2013 reunion of our Vrboska, Croatia forebears!

Honorable Milanka Opacic

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy and Youth

Republic of Croatia

Dear Minister Opacic:

It is a pleasure to follow policy developments in Croatia. I am in the 5th generation of Vrboska, Hvar immigrants to the United States. II am a social worker and adjunct college professor with training in comparative social policy (masters degree and doctoral study at Columbia University, New York).

A friend and social work colleague does strategic planning for the Open Society in New York City. I follow the Open Society Mental Health Initiative on Facebook. I was impressed by the posting today. While a doctoral student, I spent much time in Zurich, Berlin and Rotterdam visiting agencies working with people with AIDS, substance use and mental health services immigrant and lgbt services. Open Society finances a number of initiatives on drug policy in particular.

 My undergraduate students  and my graduate students in NYC come from a broad swath of nationalities and comparative social policy is important to them. Students of mine have done internships in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Pakistan and London.  I am happy to share the website of your Ministry with the current cohort.  It is a joy to have undergraduates from Dalmatia in recent times.

This summer the family of siblings, cousins etal of my maternal grandmother  held a reunion. There are so many pages in the online family history book from the reunion showing much love and caring. I cannot imagine the voyage of our great-great grandparents with 7 children taking the boat to the United States and starting a new life in Chicago, Illinois. The family males made money diving in Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, some were musicians, and some ran a tavern (with a live bear). There are so many cousins which includes a Chilean branch, and a popular contemporary musician in Chile. What a legacy from little Vrboska!  For multiple reasons so many emigrants from Hvar, named "heaven" in a recent BBC series, into the world. 

I am happy to share an interest in policy and advocacy on mental health issues with my Mother. She was the mom of 9 children and found time to advocate for people. On her death she was given a memorial by the State of New Jersey for her advocacy. I made a short video on YouTube about her life.  The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQppEXGoSOk.  My undergraduates critique the video as a memoir qua method. 

Thank you very much for reading through my email. It is a pleasure to see the development of good services and know of the spirit of advocacy in your ministry. Thanks also to your many staff and colleages who are making a difference in the lives of others. It makes me proud of my Croatian legacy (25%, 75% Irish). 

Best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Newark NJ summer life 2013

Mijn 14th summer in Newark, NJ. Not much swimming going on.. rain days and my leg was messed up. But did make the pool a bit and still days ahead.

Visited a brother several times in the NJ suburbs.. found a good local pizzeria in Morris County. Doing my caregivng. Family reunion on the side of our maternal grandmother, a whole crew of cousins unknown to me, the Croatian-Dalmatians. A whole diaspora from Vrboska, Hvar.

Writing about social workers in politics. Donated funds to Booker for Senate, Buono for Governor, Gale Brewer for Manhattan Borough President.

Good summer songs always!!!

Music background in the playlist for a July 2013 episode of Eastenders. The hauntingly beautiful song from "Trainspotting", Underground-Born Slippy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi8Gnq_z_U

Pre-iftar evenings this Ramadan listening to Capital Cities-Safe and Sound.  Listening to Adele, and Layla.

Lots of videos this summer.. "Man of Steel", "Lone Ranger and Tonto", "the Heat". YouTube video catching, seen every PBS Mystery Poirot, and BBC Spooks seasons 1 through 4.

Carpe the season. And Happy Birthday to a Park Ridge IL buddy from Maine South days, today! So many shared years!

figuring out summer songs etal by myself or with friends and/or neighbors. meanwhile.. gotta get with this one! sucha generational thing.. the best song of every summer always and forever!http://mashable.com/2013/08/07/stephen-colbert-get-lucky/

family and Susan Boyle

photo of Croatian cousins... Chicago 2007! Thanks to cousin Dee!

Wowed by the miracle of Susan Boyle... she may change our world! Like Michael Phelps, we have a person with learning disabilities show the world how to do something! There is the need to be sensitive to the nuances of somewhat vulnerable people and the glare of the snake media... gunning for a scoop, creating drama for better sales figures. Need I say it is a vicious world out there. Already I see some guy insists he dated Susan Boyle.

There is little critical thinking in the everyday world. I remind my students that there are 47 sides to any story; anyone can and does say anything. Life is not a democracy. As Hofstadter so eloquently wrote there is the paranoid style in every politic. Conspiracies and gossip sell media stories.

Susan Boyle is a singer with the voice of an angel. She lives in a small village in northern Scotland, has no computer, knows not the internet. She was the youngest of 9 children and her Mom took special care of her due to her needs. I hope that she has good support from family or others although it is always a risk. She is active in the Catholic church but the church has its own agenda. Was reading a Catholic blog today about Susan Boyle and looking at the anti-Obama ads parked on the site....

When my Mom died she wisely left a will giving equal payments to all of her children. Of course there wound up not being equal distribution as some of her 9 children owed her thousands of dollars, some took more belongings than others.... Some siblings allege comments as their favored status over others, "according to Mom". It is all to be expected. My Mom volunteered with those having psychiatric disabilities.. it was also an outlet for her in handling her children...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQppEXGoSOk

Since Mom's death, there has been some reapproachment, sensitivity and caring among my Mom's children. We all miss her but we also have each other. A brother took care of handling the distribution of my Mom's estate well. He handle family issues well! He sings in his church choir.. maybe he is next! My sister in Boston just sent me more great green tea and a box of food goodies! My doorperson said "What a great sister!" Another sister phoned me every night when I was in the hospital despite her having a job, a 6year old, a home, a husband, her own needs! Thanks much!

I hope that Susan Boyle finds support and guidance for her in the face of multimillion dollar earnings and fame. I hope she has a great publicist. Just thinking of how NYC/NJ activists could ask her her opinion on gay marriage. There is a certain sophistication living in NYC/NJ that may not exist in her world of Scotland. Of course, the UK does have civil registries and great support for equality in marriges.

I read about Susan's Mom bringing her on pilgrimages to Knock, her Mom was a devout Marian. I know many a devout Marian. My Mom was consecrated to the Virgin Mary at birth and dressed only in blue by her Aunt, a former Carmelite nun (sent home for being too religious). My father whom my Mom divorced after 49 years of marriage leads the rosary in his daily Mass attendance. Religious conviction does not equal concern for others, especially those one disagrees with.

Mother's generally have that unconditional love. Winnicuit's "good enough mothering"! I will always remember seeing my baby picture smiling at the world on my Mom's makeup table.. she looked at me everyday for 52 years! Whoa!!! no one else has nor will (unless I met them today and live to 104, albeit scary to think who wants to gaze at my baby picture everyday besides me.. and my blessed Mother!).

The bottom line is that as a vulnerable person in particular, I pray that Susan gets the support, love and interest in and for her to help change our world! In all simplicity, I love Susan Boyle for the view in which she is changing the lens on what a person can do! Thanks much!

hugs, peace, compassion

Black Madonna et faux AfroSwiss

Long chat with one of my almost 30jahre of friendship buddies about her experience in Poland being called the "Black Madonna", her hand stroked, people even bowed! Her visit was during the "cold war" on one of those junkets organized to get Western currency. She went to an international social work conference and then on to the tour junket. Visiting one of the Black Madonna shrines, she encountered many who obviously never met a person of color, or a "Western" person of color. The simplicity of real feelings and simple respect! Great story, and of course in my mind, she is a Black Madonna. She furthermore related the story at a nonprofit board meeting. Most of the members were bewildered having little understanding of the nuances of race, class, geography. The apartheid of class what with a board being primarily very wealthy "white people" helping the poor, primarily working class people of color. The dynamics of high/low... but I say "God Bless Obama" for changing some of the lenses!

Interesting history of the Black Madonnas in Europe. Often destinations for pilgrimages due to histories of "miracles" around the statue/painting. One of the most interesting in Bavaria where the heart of King Ludwig kept. And, the Black Madonna of Croatia!

In April, 1987, travelled in Western Europe with a NYC buddy. In Zurich, on the quai alongside the ZurichSee, an entertainer stopped him, delighting in his being an African American. My buddy delighted in his celebrity at times being an African American in Switzerland and Germany. The simple exchanges of interactions in other locales! A big event in his life being outside the subway universe many of us only traverse for years! Great cross-cultural stories! It was fascinating to watch people interact with him!

Reminder also of how one never really knows how another processes their interpretation of who one is, what one is saying. A similiar notion of how people present who they want others to think they are albeit the reality may be very different. But mostly, the reality that one can change the lenses and be seen and survive in a very positive light. of course, that is the story of American Babylons such as NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago! In more high/low, Madonna uses religious imagery such as in the probably Martin de Porres to comfort her in a video. Reality.. loved seeing Cocteau's La Belle et la bete again! toujours la belle!

Monday, a new, short semester. Happy to have had the story of my friend's experience in Poland whilst thinking of how I will start a new semester. Once again, the importance of my reminding students that they are a distinct minority in actually getting a college degree from an accredited college. Jobs, whatever may come and go, but no one will phone and ask for one's diploma back. Research can be a stress for many students but I remind them that everyone else in their degree area finished and they are no different! It is about changing the lenses so that one can process how much is known research but thinking out of the scientific method, or just critical thinking is not always developed! It is part of the responsibility of being an educated person!

thanks again to the universe for my Black Madonna buddy, and that first Euro tour with a NYC buddy!

hugs, peace, compassion