Today We Are One

One year ago today, I stepped into a room of mostly-retired peeps and pretended to know what I was talking about. I was a little nervous. The last time I'd taught writing was 20 years ago, to teenagers at temple, a blissful period before texting and Instagram. The day I welcomed actors, camera operators, electricians and other industry types to my writing workshop called Laughing At Life, I vamped and they went along for the ride. A few weeks in, some folks stayed. Some folks left. The ones who stayed have enriched my life in so many wonderful ways it's crazy. They've shared amazing stories of struggles, setbacks, loss and victory, all with humor and wisdom. We've poked fun at each other and screamed with laughter, screamed so much we've been booted from not one, but two locations for our raucous behavior. As the ringleader of this wild bunch, I couldn't be prouder. So now we wander the streets, laughing and looking for a place that will have us. In the meantime, they're all descending on the SJG Palatial Estate to celebrate not just our birthday, but the 80th of a gal we call Sister Phyllis. (If I can be a non-ordained rabbi, she can be a non-ordained nun. She's a little competitive.) For purposes of crowd control, I've hired a bodyguard to keep these cookie-lovers in line. I've posted a sign on the door that says: "You break it you pay for it." You can never be too careful these days.