We are all pieces of the puzzle.
In my role as a member of the New York State Assembly, I meet a lot of people and I’m always amazed at the different communities and the rich variety of people who make up this great state.
Many refer to New York as a diverse mosaic where each small piece has its own distinct beauty. Personally, I prefer to think of the millions of my fellow New Yorkers as pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. A mosaic is certainly beautiful, but each piece stands alone, separated from those around it except for the glue that binds it together.
A puzzle is different. Every small piece is connected to the others in an interlocking fashion to create a large picture. Every little piece counts as an integral part of the whole.
New Yorkers are like a puzzle. We may have different backgrounds, distinct lifestyles, and our own personal aspirations, but each of us is joined in a big picture and together we make a spectacular whole.
I sit in the Assembly chamber with 149 other members, each of whom represents the interests of their constituents. The issues that concern upstate residents may be different from those in NYC, and the challenges in small towns are nothing like those in the big cities. Yet in order to make progress, we work together to pass legislation that would benefit the state as a whole.
We are all pieces of the huge and vibrant puzzle. Together we strengthen each other. We may all be unique, but in so many ways we are all the same.
