"New York City is a great place to be from."

SCliche by Jeff Sambur

Being born in The Big Apple taught me many lessons for life.

Here's a few of them: 

People come in all variety of skin tones besides Crayola Crayons "flesh." One color is not better/prettier or more special than the others. They are just different.

There are many languages in the world besides American English. People can choose to speak their favored form of communication. It's their right and its perfectly legal. Sure it might be frustrating for the English only crowd, but somehow ideas get exchanged.

Humanity comes equipped with lots of sexual preferences. It might not be your glass of IPA, but these individuals  probably won't harm or bother you either.

Lastly, a smile, being civil and polite can work wonders in most human interactions.

It's sort of an offshoot of the Golden Rule. It's not Harvard Law School stuff.

Back to the present: I journeyed to NYC to take in the qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic. Teams from Brazil, Great Britain, Israel and Pakistan were on hand for four days of America's Pastime. There were no fights, taunts or threats on the playing field. We saw good sportsmanship and class acts between the players and coaches. 

I wish the rest of the world would get along as well as these participants did. 

BTW: The Chosen Team will move on to the Baseball Big Show in March. Who wants to see games in San Diego?

While in America's Melting Pot good buddies Big Al, Jean, Lisa and Claudia joined in the frenetic fun. It was great seeing them all. 

We saw many sights. These photos might give you a taste.

The last photo is the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. No trip to NY is complete for me unless I visit this water spilling feature. I own a grainy black and white photo of Clara Sambur (my Mom) sitting in that approximate spot some 70 years ago.

It makes me feel happy and peaceful to be in the same place as she once sat.

I'll end this blog with the lyrics from Frank Sinatra's classic hit.

start spreading the news, I'm leaving today.
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray 
Right through the very heart of it, New York, New York.

I wanna wake up, In a city that doesn't sleep.
And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap.

These little town blues, are melting away.
I'll make a brand new start of it, in old New York.

If I can make it there, 
I'll make it anywhere.
It's up to you, New York, New York.

New York, New York.
I want to wake up, in a city that never sleeps.
And find I'm A-number-one, top of the list, king of the hill, A-number-1... 

These little town blues, are melting away.
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it, 
In old New York, and... 

If I can make it there, I'm gone make it anywhere.
It's up to you, New York, New York!