More Leonard Cohen

I finished reading Svlvie Simmons' new biography of Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, late last night and even had a dream about it after I fell asleep. It is 500 pages, a bit uneven, but was worth it to me. There are other biographies of Cohen, two major, devoted websites, and a lot more, but life is short and there is so much else to read. 

The part that struck me the most was the account of his losing most of his money at the age of seventy due to theft by a close personal friend, Kelley Lynch, to whom he had entrusted it. She made threats against Cohen after her theft was discovered, and ultimately got over a year in jail for the threats. Cohen had to go back out on the road giving performances in order to recover financially, but found also that he increased. Simmons writes, p. 460:

Leonard was quoted as saying that 'old age' was the 'best thing that ever happened to me.' Despite the business with Kelley Lynch, he felt light and peaceful. 'The state of mind I find myself in is so very different than most of my life that I am deeply grateful.' 

I lost everything at age seventy and yet feel that old age is the best, too.