Cross-Sections

One of the things that I’ve discovered in my travels is that I like cross-sections. I don’t like to limit myself to social categories (hence the whole truck driving arts student thing). I highly value diversity and I reckon, if you’re open to it, observing (or even better participating in) the different ways that people lead their lives can be one of the best things that you can do. By nature, it’s not always going to be comfortable, but I think that’s part of learning. For the most part I’ve found my experience to be incredibly liberating.

What I described above is figurative. I’ve also cut some more literal slices throughout my journey: the 2000 mile path we followed on harvest from Northern Texas to central Saskatchewan, and the 3000 mile road trip from Ohio in the East to Vancouver on the West coast. The change in geography, the people, politics, (everything!) is fascinating. The thing I love about the US is that you could shift your route 100 miles to the East, West, North or South (or perhaps do it diagonally!) and you’d have a completely different experience.

I got thinking bout the whole cross-section thing at the end of my first full day in New York. I walked from my hostel which was on the Upper West side of Manhattan down to the southern tip of the island in the Financial District. As the crow flies it’s about twelve kms but it took me a good twelve hours. At the end of the day I took the Subway back to the hostel and flicked through my photos as I rode. As I did, I realised how distinctive each of the districts were that I’d passed through. It also dawned on me that I had journeyed another cross-section.

Pictures from my walk will provide some content for my next post!