this is my new york: like the time i met big bird (not so big)

The Subway ride was fairly quick. In no time, we found ourselves walking out of Penn Station which is directly beneath the world's most famous arena, The Madison Square Garden.


I recall the night when I first came to NYC. I was ecstatic because the first establishment that I saw was the MSG. If not for the crowd gathered all over the plaza, I would have kissed the ground which I'm standing on. It's weird but for some reason I consider MSG as a holy shrine - it was where Mariah Carey had her concert back in 96, back when the biggest thing on her was her voice.

It was also the first time that I heard "Vision Of Love". I was awed. I ran upstairs saying, "Mommy, mommy - I just found the greatest person in the world! I just heard the greatest voice!" Oh, wait. Those were Christina Aguilera's lines. But I did say something similar. I started doing runs and dreamed of being able to sing like her, but in a manly-kind-of-way, when I grow up. That never came to fruition.

And after more than a decade, I found myself standing in front of where it all began. Nostalgia might have crept in that fateful night, but now that I'm seeing MSG clearly in broad daylight, it's anything but magical. I know it is ridiculous to associate the arena to Mariah Carey but in my mind, the former was also an important facet. It didn't stop me from being her number one fan but it sure made me question if I'm putting too much sentiment and value on the wrong things.

Regardless, I should have known - expectations fuel disappointment.