Heaven and Hell
I wish I believed in a god of retribution and hell. The world and national leaders and heads of corporations would be looking forward to an eternity of paying for their crimes. They continue to rain death and destruction on the ordinary folk of this world. The leaders of Uganda and their anti-gay laws. The runaway banking corporations which have brought the finances of millions of everyday people to the point of, in some cases, homelessness and illness. The health insurance industry leaders who have fought against reform. Big pharmaceutical industry which lobbies against regulation and whose monopoly raises the cost of medicine beyond the reach of so many people. And I'll not forget the fundamentalist religious leaders in Iran, Israel, the US, Palestine, and many other places would roast in hell.
The latest atrocity that has come to my attention is the famine in North Korea. The mismanagement of resources, military oppression and other policies of the paranoid dictator are bringing terrible misery to the people of that country. It was not on my radar--amidst the many atrocities--until a friend sent me an article from the LA Times with the story. The situation has long been bad, but now is escalating. I won't repeat it here. You can go to the link for that. But surely Kim Jong Il will soon join his father with the blood of millions on his hands.
New York
New York City is greater than life. I have lived there twice for a year each time. Even so, I was struck by the vitality, the immense amount of life. There is always activity on the streets at almost any time of day or night. My hotel was near the theater area and that intensifies the level of energy. But even on the subway coming in from the airport, I could feel it. And despite the stereotypes, as I was lugging my suitcase on the Air Train and subway, strangers were helpful with information or by giving up their seat so I could rest.
It was also striking that on any one block, one could hear several languages and a wide variety of ethnic heritage. People from all over the world mixing amicably. Sure, everyone pursues their own agenda with single-mindedness, but they were also ready to stop and give suggestions or direction.
The last time I lived in New York was in the 1960s. My impression now is that the city is cleaner; the sense of safety and order is better; and public safety is much more obvious. Of course, any time more than a handful of people live together, there will be crime. But I had the sense that it was much better than before. Police are more effective and also more polite and helpful.
No way am I ready to move to New York. But that's mostly because I hate cold and the winters in New York are certainly colder than my preferences. I no longer want to live where it snows and slushes and ices. But New York is a great city. I have lived in Tokyo, Chicago, San Francisco, São Paulo, Brasilia, Washington, and other cities. They all have their charms, but New York surpasses all of them in the great variety of people of different ethnic backgrounds who manage to live together cooperatively.
And food. As the airport shuttle threaded its way from hotel to hotel, I noted that in any couple blocks, there were Mexican, OA (Ordinary American), German, Indian, Brazilian, French, Persian, etc., restaurants. The Jewish delicatessen in New York has no equal, of course.
Aunt Pearl
I went to New York for the unveiling of my aunt Pearl's headstone. It is Jewish custom to mourn for a year before officially placing (or unveiling) a headstone. Aunt Pearl was the only member of the family who maintained a relationship with me over the years. Three years before she died, she called me and suggested that it was time for me to meet my cousins. She was the last of her generation but, she told me, here were the phone numbers for six of my cousins and wouldn't it be a good idea for me to phone them and make contact
In the end, I really only met Ruth from Oklahoma and spent a couple hours with Claire, Ruth's sister. Still I did make contact with most of them and we did agree to "try to get together."
Little did we know that it would be at aunt Pearl's unveiling that this wish would come to fruition. And it was appropriate that, in the end, it would be aunt Pearl who would make it happen.
Aunt Pearl touched so many of our lives. It was so fitting that the service was exactly as it was; attended by all who could be there and laden with stories of her being with us, moving us, teaching us. She was the center of a network; calling each of us every so often, check on our welfare, giving advice and wisdom.
They each brought special, admirable gifts to the occasion; each exhibiting his or her own strengths. The flair of joy in Ruth P's flowers on her attire, I have been told, is the way she is throughout. Gene and Evelyn's clear, straight-forward handling of all aspects speaks of a life with few distortions of character and a commitment to accomplishing the tasks which make everyone's life easier. Claire Beth brought her kindness and generosity to the day; and she was well prepared to continue it for any who wished to visit her apartment nearby. Ruth S comes with a very strong heart of caring and love, but also a strength of character and ethic that inspires. David functioned wonderfully as our rabbi. And having Richard there, being a part of the family, was the last level of perfection.
I was especially grateful for Sarah. Sarah is not a cousin, but the grand-daughter of Gene and Evelyn. In this economic era, we ignore the inspiration of the arts at our peril. A people who do not value artistic expression--of this period or previous--lead a very impoverished life. So I was inspired that she is studying art history and hope that she will help carry this forward to another generation.
Thanks to Aunt Pearl, who even in passing has strengthened and been the center of a web of our lives.
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