the afterlife
Nothing revelatory, nothing major, nothing to report here other than it’s a Tuesday they tell me, and today we spent a good portion of our…
Nothing revelatory, nothing major, nothing to report here other than it’s a Tuesday they tell me, and today we spent a good portion of our morning delving into Ancient Egyptian history, specifically mummification. Our entry point was a Met Kids video which highlighted the process of mummification, and spotlighted many of the artifacts the girls have seen on previous trips to the now-empty museum. The girls were both totally grossed out as well as intrigued by the way these ancient folks removed the brains of the dead. I had forgotten/never known/blocked out this fun fact and the girls wanted to know more.
What amazing is when you’re 41 and you live in the best city in the world and you happen to know a person who is a fount of knowledge and gives tours at the Met and you can just film your kids asking him questions and he fires back answers from his apartment uptown and that’s that. Your mummy questions get answered on the double and with a verve you just can’t get from a Nat Geo clip. You know this person because he’s in a theater company with an old friend who you went to college with and you know how deliciously good his is at his work (one of many of his working gifts) because you and your family were blessed to receive a private mini-tour at the Met this past fall. What a dream. It feels that way now. To walk through the maze of that beautiful museum, to be led through the labyrinth of rooms to someone’s favorite places. To be told secret stories about Hatshepsut, to know that the Temple of Dendur is called Jackie’s Little Nightlight by the museum guards. To watch your children build a pyramid out of MagnaTiles and after that, a tomb for Wonder Woman. Maewyn will be taking her books with her into the afterlife. Pia, honey and crackers. Thank you, Kevin.
This is the New York City I know.
This New York City is also a small town where someone knows someone else that you know and you might run into them at the Met. Or on the street. Or on the subway the way uptown. This magic city of connections.
I love you, New York. Thank you, New York. Stay strong, New York. It’s so hard, New York, what they’re doing to you. But I know you well enough to know that you will survive. You will travel under the water and come through the other side of the Battery Tunnel with heavy work to do.
I can see the light and I will follow it.