I took the photo here came during what seems like a
long-ago time in my life now. Sadly, it does for many others, too.
When my father, by then in his nineties, could no
longer drive, I used to take him, on a fine Sunday, up to this scenic
overlook on the Palisades. Only half a mile south of the New Jersey-New York
state line, State Line Lookout
offered magnificent views of the Hudson River, since, at a 520-foot elevation,
it was at the highest point on the Palisades Cliffs.
My dad—who, at that point, was not only still alive,
but also ambulatory and even comparatively vigorous at nearly age 99—used to love the
fresh air and magnificent vistas in this spot. So, as you can see here, did
many other people. So had their parents and even grandparents.
For one reason or another, I haven’t been up there
in quite some time. But the scene would have to be drastically different now in
the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Most obviously, everyone here would be
wearing masks. And, for the life of them, they’d better stay a safe distance
apart.
It just goes to show: Don’t assume that everything
you once enjoyed will remain the same. And enjoy
the beauty in the world with those who matter to you, while both are still
around.
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