Shall we leave today?

 

 

There comes a moment when you just let go and allow joy to happen. After Friday morning's meditation, I felt a stirring in my soul. I asked Team McManus what they thought about seeing if we could get our hotel room a day early and head to NYC to thoroughly enjoy the experience and be rested for Saturday night when we had tickets to see Jagged Little Pill. Tom and Ruth Anne were ecstatic. Nine phone calls later, we were booked for Friday night. I kept getting bounced back between the place where I originally booked the reservation and the hotel. I wondered if it was a sign we weren't meant to leave on Friday but then I received an agent who helped me schedule the room for Friday.

While Ruth Anne was at work and Tom worked from home, I went into high gear getting everything ready and packed up for our New York City adventure. Tom finished his work from home day at 3:30. We hoped to be on the road by 4 with a stop in Providence for dinner.

We were on our way to our first vacation since Hyannis Marathon Weekend in February of 2020!

We didn't account for traffic on a Friday afternoon heading to New York City. Our plan for a stop in Providence was quickly changed as we literally went around in circles trying to access 95 South according to "Google girl" helping us find the fastest route.

 

We were treated to a spectacular sunset:

We changed the destination to our hotel and decided we'd stop at a place along the way.

 

We put our faith in "Google girl" to somehow redirect us and get us to NYC some time before midnight which was when our reservation would turn into a pumpkin according to reservations. I told reservations we planned to arrive some time around 9.

 

We found a service plaza on the Mass. Pike, donned our masks and explored our options. We decided on Cheesy Street Grill where two gentlemen worked hard to keep their area clean and serve up sandwiches to their customers. There was an intensity and dedication to their work. We decided that somehow we were meant to eat there, give these two servers a really good tip and tell them how awesome they were. The sandwiches were delicious and we were ready to go the distance to NYC.

Fortunately the traffic was light and we made it to NYC just before 10. We unpacked the car and Tom took the car to the parking garage where we would receive validated parking after check out. He arrived back at the room and we were so relieved we made it and would get a good night's sleep with a full day in New York on Saturday.

I asked Tom where our cooler was with our water bottles, sparkling water and fruit. "Oh shoot. I left it at the car," he said.

"No problem," I said. "We will get it tomorrow."

"Um no. We can't. They take your car and park it and you can't get to it until you're ready to leave." 

I watched him go through his pockets and asked him what he was looking for.

"Oh no. I must have dropped the receipt!"

He went back and fortunately there was a wonderful attendant who not only replaced the receipt but went to the car to get the cooler.

We all settled down despite the excitement for what Saturday's adventures would bring!

To be continued...

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon

It's Been Awhile - Countdown to NYC - The Joy of Anticipation

 

When I received this email from Mama Mia, a classic New York City Italian Restaurant within walking distance of our hotel and the theater district, I felt an intense mix of emotions!

The last time I took out a suitcase to pack was in February of 2020 for the Hyannis Marathon Weekend. My suitcases would be rolled in and out of the closet at least several times a year. We did destination  race weekends and traveled to Cape Cod and Bermuda for vacations. 

There was quite a bit of dust around the wheels from its lack of use. I'm the type of person who starts packing about two weeks in advance checking things off of our to pack list. Our blue carry on suitcase that we will use for our overnight trip to New York is just standing in our bedroom. 

I'm almost at a loss for how to proceed because it's been so long since we've gone on an overnight trip. After we were fully vaxed, we began to make plans and anticipate with great joy events and travel. And then came the Delta Variant and a new set of guidelines. Do I allow myself to fully experience the anticipation of a road trip, experiencing the joy of the city that never sleeps and a Broadway show? Can I allow myself to think about the luxury of not having to cook or clean for 48 hours, being with wonderful, loving friends and savoring the sights, sounds and smells of New York right before the holidays?

I've made a conscious decision to say YES to experiencing the joy of anticipation.

The New York City Marathon was held yesterday. My friends posted photos of the Expo and taking in the sights of New York before race day. Times Square's energy was electric through cyberspace. Several of my friends posted that they burst their bubble with the New York City Marathon weekend. Many of my friends have already traveled, gone to the theater and movies and dined out. I may be a little late to the party but I am emerging from the pandemic in my own way and in my own time teasing out what risks we want to take.

Writing this, I realize that I have not been away from my house for any length of time since February of 2020. It continues to feel surreal. Travel used to be an integral part of our lives. We settled into a life without travel or running events. We focused on being present, navigating the uncharted course of circumstances way beyond our control and doing the best we could to experience life to the full despite the pandemic.

Boston Marathon Weekend was our first introduction back into a world beyond our family. My soul felt nourished by the adventure of meeting new people and cheering on friends on Marathon Monday. The world has changed and shifted but our resilience and strength shines through.

Broadway's lights were dimmed for many months. Starting lines were quiet. Hotels and airports were vacant. Many many businesses pivoted or sadly closed. Restaurants moved to take out windows. Loved ones were separated by oceans as international travel was halted.

Today international travel to the United States resumed, and the front page of the Boston Globe showed moving photos of loved ones being reunited. I can only imagine the joy they felt in anticipation of reunions. International travelers are being welcomed back to the theater. The Broadway League announced today that pandemic guidelines are being extended through February 28th.

On April 22nd, Sean Allan Krill was a guest on Voices of Hope Boston's podcast, The Cardinal Cafe. He spoke with hosts Greg Chastain and Ed Siegel about the anticipation of the re-opening of Broadway in the Fall. They were setting up vaccine sites to help get the theaters open again. They talked about what it was like during the first few weeks of the pandemic and how it looked like a post-apocalyptic movie. Sean went on to say, "It's not like that now. There are more people coming to New York just to visit. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but I do believe we are on the right track. Thank God for the vaccines and that  we're working towards getting to the point where we can all sit in a big room together and enjoy something." 

Ed chimed in, 'We just have to get past the Spring break surge." 

"Exactly, exactly," Sean said.

"Well you just better be ready Sean because when things open up you're gonna have, I bet we're gonna have at least 50-75 of our members (referencing Voices of Hope Boston) who are gonna be on the bus, on the train and the first show we are going to see is Jagged Little Pill," Ed replied.

"Wow I can't wait," Sean said with such warmth and love in his voice. "You're gonna let me know.  You're gonna let me know, right? They probably won't have a line for awhile and nobody will be able to come back but I can certainly come out."

Sean went on to say, "It sounds crazy to even talk about it. I know it's not impossible but at this point a year in it does feel like, Wow, is that ever really going to happen? But let's plan that. It sounds really nice."

It's time to unzip the suitcase and begin putting in items we are going to need for our first adventure since the pandemic began. I printed out driving directions. Ruth Anne, Tom and I plotted out where we want to go during our first trip back to New York with walking directions to get there. I went shopping in my closet to find clothes to wear to the theater. 

It's been awhile since I've packed a suitcase and planned a trip with my family. But here we are. Seven months after Greg and Ed talked about a group of Voices of Hope members (of which I am an honorary member) heading to New York to see Jagged Little Pill, I am counting down to our NYC return. I am savoring every moment of the joy of anticipation. I know it's going to be better than I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon

 

Emerging From the Pandemic: From FOMO to Let's Go

We had a trip to New York City planned for last weekend to see Jagged Little Pill and enjoy all that NYC has to offer. When we booked the trip, we were fully vaccinated and were so excited to be mask free and free from the constraints of the pandemic. That quickly changed when we received an email from Telecharge saying that masks would be required in the theater and we'd have to wait in line to be admitted to the theater showing photo ID and proof of vaccination. I had convinced myself that we would not be able to enjoy going out to eat or walking around the City with masks up. 

As a survivor of severe childhood trauma, I've struggled throughout COVID with having to wear a mask. How could I possibly sit in a theater wearing a mask for 2 hours and 40 minutes? I let it go and we decided we would return to the City in the Spring.

I grew up in Westchester and going into the City to see a show was an integral part of my childhood and adolescence. It provided a wonderful escape for me from the abuse I endured after contracting paralytic polio. Several years ago, I reconnected with my love for the theater through the amazing group Voices of Hope Boston. They had Sean Allan Krill as a guest on their podcast, The Cardinal Cafe. We were instantly drawn to Sean and Jagged Little Pill which had its roots in Cambridge at the American Repertory Theater.

With the pandemic, we relied on our vinyl records, especially the Jagged Little Pill vinyl and listening to Standing Room Only on WERS to enjoy a taste of Broadway.

After the podcast with Sean Allan Krill, Greg and Ed, President and Vice-President of Voices of Hope and co-hosts of the podcast said they were going to get a group together of Voices of Hope Boston members when the lights were turned back on Broadway. Sean was thrilled with the idea. We originally booked a trip for October 2nd but reopening night was postponed until October 21st.

I saw the posts of reopening night

with comments made by people with their dates of when they were going to see the show. My friends from Voices of Hope were among them.

I reached out to Eliza, one of my dear friends from Voices of Hope who is also a reader for one of my poems for the Hope is a Garden production, inquiring about what performance they were going to attend on November 20th. She sent me an enthusiastic reply complete with a link to the hotel where everyone is staying in the City. I talked about it with Tom and Ruth Anne. With COVID and the need to mask everywhere we once again said we would wait until Springtime. Eliza totally understood but then she sent me another message on Facebook letting me know that a member of Voices of Hope had two tickets available and connected us with the ticket holder. 

Okay Universe .... You really want us to go to New York and be a part of this experience. In hind sight, I realized that we were all experiencing COVID fatigue. We'd been irritable and feeling down. We are so used to having events to look forward to and it seemed as though we had reached our limit of not having anything on the calendar (or anything on our fridge) to look forward to. We enjoyed our Boston Marathon experience that seemed to ignite that desire within us to not let the parade pass us by (referencing a wonderful number from Hello Dolly!)

Although we did not take the tickets from the Voices of Hope member (long story for another day) we were able to find tickets in the Mezzanine where over 50 members of Voices of Hope will be seated together. We were able to book a room where everyone will be staying. Everyone will be vaccinated and I will take these next 4 weeks to mentally prepare for rocking my mask in NYC harnessing the power of visualization to find a space of ease. 

I always make a list of things we must remember before going on any trip. It was trippy to put on the list, vaccination cards and masks. 

I trust the vaccine. I trust masks and I trust my body's immune system. I know that feeling joyful and being with people who embody love, kindness and a commitment to doing good stimulates the immune system. The time has come to face the fear, ditch the fear, emerge from the pandemic and get totally excited and thrilled for a New York City experience emerging from the pandemic into the light as the lights go back on Broadway.

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon

 

A Tale of Two Pandemics

 

I've been focusing on peace in my meditations and as I go about my day. As I cycle through moments of anxiety, I take deep breaths and focus on what I have control over and what I don't have control over. I found myself riding the wild roller coaster of the tale of two pandemics. In Burlington, Vermont people are at crowded bars, dancing the night away and quoted in the news as feeling fearless and free. Their state has the highest vaccination rate and lowest infection rate in the country. Massachusetts is close behind Vermont in its vaccination rate but recently has seen clusters of outbreaks in Provincetown, and Cambridge. There are 5 counties in Massachusetts with high and substantial transmission rates. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidelines on Tuesday, recom-mending vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors where community transmission levels are classified as high or substantial.

I've had to limit my exposure to news stories and am just checking in to see what the latest mandates are for our area. Our family has made the decision to mask up when we are indoors and stocked up on a new supply of masks. While I feel twinges of sadness, anger and frustration when I look at my bookshelf where, for a brief moment in time, there was space with only one mask per person 'just in case',  I know it does not serve me to dwell in the space of "what if they only waited to lift restrictions until more people were vaccinated." There is no going back. We can only go forward as best we know how, once again navigating unknowns and uncertainty in the wacky world of COVID.

I do know for certain that we have taken every measure we can to ensure a healthy lifestyle mind, body and soul focusing especially on our mental health and well-being. Fear and anxiety, and listening to the 'latest' data which are constantly in flux serve only to suppress the immune system. Finger pointing and blame, what if's and if only's wreak havoc with our body's chemistry.

Peace, on the other hand, allows for the production of the body's natural chemistry that is set to bring balance, healing and a strong immune response. While at times it feels as though the weight of the pandemic is bearing down on us again, it is vital to find joy, laughter, lightness and ease in our lives. Even if it is not happening in the moment, imagining those feelings pulls us out of the vortex of darkness in the moment.

I checked my email as I continued to allow this essay to percolate and received this from Telecharge:

 I felt tears well up in my eyes and a lump in my throat as the reality of the pandemic continues to take center stage in our lives.

We decided now is just not the right time to go to the theater in New York. Wearing a mask for two and a half hours just doesn't appeal to us and part of the thrill of going to the theater is experiencing the crush of people waiting in line to get into the theater. We'd have to present a government issued photo ID along with our proof of vaccination. Wearing a mask before dining on deli or eating Italian at Mama Mia's takes the joy out of the New York City experience.

I hearken back to Lin Manuel Miranda's words to Jimmy Fallon when they were celebrating the re-opening of Broadway, "It's all depending right? On vaccinations and whether or not people will feel comfortable returning to the theater."

All of those invitations with printed out google maps for directions to different events are gone from our refrigerator. There are still lots of posts in my news feed of people who are traveling, dining out, going to bars and acting as if the pandemic has ended. We are going to err on the side of caution as a tale of two pandemics continues on focusing on all we have to be grateful for. 

After we cancelled our New York City trip we bought ice cream savoring the taste of summer in New England watching a glorious sunset. We held a space for our sadness and frustration while expressing what we are each grateful for. 

As the scientists try to sift and sort data, and as politicians focus on what to do about the myriad challenges facing us at this time in our history, I am going to focus on being the change.

 Be The Change

 Wildfires raging
 mood as dark as thick smoke
 enveloping all in its path
 virus' variant wreaking havoc
 
 How to stop the carnage?

 Tears from an open heart extinguish hopelessness
 compassion and kindness fan flames of healing
 turn off talking heads
 turn toward each other
 feel the heal.

 Grateful for blessings great and small
 tender moments
 tending to each other's wounds
 beauty of sunsets
 tomatoes ripe on the vine
 savor and appreciate.

Bind broken heartedness
banding together
we are one
powerful to effect change
one action creates ripples
slowly
reversing
damage we once wrought. 

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to learn more about my journey of transformation in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Be sure to listen to my recent conversation with Liz Brunner, award winning journalist, now CEO of Brunner Communications on her podcast Live Your Best Life. I share how I live my best life despite the challenges that I faced at an early age.

For all of my recent appearances, be sure to visit my News and Events tab on my website.

My books to inspire and uplift you are available on Amazon.