Musical Insurgency
Volume 4 Book 2 of
Living in the Bonus Round
(Part 3)

[ Book 4-1 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ] [ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ]
[ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ] [ Pt 11 ] [ Pt 12 ] [ Pt 13 ] [ Pt 14 ]  -- [ Book 4-3 ]

September 30, 2004.
Going Home To Brooklyn.

We decided on one of our days off to do something we've never really done before. In this, our 20th year together we went back to Jimmy's childhood home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn -- and to find his favorite meditation spot. Here is a picture gallery of that visit.

Leaving the Chelsea Pines, taking the subway on the corner.

In the subway station at 14th St. / 8th Ave.

This way to Brooklyn!

Down another staircase. Into the shiny car.

Crossing the bridge, looking back at Manhattan.
The Bay Ridge station.

It started to rain. We decided to wait to see if it would stop. It did.

Jimmy was an altar boy in this church.

When he was a child, he thought this was the "real" pieta.

This is Flagg Court, his childhood home.

Pointing to the old Flagg Court theatre where Jimmy wrote and directed
"The Flagg Court Follies" when he was 13 years old.

Now it's a storage room. Notice the arch of the old theatre.

Where Jimmy's dad held court.

We had one sad moment. When Jimmy was growing up, his favorite place in the universe, his sanctuary, was the rooftop of Flagg Court. From there he could see the entire New York harbor and the skyline of Manhattan. He would sit there and watch the cruise ships sail out of the harbor.

So we entered the building and began our way up.

At the very top of the last set of stairs, though, we encountered this:

NO ACCESS.
ALARM WILL SOUND.

Jimmy was devastated. This was the whole point of our trip. What could have happened?

Outside on the sidewalk, we ran into an older man coming out of the building. We asked him how long he'd be there and if he knew what the deal was with the roof. His answer:

"9/11. This roof overlooks the entire harbor. Homeland Security closed it up."

Jimmy looked at him, shocked. "I never thought about all the little things that would be affected by 9/11. When I lived here, the roof was my favorite place. Without the roof this is just another building full of rooms."

He smiled sadly and we left just as the chilly rain was beginning to softly fall again.

 

© 1996-2004 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.