This postcard goes out to the off-duty yellow cab driver on 15th and 7th Avenue who agreed to ferry me down to PS 321 yesterday: I needed to get there fast and I wasn’t going to make it on foot.

Actually, I was wearing high heels and and my really nice blue suit that I put on everytime I have a business meeting or a funeral.

And early yesterday morning, I attended a breakfast meeting of local business people – a networking sort of thing. I’ve never done anything like it before but I thought it might be interesting and proactive. A cranial sacral therapist, who is a friend of a friend, referred me to this membership organization. There are yearly fees and they meet every week for 90 minutes. Everyone wears a stick-on nametag.

The most fun feature of the meeting was hearing everyone introduce themselves and say  what it is they do in 30 seconds or less.

We were instructed to make a memorable pitch. And to say it quick because the clock is ticking and ya better watch out for the cane.

Some of the people there were real good at getting the words out: "I’m an internist and I specialize in women’s health." "I design web sites from start to finish." "I design menus for restaurants." "Is your energy stuck? I’m a spiritual therapist expert at releasing stuck energy." "Are you running your business or is your business running you?"

A few people lumbered on and had to be reminded that they were going to be cut off. "Five more seconds," the group leader said sternly.

I was one of the last people to go so I had time to compose my pitch. I barely heard the others so busy was I trying to come up with something to say. "I have a way with words," I said simply and went on to quickly outline the kind of work I do.

Another fun activity was something they called Business Card Aerobics. Again,we were given a limited amount of time, in which to introduce ourselves to the others and hand over our business cards.  The person with the most business cards (not your own) got a prize at the end of the meeting.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to get to PS 321, so I never found out who won. I don’t think it was me – I only had about 12 cards and there must have been 40 people present.

High heels are terrible when you need to get somewhere fast. So I was pleased as punch to see a vacant cab on the corner of 15th Street and 7th Avenue. The passenger window was open and I asked if he’d be willing to take me to 1st Street.

"I’m going to Staten Island," he said nodding his head.

"Do you think you could take me?" I was begging a little. "It’ll only take a couple of minutes."

"All right," he said grudgingly as I got in his cab.

"I was going to Staten Island. Going home," he spoke in a clipped Carribbean accent with a sorrowful look on his face. "I was going to take the Verazzano Bridge."

Traffic was stop and go on 7th Avenue with slow moving school buses, city buses, parents driving their children to school.  The cab crept past all the familiar south slope landmarks: Baby Bird, Fou Le Chakra, Big Nose Full Body, and Nest. I couldn’t believe how long it was taking. I wanted it to go fast for the driver’s sake.

"Oh, you’re like me," I said out of the blue, forging an uncertain intimacy. "You say yes when you mean no. I do the very same thing. You’re a nice person."

As we approached 4th Street, I felt compelled to make an offer: "You can drop me off at 4th Street if you want. That street goes west and you can get to the BQE easily from here. I can walk…" He wouldn’t let me finish.

"No, no. I take you to 1st Street." he said not exactly cheerfully but resigned to the trip.

"I have to meet my daughter at her school," I said thinking that would help justify the urgency. By then we were at our destnation. The meter said $3.75 and I made a quick decision to add a decent tip.

"I’m going to pay you what I pay those overpriced Brooklyn car services," I said and pushed $6.00 into his hand.  He smiled.

"Thanks for saying ‘yes,’" I said as I got out of the taxi and ran across the street to my daughter’s elementary school. "Thanks for saying ‘yes!”" I shouted again.

I didn’t realize it, but I was still wearing the stick on nametag on my lapel as I stood outside of PS 321 waiting for my husband and my daughter. A parent asked if I was leading a school tour. I figured they were commenting on my business-like attire. "No," I said. I had an early morning business meeting," but I didn’t even try to explain.