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Fairy Tale
There is a bronze statue in Coney Island, in front of the Mets’ Minor League, Class A baseball stadium. It depicts a famous incident that occurred in 1947. It seems that Jackie Robinson, in his rookie year as the very first Black player in Major League Baseball, was on the receiving end of some merciless… Continue reading
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Every Day Is Mother’s Day
Like most people with Moms, I always tried to make a big splash on Mother’s Day. Mailed a card three days early, to make certain it would arrive on time. Went to visit, with flowers. Took Mom out for dinner. I felt if I slipped up in the slightest, I would be in lots of… Continue reading
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We Don’t Need Another Hero
In our country, everyone is created equal. What happens in the ensuing nine months, and then after birth, is up for debate. As the great Muhammad Ali said, you just need the right connections. And the right complexion. James Rodney Richard (JR) pitched alongside the legendary Nolan Ryan for the Houston Astros, and he regularly… Continue reading
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It’s A Terrible Thing To Waste…
The mind works in funny ways. Well, mine does, anyway. My mind seems to dwell on peripheral events, not the main ones. My friend and I went backpacking across Europe after our first year of college. It was 1974; we were 18 years old. The plan was to stay for six weeks, or for however… Continue reading
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Money Isn’t Everything
I see that Facebook and Instagram and Lowe’s and McDonald’s as well as several other companies are curtailing diversity and equality in their hiring practices. They suddenly don’t support it anymore, out of fear of retribution from the President. Out of fear that he will cause them to make a bit less than their customary… Continue reading
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Run On
People park their cars on the sidewalk and run through red lights and stop signs and they block bus stops and when you cross the street if a car doesn’t get you a bicycle or a motorcycle surely will and I wish I had a cold Gatorade to drink right about now doesn’t matter the… Continue reading
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The Waiting Room
My wife had a doctor’s checkup scheduled the other day on Long Island. We left the house an hour before the appointment time; it was a 45 minute drive. As I was driving up the Southern State Parkway, I began to think about the WNBA. How the players never, ever dunk the ball. It’s not… Continue reading
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The Most Famous Person I Ever Met
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met? In the late 1970s I was walking up 6th Avenue one afternoon and passed a crowd of people in front of Sam Goody (a record store chain), a block south of Radio City Music Hall. It was like they were waiting for someone.… Continue reading
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The Nursing Home
Ever wish you could go back and change one thing you did in your life? Just one? My grandmother suffered a severe stroke in 1979 and after ten days in the hospital, she was transferred to a nursing home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We thought it was fortunate that she could be… Continue reading
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Unbreakable
By the time I was four years old, I had learned not to get caught doing anything wrong. My mom had no reservations about sending a quick slap my way if she thought my behavior called for it. And when I seemed too happy playing with my toys, my big brother was always too happy… Continue reading
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Fickler Bunch
Top 5000 Mets Fan Favorites October 2, 2024 1.Francisco Lindor 2. Tom Seaver 3. David Wright 4. Endy Chavez 5. Mookie Wilson 6. Tug Mcgraw 7. Keith Hernandez 8. Gary Carter 9. Jose Reyes 10. Willie Mays 11. Ray Knight 12. Rusty Staub 13. Mike Piazza 14. John Franco 15. – 4998. Many Others 4999.… Continue reading
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Fickle Bunch
Top 5000 Mets Fan Favorites September 2021 Tom Seaver David Wright Dwight Gooden Endy Chavez Mookie Wilson Tug McGraw Keith Hernandez Gary Carter Jose Reyes Willie Mays Ray Knight Rusty Staub Mike Piazza John Franco – 4998 many others 4999. Vince Coleman 5000. Francisco Lindor Top 5000 Mets Fans Favorites September 2024 Francisco Lindor Tom… Continue reading
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How often do you walk or run? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Continue reading
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Concussed
They sure make a big deal about concussions these days; strict protocols in all professional sports, bike helmets for everyone, etc. It all comes a bit too late for me. It is commonly believed that after three concussions, a person has “a higher risk of declining brain function, including memory loss, later in life.” What… Continue reading
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Under Pressure
One summer day when I was six I went food shopping with my mother. My grandmother couldn’t come to watch me that day, so I had to go wherever my mother went. We walked to Nostrand Avenue, where all the stores were situated. First stop, Ebinger’s bakery for a small rye bread, then to the… Continue reading
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Jaws
I had two very different problems with my customers. First, they could spend hours hanging out in my store, bending my ear about the dumbest things. Their genius children. The weather. Religion (ugh). This made it difficult for me to get any work done. So, I made it very clear to all of my employees:… Continue reading
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A Hard, Hard Life
One Spring Day in second grade I was sitting at my desk, wondering where I was going to find the 12 cents I would need for that month’s Superman comic, when the front door opened. Some kid came in – must have been a ‘monitor’ from the office – and handed my teacher, Mrs. Levine,… Continue reading
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School Cred
By the time I was in the fifth grade, I was tall, thin and quiet. I did nothing to draw scrutiny and was ridiculously consumed with the possibility of doing something wrong. In October, I was chosen to play trombone in the newly formed school orchestra. Not that I showed an interest, or even any… Continue reading
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Ain’t That A Hit In The Head
I had a terrible stomach ache when I was 16. Started hurting around noon. I didn’t like making a big deal, so I just dealt with it all day, mostly doubled over, then went to bed. After a sleepless night I finally mentioned it to my mom. Turned out to be a gangrenous appendix that… Continue reading
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It’s Elementary (Part Two)
The dreaded Mrs. Auerbach had quite the reputation for ridiculing, belittling, and screaming at her fourth grade students. My summer recess was ruined, because the back of my third grade June report card indicated that I was to be in her class. Once fourth grade began, I managed to remain fairly invisible during school hours.… Continue reading
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Fatherhood
I was always a fun dad, but I seemed to get a bit more careless with each successive child. When our youngest, Matthew, was three, I took him to the park to fly model rockets. He was so excited! As I was preparing our first rocket for lift-off, I had to bite off, then spit… Continue reading
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What’s Going On…?
It’s great being retired. My wife and I are almost always together and we do whatever we want, all day long. Last month we were in JFK, waiting for our flight to Puerto Rico. Got there early, as we usually do. I noticed that people running late generally dash through the airport to their assigned… Continue reading
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It’s Elementary (Part One)
I am a product of the NYC Board of Education. But I’m okay. My father died when I was in elementary school. I was in the second grade. I returned to school in mid-December, after having stayed at home for a week. My classmates basically ignored me for a few days, which was behavior normally… Continue reading
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Firemen Get The Job Done!
When chasing after shoplifters began to take up too much of my time, I was forced to hire security for my pharmacy. First I hired off duty police, which was not exactly legal in those days; cops were not allowed to moonlight. Which turned out to be okay because they were mostly a waste of… Continue reading
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Kindergarten
When I was in kindergarten, I was in the morning class. I always looked forward to noon, which was when I got to go home. I felt pretty much the same way about school all the way through college. Our teacher, Mrs. Stevens, would line us up in size order, so I always brought up… Continue reading
