It has been a wonderful summer in Great Barrington. So far, except for a few bad moments, it’s been perfect, so perfect that we just don’t want to screw it up. I should be scolding myself because in moments like these, the last thing you should do is to talk about how well things have been going. That’s called a kinehora. For those who are not conversant in Yiddish, a kinehora is like saying, “Don’t tempt fate.” It translates roughly to “no evil eye.”
I am trying my best to stay out of the town of Great Barrington because of the traffic. If they are traveling on Route 7, all those cars heading for points north or south will have an opportunity to go through our pristine little town. It is best to find ways around town that don’t involve driving on the main drag. I’ve found a short cut, but I’m not telling you!
There is now a movement on the part of a few people to alter the traffic pattern, as in the number of lanes in Great Barrington. Should there be one lane of traffic or two going through the town? Right now, there is a merging of traffic—back and forth. My approach is to leave well enough alone. Just look at the mess Pittsfield is in with a single lane of traffic on North Street when two lanes would be highly preferable.
Years ago when I was a camp counselor, I used to take the kids to Catskill Game Farm in Greene County. Thus, I am now very comfortable in Great Barrington which is quite reminiscent of the now abandoned game farm, what with the bears and foxes and rabbits and maybe even the occasional hyena. As far as I know, no one has ever been bitten by one of these animals. My bet is that when that happens for the first time in Great Barrington, things will change dramatically as far as the ability of the animals to live side by side with their human cousins. Unlike New York, we are not plagued by rats, but the lights that are designed to go on when an animal passes through our yard are forever going on and off. We can watch the resident bear on our TV and I expect that any day, he might wave at us.
It was great to see David Grover honored at the Gazebo at Town Hall. He was a wonderful, kind man and an extraordinary musician who was great with kids. I don’t like it when people die and I don’t get to see or talk to them anymore. That ain’t right.
We all have neighbors who make more noise than we might like. Unfortunately, they have every right to do that. They own their houses, and if they want to make noise, they can. Part of deciding where to own a home involves neighbors. The reason I could never live on Fire Island again is that the houses are packed against each other like sardines in a can.
Then there is the question of neighborhoods. We all know of the “Hill” where Roselle and I live. Some people believe that this is an exclusive neighborhood filled with upscale houses. Yes, there are some large houses there, however, if you walk the streets, you will also see smaller houses. To me this is an indicator that people are willing to quantify and compare and that frequently they are wrong in their conclusions. What is it in our psychological, sociological make up that make where you live so competitive?
Finally, why do so many houses have basketball hoops that are never used? Part of this relates to parenting and providing for children. I have always believed that basketball is an unnatural game created for tall people. What chance do short guys like me have? It’s just dumb.
