Recently, I endured my wife Joanne's oft repeated complaint "Why do we always have to be so early to just sit here at the airport?"First of all, aren't we supposed to be there 2 hours before departure?Actually, though, it's much deeper and more complex.  Maybe this trait was born in boyhood when I arrived an hour late for my SATs.  

Yesterday was the third anniversary of my mother’s passing. We acknowledged the day with a traditional memorial candle and moments of thought and memories (not that we needed a special day for that). As many of you know, Esther was a Holocaust survivor and an Honorary Gotham member. She spoke frequently of her experiences, including many talks to Gotham. (The picture is of Esther and Fred after a speech to Gotham’s members at the Friars Club.) 

As many of you know, I became unemployed when Xerox decided to cut about 3,000 employees in mid-October. I waited patiently for my severance check to arrive and then did what many Americans do, file for unemployment.  What unfolded next was a tedious process of registering with the department. NYS requires you to call in and spend about 15 minutes filling out your personal info and answering a ton of questions relating to how you were unemployed, how long you worked at your previous job and others. No big deal, it is necessary to get you into the system.

We celebrate Hanukkah and it comes with strong traditions.  First, we light the menorah and say the prayers that go along with this holiday.  Every year, we first engage in a continuing reminder about which direction to light the candles. We follow the lighting of the candles by a particular song and dance.  I have been singing this song and dancing in this same circle since I can remember. I learned the tradition from my parents and it has certainly been passed on. 

It’s that time of the year. It's the holiday season and it's the end of the year. And we’re all busy. Whether it’s work, family, or preparation for the holidays or everything combined, there’s a lot to do. For me, being busy can sometimes bring on stress And I feel that stress every year during the holiday season. Do you feel it? How do you manage it?

For many fans of the New York Mets, including this correspondent, last week exemplified disgust, disappointment and even dread about the upcoming 2026 season.  Apparently, the Mets decision-makers opted against retaining the best closer — Edwin Diaz —  in Major League Baseball and in the humble opinion of this corespondent and avid and arguably rather knowledgeable fan the best right handed clutch power hitter — Pete Alonso — in the National League. Plain dumb! No counter moves replace those player departures.  

Many people don’t really think things through on their own. Instead, they repeat what they hear from friends, social media, or the news. This feels easier and safer than figuring things out for yourself.When you let others do your thinking, you don’t have to ask hard questions or risk being wrong. But there’s a downside: your opinions aren’t really yours anymore. You believe things because others do, not because you’ve examined them.

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