35 years ago I would not have thought I’d be traveling back to New York to celebrate with my 35-year Brooklyn Tech High School Class reunion and 35 years ago I would have not have ever thought that I would look at New York through the eyes of a tourist.  Fast forward 35 years and thankfully, here I stand.  Attending my 35-year High School reunion from a place that helped develop me into the person I am today.  Brooklyn Technical High School, as my wife always says,  is full of a bunch of people who just love one another and love the shared Brooklyn Tech Experience.  I agree,  the connections and connectedness Technites have is special.  I did not realize its specialness until years after I graduated in 1989 there was never a time or place when I ran into a technite that the specialness of Brooklyn Tech was not revealed.  For me, the early morning 3-4 hour daily round trip commute from the Bronx to Brooklyn and back to the Bronx taught me so much about how to navigate life.  The fact that we had college-level classes starting our Junior year was a life-changing reality.  Shit was hard, but you got through.  What high school gives choices like Aeronautical engineering, Electrical engineering, Civil engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Architecture, Poly Science and Graphic design, and also the supporting courses that go along with those majors. The fact that we had all the sports, and extracurricular activities to facilitate well-rounded individuals was amazing.  And added the perfect last ingredient, we had over 4000 students from the 5 boroughs in New York traveling to one of the toughest boroughs, Brooklyn,  in one of the toughest sections of Brooklyn, Fort Greene. Brooklyn Tech created a true microcosm of life.  With all the dangers, challenges, diversity, and opportunity of life in a structured environment.  35 years of life experiences after Brooklyn Tech has shown me all of her beautiful qualities.  I appreciate the school, the people, and the experience. 

Ode to New York… 

 I would have never thought that I would be a tourist of New York.  I'ma New Yorker for life you see, but she has changed so much to me.  I realize she still holds a special place in my heart, but she is different from the beautiful animal that raised me from the start.  I see her now as the Pheonix that rises from the ashes of a reality that is just a dream for me.  My New York of yesterday will always be special in her tough and violent way, but the New York I see today is just a place I like to come and play,  and maybe stay for a while, but I could not raise my child in a place where I see no green but I have to have that green if I want to be on the scene. Be it the fashion or food things here are constantly on the move, that showed me the old Vee did not have a destiny here to see, but my destiny was down 95 to 85 to my new home see, where I raised my own family.  But New York You will always be my most cherished finest memory of a younger me who thought my destiny was to run the street and live a different reality but the true reality was what saved me from that different type of New York Destiny.  

Have a Great Day and Stay Safe!

Vee’s Inspiration @ Vecus.net