November 19, 2005
New York Prepares
Back to finishing off the New York roll. Of course holiday preparations were in full swing , as it was the week before Thanksgiving. The tree at Rockefeller Center was erect but not unveiled (I will spare you that clickie) I was a little saddened this year by the thought of a tree of this size and magnificence being chopped down for frivolity. I think it's time to go artificial. Leftover trees go to the zoo in Central park as play structures for the animals.
The girls are getting ready for their extravagana. Rockette Christmas Costumes can be purchased, just in case you don't have anything to wear to your own holiday celebration. I preferred the ashtray.
I bet Takashimaya, the beautiful Japanese Department Store, is ready year round, though I see they are wishing us all an urbane Christmas on their website. The floral department here was spectacular, featuring lovely little individual succulents plopped everywhere, on glass shelves, completely potless. All they require is a spritz from your Evian bottle now and then (not included). Twenty five dollars each seemed pricey at the time. Now I can't even find them on the internet, because I don't know what they're called, and catch myself longing to have one sit faithfully by my computer while I write, or cling to my bosom as live decoration at the next posh event. Oh well. Locating some will be my next manifestaton project.
And Ralph Lauren did wonderful winter windows, perhaps inspired by the "Safe" exhibition at MoMA. Inside there was not a price tag under $425, nor an unlifted face. Most folks on the premises, and probably within a ten block radius, were wearing well over $1000 worth of clothing, and they were in their Saturday jeans.
Yesterday, Peter Kramer of NPR's "The Infinite Mind", devoted the entire program to hypomania. New York was called a hypomanic city (as we are a hypomanic society -- the spectacular success of Starbucks being part of the proof, since those of us without hypomania must develop whopping caffeine habits to keep the pace.) Turns out that relatives of people with bipolar disorder are the lucky duckies. They have all the fun of being hypomanic without the raging psychosis and devastating consequences of full blown manic episodes. People suffering from hypomania are rarely seen in therapist's offices.
"Doctor, I'm divinely happy, I'm full of creative ideas, and the energy to implement them. I'm never tired, I need very little sleep. I'm excited about life. I'm fun loving and adventurous, take lots of risks and bounce back easily from failure. Can you help me?"
I'm rushing out to get "Exhuberance" Kay Redfield Jamison's new book, all about the joys of hypomania, to see if I can develop some naturally. Maybe if I just moved to New York. I don't think I should consider snorting cocaine at my advanced age.
Posted by Dakota at November 19, 2005 06:17 AM