Whoa Nellie !
They say time passes faster as you get older. Well, these Facebook Memories certainly validate, if not punctuate that.
This is such a huge memory from Bayside’s past, as well as my own.
It was the start of one of the greatest events of my life.
It was FIVE years ago that I was fighting to give my childhood home of Bayside a much needed Arts Center in the middle of town, at a great location right next to the train station that would have not only made a great contribution to the lifestyle of our local community, but given Bayside’s incredibly robust Restaurant Row a little Sparkling Diamond of a Cultural Center in the middle of it to add to Bayside’s, and Bell Boulevard’s appeal and draw as a destination, and that would have resulted in a lot more cash flowing into the local cash registers.
It promised to be a very rewarding project and was starting to generate great press, praise and appreciation.
It had a growing following of people from the neighborhood who enjoyed seeing new things happen on the boulevard and now having something that fed and stimulated their minds, in deference to the blvd’s availability of great alcoholic beverages who’s side effects do not necessarily have the same effects on the brain.
It had people lingering and talking with each other after every performance or art opening, and I can’t begin to describe what it felt like, to stand witness to the unexpected and delightful consequence, of friendships being made right in front of you.
I had never really experienced that. Certainly not in such abundance and frequency. Like turning the soil in a field and suddenly having all these colorful, aromatic flowers pop up.
Well, real estate interactions took place and we lost control of the location that’s now been occupied by a business that in my estimation does little to nothing for the community nor offer the highest and best use for the location to the town or even the landlord.
It was right about this time that I met the most beautiful and vibrant woman on the Boulevard. Margarita Parlionas.
She managed a restaurant three blocks down that had this huge outdoor, beer garden type backyard that was perfect for art exhibits and events and thanks to Margarita’s vision and business savvy, we started moving the events we had been scheduling for the Art Center down to her place.
Life happens, things change, seasons pass and covid pandemics come and go,
and these things can leave an awful lot of emptiness behind.
Like the “Vacant- For Rent” sign on the door, under the “Supper Room” awning that still hangs above the entrance to her place.
But damn, if Facebook with these “Memories” doesn’t facilitate flashbacks of what were “all consuming”, heartbeat quickening potentials of things we hoped would happen,
along with the beautiful and exquisite memories of the magical things that did.
