Sunday, March 30, 2008

Lucy and the Senator from New York; or, To Think that I Saw it on 5th Ave.

We went to the Saint Patrick Day's parade today (don't ask) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and had a memorable time. I took my 2-year-old daughter Lucy along and told her we were going to see the "people in the street," in a tone that conveyed that this was something she might like. In fact, she seemed so eager to see the "people in the street" that she practically pulled me down to the corner herself once we got outside. Johanna had to catch up with us later.

We got there just as the lead police horses were passing by. At the sight of this and the drum corp that followed, Lucy froze in amazement and remained that way for the remainder of the parade. She was most entranced by those horses, by these two clowns who were carrying a green banner and honking, and by this giant eagle that was strolling down the street waving to people. She kept looking down the street after it had gone saying "Where'd he go?" She was also glad to get a yo-yo that was handed to her by an employee of Commerce bank and which was emblazoned with their logo. She later saw a green balloon fly by that someone had let go and she pointed at it and followed it with her eyes as it drifted into the cold blue sky. When the balloon was gone she cast her eyes back down to the street and as she did she noticed these three teenage boys who had taken up a perch on the top of a building across the street. She pointed to them and kept saying "look at the guys!" This was an eventful day.

Towards the end of the parade, after about a half dozen bagpipe bands, several vintage cars, a lot of green hats and wigs, twirlers, vans, the aforementioned giant eagle, flags, and vendors, we saw Senator Charles Schumer walking up the street. Apparently he was born in Brooklyn and still resides in Park Slope, and he was here today in Bay Ridge paying his respects to the Irish.

Just as he and his retinue were passing in front of us, the parade paused. As the Senator was glancing around, looking for a target for his next wave, he saw Lucy who was in my arms in front of the Benjamin Moore paint store. He broke from his people and came over. He asked Lucy's name, complimented her shoes (which we had just bought her the day before at Payless - they are white faux-patent leather, with little mauve flowers on the straps...the Senator has remarkably good taste), and wistfully remembered when his daughters were young. It was a very nice moment and we were thrilled to have talked with him however briefly.

I didn't have the heart to tell Senator Schumer that Lucy is an avid Obama supporter, that every time she sees him on television or in the paper she shouts out enthusiastically, "Barack Obama!"

Kids today. Like I said, memorable etc.

1 comment:

Mark said...

David,

Great post. Charles Schumer here in The Ridge. Who knew?