Thursday, July 3rd … and we’re in Great Barrington (Massachusetts) awaiting the arrival of our children and grandchildren for our third annual July Fourth family reunion.From Washington D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, Brooklyn and Manhattan, they will journey to the Berkshires for a weekend of fun, sushi at Bizen (our cousin’s famous restaurant), and, possibly, a repeat of last year’s bowling pa

For months now, I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls from numbers I don’t recognize. I don’t answer and they always leave a voicemail about a personal loan that I never applied for.   

No, not that one.   Baby birds happily floating from the antennae on top of my roof to the long branch of a well rooted tree.  

I decided to do some spring (maybe now summer?) cleaning in my closet this week.   Cleaning out my closets was long overdue, and I finally tackled the chaos head-on. I found clothes I hadn’t worn in years, mystery cords, and more than a few forgotten memories. Letting go of clutter felt surprisingly liberating—like making space for a lighter, clearer version of myself. Now, every time I open the door, I feel a little spark of peace and accomplishment  

Gotham allows its members to post promotional messages to its Promo@GothamNetworking.com listserve on Tuesdays and Fridays.  I moderate that and the weekday more general Fredslist Gotham listserve and encourage members to use the "Promos" opportunity -- many more should -- as I did last Tuesday:  I shared about an interview I did the two weeks before to the day with recent Gotham Member Dr.

Last Saturday, I asked my 94-year-old mother what she had for breakfast. She paused and said with complete sincerity,"I forgot to remember." And honestly… I didn’t know whether to laugh, put it on a T-shirt, or adopt it as my personal life motto. At 94, she’s earned the right to forget a few things. Breakfast, lunch, or even a thought.It got me thinking...there’s a beautiful kind of freedom in forgetting to remember. Less stress, fewer worries, and a perfect built-in excuse for pretty much everything. 

When I was young I did not drink coffee.  As the years passed, I slowly developed an affinity for a cup of black coffee, which I nursed through the day at my desk .What's more, I loaded up on cups of black coffee (containing caffeine, a legal performance enhancing drug) before my marathons for an extra beneficial boost.  

We were just seated in a restaurant at 20th Street and Tenth Avenue.“Hi Flo, hi Ben …. Steve, what are you doing in my neighborhood?” as he moved on to a nearby table.A familiar face but no quick recognition.