eavesdropping....

Tonight while riding the monorail into downtown disney I was observing a fellow LDS family riding next to us. You may ask how I know they were LDS? The Utah t-shirts and over the knee denim shorts were a dead give away( I'm still not sure where you can buy those shorts and who manufactures them, to call them a fashion crime is a mild commentary). If I was unsure with those two tip off's the conversation clenched it, as follows. "My friend Carrie's brother went to New York City and she said he wore a funny t-shirt and the only people who laughed at it or made any comments were other tourists, New Yorker's didn't even take the time to notice it. They just aren't very friendly or open people", then a general murmur of agreement then I hear what I think is the mother "Jeffery, we've got to get you on an airplane before your mission. I'd hate to have you say that was your first time on an airplane. Or do you think that would be a good thing and you'll be blessed for that?". Is it any wonder that to the outside world Mormon's seem odd? As soon as I overheard the NYC comments my mind flashed back to my last trip to NYC. Keil and I went for our anniversary a year and a half ago it was magical. Keil worked the first two days so I just took 2 days to explore the city. I'd been there before but I wanted to spend some time checking out some new places. I found a local's bagel bakery, decked out in full hanukkah decoration's (it's called essa bagel) and ate my breakfast, 3 days in a row. On the third morning in the guy behind the counter said to me "come over here" and waved me to his end of the glass case, "I've got something for you" he handed me a black and white cookie "You are beautiful, have a cookie on me!"How sweet, and of course the cookie was one of my favorite's. Then I thought about the trip to Lord and Taylor's for my anniversary gift I fell in love with a fur hat and I tried to talk myself out of it several times I mean it seemed very frivolous for a girl who lives in the hottest city in America! But I came back later in the day I just wanted it, silly as it seemed and Keil was happy to buy me something I really wanted. The woman who helped us at the counter said she had worked there for thirty years, when I told her we were celebrating our anniversary and this was my present she told me that the hat was on sale today, just for me! I'm sure after thirty years she had some leverage or maybe her family owned the store all I know was how sweet she was and Keil really appreciated the gesture and I scored the hat 50% off! Yeah, I love a bargain! That trip to NY I really felt loved by that city, as we walked back from watching the NYC Ballet perform the nutcracker suite the snow just began to lightly drift down. I told Keil "I could live here, I just love it here"! Maybe looking for the good and not the differences is what made my experience so nice. I'm not really sure but it's easy to find fault I'm sure it's always there but I'd rather not look too hard. As for Jeffery, not that your asking my opinion but I'd say yes take that airplane ride all the way to NYC and get a salt bagel with cream cheese you'll never forget it!