I worked in St.Agnes HS cafeteria from 1980 to 2000. In that time women who worked there, came and went but for many years a group of us worked there. Kitten (our boss) Rose, Ethel, Barbara, Dolores and me. Some times on the spur of the moment we would plan a trip into the city.
One of those was to see the Tree Lighting ceremony in Manhattan at Rockefeller Center. None of us had ever been there to see it.
So, after work we all got on the bus and train and headed for the center.
We stopped at a bar first to have a drink. There we were 6 women all with white uniforms. Kitten told people in the bar we were nurses. LOL
We headed for the tree, roads were closed to car traffic around the plaza. It was PACKED with hundreds of people. We were herded around the plaza by cops. We were packed shoulder to shoulder! It was a bit frightening! We were going in a circle around the tree, which went around the tree, into the Rockefeller building (in back of the tree) back out again.
I remember thinking, if I trip I will be trampled! I don't know how many times we went around when we stopped. We stopped in the building right behind the tree. There were a wall of windows, we could see the back of the tree and waaay up top, I saw one christmas tree light. Thats how big this tree was. You don't realize how big till you see it in person.
We were told they are doing the tree lighting ceremony now, so they were not letting us move till it was over. We would not have a view.
But I kept my eye on that christmas light bulb waaay up on top of the window. I saw it go on, I knew the tree was lite. We were allowed to move again. We went to the front and saw the tree. Then we went home.
You could not pay me to see the Tree lighting again. It was scary being herded like cattle with all the rest of the people. But it was an interesting experience.
