Last Monday I unavoidably found myself heading west on W. 66^th St between Broadway & Amsterdam at 4:00 PM, the same time two area high schools were in the process of   dismissal.  As I was dodging in and out of the throngs of boisterous students one of the kids suddenly picked up a signboard advertising weekly chamber music concerts held at the church next to my apartment building. He lifted it over his head pretending to throw it at a group of approaching kids. After a brief hesitation he instead hurled it violently to the sidewalk scattering signboard pieces, leaflets and frightened kids all over the street.

I hadn’t noticed the man walking behind me until I jumped aside to avoid the crashing signboard & debris. We came to a stop inches from each other and turned in unison to watch the perpetrator saunter away laughing uproariously at the havoc he had caused. As our eyes met (he looking down and me straining up to see his face) I said “should we go after him” (easy for me to act brave when my potential partner was at least 6’3, built like an iron man and, not to mention,drop dead handsome)?  He paused for a second, smiled and said “then I’d have to deck him and then I’d probably have to  do the same to all the kids who would be joining in, then it would become a free for all, then the police would be called, then everyone would recognize me and I would wind up signing autographs for the rest of the day”!  By the time he finished his commentary, instead of being angry I was laughing and thoroughly charmed as we bent down to clean up the mess together.  Who was he you ask? I‘m sorry to report I have no idea but he definitely had a presence and a great sense of humor.

With a nod to Dr Seuss, I walked away thinking to myself “and to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street”