If Only...

Good Night? How can you sleep knowing fare well what lies ahead tomorrow? You hope you have trained enough for this moment. Despite the overwhelming excitement, you reminisce about the car crash and curse being a paraplegic. You're excited for your new sports wheelchair that will arrive tomorrow morning. Your eyes get weary and you fall into a daze, but you quickly gain back your consciousness. Hope that the old blister on your right pointer finger won't open again. Mom knocks on your door and asks if you feel up to going to school tomorrow. You say, " I don't think I can bear it." She nods her head and goes back to her room.

The clock reads five in the morning, but you wouldn't know. You lay on your bed waiting for the sunrise until you finally see the tip of broad day light. Something is ...different. You can feel. You wiggle your toes unbelievably. Slowly, you start to move your right leg towards the end of the bed followed by your left leg until you're sitting on the side of the bed with a big smile no less. You now walk over, still in disbelief, to the opened window and inhale the fresh spring air.

One step after another you make your way downstairs and into the kitchen where your whole family has been waiting. You can tell all of them are overjoyed by the miracle that has taken place. Your Grandfather tells you to get going. As you near the front door you see a brand new mountain bike on the porch. You take off and go as fast as you can and as far as you can. You end up at the gates of the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow in no time it seems. Your name is being cheered by hundreds of fans and you are taken to Arthur Ashe Stadium where you await your opponent. Who better to face than the tennis legend himself, who holds the most grand slam titles, "Pistol Pete" ? This is too much. Being able to play with your idol and favorite player of all time just defies description. The spotlight is on you and you can't help but to embrace it. You fail to remember what homework you have or what test you needed to be studying for because opportunities like this is almost never a frequent visitor especially for you.

The scene changes and you're back home in bed. You can't seem to wiggle your toes anymore, no feeling, just reality. You wake up to the sound of your alarm clock and as you wipe away the tears from your face, you whisper something. "If only they knew what it feels like..."

No Reservations Needed

Boy do I love an exceptionally cooked meal, who doesn't? Who wouldn't want to eat out at a four star restaurant? What person in their right mind wouldn't love to spend a romantic evening with their loved one in the Big Apple? Why not go out with friends to a hotspot after having a rough day at work on a Friday night? How could one not celebrate their birthday with family at a top notch restaurant with a marvelous view of the lighten up city? Location, location, location. How can you resist all those cuisines? Why so many questions?

I personally love the city and any restaurant inside the heart of New York. The bright lights, the loud beeping of cars, matinées on Broadway, the feeling of being cramped, the vast array of stores, and of course the constant life the city possesses does nothing but compel you to be there. I have to stop myself here before I digress and lose sight of what I'm actually writing about.

There have been few times in which I've walked into a four star, highly recommended, highly expensive restaurant, but i must say that that even after splitting a $250 check, I was impressed with more than just the food. The lighting can affect the mood and possibly the energy of a restaurant. Art or any type of gallery can intrigue customers or even strike up a conversation. I remember being in a French restaurant (I'm not really for French cuisine, but it was for a sweet 16) and there was this particular abstract art painting that must have started a thirty minute debate on what the artist was trying to portray. Now music either put people at ease or cause them to leave due to the overbearingness. Of course it depends on what type of feel the restaurant wants to give so it's kind of based on what's appropriate. That's not to say I wouldn't love "My Heart Will Go on" being blasted in the background, but sometimes the music, if there is any, just won't match the feel of a restaurant. As i said before, location, location, location can really be a bonus for attracting hungry customers. I ate at this Japanese place one time (yea, I'm sorry i don't know the names of these restaurants because it was a while ago) and it had a magnificent view of central park. This next part is pretty simplistic, but nonetheless it amazes me how each day hundreds of people dine at given restaurant and as you walk into a crowded place all you hear can hear are scattered words. Some people are there to talk about relationship problems, business, suicide, politics, sports and the list goes on. You look around and read body language and wonder what they must be thinking or feeling and make judgments on complete strangers to make yourself feel better, to make conversation or react to the wife who has just thrown a glass of wine at her soon to be ex-husband after finding out he cheated on her with her best friend and wants a divorce so he can get married to her now ex-best friend. There are just so many things going on in a restaurant that it makes it worth the while.

I know all of this sounds irresistible, right? Well, as tempting as all of that may be I would rather be home in a more personal setting with a loved one, friend, or family. Even though I'm far from being a cook, I'd rather attempt at cooking something resemblant of food and having a lot of laughs and have "quality time." Call me sentimental or what have you, but that's how i roll.