We lost Ed Koch yesterday, and the city he adored and gave so much to, is in deep mourning today, because nobody symbolized the spirit of the great Apple more than the irrepressible, feisty, outrageous and controversial, Ed Koch. He was the city in all its essense, great, tough, hard working, ambitious and daring. He was an icon, our icon, this funny, opinionated man who pulled us from the fiscal abyss once, and showed us that first and foremost, we were New Yorkers and we could overcome anything. Love him or hate him, despise him or admire him, he was unique, a real original; and we had grown accustomed so seeing his funny face everywhere, this omnipresent man who made himself a part of our lives for so many years. By living for so long and by enjoying his life so completely, he gave us a sense of continuity, almost of immortality. We watched him age and grow physically frailer, but the sharp intellect, irrelevance and feistiness continued. Like our city, he aged on his feet, falling and getting up again with iron will and defiance. And now he's gone, making his exit from this world almost on cue (in typical Koch fashion) by leaving us just as the documentary about his life and legacy was about to be shown, . We're now taking full measure of the man and the tributes will be many, but his greatest gift to us will always be the joy and pride he took in the city and its people. "How am I doing?" was his trademark and the response will always be "Great Ed, you're doing great."
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