Just Another Sannyasin Living In New York City

New York

Last night was a beautiful evening in New York. One that couldn't be wasted inside. In my view, this is the most wonderful time of the year. And the most stunning time to be in New York City. Everything is brighter: the sky; certainly Central Park as it burst with yellow-green, pinks, and creamy hues; even the streets seem brighter.( Could it be that the street cleaners have Spring fever and are scrubbing those curbs with a bit more gusto?)

I walked into Central Park at 86th Street like I do nearly every day, but rarely at night. The streetlights with their dim glow marked the major pathways and roads, all closed to traffic on this portion of the west side of the park. The park was full of runners, roller bladers, bikers, their red lights blinking as they whooshed by. I walked briskly, catching bits of conversations in several languages, ( overheard some stock tips ) spying young lovers tucked away on stone benches bordering the pond. The water was beautiful in the dim light, framed with golden light shining from the spotlighted dome of an early Trump building on the other side of the park.

I sat on a bench for awhile and observed a trainer and three trainees as they finished their hour routine with pushups and sprints up the exit to 72nd Street just for good measure.

It was one of those times when I realized how much I love New York. I can go from acting class on 44th and Broadway, bustling with energy, promise, creativity; and 15 minutes later be contemplating essential questions of existence walking in the beauty of Central Park.

Yesterday's New York Times had an entire section entitled " Retirement". Well, I'm not sure I'll ever accept that as a term that applies to me. However, I fit the demo, so to speak. But the notion of retirement connotes losing one's way, having nothing to do all day, losing one's edge. That's not for me, I mumbled.

Reading through the section that had several column inches of copy devoted to topics like 401Ks, healthcare with Medicare, locations favored for retirees, I found one article that caught my attention. It was about never "retiring" but transitioning into other paid and unpaid positions--some that folks over 50 had yearned to do for 30 years but didn't have the time or resources to try--like doing voiceovers for ads, ( this person had been told he had a great bass voice, and should be on radio when he was young and swamped with responsibility for family ) or a woman who now administers volunteer programs overseas after yearning to be in the Peace Corps as a young woman.

The researcher at Ithaca College remarks in the piece that "one of the most intriguing aspects of his work on retirement was to make comparisons with other cultures." In India, for example, the Hindus believe we humans have an actual occupation in this final stage of life. The work of late life in this tradition involves renouncing everything and setting out as a spiritual wanderer on an unknown path--what we might call a "seeker".

I'm all for the journey the Hindus ( and I'm certain other traditions ) subscribe to. It's certainly a positive spin on losing one's way. The Hindu word for this spiritual seeker in later life? Sannyasin.


Growing old I think can be accomplished in many places, and one I think absolutely can be done in New York City, the city that offers a cornucopia of unknown paths. Recent real estate sales show that baby boomers are coming back into cities from suburbs in surprisingly large numbers in later life because they want to be close to the culture, opportunity for interaction with diverse groups, and the sheer energy of urban life.


I'm thinking that's for me--detachment and unknown paths sound like good goals. And for now, I'm prepared to be a Sannyasin living in New York City.

MC