Many of us old timers in NYC, especially in the Jewish community, remember the political odyssey of Mayor Ed Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams. For those who spent a lifetime here - the pulse of the city is in our blood(line) - forever changing and adapting to the evolution of society.
The key (to the city) ... The past was a moment in time - The present is where your consciousness is as you read this - The future is where the dream began and awaits your return.
Though never political, I personally got to meet Mayor Koch on one occasion when a friend dragged me to a local meeting where he was addressing the people in our neighborhood on many of the same issues we face today - nothing ever really changes - it's all just recycled for the new players. When I shook Koch's hand, he had great energies and a soulful look in his eyes. For someone who loved the city as much as I did, a connection was made. Ya gotta' have a schtick and that is what Ed and I saw in each other ... always leaving them laughing.
Straight or gay ... on several occasions I heard him referred to as Mayor Crotch ... even back then, few cared as he was so charismatic. I remember him flitting from broadcast studios to luncheon meetings and speaking engagements, popping up at show openings and news conferences, wherever the microphones were live and the cameras rolling. That defined Ed till the day he died.
I remember each bout of illness he incurred - thinking It's not his time ... but in this crazy experience which currently grounds us in physical reality ... people of the heart like Ed Koch ... are finding their way home (out).
Lots of Jewish mysticism revolves around numbers as we are created by design. Ed Koch died on 2/1/2013 - the beginning or the end digits of the Fibonacci sequence. Also (2+1+2013 = 9 or endings). In truth .. we only get one life ... make the best of it. Also know that in the end ... it will all be worth the journey even if you can't see that now.
Thursday January 31, 2013
18.5 percent of Americans age 65 and over were working in 2012. I had no idea I was in such a low percentage. After age 70 the percentage of working seniors is probably much lower. But I like to work! What would I do otherwise? Look at Ed Koch ... worked until age 88.
Now let's get to house work and heavy cleaning ... no longer fun ... though I have no medical problems. With that thought in mind on my cleaning day ... it was time to do the wash. Some requests are magically answered especially if you have the right connections. I asked for a magical helper and who should approach me in the laundry room but a former Tibetan monk named Tashi, around age 40, who moved here in 2005 to live his life out as a New Yorker with his wife and two children. Once we engaged, Tashi told me this was his day off from taking care of elderly people in an assisted living facility in Manhattan ... no ... I'm not ready for that .. but maybe he thought I was as he called me Moma. To make extra money, Tashi cleans houses and was cleaning another apartment in my building when we met. As if a gift from Z (Buddha) he asked if he could help me? I could hardly believe my ears so invited him up after he finished the other apartment. During his two hours of cleaning my bathrooms, we discussed Tibetan chants and other related things. As to his cleaning ... I do it better but it was fun!
Some time later ... My bathrooms never looked better - like new. The next time the Tashi the Tibetan has free time ... he is going to call me.
Plan on Working Past Age 65? You'll Have Company MSNBC - January 31, 2013
If you're planning to work past age 65, you may find that you have a surprising amount of company among your peers. A larger chunk of Americans are working into their late 60s and even beyond, part of a long-term trend that has continued despite the tight job market of the past five years and is expected to increase in coming decades. Most Americans still stop working by the time they hit 65. But about 18.5 percent of Americans age 65 and over were working in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a nearly 8 percentage point increase from a low in 1985, when just 10.8 percent of Americans over age 65 were still at work.
