Tennis and Lecture Anyone? A Real Treat!
Mental and physical exercise are really good for one’s spirit. I remember the time my friend, Jack Tynan, and I, rented a locker in Central Park where we met weekly to play tennis. The exercise did both of us good. In the early 1960’s, we signed up for an eight-week lecture series presented by the eminent opera conductor, producer and impresario, Boris Goldovsky (1908-2001). Mr. Goldovsky was director of the opera department at the New England Conservatory of Music and, later, at the Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires.
Jack and I left Central Park after a good tennis workout and enjoyed lunch at the Metropolitan Museum restaurant. Mr. Goldovsky, the lecturer, entertained well over 600 people at the weekly event in the auditorium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He clearly loved opera and his favorite composer at the time was Mozart (1756-1791). To this day, Mozart is my most favorite - his Piano Concerto No. 21, Magic flute and Requiem, among others, are priceless. The impresario regaled us with countless anecdotes of the composers and the many stories and events connected to the opera singers that he coached over a lengthy period. Without a doubt, his singers felt like family to him and he understood so well their needs and hopes. Jack and I left every lecture with a smile.
Biking with Heather
At home with Heather, I enjoyed bike riding in and around our development. The exercise was clearly beneficial to both of us. Our conversation during those exercises was always important to me. Her energy, as I recall, was unlimited and, eventually, the distances traveled on my bicycle became shorter and shorter for me. I declared Heather the winner and, after much enjoyment, looked for a less taxing sport. Occasionally, you could then find us on the tennis court or the swimming pool.
Golf and Lunch in Dania
Eli Katz, an owner of a computer company, Marvin Blank, who owned Yankee Candles, Ben Kaplan, a bank officer in Hollywood, and I, played golf every Friday morning around 9:30 a.m. We would often meet at the Eco Golf Club in Dania, play nine holes till about 12:30 and then go for lunch. One day at the golf course, when my eyes couldn’t follow the path of the ball, they urged me to see an eye doctor. I saw the eye doctor and had cataract surgery on both eyes. When I returned to golf a short time later, they couldn’t follow the ball at 175 yards, but I could. They were duly stunned and impressed and were now asking me where the golf ball went.
It turned out that our conversations over lunch were more exciting than our golf swings. Each of us never ran out of material during our two-hour lunch period. Mostly, we talked about news of local and national interest, and the personal stories and lessons we learned and wanted to share with one another. After a strenuous and vigorously active morning of golf and a satisfying lunch, we all went home to sleep. I’m sorry to say that all three of my golf friends passed on, but their memory is very much alive for me.
Anyone Up for a Good Game of Bridge?
The game of bridge has always been fun and challenging for Joanne and me. While cruising aboard ships over the course of 20 years, we signed up for the bridge classes that were offered. I had the pleasure of playing it during my college years and these refresher courses aboard ship just increased my appetite and love for the creative game. For Joanne, it was an introduction to bridge and she enjoyed it immensely. We played both social and duplicate bridge and enjoyed them both.
For years, we played bridge with Paul and Gloria Barnett every Tuesday evening. They were both avid bridge players. In a stimulating and delightful game like bridge, the hours can feel like minutes. It has been said that a bad day at bridge is better than a good day at work. Only you can be the judge of that. It was a fun activity for all of us. We shared many thoughts and opinions and I think we laughed more than we played.
Since our retirement, Joanne and I have been playing bridge weekly with Sela Gotlib and Judge Miette Burnstein. We play in the private and relaxing card room of the Vi in Aventura. To the four of us, it is an engaging and very cheerful activity.
We fill ourselves with chocolate nuggets as we ponder the next move in this game of concentration. Occasionally, we hum and sing during our play. “Edelweiss,” from the Sound of Music and “Que sera, sera,” are two of our favorites. Whether you win or lose at bridge, you’re still a winner.
I’ve always liked Dwight Eisenhower. He was President of my college (Teachers College, Columbia University) in 1952 and became President of the United States a short time later. As President, he held regular Saturday night bridge games at the White House. When you get the right cards at bridge, you plan your strategy and it can be very exciting. When you get the wrong cards, you just do your best.
How About a Nice Game of Rummikub?
For the past few years, Esther, Mordechai, Joanne, and I have been playing Rummikub. It is a highly concentrated and fun game. When you think a little outside the box, you are probably making your best move. If you know the game well, you can be highly creative. And we also enjoy playing on occasion with our grandchildren.
The Many Faces of Poker
There are many variations in the game of Poker and I think our Monday night group has played and tackled them all. About eight to ten of us met every week at 7 p.m. at the Renaissance building in Dania Beach to explore the wonders of this game in a most comfortable atmosphere. We played for five years. Since our group was highly sociable, we limited our bets to five and ten cents. As the one who knew the most about Poker, Eli Katz introduced us to a multitude of poker games. With his mathematical skills and guidance, he took us on a weekly gambling adventure. You never won or lost much, but the camaraderie was truly exceptional.
Enhancing My Piano Technique
Not getting any younger, I decided to spruce up my piano playing abilities. A piano teacher was in the vicinity, and I signed up for lessons. At the first lesson, Marina Sultanova asked me what my goal was, what I hoped to accomplish with piano instruction.
I answered that I would like to be able to play Chopin’s Ballade in G Minor and I don’t care how long it takes. She smiled and we got to work. In the next year and a half, I played over 100 melodies and practiced often, but the Ballade was clearly out of reach for me, neverthe-less a great challenge. Because of this experience, I will always appreciate the inherent beauty of the Ballade even more than I have in the past. In my judgment, an “A” for effort is better than an “F” for not trying.
The Promise of Exercise
They say, “Exercise is good for you.” I say, “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.”
When you wake up at 6:30 in the morning, the last thing you want to do is a morning exercise. This, however, may be the best thing for you to start your day. There is an online veteran program which is available on the internet to all at no charge. Kenny, the online physical trainer, instructs four other participants in this exercise program.
The four volunteers are all over the age of 60. The clear message here is that this program, one of literally hundreds of veteran exercise programs offered to the public, is not too taxing and is good for all of us.
There are warm-up exercises for muscles and joints, work in hip and torso rotations, arm circling, heel tapping, cardio sections for the heart and lungs, and many more. Joanne and I have been doing these 30-minute exercises five-to-seven times weekly for the past ten years. If exercise is not your thing, and you find you tire easily, but you want to live a little longer, you might want to consider adding this requisite step to your life. The important thing is to get your body moving.