Beautiful Things

My son, Joel, used to say that when something is bothering you and you can’t figure it out, you should write it down. This is the opposite of my philosophy. In my opinion, you don’t stop the whole show every time you have a problem. Things happen—that’s the way it goes. I came to this country without a penny to my name, so I’ve had my ups and downs. You take the good with the bad and keep on going. What else can you do?

But lately, I’m not my old self. Things get to me. I can’t shake things off. Then came that business in the park.

It was a Friday. At nine in the morning I was still in bed. Nowadays I don’t sleep so good—up half the night—then I can’t get out of bed in the morning. Before the coronary that forced me to retire—I was in the jewelry business—I was up every day at six and out of the house by six-thirty. Now look at me—nine o’clock in the morning, and still in bed. Like an old woman.