Musings of Arlington MA

Here I am reminising of the past again, thinkng of a one bedroom apartment I used to inhabit with my wife a decade and a half ago. Located north of Boston in 'Arlinton Heights', Massachusetts, this apartment was part of a building situated close to a six-lane interection. Yes, it was small unlike the house in Norwell we live in now, but it had its advantages. Everything was within reach, the remote, the telephone and the music system. This apartment was a little above ground level, a cross between a basement and a first floor apartment.

The building had a swimming pool, but the main attraction was a 'bike path' that ran for 13 miles right next to the apartment, from Davis square to Bedford.(It may be longer now.) no cars or motorized vehicles were allowed here. Most people travelled on bikes or on foot and some on blades. This is where the two of us learnt to Rollerblade.

Among the other inhabitants of the building were two of the nicest of elderly ladies I have ever known. They always had a smile and a 'Hello' for us. It is so heartwarming just thinking of them. Our most frequent visitors were my classmate from India and his girlfriend(She's his wife now.). These ladies would talk to all of us so nicely.

The great thing about Arlington was that it had easy access to Boston. The 'T' (the train system) did not come to Arlington. Its Residents did not want the T as they feared it would bring in undesirables from the city into the town.
Life was tough initially as we did not have a car, grocery shopping was touch. Moreover, Arlinton was a dry town. It did not have liquor stores. Only restaurants served 'adult beverages.' One had to go to neighbouring Belmont, Lexington, Cambridge or Sommerville to buy a six pack. Still I loved Arlington.

Arlinton's most prominent landmark was a big pillar, dedicated to three soldiers killed during the American Revolution. Arlington's neighbour Lexington is the birthplace of the American war of independence. Also in Arlinton center is the Regent Theatre which became part of Bombay Cinema later. However, on could watch slightly older English movies for $2.50. (Too expensive compared with the $1.50 ticket price at the Sommerville theatre on Davis square.)

Next door to Regent was a Mangolian Chinese restaurant, owned and operated by a wonderful Chinese family. They treated us so well each time we went there. Their menu was one of a kind. A Chinese collegue who lunched with me there certified that their food was special. Unfortunately, the restaurant disappeared one day and in its place was an Indian restaurant. I inquired with one of the waiters who said that the younger daughters in the family did not want to run the business. Well, life goes on..

I have other fond memories too. I played tennis with some friends on weekends. There was acoach from China who gave me tips on how to improve my game. Soemtimes I played tennis in neighbouring Belmont, near a school that was beside a large beautiful lake full of Geese and ducks. There were other waterbodies close to us too. There was the Arlington reservoir a short walk away from our apartment. There was Spy pond in Arlinton Center.

My first daughter was born on November 11th at the Mount Auburn Hospital when we were in Arlington. I remember making several trips to the ponds, neighbouring parks and pushing a stroller on the bike paths with her.

There was a Karate school, Rocky Di Ricco's school of Kenpo Karate, close to where i lived. One day, after my daughter was born, I signed up for a three year program. So began my study of the'arts'. The school is one of the best in the New England Area. It was amazing to meet some of the most balanced youngsters who were part of this school. One could sense how 'centered' these kids were compared to some others I encountered during my bus rides to and from work.

The instructors at Di Ricco's were outstanding. Rocky Di Rico, the head instructor was addressed as Shihan, which meant Senior Teacher, a title of respect that he commanded with his personality and outstanding athletic abilities. He was small made and well into his forties. However, when he demonstarted his techniques, it was clear that this was someone you do not mes with. There were other instrcutors too who came from diverse backgrounds. One was a security guard, another a police officer, another a draughtsperson, a Reiki practitioner and a massage tehrapist. I also made a lot of friends within the school, from several nationalities. The greatest souvenier I picked up in Arlinton was a Black Belt from this school. I got the belt in 1999 a year after I relocated to Quincy on the South Shore.
Rocky DiRicco's has relocated now. I miss you all, if you ever read this.


During this phase, I responded to a mid-life crisis and began taking Piano lessons from an outstanding instructor. Ed Rosser from the Powers School. He encouraged me to do almost a half a dozen recitals. As it happens in life, he relocated too. He wrote a wonderful letter, one of my priced pocessions.

The high school in Arlinton was good too. Some of the students who came to the Karate school were from there. I remember a few getting admitted to Harvard. One thing that comes to mind is the story of a project taken on by some students of the school that is narrated by Peter Lynch of 'Fidelity' fame. After researching a few companies these students bought stock in them and at the end of the year, these stocks outperformed most stocks that the Street experts invested in.
Moral: Beware of being an expert.

Sometimes I drive by Arlington Heights. It has changed, in some ways, for the better. There is a 'Trader Joe's' and a 'Massive Video' that I'm sure makes it convienient for the residents. These thoughts may not seem like much to you, but I get goosebumbs just thinking of those times. My mind is filled with images of lush greenery from the bike path in summer and the chaning colors of the trees on the path in fall.

To quote Sir John McCartney,
There are places I remember,
With lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living,
in my life, I love them all.