What I’ve Learned

Leave a legacy

Forge friendships.

Let other children play with your toys.

"Be who you are and say what you feel—

Because those that matter...don't mind...

And those that mind... don't matter."

Men are animals and women are angels.

The more you train, the more you gain.

The Golden Rule - He who has the gold rules.

Stretching is going a little more than you would otherwise.

It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you place the blame.

You can't postpone living—because time can't be back-ordered.

About giving unasked for advice—don’t ask, don’t tell, and don’t think.

Success comes from High Expectations coupled with Brilliant Execution.

If you give more than you get, you’ll end up getting more than you give.

Levels of a situation: Interest – Concern – Apprehension – Anxiety - Panic

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

Men don’t have clean hands—they shouldn’t be allowed to touch the Torah.

Winners do what they have to, when they have to, where they have to, and how they have to, even if they don’t feel like it.

Orientation Session at IAYC in Novi – Part 1

Orientation Session at IAYC in Novi – Part 1

It’s time to think about the opening session of the conference and how to make this one even better. More or less, several topic areas will be the same, but the content will vary greatly from the past.

There should be humor inserted--with the jokes being told solely in Yiddish. The question arises as to how much translating will be necessary this time. In the past there were sufficient attendees who had a minimal vocabulary and a substantial portion had to be given in English. In future posts, the type of humor there will be a discussion of the type of jokes used. The jokes should have a learning component and need to tread lightly on the risqué ones. It is better to be on the safe side and not to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Second, is the matter of material/ideas which club members and teachers can take home to be used in their clubs/classes. Many of these will already be on websites including Der Bay.  This also will be covered in a future post here on the blog.

Third, are the wonderful naye fraynd I’ll finally get to meet and the alte fraynd fun a molike yorn. Some will be at the orientation session and others it will be in the ballroom during breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. By sitting at different tables, it means that one can meet more people. Often we’ll make up to get together for a particular meal. It means that there will be new chances to meet and make new friends.

Finally this opening session is entitled “Orientation” and it is a chance for attendees to have a portion of time set aside for Q & A. Several new questions already have come in that will be covered. If you have any now, do let me know.

On another matter, my new iPod is unbelievable. It makes me feel that I just entered the 21^st century. Tomorrow Sally will attend the beginner’s class for folks who do not own a computer and think perhaps that at some time in the future they may have a thought of getting a Mac (not a hamburger).

Ikh gey koyfn an ipad

Ikh gey koyfn an ipad.

Fishele, vos hostu gezogt? Mama, I said that I’m going to the new Apple store on El Camino in San Mateo to buy an iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G. I’m going to meet Avner there. Last Wednesday in Yiddish class he showed and demonstrated his new iPad and I want one.

Mama, do you remember when we were on the farm and one summer we had a new couple who were boarders for the summer? Right, they had two older boys and when they went back to the Bronx in the Fall the boys left their Erector set that had some pieces missing.

It was like getting a brand new bike. We put those pieces together every time Papa wasn’t looking. Next to fishing for Sunnies in the creek, it was my best time. Well, Mama, that’s the way I feel about getting my new “toy”.

I want to learn how to use it and show it off at the Yiddish club conference in Detroit. No, Mama, it’s not dangerous. We’ll be out in the country near Detroit. It’s called Novi.