Hey Jonathan,
I'm also Russian-Jewish... at this point, the holidays are just an excuse
to overeat and give presents to the ones I love. I'm not sure I believe in
G-D as it makes no sense to me, but in search of community I recently
joined a Jewish renewal temple. The entire concept of G-D, I mean heck...
Before we understood what caused rain there was thought to be a god of
rain, there were also gods of thunder, the moon, the god of lightening, the
goddesses of love, beauty.  But now that we understand the phenomena of
nature, we look back and say how silly to believe in all those gods! Then
Moses had a right-brain vision of the ten commandments. (they have done
studies that show that "spiritual" visions and voices are actually right
brain stuff.)  To think that we have developed an entire religion based on
a vision, without questioning it, well, I think it's strange.

Shame on your family. If it was me, I wouldn't write back. There is a new
idea I'm trying out in regards to all relationships. I ask myself if this
relationship is good for me, or bad for me?

I am glad you and the other person have connected!  If I were in your area
I would invite you over for Laktes!

Take care,
Mag

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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"What is real but compassion, as we move from birth to death?"
~~Greg Brown~~


> [Original Message]
> From: Jonathan Rand <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 12/29/2005 4:36:04 PM
> Subject: Happy Holidays...
>
> ok, I havent even red any posts 4 a wile here, because 4 the first time in
> 10 years, I’m having christmas.  it took a long time 2 get GOO-GOO, (my
> power chair), but now I’m able 2 leave the neighborhood.  I connected with
> another severely disabled person that I’d known years ago.  we came
together
> with the force of an atom bomb!  r experiences r similar…  his whole
family
> accepted me immediately.  as far as my own relatives, even after I begged
> them not 2 leave me alone on christmas, I didn’t even receive an email
from
> them til today.  it sed, “haven’t heard from u.  whats happening?”
> my friends family is the same way 2 him.  I guess ol wait until after
> newyears 2 answer the email.  right now om 2 upset.  no matter wat they’ve
> done, I still love them & miss them.  but I do feel a lot of anger.  years
> ago wen I started using a scooter, they had big problems with that.  they
> couldn’t get themselves 2 bring a van 2 the station 2 pick me up.  & they
> asked me 2 leave the scooter there wen I went home, because 4 som reason,
> the van sitting right outside must’ve been radio active or something.
Wen I
> became depressed, it was, “stop being so negitive!  yor depressing
> everybody!”  shortly after that, I was excommunicated.
>
> but I hung out with a different family this year!  we went 2 macy’s, 2 c
> santa claus, we went  2 look at model trains, they showered me with
gifts……
> I’m in shock…!
>
> but I’m still thinking of all the other isolated people that santa claus
> past by this year.  a lotta good THAT does ‘em!  :(
>
> heres an account of how I spent christmas b4 this miracle year.  I thought
> the piece mite b entertaining 4 u guys.  I posted this on the nyc achilles
> newsgroup at yahoo.  (The Achilles Track Club is an organization for
> disabled athletes.)
>
>
> “Christmas etc.”
>
> As I’ve said, I’ve made some good friends at Achilles.  But because I’m so
> debilitated, my connection to even these people feels “tenuous?”  (Is that
> the correct word?)  I see people mostly, at these workouts.  (When they’re
> mostly
> pre-occupied with working off all the hot dogs they’ve just eaten!  I
> “survive” on a few quick greetings.  I use the word “survive,” because it
> really feels like I’ve been holding my breath for the past 5 years.  When
> you can’t speak, you’re alone, even in a crowd.  Before I came here, I was
> REALLY alone.  I couldn’t use a telephone, and for a year or more, I
didn’t
> even have email!  All the friends I’d had when I was younger, and able to
> walk & talk, were gone.  My relatives couldn’t deal with my severe
> disability so I was sort of “excommunicated.”  The Christmases I used to
> spend with them, I now spend, playing the part of some pathetic character
> from one of those old black & white movies they show every Christmas on
TV!
> I feel like that guy from that movie?  What’s it called?  “It’s a
Miserable
> Life?”  Where that guy’s, about to jump off a bridge, but an angel comes
and
> rescues him?  (I think the guy is Jimmy Stewart.)
>
> OK, SO I HAVE A VIVID IMAGINATION!  :)
> SOO-MEE!
>
> One Christmas Eve I rode around in the snow, looking for an accessible
> church or something….  Anything!
>    I found a church…  And after a while, I managed to get someone’s
> attention…  “Oh I think there’s wheelchair access ‘round back, (past the
> leaky atomic reactor, next to the morgue)…  Through the graveyard of the
> UNDEAD………!   Well, I found the leaky atomic reactor…  THAT’S HOW I LOST MY
> HAIR!  Then I went past the MORGUE...
> ………… Don’t those DEAD people use DEODERANT????    Now I was in the
graveyard
> of the UNDEAD!  (Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!)
Man
> it was quiet….  (OK, here it comes…)  TOO quiet!
>
> JESUS CHRIST on a STICK!  All those GOD DAMNED NASFERATU went home to
visit
> RELATIVES for Christmas!  The whole freakin’ place was EMPTY!!!!!!!
>
> But then I saw the big scary doors of Saint John the Divine’s Cathedral,
in
> the faint green glow of the leaky atomic reactor……  Beckoning to me!
>
>
> PART 6
> “Room for one more, honey!”
>
> Well, there may’ve been room for one more, in that church, but it wasn’t
> gonna be me.  ‘Cause the doors were closed, and there was nobody around to
> let me in……!  I headed back into the graveyard again, on my way home…..
> Stopped for a while, to take a short nap in one of the empty coffins…..
And
> wouldn’t cha know it!  A guard came by, looking for STRAGGLERS!  Anyone
> caught lying in their coffin,  THIS time of night, got a stake through
their
> heart!
>
> This certainly was turning out to be a ROTTEN Christmas!
>
> The pain was excruciating!  Before I could move out of the way, the guard
> plunged the stake into my chest!  (I think it was a ‘T’ bone.)
>
> A stroke of luck, though!  Remember I said I had open heart surgery, to
> close a hole in my heart?  Well, it was never completely closed!  The
stake
> went in RIGHT THROUGH THE REMAINING OPEN HOLE, completely plugging it up!
> Now I was in better shape than ever!
>
> Suddenly I had the strength of TEN men, (or maybe 14 or 15 women)?!  I
> sprang up outta the grave, broke off the extra piece of wood sticking out
of
> my chest, jumped on my  scooter, and headed off to the nether world,(I
MEAN,
> HOME)!  Where I sat in the dark…  Like my mother…..  And no doubt, her
> mother before HER!     All good Russian JEWS…  Duly depressed……  Always
> seeing the negative side of life…  And able to lay a GUILT TRIP like
> nobody’s business!!  :)
>
> Santa Clause never visited THEM on Christmas….!  And he wouldn’t be
visiting
> ME.  So at least I could stay up all night, switching channels, hoping for
> something to watch!  (For those who might not know, Santa ONLY comes if
> YOU’RE FAST ASLEEP!)
>
> OK!  So I got FREE open heart surgery……  ON Christmas Eve!  Open heart
> surgery is not an appropriate gift for either Christmas OR Chanukah! A
train
> set would’ve been just fine!
>
> END OF ACHILLES POST:
>
> This was part of a 13 part post, about my experiences at achilles.
>
> Happy Noo Year…!  :)
>
>
>
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>
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>
>
> >From: Deri James <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: "St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List"
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Holiday Wishes
> >Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 22:43:07 +0000
> >
> >On Thursday 29 Dec 2005 21:36, Bobby Greer wrote:
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Deri James" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 1:11 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Holiday Wishes
> > >
> > > > On Wednesday 28 Dec 2005 05:53, ken barber wrote:
> > > >>  i have seen nothing on this list that would even hint
> > > >> at being jealous of another's accomplishments. when a
> > > >> list member accomplishes something good, i have
> > > >> noticed congrats from all around.
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > > Oh, and while I'm on, hope everyone has a fantastic New Year.
> > >
> > >   Deri ,
> > >
> > >     Be careful in London! We wouldn't want anything unfortunnate
> >happening
> > > to our Brittish colleague.
> > >
> > > Bobby
> >
> >Thanks Bobby, I'm always careful - particularly when I'm not being good!!
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Deri