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Snow in Central Park on Martin Luther King Day
A blinding sun, frozen ponds, and a strong reminder of what life is all about
Today is a particularly beautiful day in New York City. With temperatures in the low twenties (Fahrenheit) and arctic wind gusts that make it feel like in the low teens, nature appears as a spectacle of pristine bright surfaces overpainted by long blue shadows. Naked filigreed trees open up views to towering buildings in the distance.
Ever more so, today is Martin Luther King Day.
I’m contemplating many of King’s thoughts, and the following quote describes my feelings today the clearest:
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” — Martin Luther King, Stride Toward Freedom, 1958
In this city that never sleeps, everyone wishes, openly or in secret, for a snow day or two, no matter the general inconvenience to traffic, public transportation, and business life at large.
Snow in New York City has in recent years become a rare occurrence.
When snow falls and it turns out to be the crystalline snow that glints and glimmers in the sun, it’s seen as a miracle.