Hope Is The Grout Of Our City

I saw this written on a wall the other day as I bustled down a busy avenue in the city. I stopped in my tracks and smiled.

This city is full of hope - hope of achieving your dreams. Hope of freedom from cultures that would hold you back. Hope of fresh beginnings. Hope of achievement. I used to think that this idea was something that belonged in the history pages of Ellis Island or the journals of the early 1900's, but this hope of what New York City can make out of you is still a very palpable element even today. Every time I talk to a cab driver from another country (and let's be honest - they're all from other countries), I'm amazed by how much they revere this city. To them it brought the hope of prosperity for their families back home. It brought the chance to live and be free. This city is dirty, fast, and hectic. But it's still very full of hope.

Hope is the grout.

No matter where you are. Have hope.

Your story isn't over.