Alvin Bergsohn: Living for the Fun
of It
Every
night, it seems, came the clarion call of Michele
Bergsohn. It went like this: "Alvin! Make it lower! I'm
trying to talk on the phone!"
For in her living room, her 48-year-old husband --
adult credentials: equity trader at Cantor Fitzgerald --
would be cranking up his electric guitar, careering
through songs by the Allman Brothers, Elvis Costello or
Hot Tuna, while watching sports on TV. Such a
multitasker! When the game was over, he would traipse off
to the den and catalog his Very Serious comic book
collection.
Mr. Bergsohn's mordant view of life -- no
expectations, no disappointments -- liberated him to
seize each day and squeeze the most fun from it. He
worked hard, leaving their home in Baldwin Harbor, on
Long Island, before 6:30 a.m., but he returned for family
dinner every night. He was a nonpartisan flirt, a rock
concert fan, a softball coach for his two boys, Sam, 14,
and Harris, 12. That last weekend, he perched on first
base, dancing and singing wildly in between shouting out
coaching orders.
For someone with no expectations, joy, when it comes,
tastes of delighted surprise. At Sam's bar mitzvah, Mr.
Bergsohn made a speech that did go on &emdash; and on.
Forgive him: his face shone with astonishment and pride,
love and fulfillment.
.
