Friday, February 11, 2011

Hitting One's Stride: Transformative Event Number 9

Dear reader:

In the case you are just now joining my journey towards the eleventh transformative event, I offer you a brief recap of the nine previous stops along the way.

The last decade began with sudden loss of life during 9/11. First, I witnessed the destruction from afar and next I experienced the personal losses of two families living in suburban New Jersey.

What followed in October 2001 was a trip to the Holy Land where I experienced the hatred that pre-teen Palestinians harbor against the US as well as the severe economic downturn to the Israeli economy.

After years of spiritual searching in California, Mexico and Oregon, I rediscovered my Hebraic roots and celebrate the 50th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah.

Next stop along my journey involved payback : teaching ESL, journalism and sophomore English at Jamaica High School--one of the most rewarding times of my life.

Next, I dealt successfully with my fourth divorce, leaving my adopted Chinese orphan daughter in good hands so she is now attending college and has a full time job. (The secrets of maintaining harmony with exes will be explored in a forthcoming book.)

Hurricane Katrina provided me with opportunity to perform small acts of kindness during my two trips to the South. The event(s) are covered in four parts.

Finding mentors and then adopting their mores and advice is next explored; I travel to California to hook up with a dynamic mentor who first influenced me forty years ago and continues to do so as he embarks on a new venture. My dad and Levi Woodbury are also
applauded as outstanding role models whose actions expressing their commitments to strong ideals, likewise spur me to action.

This leads me to event number 9. In 2009, RJ Schwartz and Associates came into being.

To be continued.




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