That’s life 8-13-10

We were reading and relaxing; it was Shabbat after all, and I suddenly thought I heard bagpipes in the distance. I asked my husband if he heard it too, just to make sure I wasn't crazy. But quickly the sounds grew louder and I yelled to my husband and daughter to come outside right now! We ran to the corner and sure enough there were men in kilts playing bagpipes, marching up Central Avenue towards the Woodmere firehouse, followed by many more men and children and fire trucks parading up Central Avenue. Slowly all the residents of Central Avenue and the tree streets came out of their homes to watch in wonder as this parade appeared seemingly out of the blue. We turned to each other and smiled and chatted a bit, enjoying the parade that seemed spontaneous to us watchers, but which of course had been well planned and is an annual event. Members of all the local firehouses were out in uniform: Woodmere, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Meadowmere, and Valley Stream. Some people clapped and waved, others just stood and watched silently in admiration and appreciation. I felt that we were in Smalltown, USA and, although I'm really a city girl, it made my day!

Miriam Bradman Abrahams

Woodmere, NY

Dear That's Life,

A customer and his mother came into my store recently for a repair. The mom informed me that it was her son's birthday and so I asked the boy how old he was. As he was walking around the store taking practice swings with his imaginary bat, he answered that he was seven years old. Jokingly, I asked him if he had a girlfriend. Still taking "swings" around the store with his imaginary bat, he said 'no.' I told him he was young and maybe he should play the field.  As he continued walking and swinging, he informed me that he did not play the field - he played shortstop. That made my day.

Howie Kris

Look N' See

Lawrence, NY

Dear That's Life,

One night this week I took my niece out for our birthday shopping ritual. After shopping with her and going around the mall, we stopped into the Godiva store for our power drink, "The Chocolate Elixir." As the doors were closing at 9:30 pm, we got into the store in the nick of time. The sales person stated that they were closed, but I told her that we really needed our power drink and that I needed to get a new Godiva membership card because mine had been stolen. Those seemed to have been the magic words because at that point she said, "So what can I get you?" The glass doors to the store were now officially closed, but as the salesperson was preparing our drinks, another customer knocked on the door. Again, the saleswoman informed her that they were closed.

Another knock came from the door and it was the same woman who had tried to get in a minute before, but now she was trying to get my attention. She slipped a $20 through the glass doors and asked her to buy something. Being a kind person and a fellow chocolate lover, I took the money only after asking the salesperson if it was okay. After paying for our drinks, and buying what the other person had needed, we left the store to find the other woman excitedly waiting for her chocolate. I gave her the change and her bag, and she could not stop thanking me. She was so appreciative that she even wanted to give me a hug! I said, "No problem" and proceeded to get a hug from a complete stranger.

Never get between a woman and her Godiva chocolate.

Cindy Siri

Woodmere, NY