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Change is Inevitable, Week Forty-Four in the No Longer New Abnormal

Change is Inevitable, Week Forty-Four in the No Longer New Abnormal
Nov 03, 2024 by Janet Zinn

If change is the only constant in life, why do we have such a hard time with it?  When two old friends died this past week I was grateful to have known them. Although my life will not change much since they were no longer regular presences in my current life, their kindness, compassion and humor have stayed with me since we met in the 80’s.  However, their close family and friends now will feel the change in their lives profoundly, as do we all when death comes to those we love.  

Going Away, Week Thirty-Two in the No Longer New Abnormal

Going Away, Week Thirty-Two in the No Longer New Abnormal
Aug 04, 2024 by Janet Zinn

This weekend I walked in the steaming heat enjoying Summer Streets while traversing Park Avenue without cars.  I will miss the next two Saturdays, so it was a pleasant reprieve to have more than enough room while walking among pedestrians, runners, and cyclists.  I am going away.  Initially I packed for a hot summer, but according to the lower temperatures in Dublin I was ill prepared.  Following my lovely and tiring walk, I  unpacked and repacked for a ten-day trip to Ireland.  Instead of tank tops and sandals I’m bringing sweaters and socks. 

Behind the Facade, The Thirty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal

Behind the Facade, The Thirty-Third Week of the Second Year in the New Abnormal
Aug 20, 2023 by Janet Zinn

Growing up my mother and her mother were sticklers for good manners.  I made a point of saying please and thank you.  I was afraid they would view me as rude, and I didn’t want that moniker.  My grandmother would point out other children who might have been louder than us, or publicly whiny, and she’d use those children as cautionary tails of behavior we were to stringently avoid.  

Lost in Brooklyn, The Twenty-Ninth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Lost in Brooklyn, The Twenty-Ninth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Jul 22, 2023 by Janet Zinn

I set out to go to The Brooklyn Museum to see the Africa Fashion exhibit.  I had intended to see it twice before but got waylaid, so my determination to get there yesterday was fierce.  My plan was to slowly jog in Prospect Park getting out at the arch and walking the few blocks to the museum.  Once I made it to Prospect Park at an unfamiliar entrance, I opened up Maps on my iPhone and set off.  

Rest & Activity, The Twenty-Fifth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal

Rest & Activity, The Twenty-Fifth Week in the Second Year of the New Abnormal
Jun 25, 2023 by Janet Zinn
It was a muggy day in the city.  I went to bed late and gave myself the luxury of resting in bed yesterday morning.  There was a lot to do, but my body craved relaxation, and rather than rush to place my feet on the floor, I lingered under the sheets, enjoying the ease of a restful morning.  

Happy Jewish New Year, Week Thirty-Nine in the New Abnormal

Happy Jewish New Year, Week Thirty-Nine in the New Abnormal
Sep 25, 2022 by Janet Zinn

The Hebrew Year 5783 is upon us.  It’s a celebration of new beginnings.  Sometimes called the great reset.  We have a tradition of bringing bread crumbs, which symbolize our sins, down to the river to release them so we can start anew.  For me the letting go of the recent past to move on is an unburdening.  It’s a kindness we can give ourselves in letting go of what we deem to be opposed to our values.  It’s a personal forgiveness so we can live better lives through right action.  

Running Again

Running Again
Apr 23, 2018 by Janet Zinn
 

I ran my first race in over a year.  It was slow process, both recovering from benign injuries, as well as running 15-minute miles this morning.  In the past months I went through acupuncture, medical massage and physical therapy putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. So, tentatively, step by step I took on Central Park’s Drive.



What I noticed right away was the throngs who passed me as I inched my way forward.  I am no stranger to being left behind.  In elementary school I often was picked last in kickball, more for my lack of popularity than for any inability to kick and catch the ball. In junior high school I was not asked to parties.  I awkwardly went to school...

Memorial Day, 2015

May 26, 2015 by Janet Zinn
Traditionally today is the day you can safely wear white. The unofficial beginning of summer. Staying in Manhattan is a treat when so many go away. It’s such a simple pleasure. This afternoon I went for a jog on the East River and enjoyed the array of characters I encountered. The row of men fishing. Most had rods and used fish meat as bait. But some had traps and used chicken gizzards. I got thumbs up as I slowly ran by. Appreciating the encouragement I smiled back with my thumbs up for their potential catches. It was a New York moment. I passed a family ready to barbecue, a plastic checkered tablecloth on top of which were a rainbow assortment...