Under the Revolving Bubba Gump Sign

Beth came to town this week as one of the chaperones on a 4-busloads-of-teenagers excursion to New York City. They careened into town, they went to see Mamma Mia, they had an hour to kill (all 4 busloads) before heading back home. It was a pouring rainy day. One of the many we have had this week. Beth was in charge of 6 teenage girls – one of whom was her daughter. We had made plans to maybe meet up – in that hour she had free after the show. She would be in Times Square, I could meet them, whatever. We left it open … I just told her to call me when she was out of the show, and tell me where they were and I’d come find them. This is how it ended up working … and it’s just one of those glowing little moments of beauty, in the middle of what has been a chaotic and very weird week for me … a random moment of connection and funniness – which I was cherishing as it happened (and we all know how rare that is).

So. 4:30. My phone rings. It’s Beth. They’re out of the show. Heading down to Times Square. The girls want to shop. They need to be back at the bus by 6. I said I’d call them at about 5:15 – see where they were, and come to meet them. I was in the garment district at that point (37th, 38th). 5:15 comes. Let me reiterate: it is POURING. So here’s Beth – in charge of 6 girls – in the middle of Times Square – oh, and did I mention that Beth has completely lost her voice? She’s working to get it back again, but her voice is totally blown out – so she couldn’t shout, “COME THIS WAY, GIRLS” or “KEEP IT MOVING” or “WHERE’S SO AND SO???” It was quite a big job for one woman – I wished I had been around the whole day so that I could help her out.

I started to walk north towards Times Square, while on the phone with Beth. She, with her blown-out voice, was trying to get some kind of consensus from the girls of what they wanted to do. (Impossible.) The rain poured down. The streets were INSANE with people who were carrying deadly umbrellas. New York City should produce a pamphlet entitled “Proper Umbrella Behavior”. I’m telling you, it was nuts out. It had literally been raining all day, so there were massive lakes gathered at every street corner – so you couldn’t just step off the sidewalk, you had to go around the lake … which of course created a huge logjam. Times Square is always insane, but on a rainy day at around rush hour? You just want to escape!!

I was also aware of the time constraint … Beth would have to get her girls back to the bus on 55th and 8th by 6 pm. Hmmmm … how would THIS work? It was 5:15 … This was gonna cut it pretty close. Especially because on such a day, on such a rainy crowded day – it was impossible to just go from Point A to Point B. There were just too many people in the way.

So. I’m walking up 7th Avenue. I’m on the phone with Beth. I’m saying, “So … where are you now?” “We just passed the Olive Garden …” My mind blanked, trying to remember where there is an Olive Garden … Then Beth said, “We’re passing the ticket place …” Aha. TKTS. Yes, there is an Olive Garden just north of that … right smack-dab in the middle of Times Square. I am now crossing 42nd Street – so basically Beth and I are about 4 blocks apart right now.

It’s POURING. But thank goodness both of our phones kept working.

I said, “Okay … now … where are you in relation to …”
Beth said, “I see the Virgin Records store …”
“You do? Okay … I can too – I’m walking towards it from the southside …”
Beth said, “I’m on the opposite side of the street from it …”
“Me too!”
“So we’re on the same side of the street?”
“We basically are walking towards each other RIGHT NOW. Okay – so keep going the way you’re going … and eventually we’ll meet up. … So … what do you see now?”
“There’s the Toys R Us….”
“Yup. I see that too. Can you see the sign for the Hard Rock Cafe? It’s on our side of the street?”
“Uhhhhhmmmmm ….”
“Okay. Never mind that … How about the big revolving Bubba Gump sign?”
“Uhhhh … hmmmm….”
“Look up – it’s up in the air.”
Pause. Beth says, “Yes! I see it – I’m almost right beneath it.”
“I am approaching it now!”
Suddenly I was overwhelmed with happiness and humor – after the stress of the day – here we are, coming towards each other, unseen to one another, talking on our cell phones, heading towards the beaming beacon of the Bubba Gump sign. I could FEEL Beth coming towards me. It was hilarious!!!!

“I’m right under the sign now.” I said.
“I’m at the crosswalk.”
“Me too.”
“I’m waiting to cross the street.”
“Me too.”
I am peering at the crowd across the street … knowing Beth is in there SOMEWHERE!
“What are you wearing?”
“Pink raincoat. What are you wearing?”
“White raincoat.”
Okay – now we got the Walk sign.
I stepped into the crosswalk. “I am crossing right now.”
“So am I.”
“I am crossing … I am crossing …” (there are 100 people crossing around me. I could not see Beth … She is THERE SOMEWHERE.) Finally, I just put the phone down and screamed her name at the top of my lungs. It was just so funny to be in the middle of that moving swirling wet crowd – knowing my dear friend was 2 feet away but i couldn’t see her! And then – her face beaming under her white hood – there was my dear friend Beth. With 6 girls in tow.

What came next was a frenzied 40 minutes of shopping in Times Square (words cannot describe how crowded and insane it was!) Beth and I stood off to the side in various stores, and I heard about Beth’s crazy day – and then we would herd up the girls and go to the next store. We actually managed to do quite a bit before it was time for them to leave.

We went to:
1. The MTV store
2. The Virgin Records store
3. The Hershey store

That’s a LOT. With 6 girls! Who all want to buy things, and there are lines to the cash register everywhere! Beth and I would be having our hurried adult conversation, and then quickly – in the middle of it – doing a rushed headcount – before getting back to our adult talk.

It was literally 5 of 6 when we left the Hershey Store on, 47th I think it was … That gave them 5 minutes to run to 55th Street. It’s hard enough to do that when you’re by yourself, let alone having to harness together 6 girls who want to window-shop! Beth was right on top of it. “Girls. No browsing. No stopping. We must be back up there by 6 pm. We have to MOVE.”

Flurried hug with Beth. And I stood there watching as the 7 of them hurried up 8th Avenue, in the rain.

It was NUTS. But beautiful. A beautiful glowing little moment.