These past two weeks I have been blessed with loving friends and a trip to my birthplace, my New York home.
I have walked on the Coney Island Boardwalk, ridden ponies in Central Park, and been to its lakes, ballyards and the zoo. Relived the Great Lawn, Simon and Garfunkel and Gay Pride rallies. Sharing with partner John from Lakeland, and Brian from Virginia, how the memorable past is now the forever present. Ate Nathan’s hot dogs and French fries in Brooklyn, had steaks at Peter Luger’s, Italian food on the east side at John’s, and Trattoria midtown, a must. All with friends from Dodger town across the country who met and meet annually. So special! Yeah, I should have caught that line drive down the first baseline in 1995, Wayne Canastra!
Delis from the East side and too many good restaurants to mention them all.
Knishes, too. And the opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum. Quite the Labor Day trip. Been to the Met, MOMA and more museums than I can count. A home run of a journey. I have been to amazing Broadway theaters, and watched Aaron Judge’s 54th homer at Yankee Stadium, the edifice of Baseball! And seen the first place Mets play the first place Dodgers at Citi Field while wearing their World Series rings from 40 years ago. And still own a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card, not a 10 like the one that sold for 12 million a week ago, but mine nevertheless. What a privilege to have that and so many others to treasure for decades. Been to the Village and heard Billy Joel. Listened and remembered as the Traveling Wilburys has sung "End of the Line;” where John Lennon lived and died. Imagine. The magic of music and unknown partners dancing in Times Square at midnight. It’s all steps and notes from the Hershey’s store, the Empire State Building and Broadway. From 5th Avenue shops to NY subways, to South Florida and Key West’s golden sunlight, sailboats, and shores, my life has been a roller coaster of energy and enthusiasm and a circle game; enjoying loving days and spectacular nights, great opportunities and marvelous friends, sharing for 20 years a newspaper that has illuminated our lives, loves, and losses. In court and in print, standing up for our rights; ones we should have always had and must never be taken away. It’s been an honor, and if blessed with a chance to continue, I shall. Maybe the new publisher of SFGN, Jason Parsley, will even publish this piece on our site and in the newspaper. Life is truly a circle game that goes round and round and passes the torch to a new generation. Enjoy to the fullest every precious moment. Fight on, I will be there with you.
