NYC Event #2: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

So I went museum hopping the other day along 5^th avenue, and found myself at the steps of the Met. It was overflowing with people from all different walks of life, but bursting with curiosity and excitement all the same. And a newfound love of mine is losing myself in a huge museum, wandering around but appreciating every ounce of art that I seem to stumble upon. I literally walked around with no clue as to where I was going, and took turns that continuously led me to awe-inspiring collections of history and talent.

There is something different in going to a museum with a group, and going to a museum by yourself. I think there is more to find when you’re alone with just your thoughts and the physical manifestation of emotion that some people know of as art. You can go at your own pace and jump around to what peaks your interest. And, as I said, you can get lost over and over again without worrying about anything but the terrifying prospect of mystery that will be held in the nearby room.

Going to this museum was a very introspective and almost therapeutic experience. There was so much of humanity captured in this one building. There were so many replicas of a departed age that nevertheless held true to the deafening touch of influence it provided. There was so much truth.

One of the main concepts that kept bothering me was this idea of people. With every artifact, there was this element of “people-ness.” There were people in the statues, there were statues made of people, there were people in the pictures, and people that inspired the pictures. And as I sat staring at some of the paintings for perhaps a good twenty minutes, (to the security guard’s alarm, I’m sure) there were so many people that passed by me; all with different lives, all with different stories to tell. I kept wondering how different these people were from the people depicted in these pieces of art, if at all. There were differences, but there was also a persistent sense similarity that seemed to transcend time. I kept trying to figure out what it was that tied us all together.

It took me a while to figure out where the exit was, and in the mean time, I found a room with a big Christmas tree, which was nice. In the end, one of the biggest things that I took away from this trip is that contrary to what I previously believed, there is so much more to the world that is left to discover. Exploration is not an obsolete occupation. I may look into it myself one day, if time would selflessly allow.