MAYOR BLOOMBERG SHOULD BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT

HAVE A GOOD LIFE, I WISH YOU THE BEST

We all have acquaintance, people we are friendly with but don't socialize on a regualr basis. When I moved to New Jersey 8 years ago, I became close to this woman and her group of friends.
My shcedule is rigourous and I have not had too much time to socialize. I have often asked her to lunch or dinner when her husband works late. No response. Our "realtionship" is strictly a phone relationship.
The phone relationship is not superficial. There was a real openess and we spoke about our families. We were both revealing.
Recently, we had one of our phone calls. This time, she chose to attach me and cross boundaries not acceptable. After she attached me with persoanly information she hung up the phone.
This pattern is not not. It has happened twice already. This time I wasn't willing to act as if nothing ha happened. I expected her to call and she did.
She greeted me with hello , how are you. I asked her if she thought I could be superficial after our lastconversation. She responded by saying " good luck with your life and I wish you the best".
Does anyone know how to say... I am sorry... I shouldn't have said what I said. I use to believe in extended families. I grew up in a large extended family. I see less and less extended families and blood relatives staying friendly. This saddens me.
Just like the "friend" I just described, people seem willing, more willing to give up realtionships. Its almost easist to justify staying angry, throwing away the "relationship".
It is easy to be critical. It is easier to find and point to another flaws. No one of us is perfect. We are all not perfect. Friendship and family is about "accepting " each other. People seem to take the easy way through judging those around. I believe the world will be very lonely and more people will live isolated as the friendships and families shrink.
My personal shoice is to forgive and stay open. Peolple make mistakes, they say stupid and harmful things. We must forgive and build on our realtionships or we will have none.

evie litwok/ tippy / the tippy story

ARE YOU A SINGLE WOMAN, DIVORCED, LIVING ALONE- WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE MEDIICAL FORMS, DO YOU WONDER WHO TO WRITE AS "EMERGENCY CONTACT"

In filling out medical forms, I always listed my father or my mother. My father died 4 years ago and my mother health is not good. I still list her as a contact but know her hearing is difficult. I have no children, no partner, no roomate. I am beginning to think about who to list.
Even some divorced friends with grown children are thinking about the same issue. I suggested we put each other down. My friends feel as I do. Life is not what we expected. Childhood memories of better times sadden us. Why is everyone linving alone? Why are so many of us so unhappy? What will the future be like?
I grew up in a large extended family. Over the years the exteded family has been shrinking. Too much fighting, too much stress,are too many crtical people fill my life. I long for my memories when everyone was together and the seasons were differentiated.
Today the days run into each other and the years feel shorter and shorter. Then there is our realtionships. They just don't hold together like those of our parents. I long for familiarity and less stress. I long for an extended family.

evie litwok/ tippy/ the tippy story

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME & FIBROMYALGIA

CONGRESSMAN MARK FOLEY, MARRIED AND FATHER OF THREE, SHOWN SHAKING THE HAND OF PRESIDENT BUSH AND STATING " THIS LAW IS A PEDOFILES WORST NIGHTMARE"

Congressman Mark Foley, like many pedofiles before him, have been permitted to resign and go to "rehab". Government attorneys and lawmakers have long been protected from prosecution.
It is time to make government lawyers and lawmakers held accountible for their actions. It is time to make them responsible for thier actions. They must be prosecuted like everyone else for any illegal or criminal action.
We must prosecute each and every lawmaker

GROWING UP IN "THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN" BUNGALOW COLONIES CIRCA 1950'S

The black and white pictures of years in the bungalow colonies at the Catskill Mountains bring back clear memories for me. I was a child and the memories are as clear as today.

A JEWISH DAUGHTER, CHAPTER 18, ROSH HASHONNAH, 2006
A CHILD OF SURVIORS FEELS A GREAT LOSS

It is the Jewish holidays again. Until 4 years ago it was a time I loved. The holdiays were always filled with mixed feelings: great joy and a little sadness. This year, unlike the past three years, it was filled only with sadness.
My father died four years ago and the Jewish New Year serves as a reminder of this loss. It was also the time of his bithday- September 25th. Every year before the holidays, I go to his grave.It is a place I want to go as I need to touch his gravestone.
This year a new dimension was added. Just before the holiday, my mother decided to move from the home they lived in for 30 years. As quickly as she decided to move is as quickly as she began to throw out everything accumulated for those same thirty years.
In a mere two weeks, closets were empty, everything seemed to be gone. I was and am in pain as I watch her unload the past. I , like my father, never throw anything out. I even keep notes he and my mother wrote to me.
I rushed to take things from her before they disapperaed. My mother is not sentimental and does not like clutter. If you forget to take something, she throws it out.
I could not take things fast enough. I didn't even know what she had I would want. I plucked a garbage bag from the trash and found stuffed animals from my childhood. I didn't remember them until I looked inside.
I lloked through the bag I found some 15 stuffed dogs from the fifties and sixties. Many were signed "autograph" puppies. Each one brought memories and tears. No wonder I live with several dogs today. Everything I had in my room as a child was a "dog". Had I not looked through this bag, I would have forgotten the memories the stuffed dogs brought back.
I am frightened to think about what my mother threw out I would have loved. Memories are so importnat to me. I live my life trying to create and capture them through writing, photography and film.
I found pictures in the garbage and could not help but wonder, does she know who I am... and does it matter? I am afraid she has thrown out memories of my family.
My mother was in labor camps then Auschwitz. My father survived 14 concentration camps. As I child I remember my mother telling me she didn't have a single picture of her mother. I never forgot.
Perhaps as a result or perhaps I took pictures because I love it. No matter, I have spent my life taking pictures, keeping them organized, giving albums to friends as gifts and trying to keep our history alive.
It's painful for me to be a collector of things old and watch my mother eliminate everything. I can't prevent her from doing it because she gets furious with me. I grabbed what she permitted and hope she has kept the pictures and maybe some other memroies. This move coupled with the Jewish New Year is painful. It is probably the most painful holdiay since my fathers death. For it is also , the dealth of the hone I knew, the memories I treasured and physical things that serve as reminders of times past. I doubt I will forget this holiday anytime soon.

evie litwok/ tippy/ the tippy story

TOM CRUISE

For most of his career, Tom Cruise was under the guidance of Pat Kingsley, the reknown publicist and head of PMK. His career and career moves were enormously successful. The persona the public saw was one they liked.
Tom Cruise's personality and character was carefully hidden through the guidance of Pat Kingsley. Since she fwas fired as his publicist, the carefully crafted career took a nose dive.
Interesting enough, Pat Kingley, a long time reknown publicist, also faltered. Her own firm was usurped from her by a younger and trusted partner.
Both have one thing in common. They both spent a lifetime building and establishing their respective success. Both enjoyed wonderful reputations. Finally, both of their careers went into freefall.
The building of a career happens over twenty years and the fall takes "one comment" or one day. It doesn't only happen to the "Hollywood elite", it happens in everyday life. Its a reflection of the culture.
In some cases, the reaction is not surprising. Tom Crtuise lost his female audience from his comments about Brook Shields. His insensitivy, his arrogance ( after all , he never had a baby and couldn't possibly know what it feels like)were reflected in his statement about post preganancy. The female population, representing 50% of his audience sighed a collective "ugh".
You cannot fix an "ignorant" self serving comment. Tom Cruise showed the public who he was and the public responded. Fair or unfair, the public is fast to judge. There is no room for error with the public.
Pat Kingsley had an excellent reputation and was the premier publicist for many in Hollywood. An article about her company with a story about a divide between her and a younger partner seems to have split up business leaving Pat Kingsley out of the loop.
Pat carefully guided actors for twenty years. I was sad to see her put in a bad light. She was ousted for business reasons. If what I read was true, her fall came from an agressive younger partner and not something she said or did.
Pat Kingleys situation is different from Tom Cruise. To have a reputation for so many years and to be put out by someone is a nightmare. This is a problem many people face every day in business.
Why does someone have to lose everything for another person to succeed. The country and the people accept negative news quickly and are quick to judge. Every is presumed guilty.
We have become a culture moving too fast, doing too much and negative. We are ready to throw a punch at someone standing in a long line. Our anger is on the surface. There are so many victims as a result of this anger.
In the case of Tom Cruise, he insulted women all over the world. He also soundly "stupid" in talking about medication. With so many people on medication for anxiety and depression, you would think Tom Cruise might have a little understanding.
He ridiculed women and all people suffering with aniety and depression. It showed a "stupidity" that is unforgivable.
In Pat Kingsley's case, one woman brought her down. I have experinced the loss of reputation from one woman's actions. I know what it feels like to work all your life and to have someone want to be you, have what you have and try to take it.
I have never understood why people can't share with someone. Why do we as a culture have to destroy in order to get. Where is the kindness? Where is our humanity?
There are some situations hard to forgive and others where we must forgive. Tom Cruise's beliefs and personality were carefully hidden for so many years. Leaving Pat Kinglsey has prooved to be his demise.
Tom Cruise's behavior on Oprah was bizaar. No one believed his couch jumping love. It was not believable or just too "nuts" for the public. His aggressive and seemingly tunneled vision has "come out" and hurt him.
The public wants to love their "stars". The public doesn't want to love some angry and apparently demeaning. He has permanently lost a big part of his audience.
His downfall is understandable. Mel Gibson will also never enjoy his popularity and support. The public cannot tolerate a man who has hate in his heart. No boycott is necessary. Mel Gibson deserved to lose his audience because he hates so many people. His fall is understandable.
Pat Kingsley and other people in business in similar positions do not deserve to be ruined. Thier downfall comes at the hands of some "wannabe". A few accusation and some bad publicity and people "dump" Pat and people like her. In this situation, the people around should be more loyal and supportive.
We have to learn to distinguish between good people who are being treated poorly and those who deserve to lose our respect. We do not distinguish between the two. We have to become more sensitive and give people the benefit before we rush to judgement.
Until we "slow" down, the stress we all feel everyday, the pressures we all feel everyday and the ahger lying an inch away from exploding will prevent us from being decent and kind. Let's say goodbye to Tom Cruise and Mel Gbison, but have more tenderness for those people who worked hard and are decent.

evie litwok/ tippy/ the tippy story