The Current on Top of the Past

I used to work with a woman at work who believed in "practical miracles." Basically, this was someone's explanation that "things happen for a reason," but they wrote a book about it. I was never one to believe that things might not really just be coincidences. Para-normal explanations, and guidance by Higher Powers never appealed to me.

So, not to suddenly offer an event that renders me a convert, I do offer what I'm sure would be construed as proof by believers. Certainly by Isabel. And after all, what do I really know?

Sunday afternoon and headed for the city yesterday to attend a concert at Carnegie Hall. We have a three concert subscription to the St. Luke's Orchestra, and while not being a complete classical music fan I have come to enjoy it over the years and even emerge knowing something about it. Like, when the composers lived, etc. and the difference between a sonata and a concerto.

My wife's not as keen on it as I am, but she likes going into the city, likes eating out, and sometimes feels quite refreshed from the nap she gets. The seats are great, and offer great value. We've been doing it for several years now. It's replaced hockey games. (She also occasionally does something with the stemware from the Carnegie Cafe, but I don't think I can be made to testify against her as long as we stay married. They'll never get her. She's just too damn good at it.)

I do not buy the Sunday Times for many reasons, but I do log on and check the obituaries and if I remember, check out Dave Anderson in sports. I do not follow hockey anywhere on the level of being the season ticket holder I was for 11 years--with no Stanley Cup to show for it. There were the remains of some fine seasons about them, but no championships for me.

And so it was yesterday that I found out in Dave's story that the New York Rangers were finally honoring two veteran players who I remember seeing play in the 1960s. I had heard this was going to happen, but didn't know when. Their numbers were to be retired. Harry Howell, No. 3 and Andy Bathgate, No. 9. Much can, and later will be written about that segment of the story, but because I'd be in the city, and Penn Station is under the Garden, I thought about buying a souvenir program on the way home. I figured $15 would do it.

Well, it was $20, but absolutely worth it. Nicely bound, full of black and white photos, reprints of news stories, writers' stories, NO ADS, it is a true collector's item.

So, going home on the train the Carnegie Hall program sat on top of the Ranger souvenir book. The current on top of the past. I was a bit of a kid reading and looking at it on the way home. It was not until this morning that I noticed the book was numbered on its spine. There is a four digit number...of 5000.

The number is the year I was born.

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