Washington Square Park

It was one of those perfect summer days in NYC. The kind of day where the intense heat of the sun is counteracted by a subtle, yet effective breeze, creating a natural balance of temperature. Days like these always feel magical and this one was no exception.

My friend Rachel and I stepped off the Long Island Railroad into the vastness of Penn Station, working our way through the thousands of people all trying to get somewhere - some running, some walking briskly, some waiting patiently in front of the track number board so that when their numbers appear, they can push their way down to the train, in hopes of finding a good seat.

After making my way through the chaos, I stepped out onto the streets of NY. I could feel the magic in the air. Excitedly, I walked over to Fifth Avenue, then downtown to my favorite spot—Washington Square Park.

This particular park is my favorite place to “people watch”. I prop myself on top of one of the many places to sit to experience all of the people of different age groups, cultures, and lifestyles enjoying themselves among one another with no visible judgments being passed. I can sit all day and bask in the greatness of my surroundings.

On this special day, Rachel and I decided to walk around for a while to see what was going on. The park was packed—musicians on all four separate walls, each playing their own melody. Children were playing in the fountain, having the time of their lives. We wandered through the whole park until we came upon a man singing. He had beautiful skin as dark as the night sky with the voice of an angel. His sound resonated through my body and touched my soul, creating an energy so magnificent in its own beauty.

Shortly after we stopped to watch the man, another musician from the park came over to join him with a guitar in hand. The sound they created together must have called to the other musicians in the park. A flutist appeared, along with another guitar player and a man playing the bongo drum. All of the separate musicians in the park that afternoon were suddenly in harmony, each his own unique person co-existing as one, creating a vibration of love and life, allowing the observers to feel the beauty of the connectedness between us all.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the energy surround my entire being. When I finally opened my eyelids, the crowd had grown five times its size. There were about fifty people standing around me, all sharing in the experience together.

The dark man who started it all wanted us to sing together and as the musicians chose a song they all knew, my heart skipped a beat. I remember thinking to myself that these things only happen in the movies. Reality seemed to wash away with that thought, and as we began singing “Lean On Me”, I drifted into pure ecstasy. All fifty people seemed to be singing, and the sound resonated.

In a few minutes, it was all over. Each of us smiled at one another and went our separate ways, knowing we would never forget that magical day. Rachel and I still talk about it in amazement because for the first time in our lives, we felt connected to truth. We generated an energy so strong, we were sure it traveled throughout the city, creating a sense of peaceful unity—bringing much needed harmony to those crazy streets that house the chaos of our everyday lives.

Melissa McNulty