The Writer's Life: The Writer's Life 10/31

Life expectancy in the USA is approaching 80. I wonder if that number will be revised down, given the recent deaths of friends and acquaintances of mine in the their 50’s and 60’s. None of the six even qualified for Social Security. Last night I attended the wake of a former Exchange colleague. As expected, the parlor was packed. Joe was well-liked and, according to Caryn, his ex-wife, was his jovial self until the end, which, mercifully, came fast. He was diagnosed only in mid September. None of the doctors he saw prior to that had a clue as to why he was having problems. He was prescribed antibiotics and then stronger heart medicine. By the time cancer was suspected, it was too late to save him. Although they divorced a long time ago, Caryn and Joe remained friends. She was there for him at the end, as he was there for Caryn and her mom, offering them shelter when their house in Breezy Point, the Irish Riviera, suffered severe damage during Hurricane Sandy.
These affairs are always bittersweet. The sadness of the parting of a friend is mixed with the joy of being reacquainted with old friends and the gratitude of being among the living. I learned that another round of cuts had been instituted at the Exchange. The floor staff of the entire trading floor now numbers 14. At one time that of the Comex division alone totaled 85. That had to have at least doubled when NYMEX bought us out. The futures markets now trade almost exclusively electronically. More and more of the options markets are moving that way. It was on this date in 2007, a vacation week, that I picked up my severance package. I received nearly a year's pay and six months medical coverage. Those let go now received ten months but no coverage other than cobra.
I’m not nostalgic for the business, but I do miss the great people I worked with and got to know. I was thrilled to hear that Adam’s daughter, Kayla, a high school junior, was recently the fourth ranked female high school tennis player in NYC, until an injury pushed her back to eleventh. Joe Mags’ daughter, Ashley, is applying to St. John’s Law School. Bobby Hughes, the model for a character named Flynn in my fourth novel, Exchanges, is writing himself these days, working on both a children’s book and a mystery set in Central Park. Fat Joe has dropped a lot of weight. Yugo & Maria Cheeks, Dave & Annie, and Adam & Sharon are still together after all these years. Kevin looks fit enough to roam the outfield as expertly as he did back in our three straight Wall Street softball championships heyday. Ralphie RAC, just let go, has retired. Gary GAG praised my writing. Another aspect of a wake is the twinge of survivor’s guilt it elicits. It is amazing that we have to be reminded how wonderful it is to be alive. I suppose I’ll be foolishly grumbling about the lack of book sales this afternoon.

For years many golf tournaments offered a free car to any player who made a hole in one at a designated hole. The LPGA's Danielle Kang, 22, made two in back to back events in China. What are the odds of that? Here she is celebrating after the second:

Clouds persisted this day. There was no sun whatsoever, making it the coldest session of the floating book shop since spring, a precursor of conditions to come. My thanks to those who bought and donated, especially the elderly woman who gave me seven novels that ranged from the 70's to the 2000's.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/