tiny wings

one of the great things about living in new york is access. access to all kinds of cool stuff at anytime. while we don’t always take advantage of what the city has to offer, just knowing we can if we choose to feels like a victory over predictability.

one of our favorite places to go on weekends is the museum of natural history. i’ve always had mixed feelings about that place: its enormous collection of stuffed specimens from the animal kingdom is, umm, more accessible than their living relatives in the bronx zoo. but the museum also seems to occupy a time warp where the past and the future co-exist but never meet. some of the displays, like the hall of biodiversity and the dazzling rose planetarium next door, are marvels of multimedia education and quite beautiful their own geeky way. but walk a few more steps around the corner and you’ll find shellacked-looking penguin diving through dusty plexiglass waves, perpetually chasing a bunch of frazzled-looking sardines. frankly, the collective glassy stare of this dead zoo gets to me after a while.

for a curious 2 y.o. free of her dad’s neurosis, however, the large, echo-y halls and mysterious displays are nothing more than an open invitation to run around and giggle like a nut.

a few months back, we decided to check out the butterfly conservatory exhibit at the museum. housed in a large, non-descript tent in one of the side halls, the conservatory’s warm humid air enveloped you as soon as you walked in. then you see the butterflies: some were clinging to a leaf or a twig, while others fluttered about. there were even a few brave souls just strolling around on the ground; clearly, they did not comprehend the danger that is an excited child.

after narrowly averting flattening some of the star attractions, we finally settled down and focused on what we came to see. like technicolor petals flitting through the air, they were mesmerizing to behold. and for a moment, we forgot we were inside a gothic new york city landmark in the depth of winter.

Posted by cellpharmer at April 4, 2007 07:38 AM