I arrived a few days early to New York, and while I wasn’t doing school business, I had some time to explore the city a bit.

As I exited Central Park at 59th and Broadway one day, I was drawn to a large group of pigeons on a fountain and noticed a man standing nearby with several birds perched on him. We started speaking and I learned that he “owned” 11 of these birds, having raised them from eggs. He explained the trust they had with one another, as well as the full history of pigeons.

Often times it is easy to get into a pattern, letting ourselves fall victim to the lure of monotony. We need to constantly be experiencing new things, meeting new people, and seeing sights we never knew to exist. The Pigeon Man has the ability to do this every day; by sharing his bird stories around the park, he is able to constantly meet new people and inspire them to live more unique lives. Meeting him filled me with joy and inspiration for the coming week. I can’t wait for the range of quirks I have yet to uncover around this city, both inside and outside the agencies we visit!

5.5.19 JM