Try to find a landmark of solace when living in a new landscape. I seem to feel affinities for buildings and structures effortlessly and there’s a ferris wheel at the Downtown Aquarium which I felt an immediate warmth towards when I first saw it. The ferris wheel’s kaleidoscope of colorful lights smiled at me.
One of the most special things I could share with someone is showing them the places that haunt me, the places I visit. How I interact with a place I love, or am ambivalent towards, or detest, is a physical extension of my interior world. When someone grants me access into their world in such a way, it is an honor—to invite another person to participate in passing time at a specific location that carries an emotional charge for them is an intimate gesture, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
What does it feel like to drive on one of the “most dangerous roads in the U.S.” with a death wish that replays like an incantation until you pass by a landmark—a ferris wheel—that looks at you with an earnest face. Is it goofy that a ferris wheel can be life affirming?
There wasn’t a better way to celebrate my first year in Houston than taking a free ride on the ferris wheel at the Downtown Aquarium.