Have you ever just wanted to be left alone? A little precious time. So it was when I went to the car wash recently. I took a book and was so looking forward to those few minutes. I found my way to the waiting room with my book. “Nice day, isn’t it?” asked the woman who followed me into the waiting room. How to ignore her? Couldn’t. And I just …
There is a new peril among pedestrians. I am sure that we’ve all fallen victim — hopefully without dire consequences. I was reminded of it just the other day as I was walking to the subway. I was about to step onto the first step of the stairs down to the subway when I bumped into the young woman in front of me who had stopped abruptly. After a mo …
Let’s share snow stories. Rarely do I ask for reader participation in my blogs, but as I sit at home watching the snow fall, I wonder how others faired through the storms of March 2018. Those in warmer climes are free to join in....but please be gentle... As for me, yesterday’s morning commute was memorable in the paucity of cars on the road. After …
I may have mentioned this before. One of the most memorable lines from my daughter, Mea, was her observation when she was five years old that “Music goes right to the heart.” The other evening, we saw “Farinelli and the King” a wonderful Broadway musical about a musical voice that quelled the craziness of King Philippe V of Spain. The power of mus …
There's a TV show in which Sam Waterson portrays the District Attorney in New York City. In one scene he is sitting on a park bench near the courts and Municipal Building having his lunch out of a brown paper bag. A colleague walks by and the District Attorney asked him if he'd like to join him for lunch. The colleague appropriately enquires abou …
Some time ago, Nancy blogged about old friends. About two weeks ago, I received an email from Gothamite William Skody giving me regards from his neighbor, Sal. Sal and I worked together over twenty years ago. I liked Sal then and I like him now. We’ve kept in touch. I’ve always liked Sal. He’s a real mensch (as Fred would say, that’s a legal term) …
I was distressed in reading the reports yesterday that the top trending video on YouTube was a conspiracy theory that Florida school shooting survivor, and one of the organizers of the "March for Our Lives", David Hogg, is an actor; more precisely, a "crisis actor" -- someone who is "paid to pretend to have been affected by a tragedy for political …
Last Sunday, we got to the museum a little early and found our way to the room. The leader of the workshop asked each of us to introduce ourselves and say what we expected from the workshop. “I’m Ben and I’m here to escape outside of my comfort zone.” It was a workshop in tie-dying at the Jewish Museum in New York and was given in conjunction wit …
The words of a schoolteacher of mine from many many years ago resonate for me. “We read the obituaries not to learn who died but to learn about those who lived.” I read the obituary of Haim Gouri, an Israeli poet, journalist, novelist, and filmmaker who died last week at the age of 94. He was a voice from the founding of the State of Israel. The …
I usually don't participate in "chain" letters but this text message that I received the other day from a physician is, in my view, worthy of sharing. It may save a life. Please pause for 2 minutes and read this: 1. Let’s say it’s 7.25pm and you’re going home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. 2. You …
The other day, I walked from my office on Broadway and 39th Street to “Ink48” (a wonderful boutique hotel with a great restaurant-“Print”) on 48th Street and Eleventh Avenue. As I walked north on Broadway, I left the old “garment district” which is gradually absorbing non-garment businesses with its people-friendly pedestrian mall on Broadway. I …
Two blogs ago, I wrote about a view from a glove. Giving personality to inanimate objects is, for me, a wonderful little fantasy escape. An exercise in imagination. Feelings should abound and be enjoyed even by things. My fantasies were validated the other morning. We are lucky to have a wonderful glass sculpture that we call “Sunshine”. It’s a …
Last Sunday, Flo and I were at a hardware store in Huntington, Long Island, just picking up a few things. As we got to the counter, the cashier informed us that he had to charge us 5 cents for a bag to pack our purchases. It was our first encounter with the new “bag law” that went into effect in Suffolk County on January 1st. “No, thank you. We …
It’s cold, really cold, and one of the absolute necessities are gloves. But what’s it like from the viewpoint of a glove? “I like being needed, especially when the weather gets really cold. I feel appreciated. But one of the great occupational hazards of being a glove is being lost. I hate being taken for granted, neglected and lost. The worst is b …
Last Saturday, the Mediterranean Snack Bar in Huntington closed its doors - for good. It had been an institution for 43 years and, I can safely say that Flo and I have been eating at “Mediterranean” for a majority of those years. It was a safe place, good food, always welcoming and comforting. It’s the end of an era. I think back on other “in …
