http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oraM8IF2Gc
Kristie's video was filmed in Atlanta (you may recognize several of the venues!) and was a finalist at the MS Film Festival.
Love the "MS Costume" she lets people try on...very creative.
Enjoy!
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Show Must Go On
Take an 8 minute break out of your day and watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oraM8IF2Gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oraM8IF2Gc
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Functioning
Functioning: performing or able to perform its regular function
Our new year began with a broken fridge and broken tv within 24 hours of one another....the joys of homeownership! haha
So for a fridge to be "functioning" that means it is working properly and keeping your food cold, right? And a tv has to work and show you all your favorite shows in order for it to be "functioning", right?
Similar things could be said for people's bodies and our respective parts: a kidney is either "functioning" or not, same goes for livers and hearts and numerous other things that keep our bodies "functioning" as they should.
The word can also be used with people. I have often used the phrase "a functioning member of society" to describe people...often my former students at Pace as they grow up, graduate and then join the world that exists after high school and college. By my own standards I have been a functioning member of society since I was 19. I worked and supported myself financially at jobs I cared about and at some that I didn't, but I was out there making it work and adding my 2 cents to wherever I was.
I think a lot of people's self-worth is drastically tied up in what they do for a living and how much money the make doing it. I know mine used to be. You feel good about yourself when you work at a job and you are good at it and you make a good salary. There's nothing wrong with that; however, it very quickly can become the Only thing you see as valuable about yourself - this ability to earn lots of money - to be a productive and "functioning" member of society.
What if you are a housewife or a stay-at-home-mom/dad? Does the fact you don't have a salary and benefits mean you are no longer "functioning"? That seems silly. My Mom stayed home with me and my brother for over 14 years and she did a heck of a lot of functioning!
Whether you spend your time making and keeping a home, raising children, volunteering, raising money for worthy causes, making new friends, learning new things, traveling....aren't all these things ways of "functioning"?
Not exactly, according to dictionary.com...if in fact you used to be able to perform certain regular functions and now you no longer are able to perform those regular functions...or even if you choose not to perform those regular functions...well, it implies you just aren't "functioning!"
Pardon my language on this one, but to that I say, "Bullshit, Matthew, Bullshit!" (It's a Kulinski thing...)
Any definition that implies the hundreds of thousands of housewifes and stay-at-home-parents aren't "functioning" because they chose to work out of their home - I say that's just BS. And frankly, same goes for those of us that deal with disabilities, chronic illnesses and well, Life.
Life sometimes makes it difficult to function as we used to - we get sick, we get stressed, we get depressed, we get pregnant and skinny and fat and old and millions of other things - and we don't FUNCTION the same way that we used to. But we are still lovely, interesting, attractive, funny and productive members of society.
And who wants to "function" anyway? What a robotic word.
I would much rather LIVE.
Our new year began with a broken fridge and broken tv within 24 hours of one another....the joys of homeownership! haha
So for a fridge to be "functioning" that means it is working properly and keeping your food cold, right? And a tv has to work and show you all your favorite shows in order for it to be "functioning", right?
Similar things could be said for people's bodies and our respective parts: a kidney is either "functioning" or not, same goes for livers and hearts and numerous other things that keep our bodies "functioning" as they should.
The word can also be used with people. I have often used the phrase "a functioning member of society" to describe people...often my former students at Pace as they grow up, graduate and then join the world that exists after high school and college. By my own standards I have been a functioning member of society since I was 19. I worked and supported myself financially at jobs I cared about and at some that I didn't, but I was out there making it work and adding my 2 cents to wherever I was.
I think a lot of people's self-worth is drastically tied up in what they do for a living and how much money the make doing it. I know mine used to be. You feel good about yourself when you work at a job and you are good at it and you make a good salary. There's nothing wrong with that; however, it very quickly can become the Only thing you see as valuable about yourself - this ability to earn lots of money - to be a productive and "functioning" member of society.
What if you are a housewife or a stay-at-home-mom/dad? Does the fact you don't have a salary and benefits mean you are no longer "functioning"? That seems silly. My Mom stayed home with me and my brother for over 14 years and she did a heck of a lot of functioning!
Whether you spend your time making and keeping a home, raising children, volunteering, raising money for worthy causes, making new friends, learning new things, traveling....aren't all these things ways of "functioning"?
Not exactly, according to dictionary.com...if in fact you used to be able to perform certain regular functions and now you no longer are able to perform those regular functions...or even if you choose not to perform those regular functions...well, it implies you just aren't "functioning!"
Pardon my language on this one, but to that I say, "Bullshit, Matthew, Bullshit!" (It's a Kulinski thing...)
Any definition that implies the hundreds of thousands of housewifes and stay-at-home-parents aren't "functioning" because they chose to work out of their home - I say that's just BS. And frankly, same goes for those of us that deal with disabilities, chronic illnesses and well, Life.
Life sometimes makes it difficult to function as we used to - we get sick, we get stressed, we get depressed, we get pregnant and skinny and fat and old and millions of other things - and we don't FUNCTION the same way that we used to. But we are still lovely, interesting, attractive, funny and productive members of society.
And who wants to "function" anyway? What a robotic word.
I would much rather LIVE.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Happy New Year!
Our new year started off with a very exciting party for Chris, as he turned 30 on January 1st! His parents hosted a New Years Eve/birthday party in their newly renovated home and many out-of-town friends and family even flew in for the event. Barbara & Paul were the perfect hosts as always, and Betsey & Matthew helped with everything from invitations to playing bartender to ordering Chris' favorite petit fours! As my Mom and I always say, I truly won the "In-Law Lottery"- my Kulinski-Faga family is amazing and I am so lucky to have them in my lives. Grandpa Faga & Aunt Nina flew in, as well as Chris' newlywed Uncle Rob & Aunt Denise. Cousin Donna and her husband Michael came up from Florida to play chef/bartender mixing up delicious pomegranate margaritas, a chocolate fountain, bacon wrapped dates, homemade cannolis and much more. Our dear friend Kempton stayed 4 extra days in Atlanta so he could attend the party before flying home...and our friends Dominic & Alexis (who recently got engaged!!) flew down just to be here for the party and spend Chris' bday with him. You know you have true friends when they fly down for 29 hours just to help you celebrate turning 30!
The next morning we had a birthday brunch at our new house...and by "had" a brunch I mean to say "Our friends Tiffany and Karen cooked and baked their hearts out and then came over with all this delicious food and we only had to roll out of bed and walk downstairs!"
Geez, we have awesome friends.
So we would like to wish all our dear family & friends a Healthy Happy 2008.
May it be one of the best years yet!
Our love,
Caroline & Chris
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