I Didn’t Get The Memo

Age creeps up on all of us. These days, some of our friends are moving into the stage where their kids are getting married and having babies (like us). It is so joyous and exciting to watch the next generation move into the next phase of their lives.

I am listening to what many are doing, from mahjong to crocheting, gardening, golfing, and learning bridge. Could I do that? Could I get into the groove and take my life down several notches? I don’t have to run at the pace I run, although I do enjoy it. Yet I look in the mirror and think, gasp, you are getting older, and then, of course, the aches and pains. Will I start to feel like I am slowing down at one point? So many questions, and only time will give me answers because everyone is different.

As always, there is a balance. I am three years in on Gotham’s first store, 3 E 3rd (our Bowery store), which opened on May 11th, 2023. Every day, it seems like there is another challenge to get to where we need to be. I’m seeing progress as technology becomes more integrated into the biz, and the reality of what the state will look like in a few years is clearer. There seems to finally be a brighter light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately, the future of the cannabis industry in NYS will end up being multiple stores in the state that can wait it out without putting a dime in their pocket or multi-state operators. The social mission NYS planned for won’t be realized. It could have, but it’s unlikely. The government should have hired companies like McKinsey, which provide a long-term view to help them think about how to get there when they set forth the rules and regulations. Instead, it has been an absolutely shit show for everyone involved.

Chairing the Public Housing Community Board is essentially another start-up as we figure out how best to serve NYCHA residents. How long will I do this? I sit on other boards, and how long will I do that?

I am thinking a lot about the retirement memo I seem to have missed. Some say don’t stop, but what does that mean? Trust me, I can hardly wait to be a Grandma, and perhaps take a quilting class. Next year, I might spend some more time reading the memo.