Stories I Tell Myself
Linda Brody Bakst on Brooklyn, growing up, identity and more
Category: Florida
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We were on our annual pilgrimage to the Mets’ Spring Training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Gary is a lifelong Met fan and we have been fortunate over the last five years, Covid notwithstanding, to join friends and watch some preseason games while getting a break from the harsh Albany winter. We began our trip…
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Regular readers of my blog know that my relationship with Florida is fraught. I love the beach and sunshine, but I have been traveling there since I was 11 years old to visit elderly relatives. Those trips didn’t feel like vacations, they felt stressful. I connect Florida with aging, the state serves as a reminder…
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As I continue to go through Aunt Clair’s collection of papers, I find interesting items. Among them a xerox copy of a letter written by Grandma to her oldest daughter, Diane (who was called Dinya by the family). I was initially puzzled that a xeroxed letter, not addressed to her, was included in Aunt Clair’s…
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To say it has been a stressful week is an understatement. But in keeping with my effort to reframe things, I’ll start with what I am grateful for: I can replace my destroyed laptop without enduring financial hardship. I know that many are not in that position. It would simply not fit in the budget.…
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Yesterday began at 4:40 a.m. in a Residence Inn in Miramar, Florida. Gary awoke with a start because the alarm on his phone was supposed to go off at 4:30, but in his exhaustion the night before, he set it for 4:30 p.m. Fortunately he opened his eyes only ten minutes later than the alarm.…
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Note: Gary’s Dad was hospitalized last Thursday morning with difficulty breathing. Gary flew down to Florida to be with him and oversee his care. He wrote this on the flight down and gave me permission to share it. It is a trip I have taken before. It is filled with dread and anxiety. It is…
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His skin is mottled, He is 94. He stands erect, He walks with assurance. He says, I feel the same as I always feel. Right now, I think. He can’t imagine feeling different, He doesn’t remember. Months before, winter of 2016, hospitalized 5 times or more in Florida, Weakened by persistent diarrhea…
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I was in social studies in 12th grade in 1975 and the class was discussing the nursing home scandal that was unfolding in New York City. Terrible details of elder abuse and neglect were emerging in the newspapers. The discussion moved from the scandal to elder care as a societal value. Our teacher explained that…
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We went to Florida to check on the folks. We left on a cold Spring day from Albany and arrived two hours later to a warm breeze in Fort Lauderdale. We picked up the rental car and got on the highway heading to my mom. “Enjoy this ride,” Gary, my husband, said with a laugh,…
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I went on my first trip to Florida with Nana and Zada when I was in fifth grade. I’m not sure why I was chosen to go to Miami Beach with them – I was the fourth of the five grandchildren. It was my first time on a plane. I survived the flight without incident.…
