Connections

Aldo (my dad), John (the baby) and (big brother) Anthony.
Looks like it must have been Anthony's First Holy Communion day.
They look so somber.  Anyone who really knew them
would know the seriousness was just a "show" for the picture.
But so handsome, all of them.

I am not a Facebook person; it must be an age thing – I'm too old. I joined it a few months ago because I read somewhere that it was good for business although at this point in my FB experience I’m just not seeing it. That is, unless my business is reading posts by my nieces professing their undying “loooove” for their boyfriends (heart, heart), where the party for people that I don’t know will be held this weekend, the weather according to everyone or who is bored (ho-hum) and needs a nap.  I have never posted anything. (Who cares what I have to say? I know. I know.  It is apparent that is not the case on this blog as self-restraint is obviously nonexistent  here.)  However, I do check into FB once or twice a day even though I don’t really need to.  If anyone wants to befriend me, or send me a message, it comes into my email (which I do compulsively check all day).  But there is much good about the concept of a social network: finding out when someone gets a new job, adopts a puppy, makes a quilt, heralds a worthwhile cause or announces a blessed event. All good.

And I do love the surprises.  Getting (or sending) a friend request and a message from/to someone that you haven’t thought of in years.  We no longer have to wonder, “Where are they now?”  We can just type their name in the search box and click the little magnifying glass.  Magic.  I have reconnected with people from high school, art school, previous neighborhoods, old friends and a former employer.

Recently, a distant relative found me on FB. Her grandfather and my grandfather were brothers.  How cool is that?  My father always held a reverence, a respect for family connections and he passed that passion along to my sister and me.  I love to fill in the blanks and connect the dots on the leaves of our family tree.  Someday I plan to delve more deeply into our history and join ancestry.com – try to really map it out.  D sent me some wonderful scanned sepia photos of eras past. To quote her from one of her friendly, informative Facebook messages, “Gotta love FB!”  Thank you for filling in a few more blanks, D!

The Religion of Oprah

I miss Oprah already.  Not that I watched her show every day; sometimes months went by without my tuning in, but it was always nice to know that she was there every weekday at 4PM, as she has been for 25 years.  Her familiar voice and ageless face has many a time accompanied me while I worked on early dinner preparations or a last minute deadline for a project.  Sometimes it was a make-over, sometimes decorating tips, a book club discussion, exposes of crimes against humanity, joyful reunions, lavish gifts for her audiences (oh, boy, how I wanted to be there when she doled out the designer handbags willy-nilly, never mind cars), heartbreaking tragedies, racial injustice and crazy celebrities.  Oh, and the countless shows about a subject near and dear to the hearts and hips of American women – weight (gain and loss).

In 1988, I was still coming to grips with my son’s recent diagnosis of autism. The movie “Rain Man” had just been released and there was an onslaught of talk shows that handled the topic like a carnival sideshow.  But not Oprah.  Her panel included many of the same guests as say, Geraldo, but for me, what came across in her interviews that rainy Cleveland afternoon was warmth, humor, dignity and respect.  And a true interest in learning about these very special people.  I will never forget her for that.  Or the segment where she graciously invited white supremacists onto her stage and tried to actually attempt an open discussion with them.  Nice try, brave Oprah.  Total failure, but very nice try.

I liked watching her giggle like a schoolgirl while interviewing JFK, Jr., or Paul McCartney.  I loved when she hosted the commanding presence of Maya Angelou.  Remember when she pulled a wagon of fat onto the stage, representing how much weight she lost on some fad liquid diet?  She has occasionally been criticized for providing a platform of controversy – like the beef industry conflict or the autism-vaccine connection, but all and all, Oprah has entered our homes sincere and genuine.

Although I am not an Oprah groupie – she is not my guru or spiritual leader or anything – I am a fan.  She has helped to enlighten so many.  She has hosted medical and psychology experts; she exposed human trafficking; she has raised the level of race relations in this country; she has promoted literacy.  She has burst open opportunities on a global scale. She promoted the concept of the "gratitude" journal.  She wore really nice shoes.  She has done her job well for a quarter of a century.

Thank you for taking the high road, Oprah.