A (bumpy) magic carpet ride

What a Thursday, May 2 adventure.

It began 5:30 a.m. at the Alexandria, Virginia bus shelter where wife Claudia Cox Dawkins and I took the city bus to the Pentagon Metro station, then to Washington, DC Union Station, and then to MARC commuter rail, and finally a Lyft ride to the Morgan State University campus.

I taught my 9 a.m. media research class. Nine of my 24 students watched the first half of the documentary “Turn Every Page,” which will be the foundation of the students’ final writing assignment.

Students in my remaining two classes [Media Literacy, and the African Diaspora and Communication] were tasked to work on assignments independently.

Because Claudia and I were on the move again: Amtrak from Baltimore to New York City to see the screening of "Al Primo & his Eyewitness News Revolution," directed and produced by Professor Brian Calfano of the University of Cincinnati. The screening was at ABC-Disney-ESPN headquarters in Lincoln Center. ?

Primo revolutionized local TV news profoundly. I feel honored and fortunate that I was sought out by Calfano to collaborate and advance the project.

Also thrilled that my friend and No. 1 advocate was with me to experience the fast-paced, marathon run, even when the night ended bizarrely.

Let me explain. I am a native New Yorker – Brooklyn specifically – but I left the city four decades ago. However, when I visit, like riding a bike, I shift into the region’s frenetic pace.

As a husband, that behavior can be perilous. We used a public bus, a 15-minute NJ Transit ride from Port Authority Terminal, to get to our Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey.

My peril began when the bus dropped us off along Route 3, a quarter mile from the hotel. The walking distance was reasonable, however, we had to cross a four-lane highway with our bags. Furthermore, most of the road lacked curbs and was not pedestrian friendly.

Claudia was I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-throat furious, and her rage was justified.

Yet we survived the challenge. At her request we stayed an extra day to recover, and our return to the NY Amtrak station and destination DC was via Uber, not a transit bus.