Winter Wonderland

This month, people of various beliefs and cultures all over the world will be celebrating the holiday season. Over the next few weeks we will celebrate Ramadan; Saint Nicholas Day; Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe; St. Lucia Day; Hanukkah; Christmas Day; Three Kings Day; Kwanzaa; and Omisoka, just to name a few. While most holidays associated with this time of year have a religious origin; and despite the dubious fact that these holidays have been severely compromised, and undermined, by hyper aggressive commercialization and greed; it remains; at its core, a time of family, friends, faith, companionship, relationships, reflection, togetherness, and love. Being the card carrying “Capra corn” disciple I am, I simply love this time of year. It’s when family gets together to talk, reminisce, joke, eat, debate, (occasionally argue), and enjoy each other’s company; It’s when old friends meet up; revisit their youth, and laugh about old times; It’s when young lovers live only for the moment; and each other; It’s when children feel closest to their parents; it’s when the religious feel closest to their God. It’s when people feel most altruistic and charitable. This time of year, we want to feel loved, needed and appreciated; but most of all, we want to enjoy ourselves; we want to indulge in that other, dirty little three letter word – Fun!

Of all of the wonderful things you can do in this city; few are as much fun as ice skating. To be totally honest, I couldn’t skate across the street if my life depended on it; but, with my camera, I get to enjoy it by living vicariously through those who love it. I recently made these images at Bryant Park.



 



Holiday fun in the park




Learning to ice skate can be frightening, fun, and exhilarating, simultaneously: just like photography.





Teens skating, hand in hand



Hey, this is cool!





Hi Mom, I’m on Tim’s blog





Girls just want to have fun…but need to tweet




A multitude of parents took their kids out ice skating on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.




Watch out…I think this kid is training for the 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea




Hold my hand, daddy




Little Stars on ice




This is fun, daddy




Let’s go for a ride, kid




Saturday in the park, but I think it was late in December.





You were right, this is fun





A young girl leads her family through the maze of random skaters.