Tag Archives: women’s boxing

A boxer’s truth

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Jed with daughter Izzi, March 23, 2025

My husband Jed and I met on a fateful night in December, 1996 at Puffy’s on Hudson Street in Tribeca, then sporting the best juke box in the City. We had one chance to meet and make something of it, and we took it. Fairly early on we discovered we shared a love of boxing. I had just taken a course at the local gym, and earlier had practiced on the heavy bag in the basement of my friend Eddie. Jed had just fought in his first “white collar” bout at Gleason’s Gym, and otherwise with his black belt firmly affixed, was teaching beginning karate at a Dojo in downtown Manhattan.

We’d watch Friday Night Fights on ESPN, regaling ourselves about Teddy Atlas’ commentary (who didn’t in those days). He was also my biggest booster when I trained at Gleason’s. And using his brilliant skills as a New York Times columnist and editor, went on to help me edit my first book, A History of Women’s Boxing.

Our affinity was the boxer’s heart we shared and our ability to push through our collective traumas to face our truths.

Jed’s always been there for me-through tough times, arguments big and small, differences and non-differences, and through the love that exudes through the pores of our being and into our shared joy, Izzi.

Jed, Brooklyn Heights, Fall 2021

Jed’s formal diagnosis with behavioral variant of Frontotemperal Dementia over seven years ago was a near on knockout blow-but Jed persevered as did I.

Round after terrible round of the disease we adjusted.

During the pandemic it became obvious the Jed was no longer able to be alone. I retired from working with the City to care for him and have continued ever since. In those days, he could still take a long walk or go to the store at the corner. And in my company, we’d retrace his former route through downtown Brooklyn: A walk up Cadman Plaza to Olde Fulton. Then a walk through Brooklyn Bridge Park before meandering our way home through the side streets of Brooklyn Heights.

Privit – Brooklyn Bridge Park, June 2021

Each June we’d walk through the rows of privit grasping it in our hands to keep the scent alive on our bodies.

We’d hold hands.

I’d give him some water – though he mostly refused.

He still walked a pace, but was beginning to slow by the Fall.

I started having companions for him in 2022. That allowed me a few hours of respite a couple of days a week and it was also still possible to run out in the morning to the supermarket because he still slept in. Our boxer’s heart keeping faith with one another-has he began to have medication to help with the symptoms and found it harder and harder to comprehend what was going on around him.

From then to now feels like a blur, but the now is a late round effort.

Jed and the care aides, April 13, 2025

This past Thursday was the last day that he walked-though he can still punch (and land some good shots that leave black and blue marks) when we turn him in his hospital bed in order to wash and clean him.

The Friday before that, he forgot how to swallow, but fought his was back to solid food.

Bed bound. Losing weight. Coughing. Endless sleeping.

Yet treated with kindness and love by wonderful women. That’s what I cling to as I take the decisions necessary to transition him to hospice care. Here at home. Among his books and enough camping gear to outfit a boy scout camp (a feature of FTD is obsessive spending!). Feeling the love of what home brings when Izzi sits besides him.

The journey of this illness is a terrible one. Yet the key has been keeping faith with our pas-de-deux. Our pact of love and faithfulness that saw us care so deeply for one another. To fight on the same team. Playing at doubles. Each of us having each other’s back. Literally.

Jed is 77. This all feels way, way, way too soon and yet he’s here. Still punching. Smiling between cursing us when he feels hurt by this or that turn. Still saying I love you and lighting up with the broadest of smiles when Izzi enters the room.

 

 

 

 

 

Publication day, June 4, 2024, The Promise of Women’s Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science

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The must-read book on the rise of elite women’s boxing

 

It’s 💥Publication Day💥, June 4, 2024!!!! Books on sale now!!! Links below!

🥊THE PROMISE OF WOMEN’S BOXING: A MOMENTOUS NEW ERA FOR THE SWEET SCIENCE🥊

by Author and Women’s Boxing Historian, Malissa Smith Foreward by Claressa Shields

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ Available for sale ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Amazon: Purchase here

Barnes & Noble: Purchase here

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: Purchase here

The Promise of Women’s Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science is the must-read book on the rise of elite women’s boxing.

On April 30th, 2022, the first boxing super-fight of the era, headlined by two women and fought at Madison Square Garden, lived up to its hype and then some. The two contestants fought the battle of their lives in front of a sold-out crowd and garnered 1.5 million views through online streaming. It was the culmination of a long, three-centuries arc of women’s boxing history, a history fraught with highs and lows but always imbued with the heart and passion of the women who fought.

In The Promise of Women’s Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science, Malissa Smith details the exciting period from the 2012 Olympics through the true “million-dollar baby” women’s super-fights of 2022 and beyond. Rich in content, the stories that emerge focus on boxing stars new and old, important battles, and the challenges women still face in boxing. Smith examines the development of the sport on a global basis, the transition of amateur boxers to the pros, the impact of online streamlining on the sport, the challenges boxing has faced from MMA, and the unprecedented gains women’s boxing has made in the era of the super-fight with extraordinary seven-figure opportunities for elite female stars.

Featuring the stories of women’s boxing icons Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Savannah Marshall, and more, and with a foreword by two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time undisputed champion Claressa Shields, The Promise of Women’s Boxing offers unprecedented insight into the incredible growth of the sport and the women who have fought in and out of the ring to make it all possible.

Here’s what the boxing world has to say about Malissa Smith’s new book:

There is no one more knowledgeable about or dedicated to women’s boxing than Malissa Smith. Without bias, Malissa is able to translate her passion into words that satisfy an enthusiast while appealing to occasional fans. A must read for any diligent sports enthusiast. 🥊 Jill Diamond, WBC co-chair of the Women’s Championships, WBC International Secretary, Global Chair WBC Cares

Malissa Smith is the ultimate chronicler of women’s boxing. Her new book details the last dozen years, during which fighters like Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, and Amanda Serrano have not only evened the playing field, but at times outperformed their male counterparts. 🥊 Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst and former editor of The Ring magazine and 2017 Inductee, International Boxing Hall of Fame

Malissa Smith’s comprehensive analysis and understanding of this very important period in the evolution of women’s boxing makes for a terrific read. 🥊 Lou DiBella, President, DiBella Entertainment, 2020 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Malissa Smith has given readers a very accurate accounting of women’s boxing. From the Olympics to selling out Madison Square Garden, she has revisited the history I’m proud to be a part of. 🥊 Christy Martin, retired boxing champion, 2020 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Malissa’s grasp of, eloquence on, and in-depth research into the continued resistance of change to 3-minute rounds for women is equally fascinating and disheartening. A must read for anyone interested in gaining insight into women’s boxing. 🥊 Alicia Ashley, retired boxing champion, 2023 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Malissa Smith has written a compelling book on the progression of women’s boxing, showing us the grit, determination, and perseverance that took the sport from the first ever inclusion in the 2012 London Olympics to today’s era of mega-fights. 🥊 Sue Fox, founder, Women’s Boxing Archive Network, International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame

For anyone who follows and enjoys women’s boxing—this is the perfect book for you. It’s not just history and facts; this book is also full of stories and in-depth examinations. Malissa Smith did a terrific job! 🥊 Jackie Kallen, boxing manager, 2024 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Malissa’s effort to document the journey of women’s boxing is nothing short of titanic. In a world where stories are told in spurts of 280 characters on social media, Malissa takes the time to delve into the struggles of every fighter, and she takes us along for a ride that is rich in both journalistic rigor and historical accuracy—with her gift for storytelling making it a pleasure to read. 🥊 Diego Morilla, writer, editor, and moderator for the Women’s Ratings Panel, The Ring magazine

Malissa has captured the wonderful growth of women’s boxing in her book The Promise of Women’s Boxing. She highlights how quickly the women have become a major force in amateur and professional boxing. And in many cases, the women overshadow the men. 🥊 Bruce Silverglade, owner of boxing’s world-famous Gleason’s Gym

A Busy Women’s History Month!

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Malissa Smith with Dr. Raja Flores and What’s In Your Hand host Rick Young at WHCR 90.3 FM’s, studio on March 16, 2024.

Author and women’s boxing historian, Malissa Smith has had a busy Women’s History Month!

The activities included media appearances and an article about her efforts to support women in boxing published on the World Boxing Council’s website.

The UK-based Women In Boxing organization’s International Women’s Day event was held on March 7, 2024. Speaking about the history of the sport, Malissa Smith was featured in a busy line-up to include the keynote speaker, champion boxer Natasha Jonas.

Malissa Smith was a featured speaker for Women In Boxing’s 2024 International Women’s Day event on March 7, 2024.

Making a special live appearance, Malissa was an in-studio guest on WHCR 90.3 FM’s What’s In Your Hand show hosted by Rick Young on March 15, 2024. Alongside renowned thoracic surgeon Dr. Raja Flores, the trio of boxing aficionados had a lively conversation about New York City boxing and the place of the sport as an important component of youth development.

As a guest on the Off The Couch Boxing Show podcast, Malissa’s expertise on women in boxing was in evidence as she discussed the highlights of such “GOATs” as Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker, Laila Ali, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and Claressa Shields. She also discussed issues surrounding parity for female athletes with respect to promotion and pay, and her upcoming new book, The Promise of Women’s Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science.

Malissa Smith made a guest appearance on Episode #95 of the Off The Couch Boxing podcast on March 16, 2024.

To round out the month, the World Boxing Council featured an article about Malissa Smith’s on-going support for women in boxing as an author, historian, and advocate for the sport.

“This is a singular honor,” Smith said. “I am humbled by the WBC’s recognition of me.”

A busy Women’s History Month!

International Women’s History Day Event on March 7, 2024, 6:00PM GMT (London)

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I am honored to participate in the Women In Boxing International Women’s History Event on March 7, 2024 at 6PM, GMT (London).

Email: team@womeninboxing.com to register your interest and receive the link to this free event!

Other confirmed speakers are Niki Wilburn-Shaw, WIB; Caitlin Bennet, Matchroom Boxing; Kate Wilson, SheIsBossingIt!

Celebrating Women Who Box During Women’s History Month!

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Celebrating women who box during Women’s History Month -The Promise of Women’s Boxing

Melissa McMorrow-Unsung in the era of the Olympics

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The inclusion of women’s boxing in the Olympics at the 2012 London Games brought a lot of hope that the sport would begin to flourish anew. Gold medal winners Claressa Shields, Nicola Adams, and Katie Taylor, however, did not begin to cross the threshold of the ropes as professionals until after the 2016 Rio Games. That left the pre-Olympic-era pro boxers continuing to push for opportunities in a sport that was capricious at best when it came to promoting female fighters.

The International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF) recently honored one such boxer, the Brazilian-American retired champion Melissa “Mighty” McMorrow (10-7-3, 1-KO), inducting her into its Class of 2023 at the “Night of the Stars” 10th Anniversary ceremony held on October 7, 2023, in Las Vegas.

A pint-sized World Fly titlist from Northern California who stood all of four feet, eleven inches tall, McMorrow boxed professionally from 2008-2018, with a career that straddled the era. The post-Olympic period in particular saw her fight in a succession of bouts in Mexico, including a successful second campaign to win the WBO World Fly title she’d had to abandon earlier in her career.

McMorrow, who has spoken often of her life-long love of athletics, was an All-American soccer player at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. She also joined the Women’s United Soccer Association as a player in the United States and Brazil until the association disbanded.

Searching around for another sport, McMorrow eventually chose boxing when she was in her 20s. Jumping in full throttle after starting to train in 2005, she began competing in the amateurs in 2006 and even lost to Marlen Esparza in the 2007 USA Nationals in Colorado Springs and again in 2008 with the same result.

Choosing to turn professional shortly thereafter, McMorrow fought a total of eight straight bouts at venues across her native California. She accumulated a 4-1-3 record through May 2010. Her ninth clash, and her first outside of her home state, was in February 2011. The prospect of a coveted fight night took her across the country to New York City. There she faced Keisher “Fire” McLeod (Wells) (8-3, 1-KO) on a DiBella Entertainment-Broadway Boxing card at Times Square’s B.B. Kings. McLeod stood 5’8” tall and towered over McMorrow, who, none the less, demonstrated a decided effort to fight aggressively on the inside. McLeod won the six-rounder on the cards, but McMorrow gave the crowd a gritty and entertaining performance.

Having proven her mettle as an opponent, she came back to the Apple in June to battle a popular local favorite, Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (11-7-3, 1 KOs). The fight was an eight-round title bout for the New York State Fly Championship. McMorrow was also expected to lose against Olszewski, but pulled out the mixed decision win, 78-74, 79-73, 74-78, to capture the title, showing similar aggression and strong defensive tactics while continuously taking the fight inside.

Getting the call again, McMorrow defended her championship belt five weeks later, at the end of July, in an eight-round rematch against Keisher McLeod. McMorrow, ever the aggressive fighter, used her strong inside game and superb defense to avoid the much taller fighter’s jab-right hand combinations. McMorrow’s toughness gave her the “and still” moniker with another mixed decision win.

The strength of these battles gave her a chance to fight in Mexico as an opponent against Arley Muciño (32-4-2, 11-KOs) for the WBA Interim World Fly in February 2012. Though she lost on the cards, it did bring her more attention, netting McMorrow the opportunity to fight the reigning WBO World Fly and WIBF champion, Germany’s seemingly unstoppable Susi Kentikian, who sported a 29-0 record (with 16 wins by knockout) going into their main event battle on May 16, 2012.

Televised on Germany’s Das Vierte channel, McMorrow shocked the world with a mixed decision win on the cards, 94-96, 95-95, 94-96. It also brought her a payday a little south of $10,000, quite unheard of for an American fighter except overseas. With the win, she came into the mix alongside Ava Knight (20-2-5, 5-KOs) and Mexico’s Mariana “Barbie” Juarez (55-13-4, 19-KOs) as elite flyweight fighters.

McMorrow began to actively campaign for a title bout against Ava Knight, to whom she’d lost in the amateurs, including a Golden Gloves championship fight broadcast on Comcast nationally from San Francisco’s Third Street Gym.

Knight was asked her preference for a potential matchup with either Juarez (whom she eventually defeated) or McMorrow, saying at the time, “I think Mariana would be tougher. Her style and experience may outweigh a pushy style for me. I’ve met McMorrow in the ring three times (as an amateur) and already know my strengths over hers. She may have changed a bit and become more of a brawler, but that is my opposition of choice. They are both game, and hopefully we will be meeting them soon in the ring.”[i]

Pundits also felt the Knight-McMorrow showdown would be a logical home-grown match, while acknowledging that both fighters were only gaining traction for big title fights on the road. McMorrow had managed to have her first WBO defense in the United States at the Kissimmee, Florida Civic Center, in October 2012, where she defeated Yahaira Martinez (7-4, 4-KOs) by TKO in the ninth round of their all-action bout, which was also one of the rare female boxing matches televised on the Spanish-language Telemundo channel.

McMorrow’s next defense, however, was back on the road the following March in Germany. She faced the German fighter, Nadia Raoui (15-2-1, 3-KOs). The match itself was another tough battle where McMorrow’s aggression showed through, including an extraordinary punch output per round and her signature inside fighting. She prevailed again by split decision, 94-96, 96-94, 91-99, retaining her title, and earning a purported career high pay day of $15,000. She’d also fulfilled the second of her two-fight deal with Germany’s SES Boxing promotion company, which meant she’d need to seek out her next title defense with a company at home.

Having earned that amount for a bout did not, however, mean that she could earn a living as a professional boxer, pointing out, “There’s just no money in boxing. I could never really justify leaving my job [as an architect],” adding, “It seems unfair that men get paid a lot more. Especially when I feel there would be a draw.”[ii]

As if to bring home the point, boxing writer and pundit Mark Jones put it this way: “Current, American [professional] female fighters, even those that are highly rated, are regional attractions having to travel abroad to participate in prestigious fights. In 2013, the following world class, American-based female fighters fought outside the United States: Diana Prazak (Sweden), Melissa Hernandez (Canada), Alicia Ashley (Mexico), Ava Knight (Mexico), Melissa McMorrow (Germany), Carino Moreno (Germany), and Tori Nelson (Bermuda).”[iii]

Knight remained elusive, however, and after losing a WBC World Fly title to Ibeth Zamora (Silva) (33-8, 13-KOs) in 2013, she had limited opportunities to fight at all, with just one just one bout in 2014 and none in 2015. McMorrow, who fought from 108 to 115 pounds, already experienced the difficulties of finding fights in the United States, especially in the smaller weight classes, telling an interviewer that many of the titles at that size were held by Mexican fighters. “The WBC is doing a lot to promote women’s boxing, and so [Mexico] is the place where things are taking off the most… if [fights] come up, I want to take them.”[iv]

She also had to give up her WBO belt a year after her successful defense against Nadia Raoui, as WBO rules required a defense within a one-year period. “No one in the top-10 wants to fight me unless we have money, which we don’t. It is a losing proposition because it is a risky fight for them for little or no money.”[v]

This harkened back to fellow Californian Kaliesha West (17-2-3, 4 KOs). She’d been willing to retain her WBO World Bantam title at all costs in 2011, even ceding what little money there was to her opponent, Ava Knight, in order to keep her status as a champion.

McMorrow did get to fight Mariana Juarez in her next bout held in February 2014, battling for the WBC International Super Fly championship in Mexico—having already given up on finding the funds necessary to promote the WBO bout. McMorrow easily switched between her inside and outside game with effortless fluidity throughout the fight but lost the bout on the cards, with all three judges agreeing on the 94-96 score in favor of Juarez. At least one outlet called it the robbery of the year, along with grumbling from other quarters that proclaimed McMorrow the winner.

The controversial loss to Juarez was followed by another close decision defeat in August 2014 for the vacant WBC International Fly title against boxer Jessica Chavez (32-5-3, 4-KOs). Of the fight she’d said, “Chavez is a good fighter and we fought a fairly even fight. I think I was the aggressor and landed the harder cleaner shots. I wanted to make the fight very decisive since I know that the judges will not work in my favor, but she did a good job of keeping her distance from me. However, I think I deserve the decision as much as she does. It is frustrating that when I watch the fight I can only claim rounds that are undeniable and she gets credit for everything else.”[vi]

Otherwise taking her fourth Mexican fight night in stride, however, McMorrow had been invited to attend the first WBC Women’s Convention held in September. There, she’d been promised a shot at the WBC Fly title, but that did not actually materialize until 2018.

Her next match offered her the chance to regain the WBO World Fly belt. Traveling again to Mexico, she came in as the opponent against the lethal Kenia Enriquez (27-1, 11-KOs). Enriquez had won the vacant WBO title with ease when she defeated Ana Arrazola (28-17-3, 14-KOs) by unanimous decision in November 2014.

In the ring against Enriquez on February 28, 2015, McMorrow fought in her typical come-forward, aggressive style, prevailing with a split-decision on the cards after ten grueling rounds. McMorrow exuded joy at being announced the winner, a vindication of sorts for having been stripped of the title the year before and for other losses she’d endured in Mexico.

“Honestly, I was surprised that Kenia picked such a big fight [for] her first title defense … And the only thing I can think, is that they just completely underestimated me.”[vii]

Still, what she wanted was the Ava Knight fight, if nothing else than as a coda on her career but the fight that might have been, never happened.

McMorrow battled on with two more fights. What turned out to be her penultimate bout was a 2016 non-title ten-round loss on the cards against the experienced Esmeralda Moreno (35-12-2, 11-KOs) in Mexico City. For her last bout, McMorrow finally fought for the long-promised green-belt fly championship. The match against Ibeth Zamora was set for May 5, 2018, also in Mexico City. Coming off an eighteen-month layoff, McMorrow was less successful at pushing the fight inside. She fought tenaciously, but Zamora’s stinging power proved the difference, which allowed her to earn the unanimous decision win.

Back in 2014 ahead of her battle against Jessica Chavez, McMorrow had said,

“In order to compete in a sport like boxing, you have to love it. It is very difficult to train as I much as I do, and to look after your weight, etc. Sometimes I ask myself why it is so important to me. It sometimes seems really silly … I strive to be good at whatever I do and I hope that when I’m done boxing, a little piece of me will stay with the sport and people will remember who I was …”[viii]

McMorrow retired from boxing with an outstanding record of achievement. She’d had spectacular wins, but the seeming promise of increased opportunities with the coming of Olympic competition for women’s boxing did not really materialize for her. Outside of the small circle of boxing aficionados, she never gained the appreciation nor the opportunity to fight the big bouts at home in the USA, even after such Olympians as Claressa Shields, Marlen Esparza, and Mikaela Mayer were gaining traction on fight cards and on television beginning in 2017.

As with most things in the sport, the usual answer is, “that’s boxing.” One thing is for certain: McMorrow’s induction into the IWBHF will ensure she will always be remembered for her accomplishments in the ring.

Notes:

[i] David A. Avila, “Female Flyweight Division Opens Up With McMorrow’s Win Over Kentikian,” The Sweet Science, tss.ib.tv, May 19, 2012.

[ii] “Fighting like a girl: Bay Area boxer wins world championship,” Eltecolotate.com, March 25, 2015.

[iii] Mark Jones, “The Sweet Side of the Sweet Science – 2013 Year End Reviews & Awards, KO Digest, fitefansho.blogspot.com, January 3, 2014.

[iv] ITRboxing, Melissa McMorrow ‘I want my WBC title shot then Ava Knight fight.,’ ITRboxing, Youtube.com, January 3, 2015.

[v] “Melissa McMorrow: A Lifetime of Breaking Barriers,” University Athletic Association, uaasports.info, October 6, 2016.

[vi] Press Release:  Mighty Melissa McMorrow, WBAN, womenboxing.com, August 29, 2014.

[vii] “Fighting like a girl: Bay Area boxer wins world championship,” Eltecolotate.com, March 25, 2015.

[viii] Malissa Smith, “Melissa McMorrow Seeking Redemption in Mexico: Exclusive Q and A,” Girlboxing.org, August 14, 2014.

The Difference…

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How Boxing Uncaged Me is an essay I wrote for the new compendium, THE DIFFERENCE: Essays on Loss, Courage, and Personal Transformation. The brain child of editors and contributing authors, Achim Nowak and Rosemary Ravinal, the premise was to curate a series of essays that had as their focal point the deeply searing experiences that made a difference in how we lived the rest of our lives.

For me, that difference was of all things boxing. Since childhood I had a fascination with the sport watching the fighters of my era, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Ken Norton, on the flickering lights of my television. It took me a life time, however, to finally enter a boxing gym.

“No more excuses,” I said aloud to myself, on a crisp clear day in early January as I made the sojourn to Gleason’s Gym.

With the low wintry light streaming in through the line of grimy windows facing the street, I was immediately greeted by the owner of the gym. Bruce Silverglade, seated at a desk near the entrance. A chessboard in mid-game took up a corner of the desk.

“Hi can I help?” Bruce asked.

I introduced myself and within seconds he was up and out of his seat and touring me through the cavernous expanse. As the sights and sounds hit my senses, calm descended. I had found my place. 

Learning the mechanics of the sport, however, was the least of my journey through boxing. It brought me the courage to write. To go back to school to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in my 50s. To go on to a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies. And to take up the sport of women’s boxing as a cause worth fighting for including writing the first comprehensive history of the sport.

The discipline of boxing is and continues to be another dimension:

If there is one thing boxing taught me, it is that fear and the accompanying self-doubt has been, and continues to be, my nemesis. It lives with me as a shadow being that I face down every time I glove up. I know it from the tears. The ones that still well up when I haven’t given myself the self-care I deserve. I know it from the places where new scar tissue has formed from hurts that have gone unanswered.

I am also humbled by the care and dedication Nowak and Ravinal have shown in selecting the essays for the collection–with stories about loss, courage, and personal transformation that have meaning across all of our lives.

The stories have inspired me as they have overwhelmed me with gratitude for having been chosen alongside my very humble efforts at exploring the impact boxing has had on my life.

As a writer, a caregiver, and all the other roles I embody on a daily basis, I am particularly proud of being given the chance to explore how the thread of the sport I love has woven its way through all of those experiences.

Thank you, as always, to the boxing community for continuing to embrace me and call me one of your own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About last night … women boxing

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WBA champion Erika Cruz and  WBC, WBA, IBF, champion Amanda Serrano fighting for the undisputed feather (126) title in MSG’s Hulu Theater on February 4, 2023. Photo credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom

MSG’s Little Theater — these days under the moniker of the Hulu Theater is a fun venue for boxing. Back when the Daily News Golden Gloves was a New York fixture every April, the stands would erupt with cheers as this or that young man or woman entered the ring in blue or gold.

The nice thing is there really is no bad seat, whether for an amateur or professional night of boxing, even way up in the back in the “300” sections, one can see, and it’s often where the true partisan cheers and flag waving abounds.

Last night was no exception. The Puerto Rican flags were in abundance waiting for Puerto Rico’s own (by way of Bushwick, Brooklyn), Amanda Serrano, and her main event fight. An undisputed contest for the feather (126 lbs.) championship.

The Amanda Serrano/Erika Cruz fight was at the top of a nine-fight card — made all the more special by the fact that it contained two undisputed women’s bouts and three undercard female “baby-belt” bouts.

France’s Elhem Mekhaled in the fight of her life against Detroit’s own Alycia Baumgardner who prevailed through ten grueling rounds to become undisputed champion at junior lightweight (130) on Feburary 4, 2023 at MSG’s Hulu Theater. Photo credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom

The co-main event featured Alycia Baumgardner contesting for her chance at an undisputed championship against Elhem Mekhaled, who was previously unknown to most fight fans in the United States.

Baumgardner who had defeated Mikaela Mayer on the all-female card in October at London’s O2 arena, came not only to fight and win, but to prove that her family’s deep legacy in the sport of boxing culminates in her as an exemplar of excellence and her and her family’s dreams.

Sitting with Marian “Lady Tyger” Trimiar and boxing writer Chris Benedict, MSG Hulu Theater, February 4, 2023.

Sitting for a time with boxing legend, Marian “Lady Tyger” Trimiar brought home just how far the sport has come. Lady Tyger began boxing as a teenager and first applied for a license in 1974 back when even amateur fighting was denied to women. She was finally able to become a licensed professional in New York State three years later. Boxing in earnest for no money to speak of ($1,500 was a lot) and in places like California which had a modest if growing boxing scene for women in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Trimiar went so far as to stage a hunger strike in 1987 to help garner support for women in the sport.

Still, she never imagined it would come this far, and watching so many fights at such a high standard of excellence brought solace of a sort, knowing that her battles on and off the canvas were important to the growth and acceptance of women inside the squared circle.

Certainly the sold-out theater — which is truly Amanda Serrano’s house, having fought there since her own beginnings in the Golden Gloves — gave truth to not only Serrano’s acceptance, but the notion that the fans came to watch excellent boxing … period.

For Serrano who made the point that she may be in a group of undisputed women champions, but she remains the only champion in seven weight classes; winning was the chance for her to revel in her achievement at the pinnacle of the sport.

Her next step was announced as she stood beaming in the camera’s eye — a second battle with Katie Taylor set for May 20, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland. She went on to say, “Katie Taylor is a true champion. She came over here. She deserves to have [the rematch] in Ireland.”

Befitting of a true champion — Serrano fighting Taylor will mean yet another first for both women, the chance for one undisputed champion to fight another in one or another’s weight class.

Thinking about Lady Tyger as representative of a lot of women who contested in the sport for the love of it, seeing Serrano and Taylor in the ring, the fans, cheering and waving, brought a deep sense of joy to my own heart. And as we exited, the latin beat pulsating, I felt exalted knowing that something really good had happened

=====

The results:

Amanda Serrano (USA) defeated Erika Cruz (Mexico) by UD, 97-93, 98-92 x 2. Serrano became the undisputed feather (126 lbs.) champion retaining her IBF, IBO, WBC, & WBO titles, and winning the WBA title from Cruz. Some pundits scored the fight more evenly giving a round or two more to Cruz who having sustained a deep cut from a head butt in the third round and was wobbled badly in the 6th round, put on a display nothing short of heroic.

Alycia Baumgardner (USA) defeated Elhem Mekhaled (France) by UD, 99-89, 99-89, 98-90. Baumgarder retained her IBF, IBO, WBC, & WB0 titles and won the vacant WBA title to become undisputed champion as junior lightweight (130 lbs.)  Mekhaled went down twice in the third round but never quit till the last bell tolled. Baumgarder tired in the latter half of the fight in spurts, which may have meant the scoring should have been a bit more balanced.

Shadasia Green (USA) defeated Elin Cederroos (Sweden) by TKO at 1:08 of the 6th Round in their WBA super middle title eliminator. Green also retained her WBC Silver belt at super middle.

Ramla Ali (UK) defeated Avril Mathis (Australia) by UD, 99-91 x 3 (some thought this was overly generous). Ali became the IBF Inter-Continental Super Bantam title holder.

Skye Nicolson (Australia) defeated Tania Alvarez (Spain) by UD, 98-92, 97-93, 100-90. Nicolson became the WBC Silver Feather champion.

On Women’s Boxing-what an October!

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I had the honor of introducing the 16 inductees to the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. Held at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on October 22nd, the 9th class of inductees celebrated women’s boxing’s past and present in high style.

The brainchild of founder Sue TL Fox, herself an American pioneer from the 1970s when the denizens of women’s boxing went to court to win the right to box professionally, her insistence that women give themselves the accolades they deserve reverberates through the community.

Yes, we love that since 2020, women have been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. And that in Hall of Fames across the United States and beyond, women are taking their place for the brilliance of their achievements.

There is something; however, to that wonderful notion put forth by Virginia Wolfe, of having a room of one’s own. And whether actual or metaphorical, the sisterhood of brilliant athletes swapping stories is irreplaceable. This year’s class included Tori Nelson and Suzi Kentikian, boxers you may well have heard of, but it also contained Cora Webber who not only boxed in the 1970s, but in the 1990s to great effect. And men too, including Irish promoter Jimmy Finn, who along with 2014 Inductee Barbara Buttrick promoted the actual first all-female card in the UK in 1994; and Tom Gerbasi, who has led the way as a boxing journalist giving space to the stories of women in the ring since the late 1990s.

This year’s event was also held amid women’s boxing’s dazzling October.

The all-female Shields-Marshall card at London’s O2 Arena on October 15th was held in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,000 cheering fans, not to mention the 2,000,000 eyes that caught the broadcast of the card on Sky and ESPN+. The card delivered not only in terms of the number of fans tuning in, but the brilliance of the performances from one end of the card to the other. The Shields-Marshall fight itself, produced a fight of the year contender to rival the Taylor-Serrano bout on April 30th whose main-event battle was held in front of a similarly sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden.

What was notable, is that while Taylor-Serrano had 1.5 million views on DAZN, a full .5 million more viewed Shields-Marshall—to my mind, showing the strength of the Taylor-Serrano card to the women’s boxing “brand.” Afterall, it is highly unlikely that Bob Arum and Top Rank would have pushed to have their fighter Mikaela Mayer contest for the unified Super Featherweight title against Alycia Baumgardner, without the precedent of a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

Nor does it stop there.

Katie Taylor after her win over Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. Photo by James Chance/Getty Images

Consider Katie Taylor’s seemingly effortless retention of her undisputed lightweight crown and undefeated record against the mandatory Argentinian contender Karen Carabajal. Taylor led the card at the Wembley Arena—the very place where she had her pro debut. At that event, a mere six years ago, she walked out to nearly empty stands. At her homecoming of sorts, the cheering crowds floated her to the ring on a wave of love and admiration.

The two female fights on the undercard were also great action bouts showing off the prowess of Ellie Scotney as she pressured Mary Romero to a loss. And then there was the impressive professional debut of Maisey Rose Courtney, frankly one of the best I’ve seen, female or male. But think about that for a minute. She had her debut at Wembley Arena on a Katie Taylor card positioned as the swing bout leading into the main event.

Thinking about it more, Maisey’s entire boxing career has been informed by Katie Taylor.

Taylor’s amateur prowess and trailblazing amateur career provided Maisey with a goal to strive for. While her pro debut was on the undercard of a major fight by an undisputed champion in one of boxing’s more venerable arenas in the United Kingdom. This is Maisey’s world with the likes of Adam Smith stating Sky Sports commitment to putting on good cards as demonstrating “a move towards total parity and total equality in pay.”

The latter in particular remains to be seen. The boxing efforts on Saturday, October 29th across the globe; however, gave truth to the idea that parity and equity are long overdue. Consider Arley Muciño who wrested the IBF World Fly title from the Argentinian champion, Leonela Yudica, in a non-stop action fight at San Diego, CA’s Pechanga Arena and shown on DAZN. It should be noted it was Yudica’s 10th defense of the belt since she first captured it in 2014—a momentous upset by Muciño who had at one time held the WBO World Fly title. Announcing for the Golden Boy Promotions card was none other than current unified champion WBA and WBC World Fly champion Marlen Esparza, who immediately called out Muciño for a unification battle.

Let us also not forget that Yamileth Mercado successfully defended her WBC World Super Bantamweight title against the venerable Mariana “La Barbie” Juarez in her fourth defense of her title, her loss to Amanda Serrano in 2021, notwithstanding.

Those showings, the Taylor card bouts, and the women boxing at venues large and small establishes the sport has the potential for an even more magnificent future.

Let us all hope that actually comes to pass.

 

Where does time go

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Getting ready to speak about procurement opportunities for M/WBEs and small business owners at the New York Build 2020 Expo, March 3, 2020, Javits Center,

The one year anniversary of my retirement is coming up at the end of February. Not that I’m *that* old, but it was time to hang up my shingle so to speak from working for the City of New York in a variety of administrative procurement leadership roles. What you say? Procurement? A civil servant?  I know. Perhaps a bit incongruous from my boxing and writing life, but, hey, bills had to be paid, and I have to say, I never felt prouder of any profession than my years with the City.

With the retirement anniversary looming, I’m trying to figure out what exactly this year has wrought, other than figuring out pension filings, social security, medicare, and all of the other pensioner-life experiences that have been by turns frustrating and surprisingly easy.

I admit that I didn’t have a plan, per se. It was just time to move on and of course, Jed’s struggles were certainly foremost in my mind. The pandemic also played a role. As I ponder its meaning, I own to having been caught up in the sociological phenomenon of the The Great Resignation.

Looking at time through the prism of retirement has brought me to the realization that I live mostly outside of industrial constructs of time. No. I don’t need to get up at 6:15 AM in the morning for an 8:00 AM start to the day. Or go to bed by 11:00 PM. Or live by endless meetings on a calendar, or deadline dates for this or that report.

Time is my own. My own waking and napping and sleeping. And much as a spoon embracing another, I meld myself to Jed’s time. To having breakfast, and pills out to swallow, and coffee made. But even in that, there is no have-to. Just that it’s there within a window that is morning, as distinguished from later in the day.

Feeding the cat is kind of the same. Our new guy, Sugar Ray, waits patiently. Just needs my attention once I stroll into the kitchen area to set up his morning can of something tasty. And of course some pets and a bit of play, but no alarm needed.

I think it was late June before I grasped that I didn’t have to do anything. That my rigid plans for execution of this or that set of chores was no longer necessary. Rather, I could sit with a coffee and watch the plants. Watch the way the clouds swirled to the left of the Brooklyn Municipal Building (The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Building I should say) as I cock my head to the right looking out the window.

And then the writing started to come.

I’d started Journaling on Saturday, February 27th. By summer it was pretty much every day in some form or another. I journaled, wrote haikus, posts for the blog.

As the summer moved forward, little bits of real writing started to come through.

That practice has nods to time in that I try to set aside segments of the day to write, but even with self-imposed deadlines, there is an ebb and flow to it that seems outside of the world of work. The impositions that trading time and energy for the cold hard reality of a pay check can bring. Those have-to moments, when perhaps you don’t have your heart in it, but have-to anyway. Face getting reprimanded in one form or another for not adhering to the schedule of nine-to-five work and all of its incumbent responsibilities.

I see that most clearly in the changes to relationship. Where folks who formerly worked for me can now be friends. How the static of “boss” has taken some time to unravel. Almost as if we have been collectively taking a hatchet to the fences around us, as so many booby traps to our communicating in any real or meaningful way. This year has brought me the understanding that I can freely roam in my own thoughts and on my own tangents without owing anyone anything. Yes. I get up in the morning, but the clock is internal. And while my writing projects, and such things as the WAAR Room podcast have certain time constraints, each moment seems ripe with possibilities.

My life has become a series of wonderful options and opportunities, and for that I am truly blessed.

Boxing Saturdays

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Double end bag, Gleason's GymI admit to a certain inconsistency when it comes to my boxing training at Gleason’s Gym. Most weeks I am there two days a week, trying for Monday and Thursday mornings, but this week, as with several other weeks this Fall, days slipped away from me. And so … I found myself at the gym on a Saturday morning for the first time in months.

For many years, Saturdays were my mainstay of boxing. I’d drop my daughter off at her Aikido dojo for her three hour class and then make the quick dash to Gleason’s to train before turning back around to make the pickup.

Sparring at Gleason's GymThose were sacrosanct hours. Gleason’s was on Front Street then, the space encrusted with decades of sweat, grime, and hard work, and yet still cavernous.

Getting there by 9:30, my trainer, Lennox Blackmoore and I had our standing date to spar. We’d grab the little ring which remained pretty much unused at that time of the morning, and became so much “our” space, folks who thought to use it would immediately vacate when they saw us gear up.

It was a lot of fun.

Fun in learning the intricacies of the game. How to feint. How to double jab over the guard followed by an overhand right. How to throw a quick jab to the body when Lennox tried to trick me by switching to a south paw stance. Oh, and how to take a punch, which was way too often because I never could get the hang of slipping well or knowing when to put on my ear muffs.

Saturdays also had a lot of camaraderie. Sure there were pro fighters, but there were a lot of folks like me. In love with the sport and with the sense of boxing as a family. And so we would nod and acknowledge each other with waves, and “hi ya’ doing champ,” fist bumps, and mostly a lot of acknowledgements of the work being done. Of progress being made. Of dedication. Of the process of perfecting the lexicon of the sport as both science and art.

Next month will mark twenty-five years since I first started boxing at Gleason’s Gym. I trained with Johnny Grinage then–about as old school a trainer as one could get. We bonded over our mutual love of bebop, and I didn’t even mind when he’d tell me the same Miles Davis or Wynton Kelly story for the umpteenth time. When it came to boxing training, however, it wore out pretty quickly, so after about 8 years of on and off training, I switched to Lennox.

Lennox Blackmoore, Trainer, Gleason's GymI feel kind of proud of the fact that Lennox and I are still at it.  We haven’t sparred since before Covid, but have talked about restarting. After the switch to Water Street, Lennox even got up at the unthinkable hour of 5:00 in the morning (or frankly, never went to sleep), to train me at 6:30, before I went to work. Now that I’m retired, we tend to meet up some time between 9:30 and 10:00 and have not yet gotten back to our pre-covid three day a week schedule.

Neither of us is young, or as spry, but the fun never stops, and there’s always Don Saxby, another mainstay cheer leader of my old Saturday mornings to keep me sharp on my skills when I need a different view of the game,.

Telling the truth

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I’ve spent a lifetime as the world’s best mask.

My old analyst Ralph figures I took one look at my very young, eager parents and said, “Whoa, keep you own counsel, sweetie,” and so it went.

There was the time I was 15 or so playing the trust game on a sidewalk near school when I fell back and suffice to say, my pals didn’t catch me, which meant a hard crack on the back of my head and lots of stars, but at least no blood.

And so things continued to go. Trust just a five letter work that spelled n-e-v-e-r.

Well, fast forward a life time, say 50+ years, and I am still wrestling with the concept. With what it means to put things out there. To unravel. To have tears glisten. To yell out, “help.” To not falter.

Sparring with Lennox Blackmoore, Gleason's GymNow, I don’t like getting punched in the face either, but at least I can see it coming, with the exception, perhaps, of a left hook coming at me from the right side. The point being, there is a truth about being in a ring. Yes, skills should be in evidence. A deep familiarity with the vernacular of jabs, and straight rights or lefts, of uppercuts and hooks, and all of the defensive strategies. Of balancing offense and defense. Of knowing enough to hook off a double jab. Of deftly moving laterally and back again. Of making one’s opponent miss and pay. Then at least one is prepared for those moments of truth. For how a doubled up jab goes over the guard. And how that pop to the forehead stuns, and before one knows it, there is a crushing hook to the jaw.

Then truth works.

Makes sense.

Just like my squeaky right jaw from a hook I didn’t defend five years ago or more. I knew it could come, but didn’t defend. Got so stymied by the double jab over the top, I lost touch. Let my right hand come down around my waist with nary a thought to the left hook coming my way. The perfectly timed one that snapped me to the side, and even as I leaped laterally, could still feel my head turning from it.

Truths of the soul kind though. The one’s that leave squeaks to the heart. How much harder are those to face? To come through? To ever let go? To even speak about in any coherent sort of way? I mean it’s all those years later. One would figure it’s time.

Reflecting the positive

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Gleason’s Gym, September 23, 2021


I admit it. Not every day is stellar.

I’d walked to the gym at my usual clip, feeling as if I’d work through my 16 rounds or so with reasonable ease, already planning out the things I wanted to work on: Moving with the jab, followed by a sidestep for a quick right to the body, left hook, straight right combination, before moving on to the next jab. As I shadow boxed, that worked for about a minute of the first round before I started to slow down.

“One of those mornings,” I thought, as I took the pace down a notch.

And yes, Gleason’s Gym was still fairly summer-hot and very, very humid, but today, the stickiness in the air seemed to be getting to me more than usual.

By the fourth round I found I needed to slow it down even more. Still feeling that I could make it work I boxed four progressively slower rounds on the heavy bag and one last attempt at a fifth, making my total nine for the day.  And yep, that was it. I knew I had to call it quits. This was not my morning.

In trying to analyze it, I realized I was still a bit unnerved by news I’d received the night before. Someone I am close to suffered a TIA* – a mini-stroke that left her unable to speak in the middle of a zoom call. She was pretty much back to her self within 30 minutes, but on the advise of her doctor, went to the Emergency Room and was admitted overnight for monitoring and further tests. I had just seen her the week before our first true outing since before the pandemic, so it all came as a surprise. At 76, she is robust, but the reality is at a certain point, things just happen.

As I walked back home, still slow, slow enough that my walk wasn’t even registering as “exercise” on my iWatch, I reflected on it all. I realized that knowing when to pull out was just as important as pushing forward. That there is a moment when the positive of exercise or any of our actions gives way to something that may be less than brilliant. That knowing one’s limits is another aspect of self-care.

So … yes, reflecting the positive sometimes means listening to your body when it says, you are done working out for the day. Time to go home.

There’s always tomorrow.

 

*TIA: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn’t cause permanent damage. Often called a ministroke, a transient ischemic attack may be a warning of a future stroke and an opportunity to prevent it. (Mayo Clinic)

forgiveness ….

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Tonight is Kol Nidre, so named as it is the old Aramaic prayer Jews around the world will sing annulling all oaths and vows made before G-d at the start of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.

If that felt like a lot, believe me, it is a lot. And hearing it sung feels as heart wrenching as it implies as it signifies the beginning of 25+ hours of prayer, self-reflection and fasting–along with entreaties to G-d and oneself to be written into the “good” book of life for the coming year.

This morning, like an ersatz acolyte in training, I figured I would use my time boxing at Gleason’s Gym to clear out my mind for the mental and emotional gymnastics that Yom Kippur would bring.

Meanwhile it was hot, hot, hot and humid, and as I went through my first four rounds of shadow boxing, I became bathed not only in my exertions, but a less than charitable feeling as I angled for the portion of the ring underneath the overhead fan against all comers.

“Oy,” I realized, “Yet another thing to seek forgiveness for.”

Still, by the time I was on the focus pads with my trainer Lennox Blackmoore, I was indeed more in the moment, less concerned with the fan, and working on the exact angle of my head as I dipped under to bob and weave among the other technical corrections I was seeking to make as we trained. I even felt like I could go for a fifth round of pads, and although I gulped sips of water between rounds, and I was just short of panting, whatever it was I was aiming for in the “clear one’s mind department” was starting to kick in.

But that doesn’t mean I was really any closer to getting the whole forgiveness thing.

Sure, I can forgive another their “trespasses” and mostly do. I work hard at that and do bear it in mind not to attach to the behavior of others even when it violates me to a degree. But I do bump up against things. The “big” violations that become harder to deal with. Frankly, the closer they are to my core being, the harder those, “I forgive you,” words become. And then I also have to wonder where the line is between not attaching to the behavior of others and the psychological state of disassociation I have entered into from time to time over the course of my lifetime from the deep pains and in some cases emotional trauma those acts have caused.

All of that is difficult and can set-up a spiral of clarity to defensive posturing as a tornado of the soul. But that is not my understanding of what the day is about per se. Rather the purpose is here and now–and has less to do with forgiving others than calling out oneself for the crap we’ve pulled all year, such as how not forgiving another may have set up behavior we need to ask forgiveness for. Subtle. Yes. But that’s the point. It’s all about one’s own behavior.

I hogged the fan in the ring… I was snippy to my husband… I didn’t take my friend’s mother’s call… I removed someone’s laundry from the dryer… I said I was going to make dinner, but binge-watched The Bad Batch instead.

We are talking countless acts that I will have to pound my chest about.

But it will be the deeper reflections that I have to really sort out:  Can I forgive myself for being me? For being less that perfect? For thinking a thing, but not always doing it? For my humanity? And frankly, to my mind, for those acts where I cheated myself?

I am grateful for the chance to renew myself. For taking a day to cleanse as I go forth into whatever the next space will be. Will I be perfect at atoning? No. I can’t even say for certain that I will fast for the full 25+ hours or stay online for all of the prayers. But I do forgive myself that. It’s my intentions that truly matter. My intentions for a good and full year doing all that I can to live my best life.

I will close with this:

To those I have wronged, I ask for forgiveness.

To those I may have helped, I wish I had done more.

To those I neglected to help, I ask for understanding.

To those who helped me, I sincerely thank you …

Gmar chatima tova – May you be inscribed in the book of life for good.

Cantor Josef Rosenblatt singing Kol Nidre from a 1930 recording.

Last rounds of the year …

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I had a good boxing workout this morning at Gleason’s Gym, aided by the fact that I had a decent sleep for a change.  My work out was my favorite, four rounds of shadow boxing, four on the focus pads with my trainer Lennox Blackmoore, four rounds of the double-end bag, and finally four rounds on the speed bag.

There was something comforting about being back to “normal.” Yes, I tried to keep to my “wear a mask at all times” mantra, even in a gym where everyone is vaccinated, but it was still pretty hot and humid, and eventually took it off in the midst of my rounds with Len because it was getting too hard to breathe.

If that is the worst I ever have to deal with — all I can say is wow, what a great life.

And really, as I am at the start of the rounds of examination I will go through over the next ten days starting with tonight’s first night of the Jewish New Year’s process and ending up with breaking the Yom Kippur fast, the workout I had today was just a light flurry of facing up to moments of truth.

Because that’s really what it is all about anyway.

Avoiding the easy path of cheating at solitaire.

You know … pulling from the deck when you’ve already lost … as if no one will notice!  Kind of like that. And it’s the same thing in the ring. You can throw the jab with authority and energy, mindful of your stance, of how you move forward, of how you hold your opposite hand to protect your head. Or not. One gets you to the truth of your capabilities and of what you need to do to improve, and the other cheats it.  Doesn’t get you forward at all. Says, I’m pulling from the deck.

We all do it … all the time, whether knowingly or not. The trick is pushing forward anyway. Owning up. Facing those demons of crap you pull, mostly on yourself, but to others as well, and understanding what the motivations were, how you got there in the first place, and what you can do to make it better. To manage the process of moving forward with your life.

Jewish New Year, Tashlich, or the throwing off of sins symbolically by tossing pieces of bread. Williamsburg Bridge, Brooklyn, 1909, Photo Credit: The Bowery Boys

I do have it in mind that in Jewish tradition, this next ten days is a process of unburdening and in so doing, sealing our collective fates for the next year. Will you live? Will you not? Will it go easy or hard?

I’m not certain that I buy into all of that, but I do believe that our actions foretell our futures. That cheating at solitaire doesn’t mean we have “won” our games, only that in so doing, we have denied ourselves the satisfaction of the real wins when they finally come, whether that is throwing a jab worthy of it’s name or facing up to the myriad of truths that life throws at us and coming through it a more enlivened human being.

I wish everyone sweetness, peace, and an easy passage to the enlightenment that living in truth can offer.

Happy New Year – Shanah Tovah!