New York is Still Everyplace

Here is a photo of my friend Gary Whittington with my guide dog Nira outside a NYC pub, after the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines yesterday. There are bars in NY devoted to just about any sporting culture. There's even a Boston Red Sox drinking establishment. You can pretty well bet that there's no New York Yankees pub in Boston. Here is "Herky the Hawk" on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 50 something. Nira seems unimpressed. It's hard to impress a globe trotting guide dog.
As for me, I'm endlessly impressed by Gary who is running today in the NY marathon–his 6th. He will likely finish the event with a time somewhere around 3 hours and 20 minutes. Not bad for a 56 year old dude who works by day as an attorney in Cedar Rapids, IA. Notice his fancy forward stride running shoes. Nowadays he's into barefoot running. He also runs stage races. Two years ago he ran across Costa Rica. Gary is one of my heroes because he has tremendous compassion and a superb intelligence and he thinks Rick Perry is a walking toxin.

I will meet Gary today after the race. And the amazing thing is that he will still want to walk around New York after running all the boroughs.

I have many friends in the New York metro area who I'd like to see. In particular I'd like to see my friend Bill who hosts the blog "Bad Cripple" but this trip is too quick. I have to come back here for a disability pals get together and now that I know that Syracuse University has its own center on E 61st St, I think this will be possible. I'm thinking about a disability studies related event in NY. No Herky the Hawkeye for that crowd. Disability studies needs its own mascot. Here's to the fighting crips!

SK

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New York City

Author: stevekuusisto

Poet, Essayist, Blogger, Journalist, Memoirist, Disability Rights Advocate, Public Speaker, Professor, Syracuse University View all posts by stevekuusisto