… when we are unable to find composure in the face of impermanence, we suffer.

…

Anything you base your security on may fail. How do you feel as you walk around? Do you feel secure? Do you feel that you have stability? And what is it based on? What is real security based on? …

In the word “composure,” the root -com, from the Latin, means “together, being with, being connected.” The -posure part comes from a Greek root that means “pause,” or “stop.” Remember to pause together, to stop together, and to awaken in this pause with many beings, the myriad things. Don’t doubt the value of the contribution that you make just by being willing to find composure, even by simply recalling the thought, “How can I find composure in this challenging situation?” And also to help each other to do this. This is maturity of mind. This is actually the manifestation of what we call the vow of the bodhisattva, to help beings mature, to help beings be fully present in themselves.

Thought_ANP: we are human beings, not human doings. So why is it so challenging to simply feel the joy of being?

• 3.7 million of all NYC adults cannot read beyond a 5th grade reading level
• 25% of parents in NYC do not read well enough to read a bedtime story to their children
• 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills in NYC also live in poverty
• Poverty, lined to illiteracy, is intergenerational and remains an easily curable social illness

Click here to donate to Literacy Partners.

While trying to find local listings for Rolling (10 p.m. on WNET 13 tonight), I found this within Bad Cripple, a blog I’m definitely going to start following:

The real world experiences of disabled people are the subject of Gretchen Berland’s superb documentary Rolling that will be airing this month on Public Television. More than any other film I have ever seen, Rolling provides the viewer with a real life understanding of what life is like when one uses a wheelchair. The film is based on 212 hour of tape taken over a period of two years (2001 to 2003). The vast majority of the film footage was recorded by three people (Galen Buckwalter, Vicki Elman, and Ernie Wallengren) from Los Angeles who had video cameras mounted on their wheelchairs. For those unfamiliar with disability, the film is not easy to watch yet gripping at the same time. It took less than thirty seconds for me to be hooked and realize Rolling was going where no other film about disability has ever gone. The opening observation made by Buckwalter was: “Because most people can walk and run and climb, and since I can’t, I’m defined as disabled. Not only defined as disabled, I’m expected to act and feel disabled. For many years I did the same, but what they don’t see now is that I’m a survivor”. What Buckwalter is able to survive is not the injury that rendered him paralyzed but the stigma, prejudice, and social isolation that results from using a wheelchair. This is exactly where Rolling excels–it graphically reveals the gross social inequities that exist for people who use a wheelchair.

Several themes are evident throughout Rolling and Berland is obviously a first rate story teller. Among the themes that struck me as particularly important are independence versus dependence, the utter failure of the health care system to provide basic services to disabled people, the lack of wheelchair access and the resulting social isolation as well as the lack of common respect awarded to people that use a wheelchair. To me, this is old story but never have I seen a film get to the nitty gritty of what it is like to be disabled. This is not a sexy or cool film–it is a remorseless indictment of American society that reveals the overwhelming social and practical obstacles disabled people routinely encounter. For those unfamiliar with disability, some scenes are bound to be shocking. For example, when Vicki Elman’s wheelchair breaks her doctor wonders aloud “what are we going to do with you? Do you want to go to a nursing home or get a baby sitter at home?” During filming of Rolling Elman was forced to enter a nursing home and where an aide tells her to urinate in a bed pan or in diaper she states “the degradation begins”.

The greatest strength of Rolling is that by the end of the film Buckwalter, Elman, and Wallengren are humans who even the most resistant person to inclusion will acknowledge are treated poorly by their bipedal peers. Once the social stigma associated with using a wheelchair is removed the viewer simply sees three ordinary people who have learned how to adapt. Using a wheelchair is a means of empowerment and enables people to lead a rich and full life. This is what makes Rolling such an important contribution for illustrating this is a major accomplishment on the part of Berland. I hope Rolling and the website created by Thirteen.org for the film will be widely utilized by colleges and groups interested in disability rights, health care reform, and disability awareness advocates. Berland and all those associated with Rolling are to be commended for making a major contribution one that I hope will enlighten those willing to think about their preconceived notions about the meaning of disability.

I’m definitely going to watch Rolling tonight.

Read a great write-up from Yale Medicine about Rolling here. 

Since my ass cheeks are now two hyperactive squirrels trying to shred the backside of pants that fit nicely when I bought them a few short weeks ago, even though my weight is holding steady at one six zero I need to start hitting the weights again. Blub-a-lub-lub is not the kind of junk I want in my trunk and anyway, I’m starting to get tossed around like a frisbee underneath the basket. No good for bidness.

If anyone’s a member of NYSC and wants a workout buddy, holla. The one in Soho is closest to me but my office sits on top of Penn Station so that area’s good too.

Disclaimer: no randos, please. I need to know you in real life.

And what’s with strange dudes emailing unsolicited photos to my personal email address from their @talkmatch account?! S-T-O-P.

While I think Gossip Girl is good, dumb fun (especially since the episodes are heavy on the New York City with a dash of Ivy League), Women’s Murder Club just made me cry!

And how hot is Angie Harmon? Holy crap I want to just lie on her living room floor and watch her walk around all day. Geez louise.

Which reminds me: I need to find some knee-high black leather boots already. Yeah, I’ve been looking for about three years now and no luck (either not big enough or doesn’t come up high enough or the heel isn’t high enough …); it might be time to bite the bullet and pony up for a custom-made pair.

Mmm, Angie Harmon. She seems a lot nicer than my girlfriend Angelina. Plus, she’s a Leo. +2 points!

Another hot night in Manhattan watching network television!  Life is good.

In heavy roto through my earwax:

• Daydreamin‘ by Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott
• Black Moon’s I got cha opin
• LCD Soundsystem’s Someone Great

Tomorrow night: The National @ The Seaport!

My favorite treat-to-self for the past year and a half has been the writing classes that I’ve let myself take. I know that it can be hard to navigate quality classes in NYC, especially if, like me, you are an arrogant piece of doo. So I’d like to recommend a particular class to anyone who is looking:

Registration for our next session of Writer’s Voice workshops begins on August 20…

(Please do not call to register before that time. Our friendly, yet stickler-for-the rules-type operators can answer questions about our offerings before next week. They cannot register you until next week).

… Ready your dialing finger. (You do have us on speed dial, right?)

The West Side YMCA Writer’s Voice

September 10-November 1

**************************************

Registration & Program Information

All listings are subject to change. To register call (212) 875-4124 between the hours of 11 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday, or visit the Customer Service Center located off the main lobby of the West Side Y.

* Classes are $75.00 for members of the West Side YMCA.

* Classes are $350.00 for non-members

(PAYMENT IS DUE IN FULL PRIOR TO THE START OF THE 1ST CLASS)

West Side YMCA’s Writer’s Voice

5 W. 63rd Street

New York, NY 10023

*********************************************

EVENING CLASSES

MEMOIR/PERSONAL ESSAY/AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FICTION

Inventing the Truth–Writing from Personal Experience, Part 1

Elaine Edelman

Thursday 6:45-8:45 PM

This is the first of a two-part workshop for serious writers who want to explore autobiographical sources in short stories, personal essays, memoirs and humor. With (optional) assignments and (required) short readings from some of today’s literary stars, the class mainly focuses on student work, helping each discover his/her deepest, most writeable experiences, natural writing talents, and inventing forms for both. We focus and refine our pieces in a place of respect and constructive and supportive response. The teacher also responds to each piece in writing.

Elaine Edelman’s books include Boom-de-Boom and Noeva: Three Women Poets. Her work has appeared in the American Poetry Review, The Gettysburg Review, Esquire, The New York Times Book Review, Vanity Fair, and other magazines. Formerly a senior editor at a major New York publisher, she has taught at N.Y.U. and currently teaches at the New School where she received the Distinguished University Teaching Award.

Elaine is awesome (she just sent me an email this morning with a suggested book to help my writing) but don’t worry, I’m taking a different class of hers this fall so if you take her class at the Y you won’t need to suffer the awkwardness of direct contact with my work-in-progress exposi-prosey-prose.

See also: NYC nonfiction writing classes

At one of Jamie’s recent dinner parties, Mills (in from LA) and I were behaving like the asshats we are and futzing with my camera.

This time, though, an actual photographer was present. Amused by our antics, she got involved and snapped some.

Full collection here.

Susan’s currently showing at a group exhibition in Chelsea, and you can check out her fun and tasty portfolio here.  Having met her, it’s clear that her personality comes through in her art.  Good, good stuff.

And since one of my friends already asked:  Mills is a buddy of mine. I don’t get squiggly with the wiggly of my buddies.

On to new intergalactic adventures courtesy immeasurable planetary forces.

ACCESS ASTROLOGY
at
the East West Books café
78 Fifth Avenue
(between 13th & 14th St.)
phone: 212 243-5994

Mark Wolz, Heather Roan Robbins and Anne Ortelee are three New York astrologers working together to make astrology accessible to the public.
Join us on Tuesdays at 6:30 at East-West Books.

Each Tuesday the East-West Books café hosts Access Astrology for a lively discussion led by one of these astrologers and the occasional guest. Bring your own chart, if you like, for discussion. Please support the café by purchasing food or beverage. Visit the astrology section in the bookstore, which carries the best selection in town. Spend some time in other sections, where you’ll find outstanding materials on yoga, spiritual studies, healing arts, myriad forms of attunement.

Tuesday, July 10, We’re back!
Join us as we take up the nodes of the Moon.
Sun trines Uranus on Wednesday; Venus enters Virgo and Mars squares Chiron on Saturday; New Moon in Cancer on Saturday; Sun semisextiles Saturn Monday.

Tuesday, July 17
We continue with the Moon’s nodes: finding your path.
Mars sextiles Uranus on Friday; Sun enters Leo on Monday the 23rd, and Mercury is inconjunct Jupiter.

Tuesday, July 24
More on the Moon’s nodes: karma.
Mars squares Neptune today; Sun is semisextile Venus on Thursday, just as Venus stations at 2 Virgo; Venus turns retrograde on Friday the 27th; Mercury trines Pallas and Uranus on Saturday; Mercury is quincunx Neptune on Monday; Mars squares Saturn on Tuesday the 31st. Full Moon on Sunday the 29th.

ACCESS ASTROLOGY
AstroNYC.com
212 502-6642

I don’t know what any of the above shit means but I can’t wait to find out.

(”Is Uranus still a planet?” “Only if you a BBW!” “Oh no you didn’t!” And, cut.)