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| Sunrise South Nyack - F LoBuono |
And, there are a multitude of reasons.
I experienced another today.
My first stop on my almost daily sojourn from my apartment in South Nyack into downtown Nyack was the Korean-American grocery store, Park's Village Market, near the corner of Broadway and Main. First, it is no accident that a town as diverse as Nyack would have a Korean-American deli at the corner of the quintessential American intersection. It's owned by the Park family. I was at the check-out counter with my usually daily supply of fresh fruit. Doing my part for the environment, I placed the tallied items in a canvas bag that I always bring with me. The Asian woman who works most days behind the counter, offered:
What happened to your red bag?"
It took me a second to realize what she was talking about when I remember I had always used a bright red shoulder bag to carry my bootee. I used it so much, it had gotten, shall we say, ratty. Today's satchel was just plain white. When I did remember, I smiled broadly and said:
Oh, THAT one. It's been retired. My girlfriend said that it was getting a little embarrassing. So, she gave me a new one.
The woman thought that was just hysterical. Her laughter was contagious and we had a good belly laugh together.
I made my next stop at the liquor store, Palmieri's, near the opposite corner to resupply my bourbon stocks. Perhaps, I shouldn't admit to this but I've been there enough that the owners know me, too. The young, dark woman behind the counter, by her appearance an Indian or Pakistani-American, chatted politely while I made my purchase. Smiling broadly, I wished her a good day and continued my sojourn.
Heading south on the east side of Broadway (I used the west side when I was heading north), I approached the Art Cafe when I spied a group of mostly older women excitedly greeting one another at the cafe's entrance. It was obvious by their love and enthusiasm that they were friends who had not seen one another for some time. As I got closer, I noticed a distinguished looking older gentleman with a shock of wild white hair on his head and a silver topped cane in his hand among the ladies. He fixed his attention on one particular woman and heard him say with a thick Yiddish accent:
Ooooh, dahling. You look fantastic. Just beautiful. Only, please don't tell my wife I told you so!
They both laughed hardily as I strolled past them. I couldn't help but grin broadly.
About a block later, just on the edge of "downtown", I was passing a parked car. Latin music was blasting from the open windows. As I got closer, I could see a young, dark-haired woman behind the wheel. She was singing, unabashedly, along with the music blaring on the car radio. I swear I saw that car rockin'!
As I strolled further from the heart of town and more into the residential area, the bustle of business was replaced with the drone of the ever-present leaf blowers. They serenaded me for the remainder of my journey home. It completes the picture of a day in our villages.
People are rightly concerned about the new boom in high-density housing. It is bound to have SOME effect on the village. There will be challenges to infrastructure and the environment. These issues must be addressed. But, we must also temper our findings because our villages have always been about the PEOPLE who make it. May it always be that way. But, for now, they are still easy to find . . .
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