"An Unusual Bridge"

 I have ALWAYS sought to build bridges with my twin sons (now 38), but yesterday a most UNUSUAL one was Providentially formed for me / one of them.  It has to do with a TV show neither of us has ever watched but CERTAINLY (living here in New Jersey) heard of...."The Sopranos."

Before I retired, I had a carpet cleaning business, and, towards the END of my 35 year career I had a REAL noteworthy assignment.  We had been cleaning carpets for "Holsten's Ice Cream Parlor" in Bloomfield for many years, and then they called us to clean the night before the final "Sopranos" episode was filmed there. (If you watch the last five minutes of that final episode, it all took place in Holsten's).

This was a pressure-packed assignment because Holsten's was a DIFFICULT carpet to clean...all restaurants ARE.  Our very FIRST job at Holsten's, in 1996, took place the night before American Express filmed a commercial there and THAT was pressure....but THIS was even MORE. Yet, we got the job done right THE FIRST TIME and it was clean and dry for the filming the next morning (early 2007).

Anyway, ONE of my twin sons still lives in Bloomfield and operates a business (NOT carpet cleaning, Lol....something more CEREBRAL) there. And just yesterday I learned they're filming scenes for a new "Sopranos" MOVIE within walking distance of his house!! It's the movie I mentioned in my Sept. 16th blog just last week, supposedly it's a PREQUEL to "The Sopranos" series.  I just feel pretty happy about this "bond" between us now. Of course, this son and I bond about "big" things (like our Christian faith, for example) but "little" things (which baseball team to root for, what kind of music we listen to, our POLITICS and so on) have always eluded us.  Now, in God's Providence, we BOTH have THIS "Unusual Bridge" of a CULTURAL nature to bind us even closer together.

By the way, the film crew was ALSO busy at HOLSTEN'S again yesterday and I don't know who did their carpet cleaning THIS time, but it wasn't me.  I am OUT of that mix now, but thankful for the good memories and this "Unusual Bridge," in particular!!