Each Tag Seeks its Own Angel

I think that I’m a sucker for those “Angel Giving Trees” at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, but their raison d’être is worth a second blog post for those of us who are fortunate enough to spend some money this year on gifts.

There are many who will be completely unable to do that, yet deserve a visit from Santa.


Americans, it is said, are a most generous people. I believe that, because the combined charities in this country raise hundreds of millions each year. And plenty more is given out in support of churches and synagogues who also have programs for the needy.

The Salvation Army is one of those charities, and Bridgewater’s Mall management has again generously agreed to allow that charity to place two “Angel Giving Trees” inside the Mall. One is on the first floor, near the customer courtesy booth. The other is situated just outside Macy’s on the main level (the second floor).

There are still plenty of tags on those angel trees – too many left, I think. Each one bears the name of a person – either a needy child or senior – and a request for a specific gift. All that you need to do is to peruse those tags, find one that appeals to you and buy the gift.

It’s easy. You don’t even have to wrap it. Just purchase it and place it in the large box near the courtesy booth on the lower level directly in line with Santa. Done! Go ahead – make your day.

Was It Just a Father’s Day Fluke?

If you found yourself at the Bridgewater Commons Mall on the Saturday before Father’s Day, you would have been hard pressed to think that there is a recession still swirling around us. The parking lots were full of cars; traffic was speeding in lanes around the perimeter; and, inside, it looked like the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Priscille has justifiably been after me to get a new suit (haven’t bought one since I left AT&T), and she had spotted some good advertised Macy’s values in the local press. When we arrived at mid-afternoon, Darryl, the associate in the men’s department, told us that a line of shoppers had formed at the very onset of the morning opening. At 3:30 pm, there was still no sign that shoppers were worn out.

It looked like there’s still plenty of money flowing in these parts. But I was quickly brought back to reality when Priscille told me of a conversation that she had with another wife, while waiting for us guys to try on our outfits.

The lady is a school teacher, and her husband had just been laid off: Both were shopping at Macy’s to buy him a business suit so that he would look his best at job interviews. Sort of brings everything back down to earth, doesn’t it?

I remember back in January, when the newly-minted Obama administration twisted every arm in Washington, intoning that billions in stimulus money would be needed to revive the economy. It would save or create three to three and a half million jobs we were promised.

Don’t bother about how to count all those ‘saved’ jobs. Employment numbers have since gone south steadily by the hundreds of thousands each month. On Saturday, we learned about one of those casualties at the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

If you are the one losing your job, the unemployment rate is 100%.