Christmas Times
Sometimes you're stuck in places you don't want to be in, and that leads you in a completely new direction. Couple of days I was waiting for a friend who at St. Rita's Immigration Center in the Bronx. She was there with her daughter, and they were waiting for Cardinal Edward Egan, whose the big chief of the Catholic archdiocese in NYC. The Cardinal was going to hand out Christmas gifts to the kids.
When he came, black smock and all, he looked more like a CEO than a preacher, but boy, did he deliver a zinger of a speech. He reminded people of the great depression, and how everyone helped everyone else. He also touched on the Wall Street bailout, and said that's ok, but people shouldn't forget about other ordinary people. Point is, that got me thinking for a couple of days, and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like this was a one-way street heading south, with no way out of the recession.
Which is what took me to Trinity. I pass by it most every other day, but I can't remember when I last poked my head in there, even though it is one of the major tourist attractions in New York, and in Wall Street. The Trinity Church, FYI, is an Episcopal Church located in Wall Street, which has served immigrants since forever. Its a haven during turbulent times, for those without shelter, without food and those seeking protection from oppression. St. Paul's Chapel, located opoosite Ground Zero, is part of the Parish of Trinity Church, and no other organization has worked as hard or as effectively as St. Paul's in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, and during the subsequent months. The Bell of Hope in St. Paul's yard was donated by the Mayor of London, after 9/11, and it rings out its message of hope after horrific incidents, as a tribute and in memory of those who lost their lives.
I went into Trinity and the liturgy was in progress. The Reverend was female, and everyone was pitching in with the carols, and the Choir was going full blast. I'm not a particularly religious person, and even when I do go to Church, its usually just for a quiet prayer all by myself. Kinda one-on-one with Him. But this one time, I felt the need to let the power of the Christmas celebration flow over me. And flow it did. I felt a strange peace, like no matter what happened outside, like Wall Street came crashing down, or even if they bulldozed the entire Financial District, Trinity would still be standing, same as before.
Kinda changes your priorities, to find that no matter how many billions or trillions the indices lose, it's not going to make one bit of difference in here. Early next year, I'm due to submit a report on the viability and future prospects of the major New York hotels to open in the last couple of months, and those which are opening soon. Based on everything I'd seen and heard and read from the hotels, their employees and financial statements and from my friends in New York in the last two weeks, I was pretty sure that New York was in for a big walloping in 2009. But after these last couple of days, I'm not so sure any more.
Now I have this feeling that no matter what happens, and how many companies need bailouts and how many others go bankrupt, New York isn't going to change. Businesses will still be there, duking it out, and people will help each other, even if Congress can't, or the Mayor or Governor can't do anything. What's a person to do when Faith gets in between you and the analytical data? I dunno. Guess I'll just have to give it some more time...
