Going it Alone

     I have been single my whole life so I guess I'm used to it , but there are some things that are just better done with another person. I always think about this when I buy a pint or quart of ice cream. If only there was someone else to share it with.  Jewish holidays are when I always think how nice it would be to be married. Going to comedy clubs, plays or movies are times when its preferable to go with someone else.
     I have lived alone longer than I would like to admit and I enjoy it. But sometimes when I have company  I kind of miss not having anyone else around when they leave.
       I suppose a roommate or friend can substitute when was needs company, but roommates come and go. Friends are looking for their own relationships. It would be nice to have the companionship and stability of a spouse even though that too is not always everlasting.
       Though it can be done, I don't think life is meant to be lived alone.

 

On Aging

     There are certain things that are a part of life. One of them is aging. When you are a kid your baby teeth fall out and your adult teeth grow in.  At a certain point people get gray hair, need reading glasses, wrinkle, get cataracts. Sometimes its comforting to know that some milestones are just a normal part of life and others times its not as easy to go with the flow. Its not as easy when it happens to you even when you logically know that its just a part of life. 

Festivus for the Rest of Us

      I always love how ethnocentric people who celebrate X-mas can be. They can barely fathom that anyone would not be celebrating X-mas . They think that you must feel you have to make sure you find someone Christian to celebrate it with because you must feel so left out. The truth is I have zero interest in 

X-mas. I love the crafts at the holiday markets in NYC, but the booths are heavily owned by Israelis, so I'm not sure you can fully count it as enjoying something X-masy. But the holiday itself holds none of my interest. I love the fact that all the Christians are scrambling to prepare for their holiday and I'm just preparing to have  a fun day off. Lets face it, I live in Brooklyn so all of the Jewish stores are open on X-mas anyway. Its just like any other day. And I get a paid day off. How great is that?

      I never liked people saying Chrismakkah  so this year we can thank Jerry Seinfeld for naming December 25 Festivus because that's what it really is. Festivas. I feel festive because I get a paid day off that is not a holiday . Its just a fun day . It is so festive to have off of work so the name Festivus really fits.

I Hate The Rain

      Some people like to listen to the patter of rain to help them fall asleep. Not me. Not only does the rain not promote restful sleep in my case it disrupts it. I dislike the sound of rain tapping on my air conditioner. I especially feel trepidation when it rains because I live on the top floor of an apartment building and years ago I had a leak and I always fear a return engagement. For those who are fortunate enough not to know it can take a while to be fixed even with the most conscientious  landlord. Rain may be essential to a vegetable garden but it not welcome as a leaky roof.

Jacob Ostreicher is Free

  

Sean Penn Continued...

    I am embarrassed to say that though I had heard about this case I did not follow it as well as I should have until I saw it  posted on  Rabbi Maryles's blog. After reading about what happened I was compelled to do some you tube research and read up about what happend. An innocent American  man was imprisoned in a Bolivian jail. I posted these congressional hearings because it was so unbelievable. It was riveting  to see former FBI agent Steven Moore's testimony as well as Sean Penn's. 
     I never realized how involved  Sean Penn is with humanitarianism and justice. I just always thought of him as an actor with a hobby of social action. Well, not anymore. I am in awe of his courage and strength and determination  to free Jacob Ostreicher from Bolivian prison. Sean Penn has performed the real life role of a lifetime and I for one will never forget it. 

Sean Penn

Congressional Hearing on Jacob Ostreicher

   I know that many of you do not want to watch a whole hour and 37  minutes of this but at least tune in at the fifty minute mark for former FBI agent Steven Moore's testimony .. It is riveting.  At the 29 minute mark Ostreicher's wife speaks and at the 40 minute mark his daughter speaks. I don't think you can watch this without kleenex   nearby.

Why the Internet is Amazing

     After enduring the infamous Rabbi Wasserman anti-zumba video debacle I am convinced that I am living in the coolest era. Now that there are shiurim are available online the rabbis who post them are going to have to pay attention to their online image. Before online shiurim a rabbi could only make a fool of himself in front of those who were in the classroom or perhaps whoever taped the shiur and lent it to a friend , now he can make a fool of himself in front of anyone with online access.Of course this could also mean that many rabbis won't allow their shiurim online for this very reason . I think that having shiurim online will encourage rabbis to actually pay more attention to what they say because if its posted online they will be held more accountable for what they are preaching. This actually is a good thing even though I am sure others will disagree. I think that online shiurim will give rabbis the opportunity to elevate shmiras halashon to the fullest extent which truly will be amazing. One can only hope.
   
    

Everybody Wants a Man

Charles Manson may be getting married soon but I'm not sure I will . An adoring 25 year old nitwit wants to marry Charles Manson. She wasn't even born when he committed murder. This just goes to show you that everyone wants a man . He may be a murderer but there will always be some moronic woman out there willing to be his wife. Sheesh.

You Can Never Go Home Again

     When I was eighteen I read a  book that was not necessarily that prolific, but one line in it was. The line that I found so true was  "You can never go home again". Once you stop living with your parents you can never go back to the way things were before. The older I get the more I realize that its true. This is not a bad thing. It is all part of becoming an independent person.
      Once you are able to support yourself and take care of yourself you can appreciate your parents on a different level. I for one appreciate my mother's cooking more now that I have to make food for myself. Once one does not live with one's parents it is easier to look at one's parents as people who try their best .
       I can never go home again but being with family is always heartwarming because it was my first home . They were the ones who taught me what home is.
      

All Grown Up

     As a kid I thought once a person hit 18 and left home they were a grown up. Little did I know that as an adult one may be considered grown up but one is  still growing.  Life is constantly evolving. At one point one thinks one has it all figured out and then time passes and one needs to re-evaluate. What once seemed right suddenly isn't. Life is a constant evolving journey. 

I am now Part of the Future

     For years I had worn contact lenses that you take out each night , clean and reuse for about a year. Eventually I went on to wear  two week contact lenses that you take out each night and clean and reinsert the next day. Finally they have created one day throw away contacts in my prescription. I feel like a new person. Now that tsa laws have gotten so complicated  it is nice not have to worry about travelling with contact lens solutions that fit into a one quart  sized Ziploc. It feels so decadent to toss out my lenses each night instead of adhering to a strict contact lens cleaning solution regiment. Its nice to be part of the future.

Hanukkah

          How many latkes have you had this Hanukkah? How many donuts? Is it possible to even keep track? I for one am not a jelly donut person. I am more of a latke person with applesauce and sour cream. I haven't had too many latkes  though. Yet.

Paths

Everyone has a different path. Sometimes the path does not turn out according to plan. Sometimes it ends up better than expected and other times one wishes it could have been different. The key is to be happy with whatever road life takes you down. Easier said than  done.