Fridays with Manny

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WHY THE COLOR GREEN?

Today, March 17th, is St. Patrick’s Day. You may have wondered why the color green is part of the holiday’s theme. A simple answer is that traditionally green represents the Catholics of Ireland, the color orange – Protestants, and white symbolizes peace between the two religions, which is represented in the flag of Ireland.

The question is, “Why is drinking alcohol such a big part of celebrating on St. Patrick’s Day?” Of course, Irish people did not invent the tradition of drinking over a holiday. As I mentioned last week, Jews were commanded to get drunk long before St. Patrick’s Day. There is evidence that brewing alcohol was dated from 7000 to 6600 BC. I read that the history of the world had changed after brewing was discovered. Early humans were hunter-gatherers. Men hunted, women prepared food, took care of children and planted food. And after realizing that food can be converted into alcohol, men took over agriculture and, as they say, the rest is history.

Nevertheless, the patron saint of alcoholics is Venerable Malt Talbot, who was born in Dublin, Ireland. Whatever is your excuse, please drink responsibly. On St. Patrick’s Day, the color green is not only in alcoholic drinks and in the river in Chicago, some people use it as head coverings, as you can see in these three images.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!

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Fridays with Manny

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LUCK OR PROVIDENCE

After I decided on the title of today’s story, I looked up the meaning of providence, which is “the protective care of God or nature as a spiritual power.” It fits perfectly to the story of Jewish holiday Purim, which was celebrated starting last Monday evening and through Tuesday. The story is the celebration of what seemed as a lucky moment for Jews to survive in Persia, modern Iran, sometime around the year 357 BCE. The name Purim means casting lots in the sense of making a random selection. It seems to me that all of our lives is Purim.

We often are making decisions which are “random selections”, since we do not know what is going to be the outcome (some claim that the only thing which was not random for us to choose is our parents before we were born). At the same time we also are making conscious decisions which seem to give us expected results. Probably because they are guided by some mysterious forces, which belong to the realm of providence. There are a number of traditions, which make the Purim holiday special; one of them is dressing up, and the other one might surprise you – Commandment for Jews to get drunk until you cannot distinguish between Mordechai and Haman, or those who are good and not so good.

The three images are my encounters in the Congregation Chevra Thilim, the oldest synagogue in San Francisco, which was founded in 1892 during the celebration of Purim. The events, which happened long, long time ago, are still remembered and celebrated thanks to the Rabbi of the congregation Shlomi Zarchi and his wife Chani, as well as visiting Rabbi Shimon Margolin.

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Fridays with Manny

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WHERE ARE OUTSIDE LANDS?

In the last week’s postI wrote about San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. When was the last time you visited this natural wonder, 3.5 miles of sand and waves? It is different every day, if not every hour, and it is always beautiful; not only the sunsets.

In the early days of San Francisco, it was known as part of “Outside Lands”. And then in 1884, the steam railroad started to bring people for the first amusement rides. The Cliff House, which opened in 1863 and Sutro Baths in 1896, drew thousands of visitors. Though Sutro Baths has been long gone, you can still enjoy beautiful views from the Cliff House restaurant.

Because of the cool weather and very cold water, most of the time the beach is not crowded.  But on sunny days the beach is packed. Thanks to Max, who can run along the beach leash free, we often come here. Hope to see you there next time. Meanwhile, enjoy these three images.

And do not forget to share with a friend!

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Fridays with Manny

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FROM SAN FRANCISCO WITH LOVE

I wrote my first book of the “42 Encounters” series in 2016.
“42 Encounters in San Francisco” was an expression of my love and appreciation for the best city in the world. If you are reading newspapers and even ventured to certain areas of San Francisco, you might have perception of doom and gloom in those places. Yes, the city has serious issues; however, every loving family does. Therefore, I decided to publish a new book, “San Franciscans. Looking Forward Through Looking Back. 42 Encounters with City Builders.”

To assist myself and get a different perception, I joined author Gary Kamiya on a walk downtown titled Barbary Coast. We started in North Beach, crossed Chinatown, and ended up in the area used to be called the Barbary Coast. I visited and photographed these areas many times. And while walking through familiar streets, a smile of pleasure did not leave my face. Restaurants were full, shoppers were spending money. Perhaps there were fewer tourists, but Grant Street in China town had its share.

In the afternoon, Max took us for a walk along the beach on the Great Highway, which was closed for traffic. Where else, but San Francisco, can you spend the morning in the center of over 150 years of city history and the evening in front of the ocean? And at the same time, it is not about old buildings with memorial plaques, and not even remarkable man-made nature.

It is always about people. These three images are from one day journey. Enjoy and Share!

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Fridays with Manny

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ENCOUNTERS IN GOLDEN GATE PARK

On Sunday afternoons, our labradoodle Max takes us for a walk. We have a number of destinations, preferably the areas where Max can run leash-free. It can be either Fort Funston or, weather permitted, along the ocean, since the road is closed for traffic on weekends. Also, there are very nice places in Golden Gate Park. One of them is around Stow Lake.

The lake is beautiful, but Max has to be on leash there, unless we cross a small bridge so he can chase squirrels. And then there is a walk from 25th Avenue and Lincoln Way through the forest to a small lake. Our latest discovery is on Richmond side. This time we parked on Fulton Street, close to 11th Avenue, where there is a trail leading through pine tree forest to the Rose Garden.

There are no roses though this time of the year… We continued our walk to John F. Kennedy Drive. Typically for a Sunday, there were no cars, and the sign pointed to JFK Promenade. Bicyclists, walkers, runners, dog walkers, even coyotes come here to have a good time. So did Max, and so did we. The three encounters I photographed on that day are the testimony that we are blessed to live in San Francisco and to have such a beautiful park.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!

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Fridays with Manny

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WHAT IS TU BISHVAT?

You might not have heard about Tu BiShvat, even if you are Jewish. Nevertheless, this holiday signifies The New Year of the Trees, which appeared in the Jewish calendar on February 6th. The name of this holiday means that it occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Its history goes back two thousand years and brings to light how at that time, as it is now, there was a difference of opinion and disputes around the learned people.

The Talmud describes how at that time, rabbis were arguing about when four new years should be celebrated. What is remarkable for me is that trees were given such significance that it became one of the major holidays. When we lived in Israel, Tu BiShvat was celebrated by planting trees. It is known as the Israeli Arbor Day and is used as an example for the environmental awareness programs.

In North America starting in 1980, Tu BiShvat became known as Jewish “Earth Day”. I decided to write about it because of my love for trees, which I photograph all the time. These three images are blooming trees as a reminder that the spring is near.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend.

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Fridays with Many

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HOW TO EXPRESS LOVE

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I made a presentation over Zoom recently, to a group of business people, whom I knew very well (or so I thought). At the end, after I had told them about how I could assist their clients to find mortgage solutions, I expressed the feeling in my heart by telling them, “I love all of you”. After the meeting was over, I received a phone call from the leader of this group, telling me that I’m not supposed to talk about love in a business setting. He had a good point. It is not customary to express our emotions in public; nevertheless, we all carry love in our hearts, and I believe we should learn how to share our feelings.

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Many years ago I used to listen to audiotapes by Dr. Love, Leo Buscaglia, who was a professor at the University of Southern California, where he taught a course about love. I have learned that he was the first to state and promote the concept of humanity’s need to hug: “five to survive, eight to maintain, and twelve to thrive“. I decided to share this concept with you because very soon, on February 14th, you will have a great opportunity to express your love.

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I recently received an order from a friend who wanted to buy some of my Healing Images. In the meantime, he reached out to his office team with a message, complete with the link to TheHealingImages.com. That’s what he wrote:

Date: 02/01/2023
Subject: Awesome photography/artwork! Will bring up in meeting!  Valentine’s? Mother’s Day? Birthday? I love you? I got some for my mom and wife! Check this out…super cool! https://www.thehealingimages.com

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Above, you can see three out of five images that the friend of mine bought for his family – as gifts for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. There are much more for you to choose from.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!

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Fridays with Manny

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HOW TO FIND INNER PEACE

I have recently watched a fascinating documentary about the Dalai Lama, called The Great 14th, on the Northern California Public Media channel, 717. His name is well known, and there are quite a few books which share his wisdom. However, this was the first time I heard his point of view on many subjects like religion, relationships between people and his views on the relationship between China and Tibet. But what impressed me the most,  was his statement that his focus in life is to find inner peace.
When you have inner peace, you can deal with other issues surrounding you. Inner peace helps us when things don’t go as we wish for them to, and it helps us in our relationships with each other. When you have inner peace, there is no need to pretend to please others. Inner peace can liberate you from yourself. I accept this idea completely, but how does one achieve this state? 

 

One of the ways is to meditate (this is what Dalai Lama does). If you have difficulty or do not know how to relax, I might have a solution. I call it the THI Effect, where THI stands for The Healing Image. To help you, I selected a number of beautiful images of flowers. You just have to look at one of the images, close your eyes and let it stay in your memory. This will trigger the THI Effect. You will be able to relax or mediate, or just to fall asleep.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, so please give your loved ones a beautiful gift of flowers. Meanwhile, I am sharing with you three images from my TheHealingImages.com collection.

Enjoy and share with a friend!
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Fridays with Manny

WHO IS THIS PERSON?

I usually do not read obituaries. What was different this time was the title in The Wall Street Journal on January 7-8, 2023, “Real Estate Mogul Rescued Soviet Jews”. This deceased person was Albert Reichmann (1929-2022). Our family left the former Soviet Union in 1972, and I am grateful to people like Mr. Reichmann, since it took us three years to get out. I also noticed the photograph in the obituary, showing a man in his 50s. He died at the age of 93. I am sure he looked differently. In the book “West of Eden” Jean Stein writes that when Ann Warner, the wife of Jack Warner, one of the brothers who created Warner Brothers Studio, died, her step son Jack Warren Jr. noticed that the newspaper that published her obituary placed a photograph of another person.

When we are alive, many of us are usually very much concerned about how we look. And then, when we are gone, who we were and how we looked disappears together with so many things which seemed so important to us while we were alive. I do not think that knowing that will make any difference in our lives. There is saying in Russian, “While I am alive, I am hopeful”. We are remembered by our deeds, not by our looks.

There is a joke about the man who was reading the obituaries every day. A friend asked him why he was doing that. “I want to be sure my name is not there.” When my time will come, I would like to have a very short obituary – “Manny lived, laughed, loved and was loved”. I captured three images of the fading away lilies in the last moment of their lives.

Enjoy and Share with A Friend!

www.thehealingimages.com

www.encounterspublishing.com

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Fridays with Manny

  

Let’s Make 2023 a Great Year!

I attended a Zoom seminar recently, where the moderator mentioned that last December, no one could predict that the mortgage business would slow down and some large companies will go out of business the following December. No one could predict anything, nor the war in Ukraine or the Covid-19 pandemic, or losses in the stock market, nor the high gas prices, or how natural or unnatural events will affect our lives. What’s in store for 2023?

I am predicting for myself that 2023 is going to be a great Year. The reason is because I am planning to make it great. The secret – the word planning. As the saying goes, “if you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail”. My plan is not future projection numbers; but rather, taking action, which I expect will help a lot of my clients and friends. Some of them I started in 2022, such as Mortgage Solutions Academy – MSA, which I sent to 16,000 real estate agents and others, and you can follow them on YouTube. As part of MSA, twice a month, in January we are starting in-person educational events in our office. Also, in January my e-book “Retirement Solutions For Smart People” will be available. In 2022, I started a new website, The Healing Images – THI Effect to help those who need to deal with the stress in their lives.

I learned many years ago that what matters is not what happens to you, but what you choose to do about it. I choose to make 2023 a Great Year. Please join me.

Let’s have joyful 2023!

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!

www.thehealingimages.com

www.encounterspublishing.com