Cutting in Line

Tonight, we went to the weekly Sunday night classical music concert at LACMA.  (Every Sunday night, one hour, and free!)  Always a interesting and rewarding event.  The line was longer than we have ever seen before, because it was a large orchestra from the Coburn School of Music, ages 13 thru 18, and there were a lot of parents and grandparents and siblings in the audience.

Reminded me of my aunt Norma, who took her daughter, my cousin Ada,  and me often to the movies.  Norma was childlike and had a lot of flaws and difficulties in her life, but she could also be fun to be with, at least for me (not sure how it was for Ada.)

Norma would take us 69th Street in Philadelphia.  This was sort of on the boarder between the city, and the surrounding suburbs.  It was where the subway ended, and the beginning for the suburban street cars.  There was a lot of shopping there, and at least two big movie theaters.

When the three of us would get to the theatre, there would often be a long line, even during the day.  So, Norma would approach some good soul who was near the front of the line, and ask them if they would purchase our tickets when they bought theirs.  She always found someone who was willing to do it, and she would give them the money.  They would buy the tickets, give our tickets to Norma, and in we would go, ahead of all the other people in the line.

Norma did not have many scruples.  I thought it was very clever, but somewhat questionable.  But I did not object.

After these movies, we would often go to a nearby ice cream shop for banana splits: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, on a split banana, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, nuts and a maraschino cherry on top!!