Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter Dinner

Today is a good day. I feel hopeful and rested. I worked hard this weekend on my blog and a few other writing projects. Although I did not get to see my babies this Easter, I did talk to them yesterday morning.


Last night an old friend called out of the blue. We haven’t spoken in ages. He has it rough in that he is a temporary employee with the New York City Police Department. He is a police photographer, and although he passed his civil service exam and is number thirteen on the hiring list, he probably won’t get hired fulltime.

Beyond that he has no family and few friends, so last night I offered to take him out to dinner. We went to a nice Italian restaurant in Port Washington and ate well. That was our Easter celebration. A nice meal between old friends.

He owns a house he can’t afford, and although he has an apartment on the second floor, his last tenants screwed him and didn’t pay the rent for an entire year. Adding insult to injury they completely trashed the place before he finally got them out. He doesn’t have the money to fix the place up and put it back up for rent, so I suggested he just sell the damn place and get the hell out of dodge.

New York is killing him because it is so damn expensive, and police photographers make next to nothing. He says he would like to move out West and enjoy the wide-open country. I say go for it. He has more than $400,000.00 in equity—more than enough to get some place really nice in an area where the cost of living is cheap.

His dream is to teach photography and build his portfolio. Follow your dreams is what I told him. Now is the time, because he is getting close to retirement age, and he has several good years ahead of him to make his dreams come true.

He is a kind, gentle soul who just needs to be nudged to flee the trap he is snared in New York City. Moving out West would be good for him, and I know if he got out from under all this pressure that is stifling his happiness, he would follow through with his dreams and find peace and tranquility. He deserves it, and I hope he gets what he wants with all my heart.


All my love!


James M. Weil

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