Remembrance | 5 Years |

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It has taken me many years to reach this place. At one time in my life, I thought I would grow up and live in Texas. I never thought I would embark on this adventure in this city. I guess I could not bear to live in Houston after my brother died. His death still haunts me, and it will continue too till I leave this world. My brother always talked about moving to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams – start his own adventure. He never had a chance to begin, so I felt guilty as I stagnated in Houston. After going to Chicago, I met many life long friends, came into my own in a sense, and left with too many mistakes. I returned to Houston only to find that my old friends had long departed. I had my family, but I essentially felt alone. I will admit that I was very angry at the world. When Colton passed, I needed somebody – anybody but no one was there. I am thankful for my parents, and I cherish them more than life itself. It took many years to realize that they are my core.

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I left Houston for New York to start an adventure for myself as well as the spirit of my brother. I have a bag full of words written in notebooks, pictures, and my own dreams. I do not tell many about them, but I hold onto them very closely. My roommate thinks that I am crazy to walk such great distances in NYC, but I do not care. I walked all the way from 14th street to 115th street just to get a feel for the sights and sounds of the city – to fill the well of my imagination with images. I sat on the steps and people watched at Union Square, scurried through Penn Station, took in Herald Square, spied Columbus Circle, was blinded by the lights of Times Square, walked the steps to the library of Columbia University….I have more to see. I have walked across Brooklyn Bridge several times, walked by shops in Soho i could never afford, experienced the calm of Tribeca, listened to a street musician play Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” on a flute…I could go on and on…and I know some native New Yorkers may not understand why I hold my experiences here so dearly because they see them everyday.

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It is so important that I am here because I never thought I would reach this place. Fear has held me back and Faith has led me here. When I walk the city streets, I search for the open and congested areas, the wide and the narrow streets, the lights and the shadows. I search for the city that I imagined as a child as well as the city I fully realize now. I am out to find hidden treasure. Hopefully, next time, I will bring a camera along to prove it when I find it…

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Kojo Opuni

New York, NY (August 29, 2005)