"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Last week I suffered a bad fall. Diagnosis: Closed nondisplaced fracture of greater tuberosity of left humerus. Despite my depressingly painful condition, I am going to a baseball game today, well, sort of. Hot dogs, fries and watching 42 from the comfort of my bed.

42 is the story of Jackie Robinson, starring Chadwick Boseman, and one of my all-time favorite films. Once a year, on April 15th, the MLB honors Jackie Robinson on the anniversary he made his major league debut. The year was 1947 and it ended approximately 80 years of baseball segregation.

Thank you Jackie for making a major impact on all our lives. 

 

Kennedy #3
Jackie and Me

Many years ago, when Jacqueline Kennedy was in the White House, I read an article about her iconic fashion style. She admitted to the writer that whenever she found a clothing item she loved, she would buy it in several colors.

I don’t know why that sounded like a brilliant idea, but from that moment forward, her clothing philosophy became a part of my life. Case in point shoes. I love Naot shoes and bought 3 identical shoes in different colors. T- shirts – I have the same one in 5 colors. But I don’t stop at clothes. Placemats – I have the identical set in grey, yellow, black and blue. I could go on and on but think you get the idea.

As I often do, I checked with Google to see what this peculiar trait might mean and found out it runs the gambit. It could be as simple as a way to express my style, or OCD, where individuals feel compelled to acquire multiples of the same item, even if unnecessary.

Well, that’s a relief. I know it’s not OCD, because I definitely needed 3 pairs of identical shoes, 5 identical t-shirts and 4 identical sets of placemats!

 

Kennedy #2

My mother loved JFK. She not only kept up with the daily news, she also kept up with the state of their marriage. I recall the day my mother told me that Jackie and JFK had had a fight. I asked how she knew and she smiled and said, because during an outing together neither JFK nor Jacqueline looked at each other. Not once. My mother knew because she and my father fought. A lot.

The day he was shot my mother was heartbroken. I remember my parents having a long conversation about whether we should all go to Washington DC for the funeral. They eventually decided not to go because of the crowds, but our family mourned together in my father’s den watching the news. No smiles that day.

Three horrific events. The assignation of JFK, the Northridge earthquake and 9/11. All three have left a scar on my heart.

 

Ring-a-Ling

It was rather windy the other day and our windchime was singing a song that brought to mind a sweet memory. The sound of the Good Humor truck calling out to all the kiddos on the block that dessert was now being served.

The Good Humor man knew not only our names but also our favorite icy delights. We were also friends with the Fruitman and the Milkman, who both made weekly deliveries to our house.

My favorite delivery truck however was the Dugan’s Bakery man, who delivered my all-time favorite cupcakes. Each box contained six vanilla cupcakes, which meant that my two sisters and I each got to devour two. No cupcake I have ever tasted since, as ever been as good as Dugan’s. The secret was the frosting. It was one inch thick and tasted like a chocolate candy bar. Nirvana.

Tonight we had TJ’s Red Velvet Chocolate cupcakes for dessert. Yes, they were decadently delicious, but not as good as Dugan’s.

 

Kennedy #1 

I was in 9th grade when JFK ran for President. It was an exciting time, and life was filled with endless possibilities.

My boyfriend at the time – and all through high school – was Mark S. He was not only dreamy looking, but also smart as a whip. Truly, my first love.

Anyway, back to the story. Mark and I went to the JFK headquarters in Elizabeth and managed to score a stack of free bumper stickers. We then spent the afternoon going up and down our neighborhood sticking bumper stickers on every car parked on the street. To our relief no one caught us in our act of criminal mischief. 

I remember the night JFK won the election. One of my school friends was a gal named Julia. She had long brown hair and she told me that if Kennedy won, she was going to dye her hair red. On November 9th she walked into class with bright red hair. It was temporary dye so eventually her brown hair returned.

We may have been too young to vote, but together our voices mattered.

 

Treasure Hunting

The other morning, I needed to pick up a few things at the mall. First stop was Sprouts, and as I walked there, I was surprised to see a line forming at the store FIVE BELOW. It was not even 9AM and FIVE BELOW doesn’t open until 10.

When I left Sprouts, the line had grown and curious as to why this was happening, I asked one of the gals who was in line. She shared that everyone was there early to buy a popular viral stuffed animal. I just laughed, shocked that anyone would arrive one hour early for a bit of fluff. And then I remembered.

The year was 1985 and the must have toy of the moment was the Cabbage Patch doll. The only place to find one was at Toy-R-Us and I, along with every other mom in the neighborhood, would stand outside the store before they opened in our quest to find this chubby cheeked doll. By the end of 1983, nearly 3 million dolls had been adopted, making it the most successful new doll in toy history.

Unfortunately, I was one of the unlucky moms because I never managed to adopt a doll for Cassandra. I don't think it scarred Cassandra for life, but me? That's another story. 

Third time is a Charm – No Kings #3

Two days ago, and just 1.2 miles from our house, thousands convened to express our opposition. Some like me have been protesting since last April, but for many, this was their first protest. All ages attended, from babies in strollers to seniors in wheelchairs. Democrats, Republicans and Independents were welcomed with open hearts.

There were signs, music and a strong sense of comradery. Eight million people around the world in 6 continents spoke with one voice. We the people stood together to proclaim the United States of America is a Democracy, not a Monarchy.