We Must Promote Men Learning to Feel Their Feelings.

The other night I went to see one of the Human Rights Watch's Film Documentaries.  Whenever, I choose to attend one of their  presentations, I walk away knowing much more about the human condition than I thought I knew. This was their 22nd year of showing stories of human resilience, from around the world, of  issues that grip our time.
This year, filmmakers excelled in showing the power and influence of the media on human rights, a timely enough topic.
I saw Better This World, about two boyhood friends from Midland, Texas, who wanted "to make their world a better place"; they decided to protest the Republican Party's 2008 Convention. Of course, they met an older more experienced "revolutionary" who guided them in planning to do more than they intended.

As the movie moved along, I got more uncomfortable, as I realized that they were beginning to feel that perhaps they were in over their plans and were beginning to feel uncomfortable about the direction their new older friend was taking them. I don't want to spoil the story, except to say that both young men have been through the troubling court system, did nothing to bring the wrath of the FBI down upon  them and to be called terrorists. They have both been in jail.. In fact, one of the men is still incarcerated.

I was left with the feeling that our culture has failed our young men. We have intimidated them from connecting to their feelings. We have told them not to cry, to dismiss their inner, intuitive feelings of discomfort.These two were actually seduced by the older, more sophisticated  'revolutionary', who turned out to be a paid professional.  These two friends were caught in a web of dishonesty and manipulation from the first step they took 'to make their world a better place'!

This is a true story and it is a shattering one. It deserves to get the attention it warrants, to be seen by those who can't act on their inner feelings, who continue to dismiss their warning systems to turn away from what can turn out to be a disastrous path.

Just Thoughts on Attention, the Weather, and Stilettoes.

Sometimes I have so many things I want to write about, I don’t know where to start. I think I’m in some kind of ‘overwhelm.’ I know I’m not alone, for I’ve been in more and more conversations where this state-of-mind comes up in conversation, along with the over use of cell phones, the excessive number of e-mails we all are getting and the way our kids text each other, even when they’re sitting almost on top of one another...

And one of my dearest, oldest (in time) friends just left after staying with me for four weeks. She came from a six month stint in France, where she supervised some property repairs for friends, which gave her knees further reason to scream out for their own repairs.  Here in NYC, she endured the medical journey necessary to schedule double knee surgery in July. I played a new role for me, the best kind of sister, I hope – intentionally giving her the space and support she needed, the kind of attention I would have wanted in her shoes...

So, I’m going to write about some things that have been on my mind lately, things I can do nothing about, things I have to accept for what they are.

Obviously, the weather which  is currently very hot and humid here. I feel very grateful that I have not seen any tornadoes overhead, nor floods in my neighborhood, and I have not had to deal with what parts of Japan are living with right now. I have no reason to complain. 

The number of politicians who have screwed up their lives with adolescent sexual behavior is growing fast. I can now count at least eight. I wonder who’s going to be next.  Governor Mark Sanford’s lying about his extramarital affair has even resulted in a new definition of the phrase, “I was hiking the Appalachian Trail”

Mason, the Alabama dog who was tossed up and away during one of the recent tornadoes, broke both his legs, took three weeks to crawl home to find his owners and is now in rehabilitation. What a show of strength, resilience and most likely a reflection of the attention he received from his family.

The pot-holed streets of New York are in dire need of attention. Left as they are, it is far too dangerous for the ladies in stilettos to cross them. I really don’t know how they can walk anywhere ...maybe I’m just envious, as I couldn’t even sit in them....

Meeting Wendell Potter, the man who blew the whistle on the Healthcare industry’s nasty tricks to stymie positive humanitarian advances. He was head of the team created to specifically discredit Michael Moore’s documentary, “Sicko.” We’re going to talk more, because he needs to attract more attention to his urgent message, in order to save lives.

And then there’s the untimely, too early death of a friend of one of my sons, who spent his elementary years  going in and out of our house, and who grew up to be a powerful  music and theater producer. That’s just too close for comfort.

Looking at this list, I see there’s a sort-of theme: repair and acceptance. Just thoughts.