New York City, NY May 2009

At first I didn’t know what to make of her but after one click there was no doubt in my mind she was going to take New York City by storm. The following weeks proved me right. Wherever The MacHalo went she made even the most jaded of New Yorkers do a double take and smile. They’d stop , ask questions about her and even pose for pictures before leaving with Mac’s background story and KMM’s website url written on torn piece of paper.

None of the NYC photos would have been possible without the creativity and willingness of The New York Moning Maniacs. Nothing was too silly or outrageous for these ladies. Whether it was dancing in a fountain or attempting to hail a cab late at night while wearing The MacHalo these ladies were down for it all. Thanks to Crystal a fellow maniac and employee of The Museum of Natural History we were able to get shots that would have gotten other patrons kicked out. Just a warning the MacHalo has been officially touched by a fertility god on display at the museum so the next person who gets it should be careful.

The MacHalo braved our transit system, flirted with cops, fire fighters and a bunch of servicemen during fleet week. She turned heads at a burlesque club , “The Slipper Room” and posed for pictures with Where’s Wanda and Gal Friday. We were chased off the steps of Lincoln Center by a grumpy cop who failed to appreciate the pink goodness of the MacHalo. She was even treated to a round at my favorite pub by the bouncer.

My favorite story by far occurred the night my friends and I took photos in front of John Lennon’s former home The Dakota. After taking photos there we decided to visit Strawberry Fields the John Lennon memorial in Central Park.

As soon as I placed the MacHalo down on the ground at the memorial it attracted several tourists. They told me were from Japan, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Canada. My friends quickly explained about The MacHalo as I took pictures. Pretty soon the crowd of tourists grew and the began taking photos of The MacHalo as well. They were under the impression that The MacHalo was part of the memorial display.

I had just packed up my camera and handed it off to my friend when a young woman approached me. “I don’t get it.” She said as she stared at The MacHalo resting among a floral peace symbol and several black and white photos of John Lennon. Since I have a twisted sense of humor and am a card carrying member of the smart aleck’s association of America I couldn’t resist.

Sure I could’ve explained Mac’s story but my friends had already tried that and the young lady couldn’t seem to wrap her head around it. So what could I do? I glanced over towards my friends and shrugged. My friends nodded their heads at me in encouragement.

“The lights are symbolic of the souls that have been sacrificed in wars all over the world. They are symbols of how when even one life is lost a light goes out in the universe. You know a soul with the potential to do good and make a difference in the world is gone.” I said.

The girl stared at me and then back at The MacHalo as if she were in awe. “Imagine, “ I continued, “ if these souls were still with us. Imagine all they could’ve accomplished and how the world would have been a brighter place just by them being here.”

Several people had wandered over during my speech and nodded their heads at the conclusion. Seeing their reaction I decided to go out balls to the wall. I swept my hand out towards the crows and then The MacHalo.

“You may say that I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one. “ I said and pointed to The MacHalo. My friends joined me in a reverent head bow and the next thing you know the air was filled with quick bursts of lights and the sound of clicking cameras. The crowd of tourists had gone into a picture taking frenzy. I then retrieved The MacHalo without a word while several more tourists continued to take photos of The MacHalo as we made our way out of the park.

Mia