Who Knew?

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

I remember hearing the first words of the missing plane and who was on it and knowing it was over.  I knew the circumstances, watched it unfold as did everyone because John John was royalty.  He was also this guy who was always downtown in Soho, on his bike, or roller blades. at bars and always a big flirt. 

One summer night in 1998, out with friends celebrating   Max ’s having passed the BAR exam.  We were down on West Broadway at Lucky Strike and Box a very Euro bar with great drinks.  JFK jr. came in, and went to the bar.   Notoriously he had not passed the BAR in his first attempt, and had real difficulty passing it later.  I always saw him  but I would never approach him, there was no reason to and he was always surrounded by women anyway.  So the joke/idea was that we should ask him to join us for a toast to Max for his achievement,  passing the BAR on his first try.   It was teasing and mean and I don’t do mean.  There was no way I would go through with it even though the bar was rather quiet that night and the fact was John John had looked over a few times and smiled his famous smile in our direction.  My friends kept telling me to go over, he was looking and I was being ridiculous, but I had no intention. 

As he was leaving, he veered toward our table and said  ”Hope you are having a good night,”  looking and locking eyes with me and then smiled the killer smile and walked out.  Well my “cool” friends all burst out into nervous laughter as I turned crimson red.   I was so happy they never went through with their childish dig. 

A year later he was married and missing and everyone I knew was crushed ,shocked and in disbelief.  How could it be in real life, that this could happen to him?  I mean why?  The Kennedy curse just would not relent.  I remember my first thought  was, thank G-d Jackie O. had passed, and about Caroline and her utter despair over her baby brother.  The Bessette family losing two daughters in a national tragedy.  The search went on for over three days but I grieved knowing there was no surprise ending. 

It was like Princess Diana all over again.  It devastated the country and the world.

I am a sentimental person so I shared that silly story.  Rest in peace, John, Carolyn and Lauren you are not forgotten.

Combining some of my favorite things i.e.  poetry, tennis, and tennis players.  This Wimbledon promo is simply a fortunate find.  Without further ado, I present Roger and Rafa reciting Rudyard Kiplings “IF” which adornes the entrance to center court at Wimbledon. 

If—
by Rudyard Kipling

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
 

1.

2.   Fierce: savage; wild; indicating cruelty; ravenous; rapacious; as, ferocious look or features.

On so many levels this word grates on my nerves.  From Christian Siriano the odd little elf man who won Project Runway and took the word to  nerve rattling level.  To Tyra Banks who displays her lack of command of adjectives and of the English language all together by using the word in every sentence.

3.  Misspoke: –verb (used with object), verb (used without object), -spoke, -spok·en, -speak·ing.

1. to speak, utter, or pronounce incorrectly.
2. to speak inaccurately, inappropriately, or too hastily.

 Oh this one has been abused like no other word since Hillary Clinton decided to run for G-d, I mean President of the United States. The worst part is that when used it is usually a PC term for “having said something really really inappropriate.”

4.   Schadenfreude: definition; A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.

All I can say about this word is that it has been used in every article I have read in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and well, every other magazine I have picked up (and I have a minor magazine obsession).

FYI:  I went to dictionary.com and guess what?  It is today’s word of the day. How appropriate.

5.   Dawg:  I am not going to go to the trouble of giving a definition here.  Anyone who has seen even one     episode of American Idol has heard this word overused and abused by Randy Jackson, though he is among many offenders in the pseudo hip hop world. 

6.  Super-delegate:   A party leader or elected official chosen as an uncommitted delegate to a national political convention. (Origin 1984). 

 So apparently prior to 1984 these people were just plain old folks, and then perhaps due to some genetic X-men type metamorphosis they became super.  Though I am not sure if capes are required attire, but if I was a super delegate I would definitely wear one.  I mean there should be perks right? 

7.  Baby Daddy/Mamma: Are we so lazy that we cant say the entire phrase?  The definition as I understand it applies to an unmarried couple expecting a child.  Personally I think it is offensive and is a rude way to refer to a person. 

8.  _______ilicious: i.e. Fergalicious, Bootilicious and so on.  Please put this one away, for all that is good and holy, let it die soon.

9.  Cougar:     Significant age disparity in sexual relationships has been and remains a feature of couples in many cultures and societies. The most common pattern in heterosexual couples is an older man with a younger woman.

This one infuriates me .  It makes women seem predatory and desperate.  However the women being called this have yet to complain to my knowledge.  I know I would be less than thrilled to be labeled in such a way.  Unless of course I was on a reality show vying for some young hotties attention. (Yeah right).

10. Bromance:  A close and affectionate platonic friendship between two men.  I.e. Brad Pitt and George Clooney. 

I think that this is one word that should never be uttered out loud.

11.  Metrosexual:  I.e. Ryan Seacrest.  This one is just a personal pet peeve. 

New Entries: As of July 5 2008

12.  Man-date:  Similar to bromance but spending time together a lot.

13.  Bump:  This refers to pregnant womens expanding womb, therefore bump diminishes the importance.

14.  Werd/Word:  It’s got to go, if you are over 30, you cant respond with werd, werd?

15.  Brangelina, Johniston, Beniffer, or any other comboname.  This is a serious pet peeve.

So now I invite you to add to this list, for this is by no means exhaustive.  I am sure you can think of a few that are worthy of a place on this list.  Share them, exorcise them from your vocabulary or just commiserate.

Contributed by readers:

1. Pop.” it is used to describe everything from curtains to eye makeup. Thank you Meander for adding this highly overused term by both magazines and tv shows when doing the make-over.  As in “the fake lashes make the models eyes really Pop!  I must assume there is an exclamation point after thats said.

2. Pwn:  am tired of people using “pwn”. It was a slandering of the word “own” in gaming by someone with a lazy pinky-finger. But really it just makes me want to punch my computer.

3. Peace out:

A co-worker constantly hits me with “peace out” as he leaves. I know most would quickly make the assumption of laid back hippie hood but no. This white boy is the product of an elite, upper class family and is firmly entrenched in the corporate world.

Him: “Peace Out, Megellen!”

Me: Bonne Soir, middle aged faux hippie.

Him: Easy on the karma there, M.

Me: Go hug an organic veggie while sucking down your Evian, rich boy.

 ps. I have been known to sign off IM with this.  Will have to rethink that. Veronica

When I was in the 8th grade I had to commit this to memory. When I taught school I made the kids memorize it as well, though that week they hated me outwardly, they all managed to do it. I hope they still recall it as I do, because for me it was the first time I understood what this country stood for. I was so young then and now though I am somewhat jaded, I still feel patriotic reading it. I am an immigrant and I am proud to be an American.

 

           Happy 4th America                 

Who knew knowledge could be sorrow?

Who knew our rights could be stripped away?

Who knew laws could never govern?

Who knew leaders could get lost?

Who knew identities could be stolen?

Who knew faces could be altered?

Who knew science could betray us?

Who knew history could be ignored?

Who knew evil could be taught?

Who knew heroes could be villains?

Who knew our neighbors could be saints?

Who knew sinners could be teachers?

Who knew clothes could make the man?

Who knew possessions could be priceless?

Who knew wealth could be so hungry?

Who knew money could buy power?

Who knew fame could be an illness?

Who knew words could soon be censored?

Who knew hate could turn to love?

Who knew our bodies could betray us?

Who knew hearts could really break?

Who knew laughter could be medicine?

Who knew our children could be cruel?

Who knew man could choose a bomb?

Who knew mothers could kill their babies?

Who knew sisters could be strangers?

Who knew our sons could die at war?

Who knew pain could be a business?

Who knew pleasure could lead to death?

Who knew friends could turn against us?

Who knew memories could fade so quickly?

Who knew lovers could be untrue?

Who knew time could heal all wounds?

Who knew questions could be left unanswered?

Copyright ©2007 Veronica  Romm

From the Archives.

Remember…
That first kiss when I pulled you away
Closed the door behind us and slammed you
Up against the wall.
That kiss turned knees to jelly, lips to berries
And sealed our fates it seems.
It appears from far away now,
somewhere lost in dreams.
Memories they remain, time has let the bad fade.

Remember…
When we went to Balthazar that first whirlwind night?
How I thought you had tricked me by telling me your birthday
was the same day as mine.
But it was true,
and I knew then, you knew too, and we were happy.
Things were not perfect, please
I am not deluded, but we were happy.

I Remember…
Making love to you, looking you straight in the eye and knowing you.
Your hair long, formed a halo around your head.
I told you I could look at your face forever.
I meant it you know?
I confess, I saw us having a child,
just one and I knew this would be a loved child,
Nurtured and exposed to unique people such as our families were (are).

Remember…
We watched our friends walk down an aisle with hesitation.
Yet, I did not want to be them in the stuffy NYC hotel with the low ceilings.
No, you and I would have done it differently.
It would have been for us, not a sea of faces that judged us
As they smiled.
But rather before only our loved ones and g-d.

Remember…
Pretending that we won the lottery?
Fantasizing about what we would do?
Take care of our folks, see to it they had everything.
You would write, I would write and we would travel,
Volunteer, make a movie and love each other like only you and I could?
I always wanted you near me yet, I let you go.
I knew we loved each other but there were others we
Needed to love too.

Remember…
The Hamptons? Flashes of bodies writhing in pleasure,
Forgetting all, and everyone outside the doors,
enraptured, entwined and happy.
I remember. You do too.
There is a place in my heart that longs for you even now, today, I would
Drop everything for one try. Can you see it?
No, but I remember.

Copyright ©2008 Veronica Romm