Friday, November 24, 2006

Almost Perfect

I saw this story about Helen Olstein, who was 21-year-old employee from the Macy’s customer-complaint department, a nice Jewish girl from the Bronx, and got selected to be the Macy's Parade Queen in 1926 and 1927.

Miss Olstein, now Helen Gross, turned 101 on May 13. Now living in a retirement community in Plantation, Fla., Mrs. Gross returned as a guest yesterday for the 80th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, watching the affair from a front-row seat in front of the flagship store on Broadway. On either side were her daughters, Mimi Goldman, 76, and Barbara Cohn, 72.

Born in a small Polish town outside Warsaw, Mrs. Gross immigrated with her parents, sister and brother. They entered through Ellis Island and settled in the Bronx.

“The secret is to keep busy,” Mrs. Gross said of becoming a centenarian. “If you slow down, you’re finished. I still volunteer, I do a lot of reading, and I don’t like to gossip.”

Imagine that. Gossiping is a big no-no.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people
Leviticus 19:16

But then:-

All the attention hasn’t fazed Mrs. Gross. Today, she plans to have a family reunion at a Thai restaurant in Manhattan, joined by her daughters, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. She is to return home tomorrow.


Thai food?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The biblical reference is most appreciated.