At the beginning of the year, I wrote that I wanted to thoroughly visit the Bronx Zoo. I had been there only once before, over 20 years ago, and it had been a family Chol Hamoed trip so not the world’s most relaxed outing. Meanwhile, the zoo is relatively close to where I live (under an hour by car, under two by public), and one of the largest in the country. I knew I had to get back there eventually! But as GR says, something that can be done at anytime is often done at no time. And so the years went by.
Until now! Write it down, make it happen…One week ago, I took a planned day off, took the train and subway to the Bronx, and arrived at the Asia gate around 10 minutes to opening. Since it was a Wednesday, I had been able to book a reduced-fare ticket. (The general zoo is free on Wednesdays, and special exhibits require a paid ticket of $15, down from about $40 the rest of the week). I planned to be at the zoo from opening to closing (10-5) if possible (I had snacks, lunch, portable fan, water bottles, journal etc. with me, haha). And I was, and it was pure delight.
Julia Cameron writes about taking yourself on an Artist Date, a solo playful outing that refills your well of creativity and possibility. This trip was that on steroids, as they say. I stopped several times throughout the day to journal my feelings and reactions. At 10:30 I wrote, “this is already one of the most delightful things I’ve done all year. I can feel the aliveness coursing through me…It’s connecting me to myself again…To what we might call hope?”
I looked at the animals (and they looked back at me, on several happy occasions) and I could see the glory of Creation. It was as simple as that. I could see miracles, I could see limitlessness. I could see Endless Creativity. And I could feel that anything was possible, that Hashem Who made these things for the joy of mankind, is everywhere and makes everything. I remember learning years ago that Rambam says we can find emunah by learning Torah and by observing nature. I found it in nature at the zoo. There were many moments when I teared up, many moments when I laughed in childlike delight (sometimes at the same time). It’s hard to describe how powerful this experience was for me.
A montage of experiences…in the Congo Gorilla Forest, a female gorilla stuck her tongue out at me…In the Budgie Landing, twittering with magical clouds of pastel-colored budgies, a blue and white one ate off my seed stick…I watched chubby baby penguins…pink flamingos…a herd of bison…tiny orange spider monkeys…regal giraffes…fluffy lemurs in the Madagascar house…sea lions barking back and forth in conversation with excited children…baby baboons in their mothers’ laps, zebras, a snow leopard, cranes…and on the Bug Carousel (I rode a monarch caterpillar), a plaque underfoot displayed the Rumi quote: “What you seek is seeking you.” Goosebumps.
May I add a menagerie to the garden of my imagination?
I hope I’ve made a strong case for visiting the zoo! Tomorrow I will post about the second part of my day, the baseball game.
(Photo credit: Douglas Cioffi/Unsplash)
