July 27, 017 IT'S MY LIFE

When is enough--enough?? This is a question my comrades and I often wrestle with on our long treks. I say--when I can't SEE--HEAR--WALK--PLEASE-- PUSH ME OVER THE BRIDGE. I know this is a morose topic but seriously..........When is enough--enough?? It's supposed to be about quality of life right? I get that quality of life can differ from person to person but I firmly believe a person should have the right to CALL IT A DAY. We live in a world where people live longer because of medical advancements which is great but when is it TOO LONG?? My grandfather NEVER sat still a day in his life until old age type 2 diabetes robbed him--first of his sight--then of his ability to walk. He begged me to help him end his life-- I really wanted to--he had NO quality of life--but I couldn't. In the end--he lost his DIGNITY--and DIED almost penniless after paying all of the medical expenses that  kept him alive?? HELP me understand this???  Our world makes NO sense. When a beloved pet gets old--can no longer see or walk--we are compassionate enough to put the pet down. As much as we love the pet--it's just time right?? Not sure why we can't be more compassionate with our human loved ones?? Don't worry though, after careful consideration and many discussions-- my comrades and I have made a pact. We're not going to let any of that other nonsense stand in the way-- AND WE'LL DECIDE WHEN! I guess I should just be glad that I didn't live in Depression era New York City like many of the unfortunate characters in Jami Attenberg's wonderful historical fiction novel of 2015 Saint Mazie. 

Interestingly enough, Attenberg's  book is loosely  based on a real woman who lived in New York City named Mazie Phillips Gordon. She was the subject of an article in the New Yorker written by Joseph Mitchell in 1940 because she spent the Depression helping poor men who lived on the street and begged for food and drink. Attenberg took the facts of her life-- then created a series of fictional interviews of old neighbors and friends--added a dash of diary entries--both real and fake--and WOOLAA-- a  recreation of Saint Mazie's life. Mazie leads an unconventional lifestyle for a woman at that time period. She is a real character--a tough talking--"loose" woman--with a heart of gold. After her mobster brother-in-law Louis dies, she inherits the Venice Theatre where she sits and sells tickets and watches from her booth--first the Jazz Age--Prohibition--and finally the lives of many of the people she knows and cares about during the Depression. The horrors of the Depression change her life forever as she spends her time and money helping the downtrodden live with a little dignity. Her acts of kindness eventually lead to the nickname Saint Mazie. This book is at time very funny, but it is also a heartfelt story that makes you feel like you have gone back in time--that's how good the writing is. Take some time to read this cleverly written book of 330 pages--only a 3 mile run--whose characters  will stay with you forever.