Street Theater

Pleasantville, NY

If ever there was a village in America that looked like a Norman Rockwell painting, it was Pleasantville, N.Y. 

The reason that name sounds familiar is that it was the home of READER'S DIGEST  magazine when we were growing up. LIFE was the number ONE magazine in our house READER'S DIGEST was a close second and TRUE DETECTIVE was third, but only my Dad got to read that one.

 In the early 80's the film company I was working for had a contract with Reader's Digest for slide show productions and asked me to make a courtesy call on them at their corporate headquarters.

 That's how I came to find myself one beautiful spring morning driving into the prettiest little village that I ever saw and inhaling the most refreshing and fragrant air that I can remember. (last year Pleasantville was voted the second best smelling town in America by GQ magazine).

 There must have been more to it than just that little village and the spectacular scenery that  made such an impression on me. Likely, it was a combination of things...like the spring weather, perhaps a happy phone call to Linda and the kids earlier that morning, and last, but not least, simply still being healthy and in my 40's!

 Whatever it was, I wish I could have bottled that feeling!

 As I approached the business section I saw a Good Humor Truck parked on the left side of the street and thought to myself at the time "that's all that was needed to complete this Norman Rockwell painting in my mind.  A Good Humor man outside his truck chatting with one of the citizens.

 The spell was broken, though, moments later when the man suddenly rared back and sucker punched the Good Humor Man in the face with his fist...and ran to his car and drove off.

And thus ended my brief visit to the Norman Rockwell world. It was a nice place to visit, but...unfortunately, it doesn't exist on this planet.

-Ed