I had been thinking about how so many busy New Yorkers either eat out or order in, rather than preparing food themselves. Now, there is a place for eating out. But, continuously eating out, New Yorkers save on time, but lose financially. They also lose out on what I call "food healing." Let me explain.

After the explosions in the sky on the fourth, I happened to be walking from the western esplanade back towards town. It was about 9:45 pm when I rounded a corner and found two people tending a garden. Yep. In the financial district of New York City there were two people tending a garden next to highway 9A not far from the World Trade Center on Independence Day. Their little plot conjoined maybe 30 others to make up a community garden. This was completely random, so I just had to stop and chat with them.

I asked them why they were involved in a community garden, and the woman said something very interesting. She said that she wanted to "care for something" and that this caring helped her be more connected to life and was helping her heal from tragedy. You see, her mother had been in a horrible fire, and not only was her mother terribly injured, but she lost most of everything, save a few small plants. She was now taking care of her mother at home, and she took the small plants out to her community garden plot to tend them. Something from the ruins of her family's home was now going to live and thrive somewhere new. I was touched. I asked about the other gardeners and she mentioned that everyone there was very in to what they were doing. The plot-tenders had to literally be told to ONLY "tend their own plots." It was a problem, because they enjoyed it so much, they would often water neighboring plots to "help others" if they saw something in distress. But this kept people from their joy of tending. This woman said that SHE wanted to tend her own as well. The tending was healing.

The week before the 4th, I had gone to my greenmarket volunteer training, where I discovered that in summer months, there are a TON of greenmarkets around Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens---51 to be exact. One in particular caught my eye. (I hadn't had a chance to discover other markets around town, due to my love affair with Union Square Market.) There once was a market near the World Trade Center before 9/11, but of course, had been shut down. On July 1st, this year, The World Financial Center Greenmarket reopened. It was a sign that even more healing was taking place in the area. They weren't just rebuilding skyscrapers and memorials, they were also rebuilding a community.

On July 8th around noon, I set out to see this healing in action. As I arrived at South End Avenue at Liberty Street, I found a small but sufficient market within a cul-de-sac under Two World Financial Center. I wandered through the tents and talked to market goers. A woman that lived in the area was there with her dog "Frankie" purchasing berries and fresh lavender. There were a few tourists trying a little bit of everything, particularly the juices for sale. There were also a few Financial Center employees purchasing something for lunch or to take home that night for dinner. I bought sugar plums.

When I had my fill, I headed towards the construction site tirelessly erecting a new blazing skyscraper. This shining beacon is intended to jut into the sky with force and prominence and be surrounded by a serene park. I talked to a couple of the construction workers there. One had broad shoulders, and the other had a lot of experience in his eyes. 

"Have you noticed that a greenmarket has returned to the area?"

"Oh yeah!" they said excitedly. 

"I plan on getting over there on my lunch from time to time," said the broad-shouldered one. 

"Do you think that it will be a successful market?" I asked.  

"I think it will be real successful." the man-with-experience said. "People might not know it, since there's so much construction, but there is a large community down here, and many tourists as well. I think it's good they've come back. People are pretty happy about it." I gave them each a sugared plum as thanks for speaking with me. The broad-shouldered one asked jokingly, 

"Were these dancing in your head before you arrived at the market?" I laughed, 

"Yep! They sure were!"

As I wandered back north further into the island, I thought about the healing properties of food. Not just in vitamins and nutrients, but in the community of food from farmer, to market, to table. A market means a community is nearby. It means that life is nearby. I know that the gleaming new tower they are building will be spectacular and represent so much to Americans when it's finished, but this little tiny market and petite community garden at the tower's feet are just as large a symbol of healing, humanity and sustainability as it is.

 

I have a friend who told me recently that he's trying to "enjoy food more" and not think of it as just "fuel". I don't know for sure, but maybe there's a little something deep in there that needs connection and healing. I know where he should start. I'm sending him to a greenmarket.

---Elise McMullen a.k.a The Galavant Girl