Fools and Kings

Now I know why they call it Brooklyn on the Hudson.

My sister and I took a ride up to Beacon, N.Y. on Saturday and we had a blast.

Once again, my sister took the lead on this adventure, getting me up off my keester, out the door and away from my precious comfort zone.

The original plan was to Metro North our way up to Poughkeepsie, but that’s a longer haul and best started earlier in the morning and later in the season to catch the fall foliage.

So, we switched up and headed for Beacon.

I texted our friend, Paula, a Beacon resident, whom I had not seen in years, from Grand Central to let her know we were on the way, and she very graciously met up with us on ridiculously short notice to provide a first-class tour of this funky little burg.

The city in Duchess County has been a favorite relocation spot for New Yorkers, as they ditch the city’s high rents and assorted madness and book to Beacon.

That migration only intensified with the COVID-19 outbreak.

The town was created by merging the villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing. The name Beacon referred to signal fires that were built to warn George Washington that the British were coming.

We pretty much stuck to Main Street during our visit, which had plenty to offer in the way of cool shops and restaurants.

I was having such a great time that I forgot to whine about the end of summer and the coming winter apocalypse.

Meanwhile, Paula was greeting so many people in town that I suggested she run for mayor. She’s got my vote and I don’t even live there.

A Strange, Enchanting Boy

We had lunch at the Yankee Clipper Restaurant, which opened its doors in 1946 and appeared in the Paul Newman movie Nobody’s Fool.

And, of course, Paula knew the guy who cleared our table.

Other points of interest include the Howland Cultural Center, which was once the former public library, and the Reformed Church of Beacon, the oldest church in town.

On our way downtown, we stopped by a place called Beans Cat Café, which brings coffee and felines together for some serious kitty therapy.

The place has two sides: the cat lounge, where humans and cats can mingle, and the café, which has coffees, teas, lattes and baked goods.

While we were looking through the window we stood next to this quite little boy. He was about 10 years old and wearing a button that said “Cats and plants are all I need.”

Boys that age aren’t usually interested in cats or plants, so I was intrigued by this soft-spoken, slightly built young man.

He was with a couple I suspect were his grandparents and he told us that he had two cats of his own.

I only spoke with him for about minute, but I found myself thinking about him the rest of the day.

I love the fact that he’s different—or at least appears different from other kids—but that’s also cause for concern.

Children often react badly to someone who is different and they can be rather cruel. And adults aren’t much better.

“I’m afraid he’s going to be bullied,” I said to my sister as we walked back to the train station.

She pointed out that times have changed since we were children and I really hope that’s true. Kids like that should be encouraged and supported, not harassed.

Obviously, I’m taking this personally, as I had trouble fitting in as a kid and I haven’t gotten the hang of it yet.

I wish I had spent more time talking with the boy and found out more about him—like his name for starters.

I certainly hope he retains his love of plants and cats, so he can be a beacon to other kids.

And when he gets older he can run for mayor.