I was in a thrift store the other day. I was walking through the shirt section when this one shirt caught my eye. It looked familiar. Like something from the back memory banks of my mind. Looking at it, I saw on the label it said Sambo’s.  Immediately, I remembered that was the style of shirt the servers at the restaurant Sambo’s used to wear. It was very distinctive with patched pockets and a frontal design with the same color as the pockets.
 
Sambo’s, a restaurant almost forgotten.
 
When I was a kid, my mother and I used to go to that restaurant a lot. The only one I ever really knew about was the one we went to on the corner of Vermont and 6th Street. But, looking up the history of the restaurant, at its heyday there were over one thousand locations. Originally opened in Santa Barbara, California in 1957, it eventually fell prey to the changing of times and the racially insensitive nature of its name, as it was based on the children’s book, Little Black Sambo, compose by the Scottish author, Helen Bannerman.
 
The shirt appeared to have never been worn. For a moment I thought to buy it just for the memories. But, what am I going to do with it???
 
My guess, and it’s only a guess, was that it was probably originally owned by an employee of the restaurant, and, like many of the things one may find in a thrift shop, when the owner passed away, it was donated.
 
Good lesson to keep in mind. Though you may keep things, believing that they mean something to you and your life, the moment you are gone, they will most likely be tossed out, as no one cares about the things you care about.
 
I imagine that shirt will soon find its way onto eBay, however. Purchased by an eBay reseller and sold to the highest bidder.
 
Speaking of restaurants… I was watching this Reality TV show last night. The cast all went to this restaurant in Beverly Hills famous for its caviar. It got me to thinking and to reminiscing with my lady how there used to be this restaurant that we would go to, way back in the way back when, and that I and my friends and lovers used to go to long before she came into the picture. It was called Hamburger Henry’s, and it was in Santa Monica on Wilshire Blvd. It was across the street from one of the seminal night clubs of the New Wave movement here in L.A., Madam Wong’s West. Many a night before a show or seeing a band we would go and get our grub on at that place. And, a lot of other times, as well.
 
But, to the point, they had these great caviar burgers. I used to love them. I’m really not, and never was, a big fan of caviar, but those burgers were great! But now, that restaurant is long gone. Gone, decades ago. Gone but not forgotten, at least not to me. But, who else remembers it?
 
I did a search to see if any other places in L.A. are currently serving caviar burgers. Doesn’t look like it. If you know of a place, let me know. You know, just for old times sake.
 
I had a friend a while back. He had this Star of David tattooed on his arm and underneath it was written, “Never forget.”  Obviously representing the holocaust. He was of Jewish descent, of course. Important point!
 
He’s gone now. He passed away awhile back. A strange thought kind of hit me, “Never forget.”  But, who’s going to remember him when the people like I who knew him, and knew of his tattoo, are gone?
 
Most of you who read this blog probably never heard of Sambo’s, never had a caviar burger at Hamburger Henry’s, or even heard of that restaurant.
 
There are all of the things in my life that you will never know. There are all of the things in your life that I will never know. This is the thing, all things come and then they go. Somethings, massive amounts of people remember. But, if someone doesn’t know, then they will never know. How can you, “Never forget,” what you’ve never known?