Lisa Hopkins 0:23

Hey there . So I just came across a story that I wrote about an experience I had in New York City while living on the Upper East Side about seven years ago , and I thought , instead of reading it and then editing or changing it at all , that I would read it aloud in real time , right now with you . So , with your permission , I'm going to go ahead and read it and see what we can discover . I vaguely remember the context and I'm kind of excited to read it , but I thought we could do it together and experience this , just for something different . Okay , here we go . It reads I had no idea when I walked out of my door that my evening would become so magical .

Lisa Hopkins 1:12

It was around 7 pm and after nearly three days of rain and gloom , the sun started peeking out just in time to set . I leapt at the opportunity to cure my cabin fever and threw a jacket over my only wear these at home sweats and set off to catch the sunset over the reservoir . I felt instantly better as I stepped out the door . Everyone was out enjoying the weather and for a moment I considered going back in to change my clothes . It was warmer out than I had anticipated and I was definitely overdressed , but instead I removed my jacket and tied around my waist , looking more shabby every minute . But who was going to see me ? I wasn't going to miss the sunset . It felt great to breathe the air and get my heart pumping .

Lisa Hopkins 2:07

On the two-mile walk around the reservoir . I thought about how we'd be leaving the neighborhood in a few days and decided to extend my walk down Museum Mile and take a few parting snapshots to remember it by . I sat on the steps that the magnificent met and reveled in its beauty . A musician , like a court jester , mamboed on the terrace as he switched from alto sax to clarinet , entertaining the passersby . It was idyllic . I couldn't have asked for more . In that moment I felt somehow part of the street scene , like an image in a street artist's painting . The met at dusk and yet almost invisible , perfectly anonymous , with no expectations of myself or from anybody else . Just then , two young men passed by me and I overheard one of them saying to the other hey , have you been here before ? And I turned and watched them go in . Wait , it's open ? Before I could think , I found myself following them up the steps to the entrance . I asked the security guard how late they were open and he said for another 30 minutes .

Lisa Hopkins 3:27

I lined up at the ticket booth . When it was my turn I asked the woman behind the desk if they were still letting people in and what the price was for half an hour , half expecting her to say it was too late . I prefaced with some lame comment about living in the area and this was my last chance to see it . She looked at me and said all you need is a penny . A penny , that's amazing . The minimum suggested donation was a penny . I love New York .

Lisa Hopkins 4:00

Then I remembered running out of the house to catch the sunset . No wallet , just keys and my phone . She waited patiently as I desperately searched my pockets . I had never wanted a penny more . It was like the golden ticket to the magical kingdom . I must have been quite the sight in my baggy sweats and muddy work boots , jacket tied around my waist , almost defeated . I found a dime , triumphant . I presented it to her , my defenses up , holding her to her word , armed and ready to be met with a discriminatory glance or some excuse that it was too late now to enter the museum . I was met instead with a gracious smile as the attendant accepted my dime and passed me through .

Lisa Hopkins 4:55

The Met is monumentally impressive . It's massive . A half hour could barely get you through the Grand Corridor . Determined , I asked the security guard for his recommendation and he suggested I check out the fashion exhibit downstairs . I followed his directions and found the exhibit which , although absolutely lovely and on any other day of interest to a thespian such as myself , it wasn't what I was looking for .

Lisa Hopkins 5:28

It was then that I stumbled upon the American Wing , which I only recently discovered was the Charles Englehart Court . Standing alone , surrounded by the most beautifully stoic and graceful bronzes and sculptures in the glass ceiling courtyard atrium , was one of the most profound now moments I've ever experienced . I've never felt so mortal , these godlike figures looming over non-judgmental and surreal . I proceeded to wander through the living rooms of Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright , imagining what it must have felt like to live back then . On my way out I felt even a little more mortal when I stopped to look at a piece of mosaic wall that dated back 5,000 years . I will come back here to explore some more when I have more time , I said to myself . But nothing will ever come close to the experience I had tonight , my night at the museum .

Lisa Hopkins 6:48

I hope you guys enjoyed that . I remember it now vividly . I also remember and it's funny I didn't write about it I remember , when I continued my walk home that night , that out of nowhere and for no particular reason , as it wasn't any holiday there were fireworks over the reservoir . Whether or not that signifies - or signified - something really doesn't matter . But the fact that I'm here today rereading this passage and reliving that beautiful moment really brings me to appreciate where I am today and to know that the guiding principle that I live by this "stop time , live in the moment thing it's been in me all along . Never underestimate what you have in you , my friends . I'm Lisa Hopkins . Stay safe and healthy and remember to live in the moment .