Diversity Day in the Noop

Today was Diversity Day in New Paltz, so naturally Emmett and Maeve were wearing hula skirts and cut-out cardboard stars while shouting lines from a Doctor Seuss book.

The hula skirts were a close approximation of the Sneetch fur, but the director/costumer/stage manager Rachel had correctly surmised that the audience would not pick nits about any aspect of the production. The actors ranged in age from 3 (Maeve) to 11 (one of Fiona's classmates from last year), and amazingly, some of the kids had actually studied their lines ahead of time. More impressive still was that the cast actually listened to me when I suggested during our 'dress rehearsal' that they speak loudly and slowly.

The audience seemed miniscule until just moments till the proverbial curtain went up, but all of a sudden there were a hundred spectators. The narrator, older brother of one of Maeve's classmates, did a superb job, enunciating loud and clear and, for a reason I have yet to learn, using a mid-Atlantic accent he does not normally speak with.

Still, my two had their most fun at the Bouncy Castle, the inflatable tent that, if positioned correctly in Manhattan, would be a $2 million studio in today's market. The three of us -- Fiona and Shirra were at a sheep & wool show, not buying some rabbits -- watched the inflation and Maeve and Emmett, always courageous in the face of strangers if those strangers have stuff they want, asked if they could start bouncing even tho the tent wasn't officially (who are these officials?) supposed to be open for over an hour. Instead, they were greenlighted for the castle, moments later a few other kids joined in the fun. All together I'd estimate that they bounced for over 40 minutes, explaining why Maeve fell asleep so easily when it was nap time an hour later.

I should point out that there was more to Diversity Day than Sneetches and an inflated rubber room. All around the 'stage' were tables featuring local groups who represented many aspects of faith and philosophy. I spoke with a representative from the Ulster County Humanists who was seated between a gang of Pagans and a coterie of bible thumpers. Not far away was an ROTC table situated near a group asking for Bush's impeachment. It was lovely to see everyone getting along so well, tho not surprising for New Paltz. We did have our reasons for moving here, after all, and diversity was one of them.