Saturday, December 13, 2008

Department of Good Intentions

Yesterday I went to the main post office opposite Penn Station. It is an impressive building. Having posted my packages, I looked about me for photo opportunities.


......manned/womaned by nimble female elves.
 The  walls are decorated with these charming, vast pictures on canvas. Here Santa, in the form of the public, can choose letters from needy families to respond to. Some of the letters are very hopeful and ask for things like Nintendo Wii.........hmmmm.
Some are genuinely sad.

What if the people begging from Santa are utter crooks? We have to assume real criminals would be getting much better loot via hedge funds. Lots of people were chosing letters from all over the five boroughs. So, if you are passing by the James Farley Post Office on your way through Penn  Station, pop in.
A story: a family sent a goat to Africa. The family who recieved it couldn't afford to feed it. The goat ate the neighbors' crops and caused so much trouble the original family decided to eat it.
Such is life. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try at least.

Followed Susanna's example and went to look at Lord and Taylor's windows. The soldier's notice says, IMAGINATION IS THE BEST GIFT.

Children outside the Public Library climb on Aslan to soar who knows where.........

18 comments:

  1. Thank you for your visit to my blog. I am happy to meet you and to look at your blog. NYC is just one and a half hour from where I live...I don't get to the city as often as I would like...so it is nice to live vicariously through your blog.

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  2. Yes, imagination is the best gift. At least one of them. Aslan and the kids look like they really are flying with the flag in back furling out behind.

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  3. Your photographs of NY never fail to charm me - these Christmas ones are a delight. Interesting about the goat - charities here in UK are beginning to say that a goat is not such a good idea as they eat everything in their path. We did once send an in-calf cow - giving anything at Christmas time has got to be good, though - and even if (as you say) itis sometimes received by crooks - that shouldn't stop us trying. Thanks for a lovely post.

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  4. I've been the post office near by Penn station.
    Exactly great architecture.
    The pictures make my heart warm.

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  5. I love those words..imagination is the best gift..I never thought about those asking for gift from Santa are crooks..you do have a great imagination, or maybe I watch too much telly believing in too many things..hm.. :)

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  6. Yes, we should still keep giving, just investigate a little first...

    Delightful photo of Aslan and the children!

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  7. Imagination is the best gift certainly. But children nowadays rarely READ and imagine; videos do the imagining for them.

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  8. Imagination is a great gift. That story about the goat is so sad! This week I am going to head up to that area and soak in all of the Christmas lists.

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  9. Love the pix from the wall at the post office. I remember that they do this with letters to Santa each year. I am asking myself why I didn't go get a letter or two every year that I lived there (11).

    This year I sent off two large boxes of stuff for the troops, have a friend whose son is in Bahrain so I know it will go right to a person, who can be trusted to distribute the stuff. It' something I've always wanted to do.

    Thanks for the pics of NY (have I said that before? lol). It is a daily fix!

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  10. Back home in the USA, I used to participate in a gift-a-thon for AIDS-stricken families. The wishes were so heartbreakingly basic, like fresh bed linens, a sweater, mittens. The age of the children was given, so I tried to add some "luxuries" too. These were some of the best Christmas gifts I ever received, even though I gave them away. It's true, imagination is the best gift, but too many children have too hard a life, they need something of substance.

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  11. Funny, aslan is the turkish word for lion. How do you know?

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  12. Your photo of the kids outside the library on the lion is marvelous!!

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  13. Hoping that the Department of Good Intentions will grow and grow, because the good intentions of many people will get translated into many good deeds!

    Lovely city pictures. Don't you love those library lions. I want to know where their green wreath necklaces are this year! Budget restrictions, perhaps, but ... I do miss those wreaths.

    xo

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  14. Love the photo! Those kids sure are having fun. ;-)

    Poor goat! I was solicited to participate in the program that sends goats to other countries. Hmmm...

    Paz

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  15. Imagination is the best gift. The soldier is wise...

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  16. Next year...I am going to be in NYC for Christmas...that's my goal anyway to see this magical wonderland!!

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  17. Elizabeth, it was so nice to see you on Saturday. You always make me laugh. Thank you for meeting up with Valerie and me. :)

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I look forward to hearing from you!