New Friends In Boston

I recently returned from a business trip to Boston.
I hadn’t been to Boston in decades so I didn’t know what to expect.
But it looked much the same as I remembered it and folks there still remain a bit more reserved than they are in Philadelphia.
And yet – I DID manage to trigger some spontaneous responses from Bostonians and others. Just for fun on my first night I wore a lapel pin that said: “Is it 2012 yet?”
As soon as I got on the hotel elevator someone leaned over and commended me on the button. This young man was so taken with the button’s sentiment that he had to know where I got it so he could get one too.
Then, I was off to a nearby hotel to meet a colleague.
As I entered the hotel the doorman asked me about the button. He wanted to be sure of what it meant. I told him and he promptly beamed and shook my hand.
“I wasn’t sure I would get that reaction here in the People’s Republic of Taxachusetts,” I joked.
“Oh no man, he answered. I’m with you all the way. There are a lot of us here.”
By this time I was beginning to feel quite relaxed.
When the evening ended I returned to my own hotel and the bellman at my hotel asked me about the button. Again, I explained the sentiment. This guy was even more enthusiastic. He threw his arms around me. I told him that I didn’t want to get him into trouble as he probably wasn’t supposed to be expressing or endorsing political viewpoints on the job.
He didn’t care. He simply laughed about it and told me not to be concerned.
And so began my trip to Boston.
BTW: You can get “Is it 2010 yet?” buttons and bumper stickers at gopshoppe.com.