As a teenager I was keen on learning songs from musicals, anything from South Pacific to Cabaret, as well as tunes by Barbra Streisand, Carol King, Joan Baez and other singers. Classics with melodies and words I can still remember today.

One song, made famous by Liza Minnelli, that I especially loved was ‘Ring Them Bells.’ Written by Fred Ebb and John Kander, the lyric chronicles the adventures of 31-year-old Shirley Devore as she travels the world to find a life partner, a man who all along happens to live right next door to her in NYC. It’s a true story. Here are some of the verses:

She met a Londoner first but they did not hit it off

‘Cause every time she approached he got a bronchial cough

And so she went to Madrid and met a handsome Senior

But he liked to throw the bull and he was no matador

She also bombed out in Brussells, in Mallorca and Rome

Til’ someone said, “Try Dubrovnik, dear before you go home”

‘Cause it’s the kind of a town where you’ll be likely to fall

And all the toni cognoscenti find the Balkans a ball

You gotta ring them bells, you gotta ring them bells

You gotta make ‘em sing and really ring them bells

It’s such a happy thing to hear ‘em ting a ling

You gotta ring them bells

And so she went to Dubruvnik and the very first day

She met a guy on the beach who took her reason away

Yes, it was love at first sight and quite a beautiful scene

She said, “My name is Shirl Devore”, he said, “I’m Norm Saperstein”

She said, “Are you from New York”, he said, “That can’t be denied

I’ve got a swell junior three at number five, Riverside”

“Five? Five Riverside Drive in New York, that’s where you live?”

“That’s, that’s where I live, Five? Are you sure?”

As if that wasn’t enough for Shirley thought she’d gone deaf

When he told her his apartment there was 29 F

Yes, she was ‘E’, he was ‘F’ and they had not even met

Until she traveled the world to Yugoslavia yet

He’d always been right next door and she would never have known

If she hadn’t tried Dubrovnik, she might still be alone

I mention this song for a reason. I’ve had a sort-of parallel journey, although not a love story, that happened right here in Callicoon. Packages sent to my address on Delaware Avenue kept ending up at someone else’s home on Delaware Drive. I have no idea where Delaware Drive is. I don’t even know if it’s in PA or NY. I suppose I could google it, but I didn’t need to since the resident of Delaware Drive would anonymously deliver said packages to my home.

One day, I got a package addressed to Delaware Drive with a name all too familiar on it. Was this person whom I know sending me something? I was confused. Or was this a ring them bells moment? Indeed, it was a ring them bells moment. Said package belonged to one of my co-workers at the Sullivan County Democrat. All along this ‘Norm Saperstein,’ who lived at the same number as me only on Delaware Drive, had been personally re-routing my packages undercover to my doorstep. Now that the gig was up, it was my chance to surprise him. And so, while on my way to the newspaper with his package, I didn’t whistle while I walked, I sang:

Ring them bells, come on, come on, ring them bells

Make ‘em sing, you’d better ring the bells

It’s such a happy thing to hear ‘em ting a ling

You gotta swing them, ring them, swing them, ring them bells

RAMONA JAN is the Founder and Director of Yarnslingers, a storytelling group that tells tales both fantastic and true. She is also the roving historian for Callicoon, NY and is often seen giving tours around town. You can email her at callicoonwalkingtours@gmail.com.