Marty B: December Synchroncity II: From 12/23/05

While looking at future job opportunities uptown, as the Good Fight is falling victim to TC Literacy downtown, a guy comes up to me in a principal's office and recognizes me after about a 40 year hiatus. It's the enigmatic, at least as I remember him, Marty B (we are protecting his full name due to his professional notoriety). Marty was a Knickerbocker Village neighbor, a punchball and stickball veteran of Tanahey Park, a bowling buddy at the City Hall Lanes (now J&R Music) and a little league teammate whose sister Jane gave me guitar lessons when I was about 11 or 12. Looking back on a life whose summit was unfortunately reached 11 and a half (in the upper crust of smart kids in the 6th grade at PS 177 and a top pitcher in the predominantly Italian lead Two Bridges Little League). Combine that with the prettiest babe in Knickerbocker, Nancy Bueller, as a girl friend. What the heck happened? Anyway, I tearfully told Marty when I saw him, that his father was responsible for one of my best memories. While waiting for my guitar lesson to start on a Monday or Tuesday, the quiet Mr. B said to me, "You made us all (read Jews) very proud when you beat St. Joseph's last week."