human

Yesterday I went to nyc for the day. I always find it such an inspiring place to be. It's so diverse. If anything, the city just makes me realize this world is big. To think of all the people who exist on this planet, the intricate personal stories belonging to each one. It's crazy.

 This is a little girl I saw in Central Park. Her face was painted with a rainbow and a flower. I meant to take this secretly, but I'm pretty sure she noticed. I love her defiant stare. (Please, please click the photo to make it bigger, so you can see her face! You'll see what I mean.)

At the Apple Store, everything is made of glass. Looking up from below, you can see the bottoms of people's feet, moving back and forth across the stairs, and a glimpse of the sky.

Another stranger I photographed that definitely realized I was taking a picture. (again, click photo) I absolutely love the people you meet on the subway. We saw a group of four teenagers who blasted music and danced on the the short subway ride. They were amazing, but I was too shy to take a picture. But the sight of them inspired me so much, just to see this art of urban dancing that was all their own, and so different from what I'm used to.

I guess, in the end, you realize there are so many people on this earth. It's easy to pack them all into categories, think that everyone is that same, assume things about them just from what you can see. But inside each chest is a beating heart, unmistakably human. Every mind has fears and dreams and long lost memories whispering in their ears. Behind every cold, aloof stare on the new york subway, is a story with laughter and tears. No one is less human than anyone else. Our capacity for understanding each other is more than we think. The city shows me this, and makes me feel glad to be a part.