Forever… Until

From the 1930s in Philadelphia to the present day in California… little memories unfold of times, places, friendships, loves and losses that cover the lifetime of this first born American girl of Russian Jewish immigrant parents. You will travel along with her and all of the characters in her life in most unexpected ways… to places all over the world… people of many nationalities… and metamorphosis from one career to another. There is an ethnic flavor to her humor and a sadness that is warming in its laughter and tears… and in how she tries to remain young… Forever!

I sometimes refer to myself as a late bloomer. For me it was a metamorphosis as I slowly evolved from one chapter of my life to another. Me, this woman who loves all of the creative arts, is just another story.
Born in 1925, my earliest memories began in the 1930s and early l940s. A small immigrant Jewish community known as Strawberry Mansion in the city of Philadelphia is where I grew up. Being the first-born American in my family, the cultural and ethnic flavor is apparent ... and fun. Lasting friendships, little memory splashes and unforgettable events will remain ... in this journey and beyond.
Well ... in 1988 my husband of twenty-eight years passed away. Needless to say, this was a life-changing event. I had an import business at that time which took me to exotic places all over the world, designing jewelry and accessories using the arts and crafts of the countries I visited ... mostly Asian. As exciting as it was, after Sy passed away I decided to close that chapter and begin the next one, not knowing where it may lead.
I was single, middle-aged and lonely, so I joined a tap dancing class at Every Woman's Village ... recalling my love for dancing as a teenager winning jitterbug contests and later working as a student instructor for the Arthur Murray Studio. From dancing I evolved to a singing class called "Unlock Your Voice and Sing," which led me to a performance workshop.
My director and the students enjoyed my impromptu monologues about humorous or touching events in my life and encouraged me to combine them with music and song in several performances. My mid-life dating experiences were a great part of my humor ... as well as some tears.
Applause became a strong incentive, and a desire to write better monologues. This led me to a life-writing class which inspired me to reach back to my earliest recollections. That little child was given a voice. This class then led me to the California Writers Club. "My Daddy" was published in their anthology entitled "Childhood Memories." I really enjoy writing my experiences in the first person present tense. It brings me back into the event emotionally. In a way, it's like living my life over again.
Now I'm not an English Major, a college graduate, or a retired schoolteacher. Nor am I an avid reader. So how did I become a writer? It must have lain dormant in me, because as I think back to elementary and junior high schools, my favorite best subjects were always written and oral English. But above and beyond that, being in school plays where I could dress up in costumes, be dramatic or funny, sing and dance, is really what gave me so much happiness and pleasure. This I did with no formal training.
Writing about experiences that have touched my life, the joy and the pain of it, is what this book is all about. It's really not unique because the way I look at it, we are all just a story, interrelated, though our cast of characters may be different. I'm a storyteller. Laugh with me. Cry with me. Travel along to see who wandered in and out my door. If people relate emotionally, then I know I have taken them on my journey and possibly their own journey as well. My hope is that what I have told will be passed on for future generations ... Forever!