Harmony? The quiet power of the Green

It is the crack of dawn on the New Haven Green and already there is activity as the holiday weekend rolls in.

The early morning sky is gray but weather forecasters predict the day will be as bright and sunny as the colorful yellow, white, green and orange umbrellas stationed under the flagpole that sits in the middle.

Benches are still damp from overnight rain but they are already beginning to fill up as activity around the Green begins popping.

You might call the 16acre square that is central to New Haven the pulse of the city because as it begins to come alive, so does everything else around it.

Neon signs of restaurants and delis spell “open” for morning coffee and breakfast as buses pull up and people jump off.

It doesn’t take long before people with backpacks carrying small paper bags and containers of coffee start to crisscross the Green, presumably heading to work, as joggers make their first appearance.

Soon, downtown ambassadors, who help keep the Green and surrounding areas clean, will be out in force, as will be the police force.

Until recently, I thought most of the people hanging around were homeless or aimless and others were just passing through.

But I no longer do.

I now realize why the awning of elm trees and fresh-cut grass serves as a tonic to so many: The Green is a destination where the welcome mat is out.

It is a place where everybody — big or small, rich or poor, gay or straight, black, white or otherwise, has a voice.

It doesn’t matter if you’re protesting social issues, preaching the Gospel, drumming up support for a political campaign or a flash mob dancing as a prelude to a wedding proposal, the Green brings all walks of life together.

It’s a party over here and a party over there as crowds of people, most over the age of 40, take over benches and fire up the boomboxes.

By noon, weed will be in the air; sips from nips will be quickly swallowed and tucked away in pockets while pints in paper bags are swigged from and passed around to those without.

But at the same time, children, young families and senior citizens will stake out a spot to enjoy a lazy afternoon.

Professors and students from Yale as well as political figures will find a place to eat their lunch.

There isn’t a better place to get a street-side view of street life and be a witness to a subculture of people’s thoughts and feelings.

But sometimes, writing a column is like a puzzle: you have to keep putting the pieces together before a final picture emerges.

And so far, this column may be a puzzle to many readers as it doesn’t seem to be making a point — but you would be wrong.

Life never stops giving us clues in our search for what makes us better people.

Within this 16-acre grid, there is the good, bad and the ugly of society as people of all races, cultures and religions wander through.

It is a place where there is a clear distinction between the haves and the have-nots.

There are dope dealers, the mentally ill and the homeless; everything from loosies to clothing to marijuana and other drugs is for sale.

It is a place where seeing police and EMS personnel cart people off in ambulances due to an overdose is a common sight.

And yet, each day is like “Groundhog Day” as people are drawn back — and the same activities and scenarios take place again and again.

By now, I wonder if a final picture of the Green and why it is so popular has emerged for readers.

I wonder if you are asking yourselves the same question I have been asking myself during the last seven weeks.

And if so, I wonder if you have come to the same conclusion I have about this microcosm that is bordered by churches, a library, banks and City Hall.

If an area as small as the Green can incorporate this subculture of people in a relatively peaceful way, then why can’t it be that way everywhere?

Why doesn’t that interconnectedness of peaceful camaraderie exist on every streetcorner regardless of where you come from or what baggage you are carrying?

How is it possible for all these negative and positive energies to collide on a daily basis — and yet, for the most part, be a safe place to visit?

It could be because it is a place where there is an equal opportunity for all to have a voice.

Or maybe it is because on the New Haven Green, everybody is welcome.

And that is why it can be called the pulse of the city — because welcoming people is how humanity came about and keeps people going.

Harmony? The Green brings us all together.

James Walker is the host of the podcast, Real talk, Real people. Listen at https://anchor.fm/real-talkreal-people. He can be reached at 203-605-1859 or at realtalkrealpeoplect@ gmail.com. @thelieonroars on Twitter