Cityboy at the Crossroads...

Saturday morning: the protests continue---there should be many of them today---and the city prepares for the re-openings of many businesses on Monday. And cityboy sits in his apartment, and wonders what his next move will be.
Yesterday---the whole day dominated by intense stomach cramps. A truly debilitating feeling. At this point, cityboy knows that there is nothing he can do it relieve the cramps---it is part of a cycle which ends after a while, when the stomach becomes calm. That is how I feel this morning---no pressure from the stomach or below, and a strong sense that my body can move anywhere. But where and how? Tomorrow a good friend of mine is opening up a new restaurant on Clinton Street in the lower east side. I hope to be there in the afternoon. On Monday, there are some early morning protests against the re-opening of the Housing Courts in each borough. I would like to go to the Brooklyn one, that is where I think many of the BAN members will be. And being at the protests--mask or no mask, will let me have some good conversation with the other protesters. So what stops me? Can my body deal with the travel and its consequences. Every day I remain near my apartment on the upper west side. And it is not that I don't accomplish things. I did my laundry yesterday and stopped of at a shoe store and bought a much needed pair of shoes.  Still,  I don't know what demands a trip too far away from the apartment will make on me. And yet, I long to travel. Not another day around the apartment, either watching or browsing on the computer, or taking short walks not far from where I live. My mind explodes with visions of streets in Brooklyn---I would give anything to be there---away from here.
Yesterday, at about 7, decided I needed a short walk, so I walked north on West End to 86th street---very quiet, as one would expect. I chose Amsterdam Avenue---with its many bars and restaurants half opened-- to return. The street was sprawling with people, mostly young, some middle aged and older, hanging out outside those places, observing about 3 feet of social distancing. How did it make me feel? For the most part, I went with it---I like the idea of a kind of "semi-celebration" of the end of social distancing.  Somehow I feel that it is a sign that the city people have overcome the virus. Am I right? Only time will tell.
  So it is 8:30 in the morning, and cityboy has not determined his next move. What shall it be? Short walks around the neighborhood, or maybe a trip to Broadway and the 140's, another way of "playing it safe", or is it time to really take some risks? Stay tuned.