There’s a song called “Happiness” by Clark Gesner.
The first lines are:
Happiness is finding a pencil,
sleeping in moon light,
telling the time.
The song goes on to describe simple things that can make a kid happy. Thanks to Trilogy Consignment in Tarrytown, this kid has found happiness, and I have my own version of Gesner’s song:
Happiness is finding a pencil skirt,
while shopping consignment
in my home town.
Heh heh. Actually, at Trilogy, I found a grey wool dress with an empire waist, a dressy black blouse with a design of white and red dandelions, a soft brown and beige flannel shirt, and a groovy winter white half cardigan. Lovely!
Heather Reid, the shop’s owner, is a groovy woman herself. Not only does she provide Tarrytown with quality clothes at affordable prices, she also hosts Solidarity Salon, a weekly gathering of people who discuss social issues and concerns. I have attended five salons, and each time I have felt like I learned something, and I met new, nice people.
In keeping with my promise to live as John Stilgoe advises in his book Outside Lies Magic, I am always continuously inspired to discover new things, right outside my door, and I am grateful for Heather, Trilogy, and Solidarity Salon!
To sum up, here’s more Gesner:
Happiness is playing the drum
in your own school band,
and happiness is walking hand in hand.
And here’s me:
Happiness is playing dress up
in your own neighborhood
and finding an outfit that makes you feel good!
