There is such random beauty in this dirty city. Once in a while, there is a day that will surprise with its kindness and joy. It's been a couple strange weeks of travelling/home/doctor's offices, x-rays/MRIs/surprise surgery/foreign object removal. But I have been so carefully cared for, and I am very grateful for the talented doctors in this town.

And yesterday really did have a vibe. People held doors, helped others cross streets. Was it the Dalai Lama who was in town Sunday? The growing feeling that the shit is hitting the fan and we'd better start looking out for each other? Even the cranky guy at the bank who usually just growls at me, apologized and struck up a conversation about his favorite thing...Boston drum and bugle corps.

Maybe tomorrow it will be the opposite - a day of people running red lights and mowing down small children. Honking for no good reason. Car alarms, bus brakes, sirens, sweltering subways with rats scurrying about, trash everywhere....but somehow, yesterday? Some kind of summer detente.

And then this, on Madison Avenue. some beautiful sidewalk art. Another random act of kindness.

I guess it's grateful Wednesday.