‘The Late Hour Meant Taking a Cab Home, Something I Mostly Avoid’

‘The Pearl Fishers’

Dear Diary:

I am 84 and have been fortunate to spend decades devouring Manhattan’s cultural scene. I have slowed down a bit now because of my age and balance issues, and I keep my social and cultural events confined to daylight hours.

Not long ago, though, I was invited to an evening gathering that I just couldn’t resist. The late hour meant taking a cab home, something I mostly avoid.

As the cab pulled up, I noticed that the driver was very scruffy, and my anxiety increased. But I needed to get home, so I pushed my trepidation aside and got in.

Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by the sound of my favorite opera duet.

“Oh,” I said with great astonishment, “‘The Pearl Fishers.’”

“You know your opera,” the driver replied. He began to sing along with the recording beautifully and continued until we got to my home.

When we arrived at my building, he waited until I was safely inside the front door. It was the best cab ride I had ever had in more than 50 years of living in Manhattan.

— Jan Keith