What would have been Sunday's post

Lee, Laura, and I visited the Tenement Museum, on Sunday. It was my first time and their second. Lee swore that I would enjoy it and she was right on the mark! In fact, I instantly signed up to become a member at the end of the tour.

The ticket booth/gift shop/screening room are located at 97 Orchard St. - what appears to be a standard sized glass storefront found in the city. The tenement where the tours take place is located across the street at 108 Orchard St. There are 7 different tours to choose from, at $15 each. For an extra $30-40 (depending on if you are a student), you can become a member and go on all of the tours for free, as many times as you like. Going on the same tour more than once isn't as strange as it sounds because the museum has several guides who give the same tour but may provide different facts.

Visiting the tenement is much more than seeing what the inside of the building looked like or getting a closer look at the furniture of old times. Stepping into the apartment where families dwelled over a century ago was like a time warp. Being there gave me insight to how people lived in the late 1800's-early 1900's and it was humbling to be reminded of the tribulations immigrant families had to face when they left their respective homelands - a new language, having to acquire different skills to make a living, harsh living conditions, low pay, poor working environment, etc. Whether German, Russian, Jewish, Chinese (the order of immigrants who eventually called the lower east side their new home), it was the same deal for everyone. This was because everyone shared the same dream and believed in it.

I have forgotten what it is like to believe in myself, which makes me realize I can't expect positive change in my life until I change how I think. Didn't I tell myself to fear less? Just this moment, it has dawned on me that I am not much different from the Velveteen rabbit.

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