Oculus Prime

There’s nothing like watching children at play to help you forget your problems.

I take a boxing class near City Hall twice a week and, on the way to the gym, I walk by the Oculus, the transit hub-shopping center-9/11 Memorial, but I rarely have the time to go inside.

I arrive before sunrise and when class is over, I don’t have much time for sightseeing.

Now, to be honest, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Oculus when I first saw it. I found the $4 billion-dollar structure’s design to be a bit weird and off-putting. And what’s with that name?

The fact that all these shops and stores were located so close to the site of the 9/11 attacks didn’t help much either.

I know that life has to go on, of course, but the memory of the horrible day will always be on my mind when I walk around that area.

Last week I had some business to take care of in and around lower Manhattan so I took the opportunity to walk around the Oculus for a little while.

I had a good feeling when I went into the place as I held the door open for a man who was leaving.

“Thank you, brother,” he said on his way out.

My pleasure, my brother. It’s really not that hard to be kind and it feels so good when you help people out—even if it’s something as minor as this.

Got a Light?

The place was busy with commuters and tourists and the holiday decorations were up.

I took a seat on a large white slab that I eventually figured out was a bench and let the world roll on by.

I was seated before a family of snow people and I happened to catch sight of this adorable little girl who was chasing after a laser-projected snowflake that periodically appeared on the floor.

She laughed as she tried to catch up with the thing until it vanished, and then she’d start up again as soon as it reappeared.

I could have watched this little girl all day. She was so happy running after this elusive light that I briefly forgot all my problems and just enjoyed this impromptu show. I wanted to take her picture, by the way, but I was too busy enjoying the moment.

On my next visit I sat down on the white slab-bench and watched a little boy bond with the artificial snow people.

Of course, they weren’t the least bit artificial to this little guy as he hopped all around them like they were his best friends.

It never ceases to amaze me how children can create their own fun.

We give them toys, games, and, most disturbingly, smartphones, to keep them occupied, but their imaginations can quite literally create something out of nothing.

All they had was a beam of light and some sculpted pieces of fiberglass and metal. Yet, there they were, making spirits bright.

The holidays can be a time of pressure and sadness for many of us, but seeing these children reminded me that you can really find magic in the season—you just have to pay attention.