Have you ever wondered about how several successful people can come from the same place?
Sometimes it's a household. Many parents of multiple children have one high achiever but when they all knock it out of the ball park - there must be something special going on.
Years ago when we lived in West Palm Beach, the old Palm Beach High School was right across the street from the church. Over a few years time this high school produced Burt Reynolds, George Hamilton, Peter Lawford, Monte Markham (whom you probably don't know but he was, and still is, a fine actor) and several other lesser known movie and TV stars.
A few blocks from my boyfriend's house is a little town called St. Louis Park. It's a first ring suburb of Minneapolis. There's nothing special about the way it looks, it's very middle class. It does have a high Jewish population. I've heard it referred to, in a very kind and proud way, as "St. Jewish Park."
St. Louis Park has produced, within a four block radius, the brilliant "Times" columnist Thomas Friedman, the political scientist Norm Orstein, and the movie makers Joel and Ethan Coen (who've produced "Fargo," "No Country for Old Men," "Raising Arizona," and many other smart, funny brutal, beautiful, thought provoking movies)
The St. Louis Park guy getting all the press right now is Senator Al Franken. No matter what you think of him politically, the guy is and always has been brilliant.
Thanks St. Louis Park - and all the other places and families that continue to breed these gifts to us.
***
Monday, July 20, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
You're Welcome Here!
There's a big sign on a downtown Minneapolis church that says: "You're Welcome Here No Matter Where You Are on Your Spiritual Journey."
When my fiance and I got together we talked a lot about where we were on our spiritual journeys. Still do. In fact, we had a talk today. All of these discussions have helped me clarify, articulate and feel comfortable with where I am.
It's not often that somebody asks us about our spiritual journeys - unless they have an ax to grind.
The truth is that most all of us are at different places. It's a wonderful thing when we can talk about what we're sure of - and what we're not. And not feel judged.
President Obama has nominated Dr. Francis Collins to be director of the National Institute of Health. His scientific credentials are impeccable - but he's also one of only about 7 per cent of elite American scientists who believe in a personal god. He's a guitar playing, hymn singing, evangelical Christian.
He has had - and is going to get - some flack for this. But he doesn't see a contradiction. Neither do I. He believes science and spirituality are two entirely different things. So do I.
It would be great if, in every community, including the scientific community and all religious communities the reality could be:
"You're Welcome Here, No Matter Where You Are on Your Spiritual Journey."
***
When my fiance and I got together we talked a lot about where we were on our spiritual journeys. Still do. In fact, we had a talk today. All of these discussions have helped me clarify, articulate and feel comfortable with where I am.
It's not often that somebody asks us about our spiritual journeys - unless they have an ax to grind.
The truth is that most all of us are at different places. It's a wonderful thing when we can talk about what we're sure of - and what we're not. And not feel judged.
President Obama has nominated Dr. Francis Collins to be director of the National Institute of Health. His scientific credentials are impeccable - but he's also one of only about 7 per cent of elite American scientists who believe in a personal god. He's a guitar playing, hymn singing, evangelical Christian.
He has had - and is going to get - some flack for this. But he doesn't see a contradiction. Neither do I. He believes science and spirituality are two entirely different things. So do I.
It would be great if, in every community, including the scientific community and all religious communities the reality could be:
"You're Welcome Here, No Matter Where You Are on Your Spiritual Journey."
***
Thursday, July 16, 2009
My Love Affair With Newspapers
I'll probably be one of the last humans to read newspapers - daily. I love them. This summer it's been such a pleasure to read The Star Tribune - unlike my hometown paper, "The Orlando Sentinel" that has shrunk to a pitifully few pages.
Yesterday we went to the discount movie theater to see "State of Play." It came out about the same time as "The Soloist" but we missed it first time around. Both movies glorify news reporters. Other than that, they're very different.
"State of Play" stars Russell Crow as the reporter. Aside from wishing - throughout the entire movie - that he'd wash his hair and clean his apartment, he was great. The movie's a good political mystery.
I didn't realize the it had six other fine and well know actors: Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman - and one of our most underrated, Jeff Daniels.
Well, maybe they're not all fine....
As you know, one of my favorite parts of the newspaper is the comics. "Pooch Cafe" has had a running plot for a few days. The dog is searching for the plank of wood that comforted him as a puppy. He calls it his plankie.
In yesterday's strip he was describing the plank to a police sketch artist: "Lets see, he's about six feet, sort of flat, wooden, stoic, bland..."
The sketch artist soon holds up a drawing of Ben Affleck.
***
Yesterday we went to the discount movie theater to see "State of Play." It came out about the same time as "The Soloist" but we missed it first time around. Both movies glorify news reporters. Other than that, they're very different.
"State of Play" stars Russell Crow as the reporter. Aside from wishing - throughout the entire movie - that he'd wash his hair and clean his apartment, he was great. The movie's a good political mystery.
I didn't realize the it had six other fine and well know actors: Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman - and one of our most underrated, Jeff Daniels.
Well, maybe they're not all fine....
As you know, one of my favorite parts of the newspaper is the comics. "Pooch Cafe" has had a running plot for a few days. The dog is searching for the plank of wood that comforted him as a puppy. He calls it his plankie.
In yesterday's strip he was describing the plank to a police sketch artist: "Lets see, he's about six feet, sort of flat, wooden, stoic, bland..."
The sketch artist soon holds up a drawing of Ben Affleck.
***
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Jigsaw
A week or so after I arrived at my fiance's house I started a one thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. For three weeks we couldn't have guests for dinner because the puzzle covered the dining room table. I mostly worked on it while listening to Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room.
Seems like an odd way to relax but it works for me.
When we were living in big homes and the kids would gather two or three times a year I would try to have a jigsaw puzzle going somewhere in the house. One year it was a murder mystery. The plot was written on the box. The clues were in the completed puzzle. We got it solved before the weekend was up. Low tech fun.
My guess is that, for me, a jigsaw puzzle relieves stress because it's a quiet task that starts in chaos and ends with my having put it right.
I wish I could do that with some of the people I love. But I know I cannot.
And, of course, it's a brain teaser.
A while back my friend in Florida called. I told her about the dining room table issue and she had a solution. Do the puzzles on the computer.
So, now I'm doing a puzzle every day at www.jigzone.com. No mess. No cost.
***
Seems like an odd way to relax but it works for me.
When we were living in big homes and the kids would gather two or three times a year I would try to have a jigsaw puzzle going somewhere in the house. One year it was a murder mystery. The plot was written on the box. The clues were in the completed puzzle. We got it solved before the weekend was up. Low tech fun.
My guess is that, for me, a jigsaw puzzle relieves stress because it's a quiet task that starts in chaos and ends with my having put it right.
I wish I could do that with some of the people I love. But I know I cannot.
And, of course, it's a brain teaser.
A while back my friend in Florida called. I told her about the dining room table issue and she had a solution. Do the puzzles on the computer.
So, now I'm doing a puzzle every day at www.jigzone.com. No mess. No cost.
***
Monday, July 13, 2009
She's a Babe
In the late fifties I was barely 17 years old and pretty much on my own. I'd graduated from high school a few weeks earlier (when I was 16) and had started working full time at a stove company.
Then a telephone call from the mother of a friend changed my life forever. There was an opening at the downtown Indianapolis offices of U. S. Steel. She could get me an interview.
Long story short, to my utter surprise, I got the job! A short time later I was working in a glamorous high rise all day and attending college at night. I'd never been happier.
A few weeks later I was speculating (again) with my new roommate who also worked at U. S. Steel, about how in the world I landed that job.
I guess I was thinking what Stewart Smally (aka Al Franken) would later say on SNL: I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, dog gone it, people like me.
But my roommate set me straight by saying: "You got the job because you're a babe!"
Was I flattered? No. I was devastated. I was humiliated. I felt dehumanized.
I was reminded of all of the above this morning when I read Steve Chapman's column in the Chicago Tribune about Sarah Palin. He thinks a large part of the reason for her success is that: "She's a babe, and she doesn't try to hide it."
He quotes Tina Fey who was a remarkable Palin lookalike on SNL as saying "I'll tell you, that lady is five times better looking than I am."
To be fair to Chapman, he says the same thing about Mitt Romney and John Edwards, that their looks have gotten them where they are (or were.)
What do you think? Are we human beings that shallow - that we would give national status and power to a person just because "she's a babe?"
I hope not. It's humiliating to all parties concerned.
***
Then a telephone call from the mother of a friend changed my life forever. There was an opening at the downtown Indianapolis offices of U. S. Steel. She could get me an interview.
Long story short, to my utter surprise, I got the job! A short time later I was working in a glamorous high rise all day and attending college at night. I'd never been happier.
A few weeks later I was speculating (again) with my new roommate who also worked at U. S. Steel, about how in the world I landed that job.
I guess I was thinking what Stewart Smally (aka Al Franken) would later say on SNL: I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, dog gone it, people like me.
But my roommate set me straight by saying: "You got the job because you're a babe!"
Was I flattered? No. I was devastated. I was humiliated. I felt dehumanized.
I was reminded of all of the above this morning when I read Steve Chapman's column in the Chicago Tribune about Sarah Palin. He thinks a large part of the reason for her success is that: "She's a babe, and she doesn't try to hide it."
He quotes Tina Fey who was a remarkable Palin lookalike on SNL as saying "I'll tell you, that lady is five times better looking than I am."
To be fair to Chapman, he says the same thing about Mitt Romney and John Edwards, that their looks have gotten them where they are (or were.)
What do you think? Are we human beings that shallow - that we would give national status and power to a person just because "she's a babe?"
I hope not. It's humiliating to all parties concerned.
***
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Getting the Job Done Together
A couple of years ago I led a class on Adam Hamilton's book, "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White." One of the main themes is the concept of people who are on very different sides of an issue finding common ground and working together.
Because very often we have the same ultimate goals.
In the state of Minnesota the abortion rate has dropped steadily for almost 30 years.
The pro choice people believe that it's because they've provided affordable birth control and sex education.
The pro life folks believe that it's because they've provided women and girls with life-affirming resources.
Others, especially some church groups, believe that it's a combination of all of this plus the love and support provided by groups working together.
All of them are rejoicing over these statistics.
***
Because very often we have the same ultimate goals.
In the state of Minnesota the abortion rate has dropped steadily for almost 30 years.
The pro choice people believe that it's because they've provided affordable birth control and sex education.
The pro life folks believe that it's because they've provided women and girls with life-affirming resources.
Others, especially some church groups, believe that it's a combination of all of this plus the love and support provided by groups working together.
All of them are rejoicing over these statistics.
***
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Mighty Mississippi
Last night we had a picnic with friends on the Mississippi River. Hard to remember that it starts way up here. How could we have a picnic at night? It doesn't get dark here until after 9:00 P.M. in the summer. Kind of strange.
Our job was to bring deviled eggs and dessert. We bought the dessert at the bakery so it was kinda easy. But I'm still not used to having a partner in the kitchen. It's amazing that he's so patient with me. We bought a variety of gourmet dessert bars but decided we'd cut them into fourths. He got out the knife.
Wait! I wasn't sure he he had the expertise to slice them. But he reminded me that he actually had a degree in this kind of thing (architecture.) They ended up in perfect, precise one inch squares.
Then he started to place the filling in the eggs. I felt the need to remind him that it has to come out even. He gently reminded me that when he eats pancakes at McDonald's his pancakes, syrup and sausage always finish up at the same time.
We have lots of small and big decisions to make in the next few months.
My fiance's house - that he's lived in for 42 years - sits on Minnehaha Creek. It flows into the Mississippi and the Mississippi flows all the way to the other end of the country.
And, of course, I live at the other end of the country. But I'm confident we can work all this out.
***
Our job was to bring deviled eggs and dessert. We bought the dessert at the bakery so it was kinda easy. But I'm still not used to having a partner in the kitchen. It's amazing that he's so patient with me. We bought a variety of gourmet dessert bars but decided we'd cut them into fourths. He got out the knife.
Wait! I wasn't sure he he had the expertise to slice them. But he reminded me that he actually had a degree in this kind of thing (architecture.) They ended up in perfect, precise one inch squares.
Then he started to place the filling in the eggs. I felt the need to remind him that it has to come out even. He gently reminded me that when he eats pancakes at McDonald's his pancakes, syrup and sausage always finish up at the same time.
We have lots of small and big decisions to make in the next few months.
My fiance's house - that he's lived in for 42 years - sits on Minnehaha Creek. It flows into the Mississippi and the Mississippi flows all the way to the other end of the country.
And, of course, I live at the other end of the country. But I'm confident we can work all this out.
***
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