Truly loved this one Anne. The DNA lottery guarantees that beyond an oddball identical twin, every one of us is different and this was a profile of a wonderfully eclectic set of humans.
I love thinking about how ever person is needed to make reality complete, Mr. Dolan. And even more, what things would be like if every person took it all the way!
Glad you enjoyed the story! I had so much reporting and writing.
That is straight up bonkers cuckoo bananas. And I love every bit of it. I loathe running. I once tried to do the Couch to 5K program and blew out both my knees. I'm NOT a runner. That said, I do enjoy sprinting from time to time just to see how fast I can go. And then, while I'm gasping for air and wishing for the sweet release of death, I think, "Why did I do that?"
I actually (used to) enjoy running, Justin. But training fora half-marathon was perhaps the most boring thing I've ever done. Even though I tried to mix it up with fun routes like over the Brooklyn Bridge to Chinatown and back home over the Manhattan Bridge.
There is something about running that to me feels like exactly the wrong speed. It's too fast to really take in your surroundings like you can on a walk, but too slow to be super fun, like a bike ride.
You're spot-on, there. I prefer a walk if I'm in a new place, because my reaction speeds are too slow for biking a new trail, and forget running, you know, for many reasons we've already stated.
So glad to read this! I was out there last month taking photos, though I have to say, it's hard to make an interesting picture of a handful of people running around a school. I've been logging into the live stream periodically to see how it's going. Again, not the most exciting footage, but when you know what's going on, it kind of is.
Besides lifting celebrities, according to his website, Sri Chinmoy once lifted 7,063¾ pounds using only his right arm. While I would've liked to see him clear 7,064, it's still pretty impressive.
When I saw the sign for a place called The Panorama Of My Silence-Heart Cafe I had no choice but to go in. I have to say, between the glut of vegetarian restaurants with cool names and the super laid back ultra marathon crowd, the devotees of Sri Chimoy make a pretty compelling case for themselves.
Good question Amac and yes! They go clockwise and then counter-clockwise around the block every other day! Otherwise they'd get develop weird injuries over the eight weeks for sure.
This is great! And it comes at a good time, as I will be doing my annual midnight to (almost) midnight walk on Friday! 64 miles last year, who knows how many this year!
I live in Greenwich Village, so the "official route" takes me down Broadway to the Battery, then back up to 8th St. Then, I go down Mercer to Houston and do a lap of Houston, then go down 8th Street to the west side and head south to the Battery, then up to 59th, where I'll go over the bridge and make my way to Roosevelt Island, do a lap, and come back, continuing up the east side to Randall's Island, where I'll do a lap and come back and keep going up the east side. At the top of Manhattan, I'll go over the bridge to Marble Hill, then back down through Fort Tryon Park to Dyckman St., where there's a mile-long nature trail that dead ends. Then down the west side to Christopher, and we'll see how much gas is left in the tank. Otherwise, it's a 20-minute walk home!
By the time I finished last year (after 22 1/2 hours), I was hallucinating and staggering, so even if the fitbit had been willing, I sure as heck wasn't!
One of my clients was a Sri Chimnoy devotee. A really interesting dude. But I only found out about the race a few years ago when a documentary was made about it. It ran in one of the teeny city movie theaters, can’t recall which. But if anyone is interested dig it up, surely it’s on YouTube by now. Meanwhile I recall there being a lot more people than just 10! I hope it’s not dying out like many other spiritual traditions these days. So much easier for people to plug into an app for five minutes or listen to someone who just “discovered” mindfulness or training the mind and wants to tell you all about it, when you subscribe to their channel…. Seems like everyone wants a shortcut to meaning and happiness and there just really isn’t one. Running around the block for days may appear to be insane, but that’s the kind of dedication it takes (running is just a means to an end) There is no real practice offering a quick fix. So sad that so many are being sold a commercial brand of “spirituality” and scoff at anything that takes discipline. 😭
Oh that's so interesting you had Sri Chimnoy devotee client, Maria! I'm very interested in checking out their center in Queens, and the cafe, of course!
And you're right. Ordinary lengths = ordinary results. Why settle? I mean, really. WHY???
Anne, this is just amazing! Life in NYC is so surreal! A 3100 mile marathon run around a block, and... Lots of people are up for it! Marvellous stuff. A classic Café Anne, if I may say so!
And no, sorry, I'm not the Helen who sent you the little dog with angel wings. I'm so sorry you lost dog - I'm behind with my reading, alas, and only reas about Minnie earlier this evening. But it sounds like a lovely gift, so I'm impressed by my namesake's choice! ❤️
Now that I am an empty nester, I like to hop on a learning curve and see how far it takes me. I do it without expectation that I will be successful or with any particularl goal in mind. Actually it is important to know when to jump off a learning curve before you get hurt - case in point, when I tried to be an ice hockey goalie without any prior experience and I found slapshots pinging off my body. But the initial rush of the near vertical slope of an early learning curve is exciting.
One of my mother's expressions was "add another string to your bow," which she said when she bought a unicycle! For me, creating a substack account was something I have done without any expectations. Have got on stage in Story Telling Events, quiltmaking, playing carillon bells. However, hockey goalie was the only thing that was potentially dangerous! The rest were potentially embarrassing.
Ideally, I’d combine the “overcoming the limitations of the mind” angle of this story with the “do what you’re inspired to do” angle and do a novel writing marathon- but first I’d have to overcome my tendency to get distracted by every shiny thing this city has to offer—including CAFE ANNE, of course :)
Love this. I've long wondered about this race, and was thrilled to read a few of the details. I'd also love to hear a bit more about how (or if) these folks work this around whatever it is they do to support themselves when they aren't circling the block!
I believe Alex works for some sort of non-profit in Cleveland and they were happy to give him the time off, David. And Harita works as a barista at the nearby cafe run by fellow Chinmoy students. And I was told Vasu takes really tough menial labor jobs in Alaska. The others I have no idea, and I'm very curious as well!
Thanks so much Anne! (This reminded me to renew my paid subscription, which I sort of didn't notice I had let lapse.) I really appreciate the answer, and that's interesting about Vasu. I once worked on a research ship, and the ship's crew (as opposed to the research crew) would get time-and-a-half pay for every hour at sea, so many of them would work long hours at sea for six months and take the rest of the year off.
A pet living for 80 years? It would depend on the pet’s disposition. I’ve had many cats over the decades and some I wish were still with me forever. My current cat is a 16-year-old crabby girl who occasionally wakes me up hourly during the night, as she did last night……so do I wish she would live 80 years? Haha, I invoke my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. She’s carrying on even now as I write this! (Insert eye roll here.)
I was thinking that about parrots Leah! They really are for life. You always see those interesting people who go around with their parrots 24/7. It's like having a little person permanently perched on your shoulder who just won't die.
Yes, this is a very good description. Also, have you seen the video of the bird (maybe a cockatoo?) that wants to be a spray bottle? It is extremely delightful.
Truly loved this one Anne. The DNA lottery guarantees that beyond an oddball identical twin, every one of us is different and this was a profile of a wonderfully eclectic set of humans.
I love thinking about how ever person is needed to make reality complete, Mr. Dolan. And even more, what things would be like if every person took it all the way!
Glad you enjoyed the story! I had so much reporting and writing.
That is straight up bonkers cuckoo bananas. And I love every bit of it. I loathe running. I once tried to do the Couch to 5K program and blew out both my knees. I'm NOT a runner. That said, I do enjoy sprinting from time to time just to see how fast I can go. And then, while I'm gasping for air and wishing for the sweet release of death, I think, "Why did I do that?"
BONKERS CUCKOO BANANAS! The best kind of bananas.
I actually (used to) enjoy running, Justin. But training fora half-marathon was perhaps the most boring thing I've ever done. Even though I tried to mix it up with fun routes like over the Brooklyn Bridge to Chinatown and back home over the Manhattan Bridge.
There is something about running that to me feels like exactly the wrong speed. It's too fast to really take in your surroundings like you can on a walk, but too slow to be super fun, like a bike ride.
You're spot-on, there. I prefer a walk if I'm in a new place, because my reaction speeds are too slow for biking a new trail, and forget running, you know, for many reasons we've already stated.
So glad to read this! I was out there last month taking photos, though I have to say, it's hard to make an interesting picture of a handful of people running around a school. I've been logging into the live stream periodically to see how it's going. Again, not the most exciting footage, but when you know what's going on, it kind of is.
Besides lifting celebrities, according to his website, Sri Chinmoy once lifted 7,063¾ pounds using only his right arm. While I would've liked to see him clear 7,064, it's still pretty impressive.
OMG so funny. But you know what Rob? Once one person breaks the 7,064 pound barrier, we'll ALL be doing it.
It’s true. That 1/4 pound is the difference between a record for the ages and that thing where everyone was balancing on stacks of milk crates.
Also, besides the Panorama, which is excellent, I recommend the nearby Smile of the Beyond vegetarian diner.
You've been to the Panorama? I was definitely planning on making the trip. And perhaps comparing with the Krishna cafeteria on Livingston Street.
When I saw the sign for a place called The Panorama Of My Silence-Heart Cafe I had no choice but to go in. I have to say, between the glut of vegetarian restaurants with cool names and the super laid back ultra marathon crowd, the devotees of Sri Chimoy make a pretty compelling case for themselves.
Yes, every single volunteer I interviewed at the race was an absolute Zen master level sweetheart.
I am now also recalling the Ganas cafe in Staten Island. I could do a whole roundup!
Please do that round up, Anne. I would love to know about these havens of esoteric nutrition. Thanks for the great explorations of life in the city.
You got it, Dave! I am ON IT!
Chinmoy was a day late and a 1/4 lb short.
Do they ever switch directions? I feel like you’d get lopsided!
Good question Amac and yes! They go clockwise and then counter-clockwise around the block every other day! Otherwise they'd get develop weird injuries over the eight weeks for sure.
I've always assumed that car race drivers end up with their platelets distorted in their bloodstream by the end of 500 miles of driving in a circle.
Ha! If you took their blood from both arms would it give different results? No need for a centrifuge
I wish for this to be true!!!
You know that has to kill having to make hard 90 degree turns constantly
This is great! And it comes at a good time, as I will be doing my annual midnight to (almost) midnight walk on Friday! 64 miles last year, who knows how many this year!
Okay now THIS I wanna hear about. Tell me more!
I live in Greenwich Village, so the "official route" takes me down Broadway to the Battery, then back up to 8th St. Then, I go down Mercer to Houston and do a lap of Houston, then go down 8th Street to the west side and head south to the Battery, then up to 59th, where I'll go over the bridge and make my way to Roosevelt Island, do a lap, and come back, continuing up the east side to Randall's Island, where I'll do a lap and come back and keep going up the east side. At the top of Manhattan, I'll go over the bridge to Marble Hill, then back down through Fort Tryon Park to Dyckman St., where there's a mile-long nature trail that dead ends. Then down the west side to Christopher, and we'll see how much gas is left in the tank. Otherwise, it's a 20-minute walk home!
So great! Now we must know, why midnight-to-midnight?
Because that's all my fitbit will track before turning over to a new day!
Haha! Funny but true about the technology!
By the time I finished last year (after 22 1/2 hours), I was hallucinating and staggering, so even if the fitbit had been willing, I sure as heck wasn't!
One of my clients was a Sri Chimnoy devotee. A really interesting dude. But I only found out about the race a few years ago when a documentary was made about it. It ran in one of the teeny city movie theaters, can’t recall which. But if anyone is interested dig it up, surely it’s on YouTube by now. Meanwhile I recall there being a lot more people than just 10! I hope it’s not dying out like many other spiritual traditions these days. So much easier for people to plug into an app for five minutes or listen to someone who just “discovered” mindfulness or training the mind and wants to tell you all about it, when you subscribe to their channel…. Seems like everyone wants a shortcut to meaning and happiness and there just really isn’t one. Running around the block for days may appear to be insane, but that’s the kind of dedication it takes (running is just a means to an end) There is no real practice offering a quick fix. So sad that so many are being sold a commercial brand of “spirituality” and scoff at anything that takes discipline. 😭
Oh that's so interesting you had Sri Chimnoy devotee client, Maria! I'm very interested in checking out their center in Queens, and the cafe, of course!
And you're right. Ordinary lengths = ordinary results. Why settle? I mean, really. WHY???
Anne, this is just amazing! Life in NYC is so surreal! A 3100 mile marathon run around a block, and... Lots of people are up for it! Marvellous stuff. A classic Café Anne, if I may say so!
Thank you Helen! I like this one too!
And are you the Helen who sent me the sweet little dog with angel wings? There was no last name on the gift receipt.
It's a great NYC tale!
And no, sorry, I'm not the Helen who sent you the little dog with angel wings. I'm so sorry you lost dog - I'm behind with my reading, alas, and only reas about Minnie earlier this evening. But it sounds like a lovely gift, so I'm impressed by my namesake's choice! ❤️
Now that I am an empty nester, I like to hop on a learning curve and see how far it takes me. I do it without expectation that I will be successful or with any particularl goal in mind. Actually it is important to know when to jump off a learning curve before you get hurt - case in point, when I tried to be an ice hockey goalie without any prior experience and I found slapshots pinging off my body. But the initial rush of the near vertical slope of an early learning curve is exciting.
Very cool you tried ICE HOKEY GOALIE Liza! Now I'm curious what else you've done!
One of my mother's expressions was "add another string to your bow," which she said when she bought a unicycle! For me, creating a substack account was something I have done without any expectations. Have got on stage in Story Telling Events, quiltmaking, playing carillon bells. However, hockey goalie was the only thing that was potentially dangerous! The rest were potentially embarrassing.
This might be my favorite Cafe Anne so far. I have so many questions! Another NYC gem of a story.
Thanks Justin!
And YES, this is for sure the sort of story that just keeps raising more questions! I could have gone back 20 more times and written a book.
I am on day 18451 of my motionless marathon, where's MY profile and half-avocado?
Not sure about the profile, "Aharon," but I'm pretty sure you know EXACTLY where to find that half-avocado.
respectfully (fearfully) withdrawn!
Wow, I had no idea about this! Yet another excellent Cafe Anne report.
Fran and I went to Sri Chinmoy's Smile of the Beyond Cafe-- and it was DELISH. Highly recommend popping in!
Wow Emily, thanks to your comment I am seeing there are actually TWO Sri Chinmoy cafes in Queens! Plus an Indian restaurant!
Ideally, I’d combine the “overcoming the limitations of the mind” angle of this story with the “do what you’re inspired to do” angle and do a novel writing marathon- but first I’d have to overcome my tendency to get distracted by every shiny thing this city has to offer—including CAFE ANNE, of course :)
LOL I know what you mean, Eric. It's so hard to dive deep when there's so much glitter on the surface!
Love this. I've long wondered about this race, and was thrilled to read a few of the details. I'd also love to hear a bit more about how (or if) these folks work this around whatever it is they do to support themselves when they aren't circling the block!
I believe Alex works for some sort of non-profit in Cleveland and they were happy to give him the time off, David. And Harita works as a barista at the nearby cafe run by fellow Chinmoy students. And I was told Vasu takes really tough menial labor jobs in Alaska. The others I have no idea, and I'm very curious as well!
Thanks so much Anne! (This reminded me to renew my paid subscription, which I sort of didn't notice I had let lapse.) I really appreciate the answer, and that's interesting about Vasu. I once worked on a research ship, and the ship's crew (as opposed to the research crew) would get time-and-a-half pay for every hour at sea, so many of them would work long hours at sea for six months and take the rest of the year off.
Okay, everyone photograph yourself with your favorite street (P)pole!
It's the new sensation!
A pet living for 80 years? It would depend on the pet’s disposition. I’ve had many cats over the decades and some I wish were still with me forever. My current cat is a 16-year-old crabby girl who occasionally wakes me up hourly during the night, as she did last night……so do I wish she would live 80 years? Haha, I invoke my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. She’s carrying on even now as I write this! (Insert eye roll here.)
Laurie, I won't tell your cat what you wrote. Though because cats are both evil and omniscient, I'm sure Miss Crabby Girl already knows.
Some birds can easily live for 80 years!! This is why I immediately forbade my mother when she expressed enthusiasm for getting a cockatoo.
I was thinking that about parrots Leah! They really are for life. You always see those interesting people who go around with their parrots 24/7. It's like having a little person permanently perched on your shoulder who just won't die.
Yes, this is a very good description. Also, have you seen the video of the bird (maybe a cockatoo?) that wants to be a spray bottle? It is extremely delightful.
OMG this is bonkers.
Everybody go look: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OV5NTlJrtOw
Isn’t it THE BEST?? It brings me joy every time
i've also heard about tortoises having to be willed to a younger generation because they can outlive people! that's a real investment