Humble is Not in His Vocabulary...

There's little doubt that Roger Federer is one of the greatest tennis players and one of the greatest athletes of all time. To date he has won a record 16 Grand Slam titles, more than any other tennis player, and although he isn't as intimidating as he once was, he still proves to be a formidable opponent, and it wouldn't surprise me if he were to win a few more Grand Slam titles before he retires.

What Federer isn't, however, is humble. Not surprising, but ironic, given that many sportscasters (particularly the McEnroe brothers and Mary Carrillo) have lauded him for his graciousness. But instead, "Fed" is much like the Williams sisters in their inability to give credit to their opponents who defeat them. Usually in his post-match speeches Federer praises himself and his performance, and excuses away a loss by attributing it to an injury or, in one instance, that "he needed to remember what it's like to lose."

Following Federer's victory over world number one Rafael Nadal in yesterday's World ATP Finals, Federer explained "I was able to stay offensive. Rallies were never that long." Of the fact that Nadal took him to a third set, Federer's back-handed compliment was "I don’t want to say I gave it to him, but obviously Rafa is good enough off second serves he’s going to win at least 50 percent off them usually, unless you’re on a roll and he doesn’t kind of figure out your second serve."

Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, is immensely gracious in both victory and defeat. While he now leads Federer 14-8 in all-time matchups and 5-2 in Grand Slam finals, he still recognizes Federer's amazing talent. As he explained, "I feel I lost the match because I played against a very good Roger Federer in one of his favorite surfaces. And when he’s playing like this, it’s very difficult to stop him, no?" Nadal then concluded his remarks by telling Federer, "You played unbelievable all during the week. So well done for everything."

Isn't it nice to see a humble athlete? I wish people would laud Nadal for his off-court demeanor as well as his amazing abilities, and not keep inventing humility in Roger Federer, who only seems humble when he cries following a victory.

Life Lessons Come When You Least Expect Them...

I spoke to one of my closest friends today and she shared that one of her friends, L, had been in a medically-induced coma all weekend following her collapse on Friday after having chest pains. Apparently her husband gave her CPR and was able to revive her, but it then took the paramedics 40 minutes to stabilize her before transferring her to the hospital, and she flatlined twice in the ambulance. The doctors still aren't completely sure what happened, although they suspect she might have suffered an aortic tear, which normally is fatal. (This is what killed John Ritter and Rent creator Jonathan Larson.)

We then talked for a while about how L's husband would be lost if she were to die, as they were high school sweethearts. And she also expressed regret that she didn't speak to L this week, adding that L didn't have a bad bone in her body.

As I pondered this sad event, I realized once again how important it is to live life to the fullest each day, and to never take anything—or anyone—for granted. I know I'm not alone in getting upset over petty things, or worrying about things I can't control.

I also was reminded of one of Garth Brooks' earliest songs, If Tomorrow Never Comes. The chorus talks about whether or not his wife would know how much he loved her if tomorrow never came, and then the song reinforced this lesson:

Tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

My prayers go to L and her family, and all those who care about them. I hope that her condition isn't as grave as they fear, and that she's ultimately able to recover. And I hope that this may help me remember not to stand on ceremony with people and tell them how I feel when I feel it, because you never know when you won't have another chance.

A Sappy Trip down Memory Lane (courtesy of McDonald's)...

I've acknowledged more than a few times that I'm a bit of an emotional cripple, but I'm okay with that. For some reason, this old McDonald's commercial from the 1980s has been in my head recently, and I remember getting choked up any time I've seen it as an adult. (The first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem.)

This McDonald's commercial, Little Sister, is one of their most popular, and it was part of their tremendously successful "McDonald's and You" campaign. Take a look and see why...and maybe you'll need the Kleenex too!

Book Review: "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy

I've read all but one of Pat Conroy's books and every one of them has made me cry. While I've acknowledged numerous times that I'm an utter sap, Conroy has a way of tugging at your emotions and completely pulling you into a story even if you might not empathize with all of the characters. And so it is with his first novel in 14 years, South of Broad.

It is the summer of 1969, and Leo "Toad" King, a sensitive, introspective student, is about to enter his senior year of high school in Charleston, SC. Life has been tumultuous for Leo following his older brother's unexplained suicide several years before, which led to Leo's own mental and legal challenges. The suicide is something no one in his family, especially his strict mother, who is principal of Leo's high school, has gotten over. But just before the school year starts, Leo befriends a number of new students at his mother's direction—orphaned siblings Niles and Starla, and their friend, Betty; troubled twins Sheba and Trevor; disgraced "society children" Chad, Molly and Fraser; and Ike, the son of the new African-American football coach—and all form lifelong friendships. The story flashes back and forth between 1969 and 1989, when the friends gather together to deal with a number of crises.

Pat Conroy does melodrama really well. Quite often I felt the characters traveled from one crisis to another, and sometimes the chaos seemed too overblown. But through it all, despite the fact that many of the characters seemed like one-dimensional stereotypes (the melodramatic actress, the privileged Southerners who value appearance over happiness, the sassy gay man), I became tremendously attached to them, and really felt compelled to keep reading in order to see what happened. Much of the dialogue between characters (especially Leo) was a little overly sarcastic and I could have done without the stalker/murder mystery plot, but regardless, I really enjoyed this book and feel a little sad that it's over now. If you like Pat Conroy, you'll like this book, and if you're a soap opera fan, I think you'll like it as well. I always appreciate a good cry when I'm reading anyway.

A Little Friday Night "Glee"...

Glee is easily one of the most talked-about shows on television. The songs performed on the show are some of the most-downloaded on iTunes, and celebrities are clamoring to perform some role. This season alone has seen Neil Patrick Harris, Kristin Chenoweth, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carol Burnett and even Susan Boyle is lined up for a cameo.

Truth be told, I'm not a fan of the series. Having spent several years in high school chamber choir, theater and even show choir, I feel as if the musical numbers and other situations have surpassed anything we every saw in high school. (The biggest "costume changes" we dealt with were sparkly bow ties and cummerbunds.) But beyond that, I feel as if the show is falling into the trap that befell Will and Grace in its later seasons—the "guest casting" is becoming more gimmicky and the theme episodes really sound false notes to me, moving the show away from its core—and often, its heart.

That being said, some of the music is pretty fantastic. Lea Michele (Rachel) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) bring the house down nearly every time they sing (apart from the silly and contrived "mash-ups") and Mark Salling's (Puck's) voice is really unique and enjoyable. But it is the introduction of singer-songwriter Darren Criss as Blaine that has caught my interest. Apart from his obvious attributes, he has a dynamite voice, and his rendition of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream has apparently become the show's biggest hit, as well as one of mine. Check it out:



Next week's episode has Criss singing the nearly-ubiquitous Hey Soul Sister, and again, makes a song I'm practically tired of fresh again.



While it's not making me tune into the show on a weekly basis, thank goodness for the internet and iTunes, so I can enjoy the songs without the filler!

It Still Gets Better...

Although thankfully the tragic spike in suicides among teenagers bullied for being gay has disappeared over the last two months, what hasn't disappeared is the public showing of support for those struggling with bullying and depression. (Of course, we can only measure those suicides that are reported publicly, but it is certainly my hope that the number of young people taking their own lives outside the public eye has decreased as well.)

As I've written about a few times on this blog, writer Dan Savage and his partner, Terry, started The It Gets Better Project shortly after the number of suicides spiked horrifyingly in late September/early October, and since that time, countless people from all over the world have posted their own video messages of support. Everyone from President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton and others in his administration, to celebrities, athletes and entertainers, to "ordinary" people like me, have let those struggling know they are not alone, they are loved and need to stand strong in the face of what appears to be extremely difficult situations, because it does indeed get better.

I just saw this video recorded by a number of staff at Pixar, and it brought tears to my eyes. The number of people who have viewed this video on either the It Gets Better Project web site, YouTube or other sites is huge, so hopefully their messages will get to those in need, but I thought I'd share it here. Thanks to those at Pixar who shared their stories and bared their hearts.

Giving Thanks...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, but since we were visiting my parents (who are without internet service—the horror!), I couldn't post until our return home today.

Two hours of grocery shopping (at two different stores) and 14 hours of cooking resulted in most of the food being polished off in 45 minutes. But as exhausted as I felt, I wouldn't have traded the time for anything.

I am so thankful to have been able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and the love of my life at my side. I am thankful that, at age 88, my grandmother could join us to celebrate for another year, and of course, it didn't hurt that she praised all of my food. And my nephews are growing up into sweet, funny little boys, despite the clear fact that my three-year-old nephew is possessed by the spirit of a 50-year-old!

During the week we were in New Jersey, the time wasn't always relaxing but it was enjoyable. However, I'm so thankful we were able to spend time with my aunt and uncle and cousins, as well as my friend Lisa and her family. !

Most of all, I'm thankful for every person in my life. Whether they're colleagues, compatriots, antagonists, family, friends or simply people I connect with online, every single one of you brings something special to my life, and I truly cherish each connection and each memory.

May each of you have health, happiness, success, love and laughter in the year to come!!