When Oliver and I moved to this area last year, I more or less hung up my running shoes. Not that I’ve ever been a serious, dedicated runner, but I had been averaging two to three times a week at the office gym, and even did a nice 5K at one point. Leaving Toronto meant leaving my free gym, and no gym meant no treadmill. And that’s a deal breaker, ladies.
I really want to get back into running, though. Badly enough apparently, to break away from the comfort of the treadmill. I've started running through Liberty State Park, Jersey City's waterfront park right across from Lower Manhattan and next to Ellis Island.
It's a beautiful run, really. Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty in the distance, Ellis Island. My favorite part though, is the part that's least known. I run past the Central New Jersey Railroad Terminal, which is where all immigrants from Ellis Island came to catch the trains to wherever it was they were going. Some of my own great grandparents caught trains here to Michigan. The building itself has been preserved, but the tracks have long since been ripped out and there's this beautifully eerie effect of weeds and grass growing wild where train tracks once sat. You can really feel the past mixing with the present, and it always gives me a little tingle to contrast my own situation with my ancestors'. Would they be proud of their family today? Would they feel they had made the right decision in selling the reindeer herd and coming here? I like to think so.
Running past it the other night, I wished I could bump into my great grandfather. It would be neat to thank him, talk to him... something.
A: Great Grandpa! You don't know me, but I'm your great granddaughter. Allison. Listen, I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for coming here, for giving up everything and taking a chance on America. It'll take a little time, but your family will thrive here. We owe that to you.
GG: (in Finnish) Who the hell are you? What language are you speaking? Is that English?
A: (to crowd) Does anyone here speak both Finnish and English? I really need to speak with this man; I have something important to say to him.
GG: (pointing at my tank top and running shorts with disgust) And what are you, some sort of harlot? Put on some decent clothes! If you were my daughter, I'd horsewhip you.
A: Hey, are you criticizing my clothes? They're perfectly appropriate for the time I live in. I actually dress pretty conservatively.
GG: (Stands silently and looks away, hoping I will leave)
A: Listen, you're going to have a daughter named Ida. She's my grandmother. She'll have 5 sons and they'll have children... Great Grandpa, we make it. We all make it. We do really well, actually. A lot of us will go to college, have good, stable jobs. In fact, do you want to come see my apartment? (motion for him to follow) It's really nice. It has running water, electricity...
GG: Will someone get this prostitute away from me?
A: (being led away) You don't understand! I'm your descendant! I'm from the future!
Aaaaaand scene.
