Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:26:18 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 35 - 36 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 35 -- A Bite of the Big Apple. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. ************************************************ AUTHOR'S NOTE: This original chapter was written months before 9/ll happened and I hope no one finds it inappropriate to include a discussion of the Twin Towers here. I would like to think that section might serve as another memorial to those who lost their lives on that tragic day and remind us what things were like before the world changed forever. ************************************************ The next week, I went out with Jake a couple more times, once to the driving range and then another time to the putting green. Jake was continually giving me reminders about some fundamentals I either didn't know or had forgotten since I'd stopped playing, so I found him to be a big help. I was growing more confident in my skills and was slowly approaching my old form. The boys seemed excited every time we went on one of these outings, although I wasn't quite sure why. They always asked me a ton of questions when I got home and were sometimes very persistent to find out what I'd done and if I'd enjoyed myself. I guess I was more than a little naïve about their intent, but I still thought their interest had more to do with Shannon than with Jake or me, except that by getting Jake and I to spend time together, it usually meant Shannon would stay at our place until we got back. Surrounded by my shell of denial about what my sons' intentions were, I remained oblivious to their diabolical scheme and was gradually falling into their trap. The boys were also excited the McCarthys would be joining us on our outing this coming weekend, but once more I believed it was because they enjoyed having Shannon along and never considered it had anything to do with either Jake or myself. Personally, I not only enjoyed Jake and Shannon's company, but having Jake volunteer as a second driver really got me out of a jam. It was obvious we weren't all going to fit into one vehicle and I didn't believe any of my drivers were ready to tackle big city traffic, especially New York City traffic. Since my sons could be impatient at times, I didn't think any of them could handle the frustrations and unexpected behaviors drivers are often confronted with when navigating in large urban areas. Getting from place to place is quite different there, from what the boys are used to dealing with where we live, so it was not only nice, but reassuring to have another experienced driver handling the Suburban. Not only that, but during my investigations I learned the driving age in NYC is eighteen, which meant Mark would be the only other one eligible to drive there, and I wasn't that sure of his driving skills. Sure, he had his license and I let him use the car while he was with us, but that is in a rural setting with limited traffic. I wasn't positive he had experience driving in congested areas or dealing with aggressive drivers, so having Jake along was a Godsend. Over the first few days of the following week, I would occasionally wonder how the Beckers were enjoying their trip, but my curiosity was sated when Wednesday's mail was delivered. After walking down to our mailbox, I happily discovered we had received a letter from Little Ricky. He had jotted down a brief description of the things they had done up to that point and sounded very excited about everything, including their flight. Not only that, but he also thanked me for the special treats I had waiting for them when they got there. Being someone who loved to plan surprises, I had made arrangements with the hotel to have certain items placed in their suite, so Little Ricky and his parents would discover them immediately upon entering their room. From what Little Ricky told me in his letter, it appeared the hotel must have also included a bonus of its own. Here is what I'd done. First, I had informed the Beckers they would take the hotel's shuttle bus from the airport to their lodgings. I felt that after being cramped up for the flight to Orlando, not to mention the time it took to drive us to the airport, I didn't think Mr. Becker would be up to trying to find his way from the airport to their lodgings, since he had no familiarity with the location. Therefore, I advised them they would take the hotel shuttle from the airport to where they would be spending the next few days. However, I didn't apprise them I had also arranged a rental car for them to use during their stay, in case they wanted to get out and see some of the surrounding areas as well. The car rental was handled for me by the hotel manager, using the credit card information I had supplied him for both the room and the ride, and he'd left the paperwork and keys for the vehicle, as well as directions telling them where the car was parked. In addition to that little bonus, I'd also had the manager purchase a gift card for them to use in the hotel's souvenir shop, which he assured me was stocked with all sorts of Disney World paraphernalia, including a very special set of mouse ears I wanted to get for Little Ricky. I thought the Beckers would also enjoy something to remind them of this trip -- their first vacation with their new son. To my surprise, however, I learned they had also been given coupons for their first and last night's dinner in the resorts first-class restaurant. They thought that had also come from me as well, but I would let them know as soon as I could that it must have been something the hotel manager added on his own. I thought it was a nice touch and wanted the Beckers to know this before they left, so they could thank him in person. Just from reading Little Ricky's descriptions of what they had seen and done, I could tell he was as pleased with everything and knew this was something he would never forget. I couldn't wait until we picked them up on Sunday, so I could hear all of his stories firsthand. Not only that, but I also looked forward to watching his antics as he told us what he'd done, because he could be very animated and quite a showman when doing things of this nature, as we had discovered when he told us about the farm. Wednesday evening, Jake and Shannon stayed overnight with us, so we could leave early the following morning. We got up before dawn, ate a big breakfast and were on the road shortly after the sun began to illuminate the countryside. Jake and I had wireless radios to communicate between the two vehicles with, so we could discuss such things as when we needed to stop for gas or inform the other if an unexpected problem arose. It was just a small precaution I felt we should take, so we wouldn't get separated. The boys were still kind of groggy and slept for most of this first leg of the trip, but began to stir to life about three hours later, when we made our first stop. It was merely so each of them could get something to drink, use the restrooms and stretch and walk around a bit in order to loosen up their stiff muscles before we continued. After we resumed our journey, we drove until we got closer to the city and then discussed stopping to eat, as it was nearly lunchtime by then. The boys saw a sign indicating there was a Burger King ahead and wanted to stop there to eat. Although Jake and I would have preferred a diner or 'real' restaurant, we gave in to their request and pulled into the BK parking lot. Seeing the type of establishment it was, it didn't take long before we were on our way again. As expected, the food had been delivered almost instantly after they took our orders and the boys gobbled it down in no time at all. As we resumed our trip, some of the boys chose to listen to their portable CD players, while others competed on the hand held games or looked out the windows at the scenery. When we reached New York City, the boys were eagerly staring out the windows and trying to take in all the sights. Jake and I drove directly to our hotel, parked the vehicles in the hotel's underground garage and then took the elevator to the lobby, where we checked in. After taking our luggage to our rooms and getting settled, I let the boys roam around in groups for a short time, so they could become familiar with what the hotel had to offer. We would be using it as our base of operation, but would move from location to location by either walking or utilizing public transportation. This was because neither Jake nor I looked forward to trying to find our way around the maze of streets or competing with the bumper to bumper traffic, let alone thinking about trying to find parking spaces after we got where we were going. We thought that would be more of a hassle than either of us wanted, so we opted to use the city's buses and trains instead. In fact, I had selected this particular hotel because it was pretty centrally located to everyplace we were planning to go and within walking distance of Grand Central Station. Once we were settled, I got the boys together and guided them to our first stop, the Empire State Building. This famous structure had held the title of the tallest building in the world for many years, from its completion in 1931 and until the World Trade Center's North Tower was opened in 1972. The Empire State Building had 102 floors, which rose 1,224 feet above street level, and took the distinction away from the neighboring Chrysler Building, which had only held the title of tallest building in the world for a few months. >From the lobby, we used the high-speed elevators to get to the observation deck on the 86th floor, which was 1,050 feet up. I was convinced none of the boys would want to try to walk up the more than 1550 step to get to the 86th floor on their own and I certainly wasn't feeling up to that much exercise. When we got there, we immediately discovered it had a glass-enclosed observation area for inclement days, but there were also outdoor promenades, which were located on all four sides of the building. "Let's go outside," Graham teased. "I want to see what it looks like out in the open." I agreed and we walked out onto one of the walkways. These could be used when the weather was nice and let you hear, as well as see, the city. "Why had they got this fence all around it?" Andrew asked, after noticing the protective device. "It's to keep people from falling or jumping from here," I replied. "People would actually try that?" Graham asked, somewhat bewildered. "Unfortunately, they do," I answered. "It was added in 1947 to prevent suicide attempts, after many attempts, but now it also prevents daredevils from base jumping from here." "What's that?" Sammy wanted to know. "It's where you jump off of a building, antenna, bridge or cliff, to experience free fall, before activating a parachute so you can land safely." "Why don't they just go skydiving then?" Brent followed, looking slightly confused. "That's a good question," I responded, "but I think it probably has to do with expense and availability. Besides, it's probably more fun to explain that you jumped off of the Empire State Building, the Sears Tower, the CN Tower in Toronto or the edge of the Grand Canyon than to say you jumped out of an airplane." That seemed to answers everyone's questions and no more were asked. Along the promenades there were coin operated, high-powered binoculars the public could use to get a better glimpse of areas they might be interested in viewing close up. >From this location, we were able to see into four other states (New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts), plus many of the city's wondrous and famous landmarks, as well as anything else in the immediate area. The Empire State Building took just over a year to complete and cost slightly less than $41 million. The price of the actual cost of constructing the building had been cut in half with the onset of the depression, but it also provided much-needed jobs during that very trying time. It almost instantly became the focal point of the city and was featured in one of the most thrilling scenes in the original movie version of 'King Kong.' This structure has also been the scene of several tragedies as well, such as a fatality that happened at the end of World War II. In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber was flying in a dense fog and crashed into the 79th floor of the building. Fourteen people were killed in that accident and the building suffered $1 million worth of damage, but its structural integrity was unaffected. There have also been more than thirty suicides from the top floors of the building, and not only from the observation areas. In addition to those more gruesome events, the Empire State Building is also the first place many visitors to the area wish to tour, including some very famous people throughout its early years. During that time span, it has hosted royalty (Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles & the King of Siam), heads-of-state (President Herbert Hoover, Winston Churchill, Fidel Castro & Nikita Krushchev), religious leaders (Pope Pius XII, among others) and thousands of celebrities (including Lassie and Albert Einstein). Before we left the 86th floor, we stopped at the souvenir stand, so each of the boys could pick up a little keepsake to remind them of their visit. They selected a variety of different items, as each of them had very distinct ideas about what he wanted, but I didn't care what they chose, as long as they were happy with what they purchased and it would remind them of this stop for years to come. Personally, I picked up a miniature of the building, which I would proudly display in our home. Once we finished there, I took everyone over to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, so they could compare the two and see the building that replaced the Empire State Building as the tallest in the world, at least for a few years. The twin towers were 110 stories high, or approximately 1,350 feet above the city. There was a closed observation deck on the top floor, but they also had a rooftop promenade. The outdoor promenade is only open under perfect conditions, and even though it was a fairly nice day when we were there, the conditions were not favorable to open that area to the public. "Man, why can't we go out there?" Brent asked, disappointed. "We went on the outdoor areas at the Empire State Building." "It might be due to the fact that we are higher up here," I suggested, "or possibly the winds have increased since we were at the Empire State Building." "The winds were quite gusty as we walked over here," Jake offered, "so the conditions may have changed enough so they no longer feel it's safe to let people out there." Although many of the boys were still a bit dismayed over this lack of opportunity, they did quit complaining. I knew they would also get over their disappointment fairly quickly, as we tried to see as much as we could, from the areas we were allowed to use. Speaking from an aesthetic perspective, there was nothing architecturally striking about the Twin Towers' appearance, other than their height, as there was with the Empire State Building. They were basically just two large rectangular structures that rose high above the city's skyline, but the view from the top floor was inspiring. I was shocked when the boys said they didn't notice much of a difference in what they could see from here or and the Empire State Building, but I thought the view of the harbor and Statue of Liberty was breathtaking. It was now approaching late afternoon, so we made our way back to the hotel to wash up and change for dinner. I had another little surprise lined up for the boys, but tried not to let them know in advance what we'd be doing. I preferred to see their reactions firsthand, as they learned what was in store for them. The boys had given me plenty of suggestions of what they might like to do, after I told them about this trip in this first place, so I tried to incorporate as many of those ideas into our plans, as was possible. However, I also added a few of my own ideas, even though I knew the boys didn't always agree with this approach. Fortunately, they had learned to trust my judgment, at least for the most part, and didn't usually give me a tough time over our itinerary. Although they weren't totally thrilled by some of the things we did, they knew I would probably arrange something else that they would find more interesting later, and that's exactly what I was trying to do now. We were going to start off the evening having dinner at the Hard Rock Café, and then I would take them to see a Broadway musical. As we approached the Hard Rock café, the boys noticed the rear end of an old Cadillac sticking out from the building. However, it was not due to an accident, but designed that way to give the place a distinctive air. The Caddy was probably a '59 or '60 judging by the fins, and was sticking out of the building a few feet above street level. Each of them seemed to be excited about being there and tried to see everything they could, once we were inside. Every one of them was busy exploring the place visually, while we waited to be seated. Once we were taken to our tables, we quickly checked out the menus and ordered, and then the boys continued their visual inspection of the place while we waited for our food. The boys excitedly pointed out many different items to each other, while also commenting on them and learning more about this fascinating place. We concluded there were many stories being told within those four walls, which included the history behind the multitude of collectibles on display. The menu was more varied than I had anticipated, and although the food was more than satisfactory, it was the atmosphere and music that held the boys attention. They spent much of their time commenting on the songs being played and pointing out various memorabilia that had something to do with people they knew of and admired. They also asked questions about the items they didn't recognize, which got them talking excitedly in small groups, when they tried to learn if anyone else had the answer they were looking for. These groups were constantly changing, as someone new joined in or others moved on to another group, but everyone was full of enthusiasm and very talkative. However, if they couldn't get their answers that way, they would ask either Jake or myself, to see if we knew. By the time we finished our meal and had dessert, the boys wanted to go to the memorabilia shop, so they could buy things to remember this visit by. They had each brought some of their own money, so they went to pick out exactly what they wanted, but most of them came back with Hard Rock Café tee shirts and baseball caps, among other things. We put them all in a tote bag that one of the older boys had purchased and then moved on to our next stop. As we exited the building, I announced where we were going next. I don't think many of the boys were familiar with the musical I had selected, but I felt it might offer the most relevance to their own lives. I also concluded they would probably enjoy this show more than some of the others that were currently running and settled on the musical 'Rent.' Almost immediately, the boys began peppering me with questions as to what it was about, so I gave them a little background information. I merely told them it was about a group of young people and the focus was on how they dealt with some of the choices they had to make in life and the consequences that resulted because of their decisions. After we took our seats in the theater, the boys began looking through the programs, to see if they could glean more about this production than what I had told them. However, I would be more interested to hear how they interpreted what they were about to see after the show was over. Once the theater darkened and the curtains opened, the boys became wrapped up in the storyline and were intrigued by how it explored such issues as homosexuality, drug abuse, AIDS and homelessness. The title of the production came about because of what a couple of the characters were asked to do in order to cover the rent for their apartment. The whole production was very well done and the songs were terrific. The older boys understood the meaning behind some of the topics broached, while the younger ones just enjoyed the performances entertaining qualities. I thought this outing was fairly well received by everyone. When we got back to our hotel rooms, some of the boys wanted to come to my room and talk more about what we had seen. I thought that was a terrific idea, so nearly everyone piled into my room, which I was also sharing with Jake. As the discussion began, I could tell Mark was a bit uncomfortable and it appeared that something was bothering him, so finally I decided to confront him about it. "Mark, I can tell you are troubled by something you've seen or heard tonight," I began, startling him. "Would you like to talk about it?" Mark was stunned that I had singled him out in front of the others, but after a few seconds, which may have dragged out to a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat and responded. "Look, I know some of your boys are gay and all," he stammered, "and that doesn't really bother me, but aren't you scared they'll get AIDS and die?" Suddenly, I understood his concerns. Some of the characters in Rent were HIV positive and had to deal with the realities of the living with the disease, and Mark had transferred this over to my sons. I understood where he was coming from and was actually quite pleased he cared enough about the boys to worry like this, but Danny answered him before I could. "Mark, most of us don't mess around all that much," he told him, "and Dad has made sure we know what the disease is, how it's spread and ways for us to guard against getting it. We are concerned about it too, but we can't change who we are, so we'll just be careful and do as much as we can to protect ourselves." "I just don't know how I'd feel if one of you had that disease and were dying," he replied. His voice began to choke up on him as he continued. "I mean, you'd get really sick first and then die, and I don't think I could deal with that. I've only had my mother and myself to worry about in the past and I haven't known you guys for very long, but you're like my brothers now and I wouldn't be able to stand losing any of you." I could see all the moisture building up in his eyes and his voice was trembling as he finished. The other boys were deeply touched by his concern about them and for not passing judgment about their sexual orientation. Needless to say, we were all deeply moved by his pronouncement. I think it was Danny and Brandon who first reacted, once Mark finished, and they walked over and wrapped their arms around him. While doing this, they also tried to reassure him that each of them would avoid taking unnecessary risks and would do all they could to keep from being exposed. As this was going on, some of the other boys also made their way over to Mark and placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbed his back or merely touched his arm. These simple gestures were offered to show him they understood his concerns and thanked him for caring. We did discuss this topic in greater length before we retired and broached all of the relevant issues this topic evoked. I think we all felt a little better, once everything was out in the open. Once we finished talking about HIV and AIDS, we went on to discuss the issues of drug use and homelessness. That latter topic reminded Nick about the family in Arizona, so he eagerly shared a little about their situation with Mark. Once he finished bringing Mark up to date about them, Nick asked if there wasn't something we could do when it came to families with children who were homeless. I told him we could study the topic in greater depth once we were home, and the boys suggested the charity might be able to focus on that segment, so we could help more of those people out. As they continued to explore this topic, Jake and I kind of withdrew from being active participants in the discussion and opted to sit back and listen to what the boys had to say. We only responded when we were asked questions directly, but I was often amazed by how the boys could think of things other adults or I had never considered. Therefore, I wanted to see what types of ideas their brainstorming session might produce without my interference. I did go off on a brief mental tangent, however, when I thought back to the moment when I'd first considered buying tickets to a Broadway show. My original concern was that the boys would enjoy what they saw, but I never imagined the extent of the insights they might gain from it, the level of impact it had on them or the profound concern they showed over the multiple topics the performance addressed. After we had exhausted ourselves by delving into the various issues, I hustled everyone off to bed, while reminding them we had another busy day ahead of us tomorrow. I learned later that Mark had spent the night with Danny and Brandon and they all actually slept in one bed. This was due to the fact they had continued their discussion when they went to the room and kept talking about everything until they nodded off, totally spent. Although the bonds between these boys weren't sexual or romantic, they still ran deep. It was obvious, at least to me, how close they had become since that first chance meeting. Not only were they close friends, but their concern for each other also went much deeper than that. It was an initial physical attraction that had grown into something more profound and personal, as the boys had bonded in a way that most people would never understand. Mark had become family and this family was bound together much more tightly than by just bonds of blood. We were an eclectic group, of mostly unrelated souls, who loved each other and would sacrifice much to guarantee each other's continued well-being. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 36 -- The City That Never Sleeps. Friday morning we got up and went to breakfast, before heading to our first stop of the day. It was another historic building, but strikingly different from the two we had visited yesterday. We began our tour of the United Nations building by going into the General Assembly Hall, which was one of the main features of the building. It is the largest room there, with seating capacity for over 1800 people, so it can easily handle the delegations from all of the 188 member-nations. That room is the only one with the U.N. emblem on its wall, which is a map of world (as seen from the north pole), flanked by two olive wreaths, which are symbols of peace. Standing in that room you might begin to feel totally insignificant, not only because of its enormous size, but also because once you realized the scope of the issues that are dealt with there, your concerns seemed trivial in comparison. It was really quite a humbling experience. The boys did want to see if they could sit in the various chairs and pretend to be delegates from different places, but for multiple reasons, including our time constraints, it was not possible. >From there, we went to the Security Council Chamber next, which housed the real power of the U.N. This group comprises both permanent and rotating members and can veto any decrees, proclamations or other measures that come from the General Assembly. This room, which hosts the Security Council meetings, was a gift from Norway and the central feature is a mural painted by a Norwegian artist, Per Krough. "What's that supposed to be?" Brent asked, while pointing toward the painting. "It's a phoenix rising from its ashes," I told him. "The phoenix is a bird from Greek mythology that supposedly has beautiful gold and red plumage and lives for hundreds of years. When it is time for it to die, the bird builds a nest of cinnamon twigs and then bursts into flames, only to be reborn again, out of its own ashes. This depiction was meant to signify the world would be rebuilt and thrive again after the devastation of World War II." My explanation seemed to suffice for the time being, so we moved on. I didn't think the boys would be interested in seeing the remaining chambers, so I took them to investigate other items they might find interesting instead. The first was the Chagall stained glass window, which is located on the eastern side of the public lobby. It was designed by the French artist, Marc Chagall, and presented to the U.N. in 1964. It contains several symbols of peace within its design, and its predominantly blue hue gives a tranquil feeling to the lobby area. Some of the boys commented about how many of the things we had seen seemed to refer to world peace, so I took the opportunity to describe what these people faced at the end of the Second World War. I began by trying to let them know the extent of the destructiveness that engulfed the world during and after the war, how many lives had been lost and how the survivors needed to view the future with hope, not despair. All of the items that were incorporated into the building when it was constructed, including many things we had not yet seen, were intended to show the United Nations was established to prevent another major war like that from ever happening again. They agreed it was a good reason and hoped they never lived to witness a conflict of that caliber, and silently I said a prayer they never would either. After that, I took them to see the Norman Rockwell Mosaic, which was presented by the U.S. in 1985. It was based on a famous Rockwell painting called 'The Golden Rule,' which depicts people of various nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and religious persuasions. In it, Rockwell incorporates the 'do unto others' theme, in an attempt to show that each of us is more than just a single entity or small group, but instead are all part of a larger, global family. Maybe someday the dream of global peace and acceptance will be realized and we'll all stop hating one another for our differences or selfishly putting our own needs ahead of those of others, no matter whether those differences are physical, political or religious. When that day comes, maybe the Earth will finally be engulfed in lasting peace. Once we left that display, we viewed the Chinese Ivory Carving, which depicts the Chengtu-Kunming railway. This gift was received from China in 1974, and shows a train, complete with tiny passengers inside. The railway opened to traffic in 1970 and is an important asset of China. This beautiful piece of artwork was carved from eight elephant tusks and has so many tiny and delicate details that you could spend many hours studying it. Even after taking that much time with it, you probably still wouldn't notice everything that was included in it. It was quite impressive and very beautiful. >From there, we moved on to see the Japanese Peace Bell, which was presented to the U.N. in 1954, and is housed in a small Shinto-shrine structure made of Cypress wood. The bell is symbolically rung twice a year, on the first day of spring and at the opening of the General Assembly, which takes place in September. The hope is that the ringing of the bell will promote peace and ensure that the destruction and bloodshed wrought by war will not take place again. "Hey, look what it says here," Shannon pointed out. "It says this bell was cast from coins collected by children from 60 different nations. Can you believe that? They collected the coins and had them melted down, just to make this bell." "I guess that means that living in peace meant a lot to them," Jake responded, while looking appreciatively at his son. "If only those coins they donated could insure there would never be another war." Everyone agreed with his statement and we stood there a few moments more contemplating that possibility, before moving out to the garden. We were going there to see a very famous sculpture named 'Let Us Beat Swords Into Plowshares,' which depicts a blacksmith using his hammer to pound a sword into a plowshare. This idea is based on a biblical reference and once again symbolizes the desire to put an end to war. Due to its biblical theme, it seemed ironic that this piece of art was a gift from the former Soviet Union in 1959. Adding to this irony was the fact that it was in the General Assembly Hall where the Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, pounded his shoe on the podium and told the non-communist nations, 'We will bury you.' This seemed to indicate they were not giving up on their aggressive spread of communism, as they wanted to eventually envelop the whole world under that one philosophy. History has proved his boast was unjustified, since his nation failed that mission and no longer exists. As we were leaving the U.N., I wanted the boys to see one more thing, so I took them for a stroll along Fifth Avenue, where they could view the row of delegate member flags. The flags were displayed in alphabetical order, beginning with the Afghanistan flag and ending with the flag of Zimbabwe, and the boys were able to recognize a few of them, while admitting others totally unfamiliar. It was an impressive show, however, as it signified how so many diverse groups were willing to work toward the goal of peace by joining together in this global organization. It was now approaching late morning and I decided it might be a good time to stop and eat, before moving on to our next stop. As usual, I tried not to let anyone know in advance what that would be; since I preferred to have most things come as a surprise to them. I know the boys didn't always agree with my method, but they had come to trust my judgment and didn't normally give me a tough time about it. Although they weren't overly thrilled by most of the U.N. tour, no one complained, because they suspected I would probably arrange something else they would be more interested in later, and that's exactly what I was trying to do. As we enjoyed a very early lunch, Jake and Mark sat on either side of me, so we could easily discuss what we had seen this morning. Jake and I recalled stories told to us by our grandparents and parents about the depression and World War II, and we thought about how those experiences helped to mold how those generations approached life and how they helped to change the world in the process. Mark was more interested in this discussion than I would have first imagined, but I soon discovered the reason for that. Mark informed me that his grandparents had also told him many of those kinds of stories when he was growing up and they had always interested him. He then went on to tell us he was very impressed with the things we had seen and done today, mainly because it helped him to better appreciate some of the tales his grandparents had shared with him. It wasn't long before Danny and Brandon joined in the discussion too, since they were seated next to Mark, and then Shannon and Nick chimed in, giving us their take on things. I was quite impressed that the boys were so willing to discuss what the world had been like during the 1920's and through to the 50's, and they were very astute at drawing parallels between what happened then and some of the things that were happening in the world during the past decade or so. I complimented them on their insights, as did Jake, and I found it hard to dismiss the younger generation, as so many others were inclined to do. Too many times people want to hold up the fringe elements of such a group, meaning the minority of individuals who go to extremes in what they do, including getting into trouble, and thus garner most of the attention. Then others try to label the entire class by the actions of those few. This was not only unfair to the group, but it was also highly inaccurate, so I hoped others would begin to realize there were also numerous young people in our midst who are bright, caring and concerned, and aren't accurately represented by the fringe elements of their peer group. I pray society will stop selling entire generations short and quit making generalizations and lumping them together in a single package. I think, as a society, we would have learned this lesson by now, after how our own generations had been depicted and how much of that had also been inaccurate and unfair. After lunch we made our way over to Battery Park, which is on the tip of Manhattan, to a circular fortress called Castle Clinton. This edifice was built in 1811, to defend against British attacks, but is now a ticket and information center for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry rides. I purchased the tickets and we loaded onto the ferry, soon making our way to Liberty Island. The ferry had three decks, and because it was such a lovely day, we made our way to the top deck so we could enjoy the view. Soon, we were disembarking and making our way toward the base of the statue. "The island was originally known as Bedloe's Island," I told the boys, as we walking toward it, "but the name was changed after the Statue was erected here. Lady Liberty was a gift from the people of France in 1886 and was the creation of Master Sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel designed the iron skeleton that supports the outer skin of Miss Liberty." "Hey, isn't that the same guy who they named the Eiffel Tower for?" Brent asked. "Indeed it is," I confirmed. "He was the very same person who designed that structure for the Paris World's Fair. It was also my understanding that intricate metal framework he incorporated in the Statue of Liberty may be seen if you climb the stairs to the crown, which some visitors decide to do." "Are we going to do that?" Nick wanted to know. "I think we'll use the elevators," I explained, "rather than wait in line to take the circular stairway up the interior. I'm worried some of us might find it difficult to navigate the small triangular stairs to the top, not to mention that we'd all be tired out before we got there." "Yeah, I guess you're right," Nick countered. "So maybe we can walk down them instead," he added hopefully, but I decided to take a wait and see approach on that suggestion. I went on to explain that the statue was begun as a centennial gift, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the book that Lady Liberty is holding in her arm is simply inscribed with the date 1776, written in Roman numerals. The statue was originally titled, 'Liberty Enlightening the World', which referred to the torch she held aloft in her right hand. The artist saw the beacon emanating from it to be guiding and welcoming immigrants to these shores. The gift did cause some problems when it first arrived in the States, however, as funds were needed in order to prepare the area and erect a pedestal on which it would stand. The government turned to the public for help and the poet Emma Lazarus wrote a verse she called 'The New Colossus,' to help the fund-raising efforts. The last few lines of that poem are now on a plaque that adorns the base and reads as follows: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door. For millions of immigrants who approached the United States by sea, this was the first vision they had of their new homeland, and this memory was forever burned into their minds. >From here, we made our way to see the displays that showed the various designs that had been suggested for the base. There were also pictures of the Statue taken at various times, showing how the area had changed and evolved over the years. At this point I urged the boys to get moving, as we had a tight schedule to keep for the remainder of the day. We took the elevator to the top, and after disembarking we went and looked out the openings in Liberty's crown. For the next several minutes, we stood breathless and enjoyed the awe-inspiring view. "Can we go up the torch now?" Ricky asked, his eyes glowing, while the others nodded their agreement. "I'm afraid not," I began, which drew immediate negative responses from everyone. "I'm sorry, but it's no longer opened to the public, because of various risks involved. There's nothing I can do that will change that." They seemed greatly disappointed by this news, but accepted my explanation and enjoyed what we were able to do. After looking around and seeing what we could from this vantage point, we made our way back down to the ground level, only to stare up at it once more. Before we left, we took numerous pictures, with various combinations of boys and adults huddled together, with the statue looming up behind us. Once we had taken those pictures, we loaded back onto the ferry and traveled over to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was once a privately held island and was named in honor of one of its previous owners. The Immigration Service began to use the island on January 1, 1892, to screen those wishing to be admitted into the country. In 1898 and again in 1905, two other islands were built by using the earth and rock taken from the subway tunnels being cut from under the city and from the earth removed from the excavation of Grand Central Station. The various buildings were constructed or improved (including dormitories, hospital, kitchens, baggage station, electrical plant, restaurant, laundry and bath house) and the various personnel were hired to run the facility. All of this was done for a cost of approximately $1,500,000. By 1947, 20 million people had entered the country through this location, but it was closed in 1954, with the immigration activities being moved into Manhattan. The site was reopened on September 10, 1990, as a unit of the Department of the Interior's National Park service, and it is now a very popular tourist attraction. As the boys, Jake and I roamed through this location we let our minds run wild, pretending we had just landed here in hopes of becoming citizens of the United States. The main building is a large French Renaissance-style structure, which replaced an earlier wooden structure after it was destroyed by fire. Upon entering, the men, women and children who had just landed here would be placed in long lines, where they would wait between metal railings until their papers were checked and then they would be taken to another area for a medical examination. Approximately 5,000 -- 8,000 people could be processed like this each day, and the facility was open 5 to 7 days a week, depending upon the number of arrivals wishing to enter the U.S. Those found to be afflicted by certain diseases were refused admittance and sent back to the country from which they came, so as not to spread these diseases to the general population. The screening process was made even more difficult because of the numerous languages spoken by the new arrivals, as well as the many dialects each of those languages might include. Sometimes even the interpreters who spoke the particular language couldn't communicate with the new arrivals because of their thick regional dialects. Many of these new arrivals were therefore forced to endure many additional examinations, which caused lengthy delays, solely due to this language problem. Some unfortunate immigrants were even sent back because of various misunderstandings created by these language barriers, so it was not an easy or perfect system. Many of the new arrivals often had vital information changed or incorrectly recorded, because of these communication problems or due to clerical errors, including the spelling of their names or even their birth dates. These errors would then become part of their new identity and what they would have to go by from that point on. This would not only upset the person involved, but it also made it more difficult for relatives to locate them or for future generations to trace their roots. As we stood in this hallowed hall, we tried to imagine how a group of tired and frightened people, who had finally reached this location after so many days at sea, would have to go through this scary and confusing process. Not only were they greeted by people who didn't speak the same language as they did, but they were also examined and interrogated by these strangers, as well as sometimes being cheated or abused by those who were supposed to be helping them. I think we all gained a better understanding of what it might have been like and how much courage it took for people to leave their homelands and go through this process, just for the chance of having a better life. Even though the buildings had fallen into severe disrepair after the location was abandoned in 1954, many have since been restored to nearly original condition. There are also numerous pictures taken of the various immigrants who had passed through here, which gave us a little better feel for those who entered via this location and the process they were force to endure to attain their goal. We tried to take in as many of these items as we could and were greatly moved by overlapping the looks of hope, sadness and confusion that were etched on their faces. We were really enjoying all of this, but eventually it was time to head back for our final activity of the day. Once again, this was a surprise for the boys and something I thought would be a bit different and interesting for them as well. I had arranged for us to take a dinner-cruise up the East River. Once we arrived at the dock and boarded the vessel, we selected a group of tables located near each other, so we wouldn't get separated. Once we got underway, the boys went off to get drinks, before going to get their food, which was being served buffet-style. I stayed on deck and protected our cluster of tables from outside invaders, like a watchdog protecting a home, until some of the boys returned with their meals. At that point, I left them in charge and went to get my dinner. Soon, we all were eating and chatting, as the ship gently rocked back and forth as we made our way up the river. There was also a small band onboard, playing music so people could dance after they finished eating, but we merely just sat and listened to them, while enjoying the scenery along the way. We passed by many interesting sites as we made our way up the river, which included the shorelines of some of the New York City boroughs, but primarily Manhattan. Along the way we were able to recognize the U.N. Building, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and we could even see Castle Clinton. The biggest thrill of all came when the ship made its way toward the Statue of Liberty and made a slow U-turn in front of it, as the Captain prepared the vessel to make the return trip. At the ship did its pirouette in front of Miss Liberty, we all stood up and walked over to the railing and held our breath, as we beheld this awesome and inspiring sight. Now, we could truly appreciate what those immigrants had seen and felt when they approached these shores and got their first glimpse of that magnificent lady standing in the harbor. This experience helped to inspire another discussion, but this time it was about what those people must have been thinking and feeling at that point. I believe the younger boys were just as interested in this as the rest of us, since they asked many questions and wanted to know what the children would have done during their lengthy confinement on the ship and while waiting to be processed on Ellis Island. I explained, as best I could, about the types of things the children might have had with them or done during those periods. "The girls might have had rag dolls that they could hold and play with, while the boys might have soldiers or animals carved out of wood or even marbles, although it would have been difficult to play marbles on a swaying ship," I offered. "The family might have even owned a tiddlywinks boxed game, which the adults may have even played with them. The set consists of a bunch of winks (which might be circular, rings, square or horseshoe-shaped and constructed from ivory, bone, celluloid, wood, plastic or even metal) and a shooter (which is larger than the winks and can be either circular, square or triangular). Over the years the shooter has also been referred to as a tiddledy or a squidger. The idea of the game was to press downward on a wink with the shooter and this would cause it to flip into the air, with the intent of landing it inside a targeted cup, or have the wink potted, as it was called. The idea was to get more of your winks into the cup than your opponent." The boys seemed satisfied with what little I could offer, but Jake and Mark also added some of their own ideas and mentioned stories they had heard older relatives relay or information they had learned in history classes. "I've also heard that on Ellis Island they also had rooftop playgrounds," Jake told them, "with wagons the children might pull each other around in, rocking horses or hoops which the children might roll about using sticks to guide them." "Not only that," Mark added, "I've heard they also had swings and see-saws, which might also be called teeter-totters, set up in various places for the children to use." This helped the boys even more and I was thankful for Jake and Mark's support and input. We continued to enjoy the ride and even noticed several things we had missed earlier, such as Rikers Island, which in New York City's largest jail facility, as we made our way back to the dock. To our immense chagrin, the cruise soon ended, but it left us with the wonderful memories and impressions it had inspired. Once we were back at the hotel, we all were eager to clean up and get ready for bed. It was still fairly early, at least earlier than we were accustomed to, but we were all pretty tired. Before we separated, though, I did let each of them know tomorrow would not be as hectic as today had been, since I had arranged for a more laid-back schedule of activities. The boys wanted to know what we were going to do, but I told them I was going to keep that a surprise, which wasn't what they wanted to hear. Immediately, they began to pester me and tried to get me to slip or give them hints about what we were going to be doing. However, I remained firm and stood my ground. The only one I had told about these plans was Jake, but I knew he would also help keep my secret. I was nearly positive these activities would be well received by everyone, once they discovered what we were, but felt it would have more impact if they didn't learn about any of them until the last moment. I could hardly wait to reveal these surprises. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.