Wisdom Wheel

What “ideal condition of mind and heart” guides our lives each day?

My guiding ideals are the 36 Laws on the Wisdom Wheel although Baldwin’s words come from today’s page in the Gifts of Wisdom (email me to buy directly) my perpetual calendar. When putting the quote collection together, I organized them to honor each author on their birthday. This helps me remember their Birth Laws too. Baldwin was born under the Forgiveness Law, like all Libras, who are currently celebrating their birthdays. Although she passed away 42 years ago, Baldwin’s words are worth remembering. Wisdom never goes stale or out of style.

Despite how few ask for it, wisdom is the one thing I wish we all had more of, including myself. This desire inspired me to develop the Wisdom Wheel more than twenty years ago. It offers a way to define our ideals and live by them, day by day, year after year.

Today another group began their 1,000 Days Journey on the Wisdom Wheel. Each new (online) class starts on a full moon. The next group is being assembled for October 31st. (contact me for info about the Introductory offer) This sequence of daily emails takes readers on virtual, month by month tour of the Wheel and its 36 Laws. Every email includes a quote, some Daily Guidance, and an excerpt from my journal. Those who complete this course earn the certification to teach the Wheel to others in their study circles. Many do the Wheel with a study buddy. And several have done the thirty six month Journey more than once because there is a lot to learn.

A hearty thanks to each person, who volunteered to share their life Journey turning point details, for our research project, to validate the forthcoming Wisdom Wheel book. There are a few spots left. Contact me if you want to see your entire life laid out on the Great Spiral of the Wheel.

More gratitude is due to those who surprised me by purchasing a Gifts of Wisdom perpetual calendar after seeing it in the last newsletter. They make great birthday or holiday presents for men or women. I will mail them to anyone you designate for $19.95 (plus shipping). Supplies are limited so order yours soon.

Publishing News

Rosanne Romiglio continues to help me redo my author website. It will be unveiled in next issue of newsletter. The graphics for the Wisdom Wheel book are also coming along thanks to my talented designer/editor Gigie Hall.

The second memoir is now on hold as the Wisdom Wheel book has taken priority. The word count grows, slowly but steadily. All the hair pulling and teeth gnashing it took to learn to write the first memoir is paying dividends now. Knowing what readers want more of, and how to assemble scenes into chapters, is making this one easier to write. We are looking at publishing dates for both books. Stay tuned.

Events

Covid continues to play havoc with in-person plans, yet life goes on, thanks to Zoom. I am happy to report The Importance of Paris book club package raised $500 for Lisa Guillette’s non-profit Foster Forward online fundraiser auction. This package included 10 signed copies of my memoir, complete with my agreement to appear via Zoom, to answer all questions from book club members. The lucky winner Susan lives in South Carolina. You can still donate to Foster Forward. If you need to raise funds or plan something fun for your group, let’s talk. Bulk orders of more than 10 copies are mailed at a discount.

Several ongoing Zoom groups are meeting regularly:

Every Saturday morning 10:30 am, Westerly Writing group
Every other Wednesday evening 6pm, Book Writers group
Every Monday evening 7pm, Zoom Lodge

Those serious about getting stories written and published can also join The Story Circle Network and the National Association of Memoir Writers. Having participated for many years in both organizations I can vouch for their lasting impact.

Ceremonies

We held our Autumn Equinox Lodge ceremony and our next one is Sunday, October 4th. Updates concerning Covid restrictions and complete calendar for 2021 can be found on our HOPE-HOUSE Facebook page. We continue to experiment a limited number of regular participants doing their own rounds.

Lastly, today is also World Elders Day. Since watching the presidential election debate this week, I must say what I most hold against the current US president is that he shows no interest in wisdom or maturity, which Elders are supposed to have. This might be more forgivable if he was only running one of his companies, but not when he’s leading our beloved country.

“‘[…] women need to develop a new moral system in an otherwise doomed world… Not being sadistic, as a rule, women often fail to understand the basic fact about sadistic behavior: it is stimulated by the appearance of vulnerability in the prospective victim… It would be better for women to assert their right to judge, to be bolder in questioning male authority, to demand the respect due to them as mothers and decent, caring citizens… The Crone can still serve as an empowering image of biological truth, female wisdom and mother-right, to which men must learn to defer, if they are ever to conquer the enemy within themselves.” ― Barbara G. Walker, in The Crone

“Your book is brilliant. It’s a genre buster — it’s a memoir, but it’s also a historical documentary (especially focused on the Middle East), a guide to intercultural interaction, a guide to interpersonal relations and lifestyle (food and travel especially), a Hollywood-type script chock full of steamy encounters (including some exposes of pedophilia), a coming of age story both psychological and spiritual, and an investigation into the use of directed conscious thought (somewhat in the tradition of Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.)

You’ve written one of the best and most enlightening books I’ve ever read. I laughed so many times while reading your book…Best wishes for the readings and promotion in general. This book could be a very big success.” — Jesse Townsley

Thank you! I love my fans. This is fabulous feedback but it’s time for a confession. My initial assumption was men wouldn’t buy or read my memoir. Boy was I wrong as the above review confirms. Rarely have I been so happy to be so mistaken. Several of my male readers have bought multiple copies for their sons, family members and friends. Obviously there’s a lot left for me to learn about peoples’ choices in books!

This past weekend my crash course in buyers’ preferences intensified at the annual Rhode Island Book Expo. My husband Malcolm accompanied me and we had a rip-roaring time, chatting with attendees, while selling a couple hundred dollars worth of books at our display table #702, including his poetry book, my Gifts of Wisdom perpetual calendars (contact for details) and the brand new Westerly Writing Group Anthology as well at the Paris memoir.

Publishing News

Drum roll please… The taping of the promised audio version of the memoir, The Importance of Paris, is done! Whew. That was a marathon. The recordings are being mastered now and soon due out via Amazon. Hope to have that link in next newsletter. In the meantime you can listen to the prologue below:

Memoir Writing Workshop

Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir? Come find out at our workshop, Sunday Dec. 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $160 includes all instructions and materials, unlimited coffee, tea & snacks, plus a light lunch and an autographed copy of The Importance of Paris memoir. Bring along a short sample of your writing to read aloud with the group. Contact me to reserve your place.

Testimonial: “I was honored to be part of Cynthia’s writing workshop, which was surrounded by nature, beautiful people and great food. I learned so much about memoirs and how to begin the process. Cynthia’s intense passion, love of stories, raw honesty, encouragement of women writers, incredible knowledge and background is truly inspiring. I am ready!!” — Maria S.

Our Get It Done group holds its first meeting on the evening of Dec. 18th. Contact me for details. If your New Year Resolutions include getting your book done, join us. We’ll hold each other accountable, exchange feedback and have fun!

Ceremonies

Our last Purification (sweat lodge) ceremony for 2019 will be held on Saturday December 21st at 10 a.m. in observance of the Winter Solstice. Contact me for details. Our first Lodge for 2020 will be on New Year’s Day.

Happy November 1, 2019! And to those recovering from Halloween, especially the sugar candy overload, you have my sympathies. We are thrilled to report the Book Launch Party on Sunday Oct. 27th was a roaring success. A hearty thanks, to each hardy soul who braved the ferocious weather, to celebrate with us in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Despite some cancellations, turnout was better than expected. We ran out of chairs.

Having an audience of friendly readers made my presentation job a piece of cake. You will be missed when the book tour starts! Being questioned by those who don’t know my story will never be as enjoyable as this launch party was. We sold nearly $500 worth of books in two hours, enough to keep us humming along.

If you need a juicy read, a Christmas gift, or a book club selection idea, click here.

Other Events

On October 30th we had our first Readers Reward Raclette Dinner. To qualify for these meals, you must post a picture of yourself holding a copy of the memoir and link it to my personal pages (at FB/Instagram) or The Importance of Paris Facebook page. (If you are not on social media, send your picture to me and I will post it for you). While working on my next book about my unorthodox spiritual journey, I am eager to hear directly from readers about what they want more or less of. This is a fun way to connect.

As per request, our next Readers Raclette Reward meal will be a daytime luncheon, at noon, on Sunday November 10th. Contact me if you already posted your photo and this date and time are better for you. Due manage demand, we try to do this once a month. For now there is no charge but my husband has started joking about opening a raclette restaurant.

Workshop

At the launch party, we did a drawing for a free seat at the next Memoir Writing Workshop Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir? on Sunday Dec. 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gloria won it! Congratulations. That’s a $160 value, and includes all instructions and materials, unlimited coffee, tea and snacks, plus a light lunch, and an autographed copy of The Importance of Paris memoir. You will be asked to bring along a short sample of your writing and share it with the group.

Recent testimonial: “I was honored to be part of Cynthia’s writing workshop which was surrounded by nature, beautiful people, and great food. I learned so much about memoirs and how to begin the process. Cynthia’s intense passion, love of stories, raw honesty, encouragement of women writers, incredible knowledge and background is truly inspiring. I am ready!!” — Maria S.

This is our final workshop in 2019. Running these only four times a year and limiting them to eight participants, means you must reserve your spot soon to get one. Contact me as I put the calendar together for 2020 as I might take this show on the road. Most Americans say they want to write a book about their lives but many never get around to it because they don’t know the steps involved. I designed this one day event to help you decide if memoir writing would be the right choice for you. Before making the commitment, save yourself the headaches I went through via hard won lessons. In Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir? I chart the journey from inception to publication. After this course, if you want to continue, you can join our Get It Done group. We will meet regularly in 2020. If your New Year Resolutions include getting your book done, we’ll hold each other accountable, share feedback, and have fun!

Wisdom Wheel

Happy birthday to all our Scorpio friends and family, we are in their Clarity Birth Law month. All of you are invited to the Integrative Mental Heath Conference in Exeter, RI on Sunday Nov. 3rd at the Canonicus Center where I’ll present the Wisdom Wheel. Contact me for more info.

Since developing this method two decades ago, I’ve taught the Wisdom Wheel to hundreds of people, from all walks of life. At this conference, the focus will be on how to use it to reduce the epidemic of anxieties plaguing our modern lives. Anyone can learn to reframe their existence and reconnect to the timeless truths of Nature. Tune into what human beings used before Freud and psychoanalysis, rather than overreacting to upsetting news, personal or public.

Ceremonies

Our last Purification (sweat lodge) ceremony for 2019 will be held on Saturday December 21st at 10 a.m. in observance of the Winter Solstice. Contact me for details. Our first Lodge for 2020 will be on New Year’s Day.

Shadow

“Every scandalous flaw is mine.” — Rumi, 13th century Muslim mystic

Rumi’s advice often echoed in my mind while writing my memoir. Now I no longer have my laptop and anonymity to hide behind when doing public readings, and practicing this out loud is more challenging.

And yet no truthful memoir can be written, published and publicly discussed unless we first accept not just “every scandalous flaw” we have, but that others will judge them, and us for admitting we have them. As I face this, it helps to be une femme d’un certain âge, as the French say, when implying one is a mature, and worldly woman.

On July 21st in front of a mixture of friends and strangers, on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon at a lakeside clubhouse in Rhode Island, I survived my first public reading in the US. My Turkish American friend Naide, who invited me to read from my memoir, confided how much she loved the book prior to introducing me.

“I just finished reading it (ebook) last night. I love your honesty… This is a feminine manifesto… I wish I had taken more chances in my life and had your courage.” Thank you Naide.

Although the presentation felt a bit like losing my virginity, all over again in public, I did have a great time. And from their questions, I could tell the audience of about 30 people also enjoyed it.

When you only have 20 minutes to speak, it is tricky to pick the right parts to share, from a 377-page book. I started with the Prologue and learned two valuable lessons.

Always have someone in the audience who has recently read the book! In this case it was Naide, and she called out suggestions like, “Read the part when you were in the south of France…”

Best to include people from both Paris’s if possible, the Paris of the Middle East (Beirut) as well as Paris, France because they add a lot more credibility to the question/answer discussion period afterwards.

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Wisdom Wheel

The Shadow is not only the Birth Law of all our Leo friends, born between July 23 and Aug 22, it is also a Law we each get to spend time with. We live under the Shadow at ages 12, 39, 66, and 95. While circumnavigating the Wheel of Life, we pass through all the different energies, each with its opportunities for growth and development. Next spring, when I turn 66, I’ll be consciously studying the particular wisdom the Shadow has to offer.

What I’m Reading & Listening To

Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson. The author Highsmith specialized in the darker, Shadow side of human personalities. You may have seen the award-winning 2015 film Carol, about forbidden love between women in the 1950’s, made from one of her 22 novels. This is the first biography.

Workshop

Sign up for our next one day workshop, on Sunday September 15th Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir? : The Journey from Inception to Publication. Only 6 spots left, to keep it intimate and facilitate individual attention. $160 per person. Contact me for more info.

We now offer rooms to rent, for writers needing to get away for a weekend, a week, or a month, to focus on a project. $35 per night. We provide the evening meal and supportive encouragement, for those who want to share their writing around the table after dinner. Recommit to your own writing project(s) as summer winds down and the kids return to school. Contact me for more info.

Ceremonies

Never any charge for sacred ceremonies. Our next sweat (Purification) Lodge is Saturday August 3, 10 am. And the following monthly ‘open’ community one will be for the Autumn Equinox on Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 am. Please RSVP as these fill up fast.

Shadow

Just publish a memoir if you are curious to learn about the psychological phenomenon of the Shadow! Since the ebook version of The Importance of Paris became available on Amazon June 21st, reviews and feedback have been coming in. They’re teaching me a lot about my readers. I’ll share some in these newsletters:

“Strikes a good balance between intimate, personal relationships and world events…Few feel that connection as strongly. It was JUICY!! I loved reading about the experiences of love…in all its forms…. love of place, love of country, love of ideals, love of learning… erotic love, the love of friends and family… how fraught it all is, and how beautiful, and how necessary, and how difficult. Transcendent.” — Alison Veres

I loved this one. It’s generous and genuine.

On the other hand, some folks have gone completely silent. Observing the range of reactions by family and friends is instructive. Any newly published author needs to expect this. It can be surprising to see who your real friends are…. While some will congratulate you, others will not be able to celebrate your achievement, or compliment you on completing such a task, because of what might be going on in their Shadows.

Dealing with feelings of jealousy and envy are familiar to me because I felt them more often in the years before writing my book. It is hard to be happy for someone else when you are mad at yourself, though it took me awhile to see that connection. These reactions no longer surprise me after working on so many drafts of the memoir, which forced me to confront my own Shadow side. The good news is our Shadow sides are incredibly rich with insights if we dare to mine the darkness deeply.

Carl G. Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology, was the first to popularize this less savory aspect of human psychology. The Shadow and individuation issues were the chief contributors to his falling out with his psychoanalysis mentor Sigmund Freud. I highly recommend you do some exploring of your own Shadow.

Wisdom Wheel

The Shadow has been schooling me since creating the Wisdom Wheel in 1996 as it is the 17th Law of its 36 Laws. Holding the space from July 23 to Aug 22 on the calendar means this is the Birth Law of our Leo friends whose birthdays will soon be coming. Fire in the Heart Lions are the only ones who could deal so adroitly with the Shadow and Carl G. Jung is one of them.

What I’m Reading & Listening To

“Only the Shadow knows…” I’ve checked out the classic radio suspense show The Shadow on CD’s from our local library. Time to finally hear these Walter B. Gibson stories, which debuted on the radio this month of July, in 1930. After eight decades, I want to know what the staying power of this series was.

Workshop

A reminder to who did not make it to our pilot workshop, Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir?: The Journey from Inception to Publication. We are offering it again, on Sunday September 15th and planning some writing retreats too for those who need to get away, for a week, or a month, to focus on a project. Contact me if you’d like to book a room to write in! As summer winds down and the kids return to school, (re)start your own writing project(s). Only 8 spots per workshop to facilitate individual attention, so sign up soon. $160 per person.

Ceremonies

Never any charge for sacred ceremonies. Our next sweat (Purification) Lodge is Saturday August 3, 10 am. And the following monthly ‘open’ community one will be for the Autumn Equinox on Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 am. Please RSVP as these fill up fast.

Initiation

“Rather than roll a grenade into the room, I’ve written this book…”
— Cynthia F. Davidson, in The Importance of Paris, Acknowledgements

Sharing the Fourth of July fireworks, with the launching of this American expatriate memoir, feels significant. Though I can’t claim any credit for planning it, the coincidence is much appreciated. As you will see when you read the book, my intentions are to spark some serious discussions.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…” from the US Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

My story concerns the pursuit of happiness, life, liberty, truths, and self-evidence. And this publishing event happily marks my personal declaration of independence, from the decades of work, multiple versions, and endless edits of this book!

When the US Declaration of Independence from the British Empire was written 243 years ago, it was supposed to explain what was going to be different, about the purpose of these United States. Have we lived up to those promises?

As a woman, my rights were not included in that original declaration, nor were the rights of the enslaved or the indigenous people. We’ve had to fight for those rights, to education, equal opportunity, and even self-expression. My own grandmother was twenty years old before American women finally received the right to vote in this country in 1920. Yet we women have been expected to shoulder the burdens, without having any say in the decision-making process, much less a seat at the table of power.

Wisdom Wheel

Because of that July 4th birthday, the Birth Law of the United States is Initiation. Are we still a great experiment, or a disappointment to our own stated values? Equality is still not true for all. The combustion continues.

Writing News

People are asking me, “So, how’s your book coming along?” When I answer, “It’s done! It’s already up on Amazon!” they do a double take.

Getting used to being a published author, and not just another writer working on a book, takes practice for my friends too. In one of the regular circles I attend, Sarah Daigle’s Meeting of the Minds gathering, our topic was vulnerability and how the fear of asking for what you want/need holds you back. I’m working on asking for reviews of the memoir.

One of my first readers, Sheila Dobbyn, who attended the pilot workshop made my day when she wrote, “Cynthia, your book gets better and better! I am so excited for you. Maybe sometime I can have you and some of my other expat friends over for tea and you can exchange experiences and talk about your book. Also happy to introduce you to Inkfish book store owner who often brings in local authors.”

We are putting together a fundraising evening too, at an educational foundation where I will speak a bit about the Middle East and read from the book while we eat Lebanese food and hold a Q&A for those who attend. Hope to do a lot more of those!

For all of those who would like to hold the book in their hands, the print version of the book should be available early August. Stay tuned!

Workshop

Thanks to those who attended our pilot workshop, and made it so enjoyable. We’re offering it again, on Sunday September 15th. As summer ends and the kids return to school, (re)start your own writing project(s). Would You, Could You, Should You Write A Memoir? : The Journey from Inception to Publication. Only 8 spots per workshop to facilitate individual attention, so sign up soon. $160 per person.

Ceremonies

Never any charge for sacred ceremonies. Our next sweat (Purification) Lodge is Sunday, July 7, 10 a.m. And the following monthly open community one is on Saturday August 3. Please RSVP as these fill up fast.

This Full Moon is teaching me a new lesson about being eternally present in the world, in the form of leaving a written record behind. This is the best part of publishing a memoir. Your book will speak to future generations about the lessons you learned long past your allotted time on Earth — if you write your stories down and put them into print.

Writing News & Memoir Workshop

Thanks to those who already signed up for our upcoming event on Sunday June 23. Only two spaces left for this initial offering, so reply quickly if you want to come!

Several of you asked for more information about our workshop. It is all about the Process (another Law on the Wisdom Wheel). You will be shown how to write a pivotal scene, from your own life, for starters. Memoirs are collections of those scenes, along with the insights and takeaways gleaned, from those Eternal Present moments.

Gigie Hall and I will share what we wished we had known at the outset about what it takes to complete a memoir, after doing one together. You will receive more information about how memoirs differ from other genres and a reading list of great examples. We will help you look at your own life, as a potential author, and follow a decision Process to help you make up your mind about such a big Commitment (another Law on the Wisdom Wheel).

Many Americans say they want to write a book about their lives. We can help you decide whether you could, should, would do it, with the ongoing assistance of those who have survived the Process. Depending upon your decision, you can join our online writing group and attend other workshops we are planning. This event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at my home in Hope Valley, R.I. You will receive program materials and the step by step process we used to complete this memoir. An autographed copy of The Importance of Paris will also be included, hot off the presses, plus a light lunch, coffee/tea and snacks. The cost is $60. (Pay by cash or check in person).

Ceremonies

Our Summer Solstice Lodge ceremony, in newly rebuilt Lodge, will be held on Saturday the 22nd of June. Please RSVP as these Solstice and Equinox ceremonies fill up fast.

The Memoir

The memoir will be available via Amazon by Friday June 21st. The Summer Solstice is our target for the unveiling. Here’s a peek at the contents:

The Importance of Paris
Loves, Lies & Resolutions

A memoir

By Cynthia F. Davidson

1. Cherchez La Femme – Seeking the Woman
2. Raison d’Etre – Reason for Being
3. Joie de Vivre – Glad to be Alive
4. Le Pourquoi – The Why
5. L’Education Sentimentale – The Sentimental Education
6. Avoir de La Chance – To Have Good Luck
7. Aimer a La Folie – Crazy Love
8. C’est Vrai ou Desole – It’s True Or It’s Tragic
9. Coup de Foudre – Thunderbolt
10. Mon Fantome – My Phantom
11. A Quoi Bon? – What’s The Use?
12. Dans Un Haram Byzantine – In A Byzantine Harem
13. A Plusier Reprises – The Many Tries
14. Je Suis Malade – I Am Sick
15. Faites Vos Jeux – Place Your Bets
16. Ca Fait Mon Affaire – My Affair Is Over
17. Le Cout de La Vie – The Cost Of Living
18. Metro-Boulet-Dodo – Subway-Job-Sleep
19. Ce Le Moment ou Jamais – It’s Now Or Never
20. Voyage a Isles Canaries – Canary Islands Voyage

Epilogue – Commencement

The videos of the leaping flames made me sad but this was not a deliberate act, and no one died, for which I’m grateful. Plans to rebuild have already begun, which is more than can be said for other places recently devastated.

Like everyone else who has stood inside or outside that massive Gothic structure, with its distinctive flying buttresses, I looked through my pictures. Though many posted their selfies with Notre Dame, I felt hesitant to do the same so soon, out of respect.

My most recent pics were taken just four months ago, on this latest trip with my daughter, newly graduated from college. We snapped my favorite outside, in the main square, with one of Notre Dame’s rose windows above our tilting heads. The 2018 Christmas tree glows behind us with its lavender shaded lights. You can see them on my memoir’s Facebook page linked below.

If we had known that night Notre Dame would soon be ravaged by fire, what more might we have done to appreciate her beauty?

Wisdom Wheel

Beauty is our theme now. On the dial of the Wisdom Wheel, the Beauty gate is opening at this season. From the 21st of April to the 21st of May we celebrate the birthdays of our Taurus friends. Their Birth Law is Beauty. My husband Malcolm is one of them, and he’s turning 70 on the 25th.

Everyone lives under the Power Law in their 70th year, and on their 16th and 43rd and 97th years. Beauty has a Power of its own.

When I moved to Paris in 1984, I was looking for a Beauty Queen, though her Beauty had not spared her. Georgina Rizk had been crowned Miss Universe in 1971, the first Arab woman to ever win that contest. Only one year older than me, by age thirty this Lebanese woman was already a widow and a refugee, trying to raise her small son alone in France, a foreign country. Her tragedies — not her beauty — inspired me to write her story.

Ceremonies

Next Lodge is on the New Moon, Sunday May 5th in the newly rebuilt structure. Visit our Facebook page for any information about ceremonies.

The Memoir

Excerpt from The Importance of Paris, Chapter 13 “A Plusiers Reprise – The Many Tries”

That Sunday, on my customary long walk, I reveled in the arrival of another spring. Leafy little flags of green had unfurled on the overhead branches. Powdery pollen balls had blown off the trees, filled the gutters and floated on the River Seine. Oh Paris, what a taskmaster you have been.

At home later, I watched a documentary on television about the city. It explained how Paris had been laid out in a series of compass points, beginning from Ground Zero, marked by a stone in the pavement facing Notre Dame Cathedral. All twenty arrondissements unfolded in a great circle from that center. The lowest address numbers are closest to the River Seine. By contrast, Manhattan has no sacred center. Fifth Avenue forms its dividing line and the addresses go the opposite way, with highest numbered buildings beside the rivers.

The French had thought themselves the center of the universe, with everything revolving around them. And the Chinese had once called themselves the Middle Kingdom. In the US today we put North America in the center of our world maps. Each of us taking turns believing ourselves the be all and end all.