Charitable [Mis]Adventures
Three years ago, I was leading a team of wish-granters for New York Cares's Winter Wishes program. We had received letters from needy children all over the city, and the time had come to shop for the Christmas gifts they wanted. One little girl had asked for "accessories that would fit an 18" doll." Since I lived not too far from the American Girl Place, I decided to go over there and browse my options. To understand the rest of this story, you need to know three things. At the time, the American Girl Place was located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 49th Street; I was heading there from a doctor's appointment on 59th Street; and Weeks earlier, a man who lived at 57th and 5th had been elected president. I innocently hopped on a bus, and minutes later realized I had a problem. In fact, I had three: the traffic, the crowds, and the Secret Service. Between the pedestrians and the security barriers, the bus physically couldn't turn onto 5th Avenue. Nei