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Writer's pictureBarbara Swanson Sherman

RESPECT

Last week after I posted pictures of Will Wegman's Weimaraners I made a tour of some of my favorite subway art. Here's one that really tickles me. In August 2018, this graffiti began to appear.


MTA sign, Franklin Ave, Aretha, RESPECT

Then someone put a homemade sign in the Franklin Street Station that said,


RESPECT


the MTA heard about it and said, "Hey, that's a great idea." And they caused to be made an official MTA sign.


Respect at Franklin Ave Station, MTA

Respect at Franklin Ave Station, MTA

Now both Franklin Street in Manhattan and Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn bear tribute to the Queen of Soul.

Isn't that cool? A bureaucracy said Yes.

It reminds me of Mayor Bloomberg's response to Christo and Jeanne-Claude when they came to him with the crazy idea of planting saffron-colored ceremonial gates all over Central Park. He said,

"Great, let's do it."

Christo and Jeanne-Claude said, "Huh?" They were used to spending years struggling to get their projects moving. they weren't ready for a yes.

It also reminds me of my son, Sam's, first catering job. The boss said, "Sam, you take a pastry bag and make the canapes."

When he told me about it I said, "Sam, do you know what a canape is? Have you ever used a pastry bag? Have you ever seen a pastry bag?"

He said, "No, but how hard could it be?"

It's nice when you can learn from your kids.

A while ago I decided to be a person who says yes. But then I was asked to help count the money from the collection plate at church every Monday morning.

"Well, I didn't mean that."

But I said yes. This morning, my counting partner, Roger Leaf, said,

"I'm on pins and needles. My daughter-in-law was just wheeled into the delivery room and I'm waiting for word."

We set about our business and then Roger's phone pinged.

"He's Here!"

And Marcos Leaf was welcomed into the world. And then came a picture of Marcos, age ten minutes with his happy Mom and Dad.

And I got to share the celebration because I said, YES.



If you're avoiding the subway these days, don't worry; I'll be posting more of my favorites in the coming weeks.





March 9, 2020

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