Downtown

When I was a kid, I used to love to go downtown. I was mesmerized by the tall buildings and elevators and busy traffic and interesting smells of food cooking in stands we’d pass by… all so different from the quiet suburban street I lived on. As I got older, I had jobs that brought me downtown more regularly. But even though it was a normal part of my life, it never lost that exciting wonder for me. I’d take walks on my lunch breaks and soak in all the sounds of life around me. I’d stop at corners and feel connected to the humans next to me— that for the briefest moment in our lives, we had a shared goal: to cross the same street at the same time… and then back to the strangers we actually were. I’d eavesdrop on conversations, trying people’s lives on like shoes, imagining if their story was mine. I loved the balance of shiny windows and leafy trees. I was moved by beautiful architecture, creative signs, street musicians, bright colors, interesting places and, most of all, that connectedness to humanity. Whether it’s been my downtown or downtowns I’ve visited, this feeling has only grown the older I get. The magic of the city. There is nothing like it. (“Downtown” original is sold, but prints are available here: https://www.stephaniehock.com/printscities/downtown).