Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’

  1. International Aloha

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    September 25, 2015 by admin

    The Pope had not yet arrived in town, but the park was ready for him. An 8-foot fence had been set up around the perimeter of the park north to 81st Street, enclosing the benches that line Central Park West. Even the Majestic, the twin-towered coop at CPW and West 72nd St., had prepared for the crowds by wrapping all its plantings, those around the building as well as those in the curbside tree wells, in protective plastic day-glo orange netting.

    The day was ideal, warm, dry and bright with sunshine from a clear blue sky. No one else was working the fountain, so I gladly assumed center stage. An Israeli honeymoon couple was the first to contribute, 51 cents. A man from Spain gave me $1, followed closely by a young Romanian man and a red-bearded Turk, neither of whom gave me anything. Two Argentine women danced the hula. A couple from parts unknown gave me a dollar before sitting along the rim of the fountain near me. When I looked for them later to find out where they were from, they were gone.

    The Romanian man had been sitting on the cement benches, and after listening to several songs and watching a hula or two, walked up to me and put $3 in my case. “You are awesome,” he said.

    A Turkish woman stopped to give me a dollar and ask what instrument I was playing.

    The international flavor of the tourists in the park no doubt stemmed from the opening session of the UN General Assembly, scheduled for tomorrow. A tall man in his early 20’s was the last contributor of the day.

    “Where are you from?” I asked.

    “Iceland.”

    I reached out to shake his hand. “I’ve been doing this for many years, and you are my first Icelander.”

    “I’m not surprised, we are a very small country,” he said.

    The evil curse of the last few weeks had been lifted. With over $9 in my pocket — hardly a blow-out day, yet certainly respectable — I made my way out of the park, past the barricades. Tomorrow, Pope Day, I’ll stay home.

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