I was once approached by a young chef in the restaurant with a problem.
He had just lately started courting and his girl friend’s birthday was approaching.
He was naturally anxious to discover what an older man of the world thought would be an appropiate birthday present.
To my suggestion of jewellery;- “Perhaps a necklace…?” He replied; “Ah No, she has a necklace already”
I treasured this answer, which showed such profound intersexual understanding, ever since then.
Just this morning, in this weeks New Yorker, it was bettered.
There is an article about Michael Seidenberg who sells second hand books from his apartment in New York.
When times were hard he had been forced to sell his wares from a stall on the street.
“Once a couple stopped” he recalled.”And the man asked his girlfriend, ‘Do you want a book?’ She said,’No, I already have a book’ ”