STUYVESANT STREET
IT’S A SMALL THING IN THE LIGHT OF WORLD HUNGER, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS LONGED TO LIVE ON A STREET WITH A POETIC AND EVOCATIVE NAME. I GREW UP ON ALDERWOOD AVENUE. NOT SUCH A BAD NAME, ESPECIALLY WITH MT. BAKER MAJESTICALLY POISED AT ONE END, GLOWING PINK IN THE EVENING LIGHT. BUT FROM THERE, IT’S BEEN MOSTLY NUMBERS…1st. AVENUE SOUTH, S. 7TH. ST., SW 72ND. ST. AND THEN 44 YEARS ON DEBBIE TERRACE, REMINISCENT OF LITTLE DEBBIE CAKES, STUFFED WITH CALORIC WHITE CREAM OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN. AND DEBBIE REYNOLDS. NOT MUCH MYSTERY THERE.
WHY COULDN’T THERE HAVE BEEN A SONGBIRD LANE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY? OR WOLF HOLLOW ROAD? OR MAYBE WILDFLOWER DRIVE? OH, THE SWEETNESS OF WRITING “HUCKLEBERRY WAY” IN THE RETURN CORNER OF THE ENVELOPE! BUT NO.
THEN WE MOVED TO STUYVESANT STREET. IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I’VE PRONOOUNCED AND SPELLED IT COUNTLESS TIMES FOR THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, THE TAX MAN, THE BANK. WHY WAS THIS CONVOLUTED NAME SO FAMILIAR? SOMEWHERE FROM WAY BACK IN MY MEMORY BANK I HAD A DIM RECOLLECTION OF PETER STUYVESANT, AN EARLY DUTCH SETTLER OF NEW AMSTERDAM BEFORE IT BECAME NEW YORK. I LOOKED HIM UP AND HE GAZED BACK AT ME FROM GOOGLE, AUGUST AND SEVERE, A TRULY IMPRESSIVE NOSE PROTRUDING FROM HIS FACE. IT MADE ME WONDER IF THE ARTIST WAS A SWORN ENEMY, SEEKING GENERATIONAL REVENGE. BUT PETER GREATLY EXPANDED NEW AMSTERDAM. HE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING BROADWAY, OF ALL THINGS. WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN? IT WASN’T JUST ABOUT HIS NOSE.
I’VE YET TO LEARN HOW PETER’S NAME MIGRATED THIS FAR SOUTH. BUT IT SEEMS THAT HIS DESCENDANTS MUST HAVE NAMED THIS PRETTY LITTLE STREET WHERE WE HAVE LANDED. I WILL ENDURE THE LENGTHY AND PROSAIC STREET NAME AND GIVE HIM SOME CREDIT FOR THE TULIPS THAT ARE POPPING UP IN MY YARD. PERHAPS ONE OF HIS GREAT GREAT GRANDKIDS PLANTED THEM.