Monday, April 14, 2014
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Living A Meaningful Life In Vegas: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...
Living A Meaningful Life In Vegas: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK
Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at lea...
Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at lea...
Living A Meaningful Life In Vegas: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...
Living A Meaningful Life In Vegas: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK
Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at lea...
Jerry Lewis' Gift Wi...: A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at lea...
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A LIFETIME OF MEANINGFUL WORK
Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever
We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at least for a while.
At first, the idea of moving out here from Detroit was exciting. No snow, no freezing temperatures... and the lure of the mountains (or the foothills, as Aunt Dorothy called them) was absolutely thrilling. But, as I learned over those years, there's more to life than weather, a good tan, big boobs, and a few foothills. As the song goes... "where's the real stuff in life to cling to?" Hence, the pursuit of finding meaning in the ritz, and glitz of Sin City.
So we started with the Jewish Community. In a city of a million (in 1999), the Jewish population was about 60,000. For those 60,000 (mostly unaffiliated) Jews, there were 20 synagogues. Twenty synagogues? That should have given us the first clue.
It seems that several synagogues had a habit of breaking away, because part of the constituency wanted to do things one way, and the others... their way. It wasn't rocket science to figure out. The long time Las Vegans with the established businesses, power and um, money, wanted Temples with marble floors and beautifully architected buildings, while the middle class working Jews wanted to make good relationships and have a comfortable place to worship. The bickering among the leadership and the Jewish community reached an all time high in 2007, and it became clear I wasn't going to find meaning there.
Through the years, I realized that meaning doesn't just show up. Those of us who want it, have to make our own experiences meaningful. I find real joy and "savoring moments" in the little things. Whether it's opening a door for the elderly, visiting someone in Hospice, or passing out peanut butter sandwiches to the homeless, we do it to help them... but it's really for us. We need that part of humanity to enrich our souls. It feels better than looking chic, owning fab jewelry or eating at the spot all the celebrities choose when they come to Vegas. We can certainly do both, as long as we don't give up what really matters.
So this is my first post, written on the eve of the Jerry Lewis - Muscular Dystrophy Telethon 2011. For 45 years I watched "The Stars Come Out With Jerry" - and this year, no Jerry. Nobody really knows why Jerry Lewis "resigned" or if they do, they're not talking... yet. All I know is this man changed the way fundraising is done, he devoted 60 years of his life making a difference for the cause, and on the MDA website, there's no mention of his name. Jerry who? A legendary film maker, teacher, actor and so much more... but he'll always be remembered for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. They say you only have to touch one life during your lifetime... Jerry has touched thousands, millions, maybe billions. It just doesn't get any more meaningful than that.
Jerry Lewis' Gift Will Live Forever
We've lived in Vegas for a dozen years and we're stuck here now, at least for a while.
At first, the idea of moving out here from Detroit was exciting. No snow, no freezing temperatures... and the lure of the mountains (or the foothills, as Aunt Dorothy called them) was absolutely thrilling. But, as I learned over those years, there's more to life than weather, a good tan, big boobs, and a few foothills. As the song goes... "where's the real stuff in life to cling to?" Hence, the pursuit of finding meaning in the ritz, and glitz of Sin City.
So we started with the Jewish Community. In a city of a million (in 1999), the Jewish population was about 60,000. For those 60,000 (mostly unaffiliated) Jews, there were 20 synagogues. Twenty synagogues? That should have given us the first clue.
It seems that several synagogues had a habit of breaking away, because part of the constituency wanted to do things one way, and the others... their way. It wasn't rocket science to figure out. The long time Las Vegans with the established businesses, power and um, money, wanted Temples with marble floors and beautifully architected buildings, while the middle class working Jews wanted to make good relationships and have a comfortable place to worship. The bickering among the leadership and the Jewish community reached an all time high in 2007, and it became clear I wasn't going to find meaning there.
Through the years, I realized that meaning doesn't just show up. Those of us who want it, have to make our own experiences meaningful. I find real joy and "savoring moments" in the little things. Whether it's opening a door for the elderly, visiting someone in Hospice, or passing out peanut butter sandwiches to the homeless, we do it to help them... but it's really for us. We need that part of humanity to enrich our souls. It feels better than looking chic, owning fab jewelry or eating at the spot all the celebrities choose when they come to Vegas. We can certainly do both, as long as we don't give up what really matters.
So this is my first post, written on the eve of the Jerry Lewis - Muscular Dystrophy Telethon 2011. For 45 years I watched "The Stars Come Out With Jerry" - and this year, no Jerry. Nobody really knows why Jerry Lewis "resigned" or if they do, they're not talking... yet. All I know is this man changed the way fundraising is done, he devoted 60 years of his life making a difference for the cause, and on the MDA website, there's no mention of his name. Jerry who? A legendary film maker, teacher, actor and so much more... but he'll always be remembered for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. They say you only have to touch one life during your lifetime... Jerry has touched thousands, millions, maybe billions. It just doesn't get any more meaningful than that.
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