I think about how my grandfather would have spent his Labor Days in 1910 or so as an immigrant in a new land speaking the language of his father and mother--not the language of the new place he found himself on New York’s lower east side. I believe those must have been challenging days for him
but they spawned better days for his family and the families after.
My grandfather would have enjoyed his grandson's day today.
This afternoon, I went to Bradenton, Florida’s Village of the Arts, a several block area of vintage homes and delightful, talented, life-loving people. I was invited to an afternoon event, a bring your own bottle or food plate to share. And it was temporarily rain-delayed, as many afternoons can be in Florida this time of year. (I often will say that in Florida, if you do not like the weather, wait just a minute.)
Accompanied by good friends, one who makes gin martinis to die for, I carried an over the shoulder bag of wine, beer and sparking water. My friends had made this wonderful bowl of thin pasta and vegetables with cheese, artfully spiced. At the end of the second block, we found our gathering, a table of shrimp with cocoanut shavings and both pineapple and tomato on a spear, and small, bacon-swirled
jalapeño peppers filled with a blue-berried cheddar, and there was grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and wonderful sausage. And beautiful people--artisans and musicians who cared about their neighbors and strangers alike. It was a festive gathering and I know they would have welcomed my grandfather as they did me.
My Labor Day 2022. May I have such another.
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The author of this post is Tom Aposporos, a licensed real estate broker in both Florida and New York. In a business career of more than four decades, he also served as mayor of his home city, a commissioner in his adopted island city, and chaired a publicly-owned bank through a period of financial recovery. These experiences have enhanced his knowledge and have brought additional dimension to his real estate career.
