Uncharitable

Our most recent pilgrimage to Manhattan ended badly. After an enjoyable visit to high end, funky stores in the Meat Packing District, we took the E train to the World Trade Center and walked down Trinity Street toward Battery Park. Our goal was the Jewish Heritage Museum on Battery Place. Passing Trinity Church, Joyce wanted to go inside. This is the historic church where Alexander Hamilton is buried and George Washington was inaugurated as President. We entered the church and Joyce lit a candle in the chapel and placed a dollar in the poor box. Continuing along Trinity Street we finally found Battery Place. After turning the wrong way toward Broadway, we finally made our way in the right direction. The museum was about 50 yards away. I recognized it from the picture on the website. We were walking west and the med-afternoon sun was diretly in my eyes. I felt myself stumble on the cobblestones and I went sprawling flat out, my face striking first. Blood was spilling from a good sized wound over my left eye (my only good eye) and another on my left hand. Joyce rushed to my side. Two young police officers came running and helped me up. A young man about to board a bus also came and brought gauze and large bandaids,which Joyce applied to my wounds, stopping the bleeding. I was pale and seaty. Joyce was afraid I would pass out. I assured her I was fine and wanted to continue to the musesum.. The officers wanted to call an ambulance. Believing that nothing wsas broken, I demured. Instead Joyce had them hail a taxi and we returned to the hotel. Although i had a large shiner, after two hours of icing the swelling began to subside. My glasses, unfortunately, did not fair so well. The lens on the left side (my good eye) popped out and the wire rims were hopelessly twisted out of shape. When I returned home the next day (one day earlier than planed), we drove to the nearest Lens Crafters. Shaking her head sadly, Dominique,the technician informed me: "Your options are pretty slim." Perhaps if I,too, had fed the poor box...