Live Long And Prosper

Leonard Nimoy hailed from Boston’s West End shtel. His Russian father cut hair in Mattapan Square. Tired of giving us a buzz-cut my father drove my older brother and me to the Terminal Barber Shop next to the terminus of the trolley line. I can’t recall any other barber along Blue Hill Avenue.

A native of Maine m father believed in high and tight.

His instructions to the barber were the same.

Once my old man left the establishment on River Street the barber asked, “How you want it?”

“Like Bob Dylan.”

The singer had ended the 1950s with his hit BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND.

“Gotcha.”

The year was 1963.

The barber knew his clientele.

He never mentioned having a son in the theater.

In 1966 he starred in STAR TREK as the Vulcan science officer to James T Kirk.

Leonard Nimoy never had a Boston accent.

His Vulcan gesture for ‘live long and prosper’ was based on how the kohanim or Jewish priests holding their hand when giving blessings.

Dif Tor Heh Smusma

Spock was our hero.

Logic over emotion.

When he died, I broke into tears.

Like my mossaich had passed into the other world.

Trekkies loved Spock.

He transcended TV and made us believe in Space.

The Silence Of The Neponset River

The Neponset River runs from the Foxborough marshes and the stream drops over two-hundred feet over the first twelve miles through the towns of Walpole, Sharon, Norwood, Canton, Westwood and Dedham before reaching Mattapan, which the First People called 'a good place to sit'.

Blue Hill Avenue crosses the river over a stone bridge before its descent to Boston harbor.

In the 1960s teenagers flocked to the Mattapan Oriental Theater.

Not for the movies.

The upper balcony was considered a Babylon by the nuns and priests of my hometown parish.

We didn't care what they thought.

Boys and girls believed in love, but not everyone.

After the matinee of DARLING three boys kidnapped two girls and took them under the bridge.

They had them stripped naked.

None of them were arrested by the Boston Police.

It was just boys being boys.

Years later I was speaking to a woman friend of mine at a holiday gathering.

We were at dinner.

She and I had dated in high school.

She confessed that she had been one of the girls taken under the bridge.

"A priest had told us to be quiet. He didn't want us to ruined the boys' lives. No one thought about my life."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I put down my wine.

She said a name. He had been my best friend, until he asked me to dress up in his sister's lingerie.

"I was afraid you might kill him and it was better you didn't do that."

"I'm sorry." My hand trembled to hurt him.

"I know." She touched me and said, "I never have forgotten that afternoon."

"I wish I had known."

"It was better that you didn't."

"You're right."

There was nothing else to say. We looked into each other's eyes. She lifted her wine glass. We silently toasted each other and I said, "I love you."

"And the same for me."

Because every river runs to the sea in New England.

And anyone who believes 'boys will be boys' should be planted in the wetlands of the Neponset.

Sorry, but that is the way some of us feel on the South Shore.

RIP bad boys.

You're a disgrace to the Green.

Dif Tor Heh Smusma

Leonard Nimoy came from Boston's West End shtel. His Russian father owned a barbershop in Mattapan Square. I had my haircut at the Terminal Barber Shop next to the terminus of the trolley line. I can't recall any other barber along Blue Hill Avenue. Tired of giving us a buzz-cut my father drove my older brother and me to the shop

A native of Maine he believed in high and tight.

His instructions to the barber were the same.

Once my old man left the establishment on River Street the barber asked, "How you want it?"

"Like Bob Dylan."

"Gotcha."

This was in 1963.

Bob Dylan had ended the 1950s with his hit BLOWIN' IN THE WIND.

The barber knew his clientele.

He never mentioned a son in the theater.

Leonard Nimoy never had a Boston accent.

In 1966 he starred in STAR TREK as the Vulcan science officer to James T Kirk.

His Vulcan gesture for 'live long and prosper' was based on how the kohanim or Jewish priests holding their hand when giving blessings.

Dif Tor Heh Smusma

Spock was our hero.

Logic over emotion.

When he died the other day, I broke into tears.

Like my mossaich had passed into the other world.

Trekkies loved Spock.

He transcended TV