Mirror

I took a walk alongside Riverside Drive today. I didn’t go venture all the way down to the bottom, where you walk right along the river. Rather, I stayed above by the road. I walked from 151st Street to 120th. I passed a couple cute dogs, a few runners, walked on a bridge, and past Grant’s tomb.

I like how autumn is arriving. The air feels crisper and the leaves are turning shades of oranges and browns. And yet, because I am me, it feels nostalgic already. I already miss the summer of 2016 and every mistake or lesson or triumph that occurred within that time frame.

My favorite moment that happened this summer was actually in September when I was in Japan. My friend and I were on the bus coming back from bungee jumping, and she was trying to put her many earrings back into her ear. She asked me if I had a mirror and I said yes. She asked if I minded if I held it up for her. And I said not at all. And then I held it up. She peered into it. The bus ride was bumpy, as we were up in the mountains, and I struggled with holding it up just right. I tried so hard. I strained my hand, tried to memorize the position I held it in when she said “that’s perfect”, and studied the accuracy of her aim. I held the mirror just like that for her for minutes that seemed like hours. I felt so close to her, and so happy that I was doing something useful. I just loved that moment so much.