My Bold Bonus Life: 3

Tired. I went out to Coney Island on the train this afternoon, a place I richly imagined as an elementary school kid. I'd heard back then that this was a place that had even more carnival rides than nearby Carolina Beach. This was inconceivable bliss.

But my interest in such rides waned, and definitely ended after I had my first and only roller coaster ride at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I boldly refuse to do any such thing ever again.

But something about the nature of this trip (see My Bold Bonus Life: 1) made me want to go. Also, Coney Island Beach is adjacent to Brighton Beach which interests me because it's a strong Russian emigre community and I love pockets of other cultures.


Anyway, I had a pleasant and long walk on the beach, which wasn't as crowded as pictures of NY beaches always seem to be. Admired the prodigious size of the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster. Bought and consumed exotic jellied candies, presumably Russian. Heard a lot of Russian spoken, came to understand that not all Russians are blonde like Baryshnikov. And that what appears to be the main drag of Brighton Beach runs directly underneath the elevated train.

And now I've been to Coney Island, home of both Coney Island Beach and Brighton Beach. This desire is fully and happily satisfied.


But an even better part of the day: I had lunch with a friend here who is one of the most inspiring speakers I've ever heard: Colleen Keegan. She is also inspiring and emboldening at lunch. I came away with the feeling that the future is promising, that exciting new possibilities exist in what generally seem to be discouraging global circumstances. And that individual voices and quirky ideas really do have a better chance of reaching people than ever before.

Plus, the lunch and the view were splendid. (Reader/commenter/artist Lynne asked for more food reporting here.) We dined at A Voce, in the Time/Warner building on Columbus Circle. The Stracciatella,
"creamy pugliese mozzarella,roasted artichokes, lemon thyme, arugula, bresaola," was kinda unbelievable. That alone could expand one's sense of possibilities.

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