The LIRR

Mr. Butler, who lived across the street from us in Bellmore, worked for the Long Island Railroad. I always looked with awe on his work growing up there. The LI double "R" as it sometimes calls get us LIers where we need to go. It has come a long way.

Yesterday, after a pastors meeting in Massapequa Park, my friend George dropped me off at the station. I got my ticket through the automated machine. I was heading into Flushing to meet Lucy. She was coming out of the city at the time I was heading in. I got on one of the new trains, complete with air conditioning. I was able to relax and enjoy the jaunt along the south shore where I grew up. Visible from the train were some of our old fishing spots- we would spend hours there day after day in the summer. Strangely enough but not surprisingly really there were no kids. Computers, DVDs, air conditioned houses (an absolute luxury when I was a kid) have kept the kids of today locked up, leaving the outdoors to itself. They do not know what they are missing and I would not trade my memories of fishing in Twin Lakes for all the money in the world... If MasterCard made commercials back in the 60's... a fishing rod at Robinhood's- $1.95, all the hooks you could ever use- 49 cents, fishing line- 59 cents, memories of days spent fishing in Bellmore and Wantagh- priceless! Sorry for the digression. Back to the LIRR... I arrived safely at my connection in Woodside and jumped on the 7 train and met Lucy. It is always an adventure to travel by train for me. I love trains. I guess that is why every Christmas for the past 50 years a set of Lionel Trains have been around our Christmas tree. My dad bought them in Queens coming out of the subway in December 1956. I was 5 months old. He said he bought them for me. Yeah right!