What's In A Name?...And 25 Other Things
Although I'm not a big fan of the television show Dancing With The Stars... I was touched by the book "I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrants Dream From The Ukraine To The USA To Dancing With The Stars" by Valentin Chmerkovskiy... I would never in a million years tell someone that they should change their name (Some of the most interesting people I know still have very interesting names)... but I once thought early on that Jane Kaczmarek might have problems... obviously she did not encounter any that she could overcome... but someone once moving to Italy to model asked me and I said... "Italians can mangle almost any non-italian name and your name is not that easy to pronounce... my advice is change it to something a little more simple (and yet still you) will most likely make your working and maybe your social life in Milan a little easier"... he thanked me for the good advice after he came back but returned to using his family name because it meant so much to him... This whole name changing business is a very personal thing and something that should not be taken lightly and deserves to be given a lot of thought and consideration ... my reason was mostly professional but also because... I hated my name... and I think the psychological side effects of a disliked name are equal to living in a hated home... trust me I have experience with both.
... it would appear Ralph Lauren achieved his goals... and then some... but I think the name change helped a little
OK I have a confession... one of my guilty pleasures are People and Us magazine and I usually only indulge during air travel, doctors waiting rooms and hair and nail salons... So... recently
1. I hate texting I would rather talk to you in person but failing that I prefer hearing your voice on the telephone or on my voice mail...there are certain nuances to more direct communication.
2. I was a lifeguard for some of the water events at the 1984 LA Olympic games.
3. I'm always on time... I think it's disrespectful to the people you are meeting to keep them waiting.
4. I'm a neat freak... I think the world can be so chaotic at times that it's calming for me to have my life in order at home.
5. I'm a list maker... I have achieved most of my dreams and goals in life and it's helped me to make lists and jot down ideas and to have a place to make a new plan when the old one needs reworking.
6. I love popcorn... I have it almost every day!
7. I'm an excellent driver... I have never gotten a ticket (except for parking)
8. I have worked as a stunt man in film and done some impressive vocal doubling in music.
9. My favorite color is turquoise blue... my second favorite is aquamarine... yes there is a difference.
10. Downhill skiing is my favorite sport to participate in, followed by diving, surfing and tennis.
11. I used to be an excellent gymnast.
12. I would rather have a simple home that I could take care of easily myself than live in a mansion with servants.
13. I love to read and prefer actual books and news papers and magazines to downloading something on a device.
14. I love the way the dining room table looks after a magnificent meal and a few bottles of wine with good friends and a great conversation.
15. I would rather cook a fine meal at home than eat in a fancy restaurant.
16. If I have trouble sleeping I revisit a place in time that had some happy significance for me and relive the the experiences and conversations. (it's much better than dwelling on the negative past)
17. If you tell me a secret and tell me not to tell anyone I won't. (if you actually know me in person... you already know that)
18. If I had to choose between a week in Las Vegas or a week at Martha's Vineyard... I pick Gay Head Beach on the southwest corner of the island.
19. I love card games... Bridge is my favorite but a good Gin Rummy game is always fun in a pinch.
20. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite because I like to doll it up with things like marshmallow fluff, walnuts and maple syrup and salt.
21. I like going to movie or theatre matinees on a whim at the spur of the minute.
22. I consider eight hours of sleep a necessity otherwise lack of sleep shows on my face and people think I'm either angry and/or sad.
23. I consider true love, real friendships and my health the most treasured accomplishments of my life.
24. I wish I had taken better care of my teeth.
25. I'm truly an optimist because no matter what has happened to me in the past and what is going on in the world right now I deep down believe that....
Oh and BTW I also like pina coladas and walks in the rain and the feel of the ocean and the taste of Champagne!..
- 1
3 Comments
Recommended Comments