It’s a little weird how you are standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue. Anywhere else in the world your yellow shirt would help you stand out, but here, in this jungle of concrete, you run the risk of being camouflaged in a sea of yellow street cabs. I appreciate your confidence though, a trait one needs in order to be considered a New Yorker. And in the city that never sleeps, anything is possible. From the time of New Amsterdam on the southern tip of the island, New York has been a land of new possibilities, welcoming groups that were otherwise shunned from society. The first Jewish community in the new world stepped foot on the island in 1654, finding a refuge, a place where they could live in relative peace. Flash forward to the past two centuries and millions of immigrants have flooded through Ellis Island. Not all of them have stayed in New York, some moved throughout the country establishing roots in other communities, but one constant remains, each one got their start in this great city. Imagine the sight. Lady Liberty standing proud on the Hudson. Give me your tired and poor. So yes, anyone is welcome in New York as long as you are brave. Even you, an idiot who is standing in the middle of the road.

Love,

C.