This week a horrible attack was launched against the cities of New York and Washington DC, in the United States. We have now learned firsthand that airplanes can be used as guided missiles against buildings. I could not believe my eyes as I watched in horror on live television a commercial airliner heading towards the towers of the World Trade Center, and slamming full force into them. Both towers collapsed within two hours of the initial attack. The following are some observations I have witnessed since the disaster…..

We live life daily here in America within our own neighborhoods and our own little groups, feeling that we are different than the rest, while there are those out there who profit in ways to keep the American people apart and distressful of each other. All of this came to a grinding halt this week. We were not Black, White, Asian, Irish, Italian, Indian , Arab, etc……we were Americans. We didn’t think it….we knew it. All of our differences evaporated. Workmen digging through the rubble of Wall Street with American flags in their hardhats. As one commented to a newsman, “We are one…..we are together.” We have learned this week that in reality, when it gets down to it, we are not so different after all. We love, we breathe, we bleed, and we hurt.

Our nation, the United States, can be a strange place indeed. We wrap ourselves in our diversity, and we forget that we all live under the same roof, until we are shocked into reality. Why does it take a disaster for us to open our eyes? With this diversity we can easily be underestimated, “Those Americans…they really hate each other…they’ll never get it together,” or, “They’re lazy, complacent, and spoiled.” Though it may be sometimes true, to Americans differences go out the window when we are threatened.

During World War 2, Adolph Hitler said that “America is only good for making razor blades……” Once mobilized, America was able to put to sea one ship per day. The manufacturing and economic power of the United States, when focused and directed, is astounding. Whoever launched these attacks this week made a major mistake. If they truly wanted to hurt the United States, they should have left us alone to wallow in our self-pity, laziness, popping of prozac, and fascination of sex. Unfortunately, what they have done, is woken the Sleeping Giant, who, as we speak, is pumping iron and running on a treadmill to seek out its next meal. The attackers should have left America to its own demise…..but what have they done? They have put smelling salts under our noses, and helped us realize who we are and what matters.

A strange thing happened today…..I went to my local video store and upon entering the manager mentioned to me “The bulk of my action movies have been rented out. Rambo was the movie of choice, but once I said that was gone, they took anything that had the term “Lock and Load” on the box.” (I myself rented “Chocolat,” which is, from what I hear, a spiritual love story)
So attackers be forewarned…..our differences have evaporated….the prozac has been flushed down the toilet….and Rambo is being hauled out of mothballs. America, this week, became one. It’s no longer us and them….it is now We.

Let Freedom Ring,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

There is a wonderful place to visit when you have the time. A place where the Soul can be refreshed and wounds can be healed. Down a little alleyway is a small wooden door that when opened, can deliver the fuel for dreams….I call it “The Bistro.”

Once inside The Bistro one can walk slowly to a table where a relaxing armchair awaits. All around the walls are shelves of books, each one covering whatever topic you desire. The decor has just the right light and colors to make you feel relaxed and at home. As you look around the tables, each person is engulfed in their own journey to find inner enlightenment. Slowly, the waiter walks towards us and says, “Good day….would you like to see a menu?” Gladly we answer, “Yes thank you.” This menu is like no other. Once opened, the tools of Life are revealed. The entrees here in The Bistro bypass the body and go straight to the Soul. The food, the drinks, and the desserts all have one hidden ingredient that is vital for growth…..Love. A famous song plays throughout The Bistro…..the song is called, “Without Love, There Is Nothing.” Strange, but true.

We decide to order the special of the day, which is called “The Bouillabaisse of Life.” We ask the waiter, “Is it good?” He answers, “Superb.” After a few minutes the bowl is laid on the table….we take our spoon, have a few sips, and after a few seconds we find ourselves getting up from the table and heading towards one of the bookshelves. Along the way a man at another table smiles and says, “May you find what you are searching for.” While thanking him, we feel our hands reaching out and pulling a book from one of the stacks. The book is called, “Let Them Laugh,” a curious book that is about all the people throughout history who have decided to try something new. Who’s in the book? Let’s see….the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, etc. People who were laughed at when they first presented their ideas. The Bistro, we are told, has many unique books….all of them answer questions. So, we bring our book back to the table, read a few chapters, and finish our meal.
As we are getting ready to leave, we ask for the check. The waiter gives us a grin and says, “The meal is on the house…on one condition…..that you come and visit us again.” Happily we reply, “The food here would make anyone want to return.” The waiter replies, “Here there is more to food than what you eat. The books, the music, the ambiance, are just as important as the meal.”

There is a door to The Bistro inside every one of us. All it takes is for us to turn the handle. After leaving The Bistro we realize that we had seen other doorways leading off to Houses of Worship, Libraries, Gardens, and Parks. Food for the Soul was at the bottom of the menu….oddly, we don’t truly realize how good the meal was until after we leave. We head home and decide to plan our next visit to The Bistro where, as you may guess, reservations are not needed. It is open to all.

The Bistro exists…..not in the physical world, but in our hearts and our Souls. Faith unlocks the door. Oh yes, and one more little tidbit…..under the sign on the doorway it says, “Proprietor, God.”

Bon Appetit,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

Cynicism, suspicion, doubt and mistrust are some of the things that we juggle with week to week. Locked away in our treasure chest of life experiences are the testimonies of life that we’ve accumulated along the way. Love is the strongest emotion we have here on earth….but unfortunately, it too can be used as a weapon against us. Therefore, it’s quite easy for people to feel, after awhile, a little battle-scarred and suspicious about some subjects, occupations and people.

It’s simple to understand that in one hand, we hold all of the beautiful and successful experiences that have happened to us…..in the other hand we hold the mistakes, hurt, and pain that have accumulated over the years. Each time we are confronted with a new person, place or thing, we wonder which hand it will end up in. Learning is essential to avoid future pitfalls…for if we make the same mistake over and over again, what have we learned?

I would like to share a little story with you that I was privy to a few years ago. Mark and Sal together owned a glass company. One day Mark discovered that Sal had been slowly siphoning money out of their business bank account and spending it on himself at will. Mark was devastated, to say the least….he could not believe that his trusted friend would do this to him and their business. Mark confronted Sal and said, “Sal, why did you do this to me? What did I ever do to you to warrant this behavior?” Sal’s reply was chilling….”There’s a sucker born every day.” This is a true story. Sal had no problem doing what he did. To him, Mark was just one more sucker to take advantage of. The friendship, you ask? Well, that went out the window. Mark decided to buy out Sal’s part of the business and today, Mark has one of the most successful glass businesses in New York City. What happened to Sal? He just declared bankruptcy for the second time!! Mark shared with me his thoughts on this fiasco just a few months ago. He said, “Jennifer, for me, a partnership doesn’t work. You think you know the person you’re in business with, and then after ten years you discover they’re a cockroach.” The point is, through experience, Mark has built up a cynicism to being involved with anybody else through ownership. I said to Mark, “It could have been just one bad apple.” Mark replied, “Tell that to my bank account that is a quarter of a million dollars lighter.” We all have had bad experiences with other people…how we process and go forward really matters. Cynicism by itself can destroy the human spirit…but if you take a bad experience and do something positive with it, it can help heal the wound. Mark did just that. To add one more little piece to the equation, I will share with you a line that my friend Victor always says….”Jennifer, only be good to good people….because bad people will think you’re a sucker.” I must remember to ask Mark if that is good advice…..

Cynicism can be valuable to a point…..but we must never let it rob us of our humanity. People do make mistakes, and overcome them. If we were to cut people off the first time they hurt us there would be no room for forgiveness and conciliation. It falls to each one of us to find the balance that we can handle between love and cynicism within our lives.

May you find the balance,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

Changes can come about when you least expect it. New relationships, new jobs, new hobbies, and changing addresses. All this can be shocking, to say the least, but one thing always seems to pull us through….loved ones and friends. This week I moved to Cape Cod, and in all honesty, it would have been a lot harder of a move if it wasn’t for my loved ones and friends.

New experiences can seem scary and shaky….but with the right reinforcements, and circle of care, we can weather just about any storm. As they say, no man or woman is an island unto themselves…one never knows when one may be in need of help. That help too, can be reciprocated. Fuel is needed for any new endeavor….the most potent kind of fuel can keep you going for miles. Love is a powerful source of energy.

So what can Love do for us mere mortals? For me, Love is a lighthouse that shows me a safe port and guides me through rough terrain. Love is a river that takes me to a sea of calm. Love is the one thing that always restores me to the center. Love does light the way…..we just have to allow ourselves to let it in.

The past few weeks I have been on a journey of some sort….a move that has taken me hundreds of miles from where I was. Though I knew and accepted where I was going, the fear and uncertainty still accompanied me. The well of Love that I nurtured and replenished was there for me when I needed it. Love is the ultimate food of life….it feeds the hunger of our souls….I believe it is the one thing we take with us when we pass on.

The value of Love on planet Earth can be underestimated….don’t ever make that mistake…..Love is more valuable than the greatest diamond and more precious than a bar of gold. The trick is to realize this while we are here.

Let love fill your heart,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

This week is my last week in my current home. I have enjoyed my time here immensely……a log cabin in the woods has allowed me to regroup, reflect, heal, and move forward. I will never forget my time here, and feel blessed to have experienced the beauty of the mountains. The road of life is an evolving journey, full of memories and new experiences. My road is now set to embark upon a new chapter.

Since I’ve been writing the weekly newsletter, I have moved twice, from New York City to a quaint village on the Hudson River, to a log house in the mountains. Where am I headed now you may ask? Cape Cod, Massachusetts….a place I visited two years ago and knew one day I would end up there. I just didn’t think it would be this soon! I am not saying good-bye to my friends here, for I am sure quite a few will be paying me a visit near the sea. I grew up in Southern California…..to me, it isn’t surprising that I am returning to the ocean.

I’m sure you too have moved a few times…..most of us do. Going through the closets and the drawers is a life-altering experience….do we ever realize what we accumulate, but don’t really need? Anyway, the journey of my life moves on, as does yours. Whether we physically move or not, change surrounds us always.

I’ve realized what’s really important in my life….family, friends, faith, and, oh yes, my little doggies. Thanks to the Internet, I can always write to you from the same place in my heart. The world is getting smaller……and what once used to take days for people to receive, now takes seconds.
So this is my last newsletter from my home in the woods……and the next essays will be sailing to you from the winds of Cape Cod.

Turn the pages,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

Howdy Pardners! Each morning we wake up…we get ourselves together, check our horses, tighten our saddles, and head off into the landscape. Riding the range can be both enjoyable and treacherous at times, but as we discover, the better prepared we are for the unexpected, the easier the ride.

The landscape of life has peaks, valleys, desert and rough terrain. Like any good cowboy or cowgirl, it is good to know one’s territory. Like all journeys, there are shortcuts which are learned from experience. It can get dusty out on the trail….but with a couple of good maps and a sturdy horse, we can reach our destinations. Life is kind of like the wild wild West….there are heroes and villians….twists and turns, and rainbows in the mists. Each morning before I set off, I always try to make sure that the saddle is firmly planted on my trusty horse, because as any good range rider knows, to succeed on the ride, the rider and the horse must become one. I never forget the Lone Ranger, who, when he ran into trouble, always had Tonto, Silver, and Tonto’s horse Scout there to lend a helping hand. We don’t have to ride the range alone….groups do set off to find the same destination. But before embarking upon the ride, it’s good to decide who leads and whose expertise can be called upon when needed. Once again, the group to succeed must ride as one.
I wish you well on your ride on the range, and may you discover what it is you are searching for in life. Hey you never know….somewhere along the trail you may see in the distance a cowgirl with a guitar singing some songs around the campfire! That cowgirl might be me. Don’t be shy….mosy on down and sing along…..:)

Happy Trails to you,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

This past week I received quite a few e-mails asking me about my thoughts on the current state of the economy, and where I think things are heading. I am not an analyst, but my opinion is optimistic.

Over the past two years the economy has not only had to absorb the fear of the new Millennium, but also the Internet bubble and a series of rate increases from the Federal Reserve of the United States. We may ask ourselves, was all this fear necessary? Or were so many interest rate hikes needed? Perhaps, or perhaps not, but the most important issue is to understand that life and economies do not run on a straight line….they bend and weave. We have just touched the tip of the iceberg in where technology will lead us. Medicine and energy have a lot more to do before they too run their course. We run and we fall…..we pick ourselves up, learn, and go on. That’s the way it has been here on earth since the beginning of time. The human wave floating on a sea of eternity.

We live in a world where we never know how far we will go down, or how high we will go up. The fear is that if we get too high, the fall will be too great. But there is a stabilizing force that holds it all together, and it is called Vision. If you can hold onto a vision, then you can ride the waves of life and not capsize. It is also doing one’s homework….meaning, seeing why something goes right or wrong, learning from it, so that the next time it happens, logic kicks in….one gets a sense of “Hey, I’ve been here before, I will get through this.” Life is one big School of Learning.

The economy, I believe, will recover. New inventions, new technologies, new medical procedures, etc., are ahead for us. Nothing goes up in a straight line, nor down in a straight line…..even if it feels like it sometimes! The world evolves….it uses each yesterday to build its tomorrow. Out there somewhere is the next Einstein, Gandhi, Walt Whitman, Jonas Salk, Rembrandt, etc. The ship of today sails the waves into tomorrow…….learn from the great sailors, that it is all a matter of timing, and of trusting the ocean to ultimately deliver you to safe harbor.

Good Sailing,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

This past week I made a trip out to Southern California. I would like to share with you some of the observations I made on my journey. As you may know, each flight is unique unto itself….but there are a few things many have in common.
I arrived at the airport as instructed one hour ahead of departure. If I didn’t follow these instructions, the chances were very great that my seat would have been sold off to the highest bidder! In laymen’s terms, that’s called ‘”standby!” Once aboard the airplane, I saw that the seats had enough room so that each human being could feel that they were nicely tucked into a sardine can…..one thing to always consider before boarding a commercial airline these days is to check your weight, because if you have gained a few pounds since your last travel, with the size of the seats, it is highly possible that you may have to purchase an extra seat for your journey! The seating was three seats across…..you pray at this point that the person sitting on the aisle seat next to you isn’t the “passenger from hell,” who may practically expect you to hand over money in order to go to the bathroom! I was sitting in the middle seat….while the man who had the window seat casually mentioned to me, “If they could, they would sell seats on the wings!!!” Strangely, I was reminded of a Flintstone’s episode where Fred and Wilma won first class tickets to an island resort, and Barney and Betty went along third class, which was, you guessed it! Out on the wings!

The trip from New York to Los Angeles is approximately 5 hours and forty-five minutes. A long time for a group of people to be in close proximity to each other. Hopefully, you have ordered a vegetarian meal for your flight, otherwise, you are left with the famous “Rubber Chicken!” A meal that warms one’s heart (ha!)….. even the flight attendant’s are catching onto the joke. The lady serving me said, “Would you like some of our deeeelicious chicken?” halfway through the flight my obnoxious aisle passenger started mumbling to herself, and giving me glances that said, “Don’t even think about asking me to get up!” Through meditation, I was able to stop myself from going to the bathroom for the entire flight! This, boys and girls, is not something you should try at home:)

Once upon landing, I realized just about the entire plane had carryon luggage. These days no one wants to check luggage (including myself). It may be a good idea in the future for the airlines to fly another plane right behind us containing all the carryon baggage. There were people who stuffed their bags so far in on the overhead that they had a very hard time pulling them out. As always, there’s the mad dash for the exit door, where one could easily believe that a prize is given to the first passenger off the plane!

After a few days I completed my trip and headed for the Los Angeles airport, preparing myself for the same routine in reverse. This time I made sure to order a vegetarian meal, and an aisle seat. As the airplane pulled out of the terminal and started to taxi down towards takeoff, all of a sudden the plane grounded to a halt. The pilot announced that the airports in New York were closed indefinitely because of bad weather. I was thinking to myself, what does “indefinitely” mean? One hour, two hours? Or an entire day? My fellow passengers were looking at each other, wondering, at what point do people start to come unglued? But me? Never! I had an aisle seat, no rubber chicken, and a bag nicely tucked in the overhead…and, for my sweet-tooth, a small bag of chocolate snicker bars, which, I may say, were being eyeballed profusely. I made some new friends that flight:)

For your next trip, try to make the skies as friendly as possible….pack lightly, go veggie, bring cologne, gum, and some good reading material. As one passenger mentioned to me when the captain said we were being delayed indefinitely….”It sounds like they’re having a party in the cockpit!” One thing is for sure, the passengers were not on the guest list (ha!)

Happy Trails……

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

This week’s essay I would like to present as kind of like a Twilight Zone episode….. fantasy, or reality…..who knows? But it may be a way for us to look at life from a different angle. So let’s address “The Program.”
Have you ever noticed that there are reoccuring themes, thoughts and numbers throughout life? So often, we are reminded of something that has happened to us before and maybe something that is yet to come. It almost seems, that in some strange way, our lives progress through similar themes. A child can experience a thought at five years old that twenty years later evolves into reality. A friend of mine recently shared with me a repetitious dream that his son had at a young age, of driving a red convertible. Lo and behold, for high school graduation, what car do you think his son wanted for his gift? Well, we could say that this was in his son’s subconscious all along….interestingly, his son has no recollection of his earlier dream.

I myself was born and raised in Southern California. I too, as a child, remember whenever I looked at scenes of New England (where I had never been) in my history books I would get a jolt, as if it was extremely familiar. Have a guess where I am moving to in August?….New England. I was the only one in my family to ever leave California. Coincidence? Wishful thinking? Perhaps….but many people have these strange events happen to them time and time again.
I have always believed that life is a learning experience. A process that we all go through to, hopefully, improve who we are. In a way, we write the program each day we live…..but could it be we are also writing what we sense will happen in the future, and what we feel has happened in the past? Wasn’t it Einstein who said that the past, the present, and the future can coexist at the same time? I know I’m getting a little “out there,” but if it’s possible for the past, present and future to overlap, one can get glimpses along the way…….a program.

Many things happen to us that we can’t explain. All I’m trying to do with this week’s essay is place on the table some thoughts to consider for the times that don’t make sense, or are hard to comprehend. If our lives could be seen from the beginning to the end on a giant television screen, wouldn’t it be an interesting series….an interesting program?

Enjoy the show,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon

In life, some decisions are always easy. We look at something and we say yes, or no….. but the ones where we feel confusion, difficulty or a plain old blank stare, those are the ones that place us “on the fence.”

Relationships, jobs, where we live, etc., are in many cases choices that we make over the course of our lives. Sprinkled in among these choices are the ones that many times turn out to be the most profound….the “maybes.” The ones that say, “it could go one way or another.” The oddball ones….the upside down choices….the conflicts that come out of left field. The “on the fence” decisions are the ones we either never saw coming, or are not prepared to deal with right away….they are the ones that we mull over, which eventually have to be decided, in order for us to go on.

“On the fence” is not always the best place to be…..but it does give us the chance to reevaluate where we are and where we want to go. For example: You’re working at a job where you have been for the past eight years. You get along great with everybody at the office…..hey, even the boss loves you! Then all of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky, you run into somebody at a party and during the conversation, that person is struck by your talent and decides to offer you a job on the spot, at double your present salary. Inconceivable, you may say? It happens all the time. Anyway, you go home, mulling over the thought of whether you should take the offer, or stay put at the job where you have been for the past eight years. One more little ingredient to throw into the pie….. at your present job there is only so much further you can go, while at this new offer, promotion potential is extensive. The decision that we make in these moments can drastically alter not only the course of our own lives, but our families too. A typical “on the fence” decision.

So how do we decide? One way is to limit our chances for mistakes. Make a list of the pros and cons for staying at the present job, or taking the new one. Research as much as possible the advantages and disadvantages of both. It is never easy leaving a place where it is safe and comfortable……but we must always ask ourselves, if we stay in our present position, will the air eventually become stale because of lack of movement? Change is sometimes a frightening thought….but without it the air cannot stay fresh. Human beings are a strange crew indeed….we want safety, but not at the cost of boredom. We may also decide to stay put in our present job, because the company is more stable. Perhaps all that is needed may be to open a window….let a little fresh air in. One way or another, the decision eventually rests with us.
We go through a number of these situations in our lives….many times each one unique in its own way. The most important point is that we come out of these phases stronger and more sure of who we are and where we are going. The fence gives us the ability to reevaluate where we place our feet and which direction they will travel.

Place your feet on solid ground,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon