I ever made. 
5. The world is fallen and more messed up than I can handle at times. 

3 Things I’ve learned about Christianity: 

1. The world is fallen and more messed up than I can handle at times BUT there is hope everlasting SO I will not be passive. 
2. Justice can not exist well without grace. 
3. Grace has to be received before it can be reciprocated. When we can seek Justice AND live grace, THEN we begin to love like Christ.