i was in the city. i walked the streets of Brooklyn. i entered many little stores but nothing spoke to me, nothing grabbed me, nothing inspired me. I tried to walk with an open mind, i talked to store owners, congratulated one owner on her beautifully crafted floor, reassured another one that I'm just fine and felt bad that one lady had to run back into the store to ask if she could help me, while she had just lit a cigarette in the sun. 

nothing talked to me. so i finally went into Barnes and Noble. i looked at the 'bargain section', at 'new fiction', at Art, at cookbooks but the more i looked, the more i felt absolutely overwhelmed by this enormous collection of books. and i really think i am creative? i really like to write? who am i kidding here? - the book store turned into a creative joy-killer, a monster that shut me down. finally I got my act together and left this place, all energy drained... i looked at the watch and i still had some time left,  so i kept walking down the street and passed an Italian Restaurant with a big 'lunch special' sign. i was hungry but also stingy. with some reluctance, I entered the restaurant and fund myself greeted by a very nice lady. i got a nice table and the lunch choices sounded wonderful. i ordered spinach salad with nuts and apples, spaghetti with broccoli and asparagus, coffee for desert, all for 10 dollars. 

and only after i had left the place did I realize, that this lunch was nothing else but soul food, truly delicious soul food. so very precious.