A Brooklyn Christmas

There is no place in the world like Dyker Heights, Brooklyn to see Christmas lights. This being an old Italian neighborhood, it reflects all the wonders of Italian culture. Street after street is lined with lavish Christmas decorations. One street, 84th between 11 & 12th avenues, is by far the most amazing block of all. Cars line up for a 30 to 45 minute wait just to go to up this block. On one of my walks I ventured down this block. It was just about night with the light beginning to sparkle. One home owner who had just moved onto this block did not realize that between thanksgiving and new years his block would be a virtual parking lot. This was his first year to try and match what his neighbor had put up. He had erected a fully animated Ferris wheel in the Christmas theme with lights surrounding. This might seem like a lot, but his neighbor had erected nearly 150 lite wooden soldiers along with a driveway adorned in angels with a magnificent chair that would seat a real Santa Claus. The final home at the end of this block was adorned with a huge Santa and Wooden soldiers.

People who drive by these homes are amazed at the wonder of the lights and decorations. This has been going on since I lived in Brooklyn, for nearly 30 years. There are many stories as to how this all got started. One story, regarding the largest display centers around a child that died earlier in the year and the parents being without their child on the following Christmas took to making their amazing display. Of all the holidays that we Americans celebrate during the year, Christmas holds a lot of emotions. Like Thanksgiving, it is another family day but adds to it the dimension of gift giving. There are many categories of gift giving. We give gifts to some people because we love them, like our children and significant others. Others are on our obligation list. In some cases we have no clue what to buy a person and often get the wrong gift as is demonstrated when the person opens their present with no emotion. My friend collects gifts that she calls “forward gifts”… that will eventually be given in their original state to others.

This year two things have changed my gift giving patterns. Number one – I am broke. Number two – Corporate American has truly shown its cards with all the greed over this past year. The first reason is largely due to the second reason. This situation has given me a good excuse to review what Christmas is really all about. I have enjoyed being in Church several times a week to quietly pray for my life and those around me. I have come to appreciate what it means to “Not be of this world”. Again, American corporate businesses are trying once again to distort Christmas. Bigger and bolder sales, Non-ending emails on the latest and greatest Christmas gifts. This year, I feel like all of this promotion really smells.

If you look around my house, you will find that the longest lasting gifts are the ones people made for me. One is a simple cross my granddaughter created several years ago. One is a book with notes of encouragement from a Bible Study group I taught in the late ‘80’s. What wonderful memories they bring. The gift of Love from our hearts is worth a lot to the recipient. Hopefully in this difficult economic time we can take advantage of what has happened and grow closer to Christ.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Barre

We are a week and 2 days from Christmas. Yesterday it was 62 degrees out and today it snowed. Each day that it is reasonable nice out, meaning that it is above 20 degrees and not pouring rain, I take a walk. On one walk I go towards Coney Island. The nice part about this walk is that when you get there, you see the ocean and feel the salt air. It is very relaxing.

Unlike my walk along the Hudson river and under the Verrazano Bridge, this walk is mostly on the streets. The attached picture is at Cropsey and Neptune Avenues looking towards the parachute drop. This is a very interesting picture for many reasons. One is that it portrays the intensity of the city with all the wires and buildings and cars. There is a sort of entanglement that is felt. This corner is two blocks from the Boardwalk. Now if you look very closely there is, in the midst of this entanglement an oasis. In the very center of this picture is a Church. This church is a Roman Catholic Church. I happened to visit this church during the early summer months and was very surprised at how many people attended this church. There was a rich balance ethnically and economically. The Priest in charge is a very down to earth man who each week gives a very simple message of hope and a challenge to dedicate ones life to Christ. To my surprise this church seemed to be very evangelical. Most every hymn we sang was of protestant origin. Inside the church was a beautiful sanctuary done in with Spanish influences. There is an amazing quietness there. At that point I started popping in on Sundays before I went to work on the boardwalk. But no more than 5 or so weeks past and the Priest went on vacation and was replaced by a foreign priest from Jamaica that I could not understand. So I stopped.

Seven months past and I again began passing this church on my newly established daily walk. So one day I opened the front door (it was unlocked) and walked in to sit and be quiet. The morning communion service was just starting so I joined the 10 people and received communion. How absolutely wonderful I felt after this refreshing meal. I prayed for a while and continued to the boardwalk. The next day I was back for more.

Although there are only 10 older people during the week at this 8am service, on Sundays there are about 600 people attending.

People today are very stressed with life. The greedy American corporations and our leaders have led our country down a pretty difficult path. I don’t know about you, but the most wonderful place to be is the House of the Lord. No matter what is happening in the world outside, inside is always protected by God’s presence. There is a young mother that works at one of the businesses I program for. She makes virtually nothing and has the total responsibility of caring for her child. On Friday night after I finish my work I offer her a ride home. Last week I asked her if she was feeling stressed by all that was going on. Without hesitation she replied, “I am not of this world!”. How simple is that thought.

Halfway along my walk to Coney Island is a house that is set back from the street. There are several trees in the yard and on one tree stump is a beautiful figurine. A little Tinkerbelle as it were is laying exhausted from life’s challenges. Thank God for the Christ’s Church that offers hope in the midst of our exhaustion.

Many Blessings,
Barre.

Brooklyn Bus Driver Killed

Last Wednesday a NYC bus driver was stabbed to death while driving his bus in Brooklyn. My Godson, Eric was just about to start his route when this event happened. Eric drives in the same area of Brooklyn where this incident took place. Needless to say we were very disturbed at this event.

The buses in NYC are a major means of transportation. Taking a bus is very different than taking the Subway. Buses are much more personal than trains and people are more likely to engage in conversations with strangers on a bus than on a train. On a bus it is very easy to beat a fare. Fare beaters often enter by the back of the bus. Some fare beaters pass the driver and ask to be let on and many drivers will let that happen. Some fare beaters after they are on will ask for a transfer so as to not have to beg a second driver for a free ride. For a bus driver it is one thing to sneak on a bus without paying for a fare, but a far different thing to sneak on and then want a transfer. There are some people whose brains don’t calculate the fact that they are not entitled to a transfer.

I often ride the bus with Eric and there isn’t a run that he drives without several people who get on the bus for free. Saturday evening for example one guy got on with no less than 12 zero balance fare cards, which is another trick. Eric wanting to get going just told him to go ahead. For a while I used to categorize the fare beaters and count them so as to see what kind of patterns would develop.

On Wednesday a young man of 21 entered the bus through the back door. He went a few stops and got off through the front door. He asked the bus driver for a transfer and the driver hesitated but gave the kid the transfer. The young man punched him in the head and started to get off the bus. Then the young man turned around and stabbed the bus driver multiple times, at which point the man fled on foot and the bus driver slumped over his wheel and died there on the bus. The driver of the bus that had pulled up behind him got off her bus to see what was going on. She freaked out seeing the sight of the driver slumped over the wheel with his guts hanging out. The police arrived first and pulled the driver from the seat and took him to the hospital in their car. He was DOA.

The shock of this horrible event sent waves throughout our city. Every bus changed it Outside Title to the B46 in honor and respect of their fellow bus driver. Eric and his family were very shaken by this event. By the end of the week all were exhausted from thinking about whether there would be copy cat events. Eric was especially worried, wondering whether he would make it home from work without incident. In all of our minds was what affect it would have on his 2 year old son if he did not come home after work because of a violent event.

A day after the crime was committed the man was arrested. His drug supplier had turned him in. The man had a long history of violent crimes and was currently on probation.

New Yorkers viewed this differently than when a policeman or firefighter was killed in the line of duty. It is not the duty of a bus driver to be killed over a fare. There was a sense of enragement over this event and a deep sadness that his family would be forever affected. The funeral viewing is today. The MTA has arranged special buses to take its employees to the funeral home and again tomorrow for the actual funeral.

Not everyday is bright and sunny here in Brooklyn.


Pictures: 1. Barre on the B15 2. Eric on the B61 3. Barre And Little Eric at the beginning of the B46, the line where on which the bus driver was killed.