Friday, September 14, 2018

WHAT EVER HAPPENED...? "Movies and More"



My editor wanted me to list the movies that, in one way or another, have helped me cope. Here's a short list. Because of my memory problems, I'm quite sure there were many others. But, these celebrate the ability to overcome all types of adversities. I’ve added an asterisk (*) when the movie relates to brain injury.

50 First Dates* [The beginning of this film is a bit vulgar, and the facts are not actual, but hang in there; it has an excellent story about helping someone cope with a head injury. And I think the ending song is the best version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” I’ve ever heard.]
90 Minutes in Heaven
As Good As It Gets [Jack Nicholson’s OCD behaviors in that restaurant were EXACTLY like mine! I used to bring my own plasticware, too.]
Baby Boom
The Bucket List [John Mayer’s song at the end of this excellent movie is listed in my Music chapter.]
Concussion*
A Dog’s Purpose [Though this movie got some “bad press,” I believed the folks affiliated with the film who stated there was no bad treatment of any dog while filming. This touching movie gave me a helpful mantra that I repeat daily: “Be Here Now.”]
Eddie the Eagle
Finding Dory
Flashdance
God’s Not Dead 2 [I wish I had seen the original. Maybe I will someday when I put this pen down.]
The Goodbye Girl
A Heavenly Christmas* [Hallmark Movie Channel]
Hope Floats [A great quote from this movie is, “Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad. But it’s the middle that counts the most….”]
Ice Castles
It’s Complicated
Lion
Mary Poppins [This was the first movie I ever saw, and I even still have the album that came out with that movie.]
Message in a Bottle
Miracles from Heaven*
Mystic Pizza
Rain Man [A lot of Dustin Hoffman’s character’s personality matched my first student, Cliff.]
Regarding Henry*
Saturday Night Fever [Lots of scenes in this John Travolta film were shot in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY, where I lived as a young child. Every time I watch it, I see stores and places I used to go with my family.]
Serendipity
The Shack [A powerful message about having God in your life.]
The Sound of Music
Stepmom [I'm not positive, but the hospital in that movie for Susan Sarandon's illness sure looked like “my hospital” (NYU). If so, little did I know when I watched that great film numerous times, that one day I'd be there myself. Also – it has an excellent Hudson Valley, NY, poster in her character's house that you see you when she's having fun with “her” kiddies. I love living in the Hudson Valley.]

Sweet November [A lovely film about love that highlighted my birthday, November 1st, and began my love of calendars.]

Sully

Terms of Endearment

Tootsie

A Walk to Remember [A great quote from this movie is: “Maybe God has a bigger plan for me than I had for myself.”]
War Room [This stars Priscilla Shirer, who is an excellent author and speaker.]
When a Man Loves a Woman [This movie has the best quote: “You’re not alone, honey. Never. Never.” How I wish that had been said to me!]
When Harry Met Sally
The Wizard of Oz [“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but how much you are loved by others.” I sometimes agree.]
Working Girl
You’ve Got Mail

Now… Even though this part of the book was about movies, to wrap this chapter up, I HAVE to do a “commercial” for an excellent TV show on the A&E Channel entitled Born This Way. It's all about adults with Down syndrome and how they navigate the world.

It is so true-to-life and honestly poignant. Since I'm not writing a chapter about the television shows I watch (though some have been mentioned in here), this show I'm adding to the end of this chapter about movies because of how much I admire it.

As a former teacher of many students with Down syndrome, I just love watching every episode (sometimes more than once, thanks to my DVR abilities). If you haven't caught it, check it out. I wish I could meet all of the people on that show to tell them face-to-face how wonderful they are!

They tell it like it is, and I so appreciate that. The show covers lots of real-life examples of getting along in the world. Kudos to whoever got this show on the air!
Steven, a star on this show, said it best when he said, “Don't dwell on the past. Don't think about the future too much. You've just gotta be in the present right now.”







For the coming year, I (Douglas Winslow Cooper] will be 
excerpting, weekly, material from this almost-final version of the fine book by Janet Johnson Schliff, M.S. Ed., which she wrote over a three-year period with some coaching and editing help from me, through my business, Write Your Book with Me.

Her memoir is now available in paperback and ebook formats from Outskirts Press  and amazon.com




                                              ###


BOOK TALKS AND SIGNINGS

Janet Johnson Schliff was on WKNY  Radio 1490 at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, Kingston, NY.

Janet spoke at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at Barnes & Noble in Kingston, NY. I [DWC] attended, along with about 40 other people. Congratulations to Janet on a fine talk!

Janet Johnson Schliff spoke at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, at 7 p.m. on March 6. 


She spoke at the Golden Notebook Bookstore in Woodstock, NY, at 2 p.m. on March 17. 


She spoke at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff, NY, at 6:30 p.m. on March 28. 


She spoke at RCAL in Kingston, NY, at 4 p.m. on April 3. I was able to attend. They gave her an impromptu book-launch party.

On 4/4/18 Janet spoke at the Parkinson's Support Group at the Starr Library at Rhinebeck at 2:30 p.m.

On 4/27/18 Janet spoke at the Stone Ridge Library at 5:30 p.m.

On 5/4/18 Janet spoke at the Hurley Library at 6 p.m.

On 5/9/18 Janet spoke at the Kingston Library at 6 p.m.

On 5/14/18 Janet spoke at the Staatsburg Library at 7 p.m.

On 5/31/18 Janet spoke at the Clinton Community Library at 6:30 p.m.


On 6/9/18 Janet spoke at the Tannersville Mountain Top Library at noon.

On 6/11/18 Janet spoke at the Gardiner Library at 7 p.m.


On 6/20/18 Janet spoke at the Marbletown Community Center at 6 p.m.


On 7/13/18 Janet spoke at the Esopus Library at 7 p.m.

On 7/20/18 Janet spoke at the Pine Plains Library at 6 p.m.

On 7/23/18 Janet spoke at the Ulster Library at 5:30 p.m.



On 8/11/18 Janet spoke at the Northern Dutchess Bible Church in Red Hook at 1:00 p.m.

On 9/06/18 Janet spoke at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz at 7 p.m.

On 9/15/18 Janet spoke at the Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie (93 Market St.) at 2:30 p.m.



On 9/21/18 Janet will be on the radio at station WRIP-FM (97.9) at 8 a.m.

On 9/22/18 Janet will again be at the Tannersville Mountain Top Library, at noon.

On 9/28/18 Janet will be speaking at the Enchanted Cafe in Red Hook at 7 p.m.


On 10/04/18 Janet will be speaking at the Hyde Park Library at 7 p.m.



On 10/14/18 Janet will be participating in an Author Weekend at the Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More signings will be coming up. A fine feature about Janet by John DeSantos [845 LIFE] appeared in the Middletown Times Herald-Record on Monday, March 12, as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month. An article about her book was just published in the May 2018 Living Rhinebeck Magazine. An article about her book appeared in the May 14 Daily Freeman of Kingston, NY. and another in the Family Life section of the Poughkeepsie Journal on June 8th. The Millerton News published an article on Thursday, August 2, about her talk at the Pine Plains Library. 

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