THE MOOD I'M IN.

QUIET, PEACEFUL, SOLITUDE.

When it's half past ten, or so abouts in the morning, a strange thing happens in New York City. Right on the corner of Church street, there is a building of about eighteen to twenty stories; and people of all ages stand in front of it and converse or just look around, as if they are part of the tourist and sight-seeing crowd visiting Ground Zero; however, they are not visitors. They are real New Yorkers, who are either being trained in computer skills, or as customer service reps. (representatives) or home-care and housekeeping personnel.

The most noticeable feature of this group is that, although there are quite a few youngsters included, most of them are not your normal job-seekers. They are elderly, and some are past their retirement age; or have even come out of retirement and are integrating with the average persons who are looking for work.

That is a fantastic idea, than to to have the elderly who are in their golden years to be cooped up in nursing homes and places like that. They are out there, just as anyone else, to make good use of their time; and to be useful in society too. They are enjoying the atmosphere, and at the same time exercising their bodies and minds, despite their age.

Of course, nursing homes and retirement establishments have their use; however, in the old days, people will just retire and that will be the end; and then programs will be organized for them at the expense of the taxpayer. Now, they have become taxpayers themselves, and their contribution to their communities and the city at large is enormous. They are not just going to be voters and be corralled as sheep to go out and vote on election day. They can do better than that; they can also work.

In essence, they are saying, "Look, I love a quiet and peaceful life. I enjoy the solitude; but I resolve to make use of my time, depending on the mood I'm in." They are doing so, not as a group, but as independent individuals, who can still make up their own minds.

It is possible that The Department for the Aging, which is an arm of the city government, has a hand in what is taking place on Church Street; and if so, then the credit that New Yorkers have must go to the Director of the program, and to the honorable Mayor Michael Bloomberg, of course.