As a native New Yorker, who is immunocompromised with muscular skeletal issues, Christmas in the city isn’t my idea of a good time. I was waffling about traveling in when I got a text from my friend an former bridesmaid saying, “we are on the train.” As I pondered my response, I thought of a quote from The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

It took my husband and I an hour and 20 minutes to drive in, double the usual time. Once there, we made a quick stop at work, chatted with a co-worker, then headed to the carousel in Central Park with a KN95 mask in hand. My knee failed going uphill nearly causing me to take a tumble. I wondered, “is walking around the city good idea?”

We made it there then walked along Fifth Avenue until we reached St. Patrick’s Cathedral. As we exited, I held my friend’s arm to get down the stairs.

It took two lights for us to wade through the crowd, get past barricades and make it to the angels in front of the Rockefeller Center tree. As soon as we got there, the crush of people made us reconsider. So we left as fast as we came.

We began a hunt for a bathroom that took us past Radio City Music Hall, Fox News, the Diamond District, and to a McDonald’s. After that brief stop, we decided it was time to end our odyssey. I sang along to Christmas music as we walked to Grand Central Station, pausing to take a group picture in front the tree on the 44th street side.

By the time I got home, I was dragging my left foot and my knee made getting upstairs difficult. I was also having muscle spasms in my back but there was a smile on my face.

This morning, the pain return so I decided to stay in and watch my favorite kind of movies, horror flicks. But, I’m honor of the season they have a Christmas theme like, “ Better Watch Out” and “Violent Night.” After all, I survived the nightmare of Christmas in the city; Not much else can scare me today.

#friendship #spoonie #chronicpain #chronicillness #autoimmunedisease #nyc #rockefellercenter #christmas

#centralpark #fifthavenue