Today is my milestone 60th birthday!

byJeffL61

3.6K followers

Updated 7 years ago

Well today I turn 60! I'm happy for the occasion but also somewhat mind-boggling as well. I remember before I was about to turn 30 back in 1987 the feeling of shock that I was that old. I can of course now look back and laugh at myself as I've doubled that age.

Throughout my life, I have always been haunted by the memory, although a lot of it repressed in my mind concerning the actual day of the JFK assassination. A WA member a few weeks ago posted a dashboard article asking if people, alive then, remembered the events of that day. I contributed a lengthy article in reply to this gentleman's original thoughts.

I am several months older than Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. I believe at the time, then 6 years old in late 1963 when this tragic occasion occurred and aware that President and Mrs. Kennedy had a daughter born several months after I was in 1957, that I was incredibly shocked that this young girl had her father taken away from her so cruelly.

While I simply cannot remember the events that occurred that Friday, (Nov. 22nd) which was of course the day of the assassination, (that being repressed in my mind especially as I can vividly remember events from even a year earlier in 1962) I do remember the processional and burial several days later on the following Monday. My mom who passed away in 2012, was besides herself in grief watching the events on television, (of course an old black & white model) crying uncontrollably. Sitting next to her I distinctly remember that I became incredibly upset myself and began crying as well.

It led to much strife in my life - particularly on the 10th (1973) and 25th (1988) anniversaries of the JFK assassination. It was only because I finally got into a terrific book in 2012 called the "Kennedy Detail" and written by one of the Secret Service agents on duty that fateful day and still alive almost 50 years later when this individual Gerald Blaine co-authored it that I finally was able to both understand and accept what had happened on 11-22-1963. Coincidentally, I began reading this book shortly after my mom passed in March of 2012, as the memory of the emotional turmoil she went through watching the processional on that Monday in 1963 still is with me. The 50th anniversary of JFK's death on Nov. 2013 while sad was not as turbulent within my own being compared to earlier years.

Long story short, and how I can relate this to my business here at WA; last weekend I finally watched on DVD Natalie Portman's sublime acting performance as Jackie Kennedy in a movie which came out late last year "Jackie". Ms. Portman's performance drew raves worldwide from movie audiences and critics. In my opinion without question Natalie should have won the coveted Best Actress Academy Oscar award earlier this year, sorry, but not Emma Stone for her role in La-la Land. I saw that movie, as well. Ms. Stone's performance, in my opinion, paled in comparison to Natalie Portman's stunning performance in "Jackie" and as I soon found out.

So psychologically, I simply could not get myself to go see this movie - that is until around 10 days ago after I ordered it through my Netflix account the DVD arrived in the mail. I then let it sit on top of my television stand for several days until Saturday, last weekend, when I finally put it in my DVD player intent on forcing myself to watch this movie.

I ended up watching this twice. An excellent movie, (one of the best that I've seen in years) and worthy of the accolades that it did receive. Even the background music heard through most of the film is excellent; often somber to depict the mood behind the plot. I could discuss over many written words in this article how in many people's eyes, (including mine) it has been stated that Natalie became Jackie Kennedy during the film - despite the fact that facially there is no resemblance.

In addition to nailing Jackie's distinct New Yorkish accent correctly, Natalie through her acting portrayed all of the different and sometimes conflicting emotions, (shock, horror, incredible sadness, loneliness, self-pity, volatile anger, depression, etc.) that Jackie experienced for days beginning a scant few seconds right after the fatal bullet hit the side of President Kennedy's head. For those who have not yet seen this brilliant movie, the scene in which JFK was shot is quite graphic about 1 hour and 20 minutes into the movie.

I learned that the movie's director, Juan Lorraine carefully selected to make this film would not even consider doing the project unless Natalie agreed to play the role as Jackie. Lorriane felt that no other actress in the world could make Jackie come alive again on the screen as would Natalie Portman.

I took so much away from this movie, with my emotional feelings including one of incredible sadness which still lingers a bit because of those tragic events depicted in the film. What was so incredibly poignant and directly related to running an online business was when Jackie late in the movie was talking to a priest. At the very end of this great movie, it was only then made clear exactly why Jackie was talking to the priest.

During the conversation, Jackie said so much including the fact that she wanted to die as well right after her husband had been fatally shot in the head. Jackie also blamed herself for not protecting the President, although in reality there truly was nothing she could have done as it happened so fast. Jackie told the priest that, despite the fact she was now the single mother of two young children, she was finding it difficult to go on with her life.

The priest then replied by telling Jackie that she now had three choices. Paraphrasing, this priest said that: #1 she could be selfish and end her life - not stating it but thus leaving her kids as orphans.

#2, She could while away her life in misery accepting what had happened to her but doing nothing about it.

Or #3, she could pick herself up by the bootstraps and forge ahead positively in life.

Obviously, Jackie would go on and choose #3 if you consider what she was able to accomplish the rest of her life, also considering how well she did raise Caroline and John.

Life is not expected to be all peaches and creme, hearts, roses and flowers. We all encounter strife in our life, although it may not be what Jackie Kennedy had to endure in late 1963. But, it's a matter of picking ourselves up from the ground when thrown a huge and unexpected curveball. Instead of quitting, forge ahead seeking to have better days.

By the way for those who have not seen the movie, and sorry a bit of a spoiler, the reason why Jackie was with the priest was that she had just had the bodies of her other two young kids who had died hours after being born, (Arabella and Patrick, the latter passing only several months before in the summer of 1963) removed from their original grave sites. Instead, they were about to be interred next to their deceased father's grave site at Arlington National Cemetery with the priest presiding over the very somber ceremony.

Sometimes lately with my business here at WA, it seems as if I've run into a brick wall. But I take away the message that the priest, (played by the now deceased John Hurt in the movie) delivered to Jackie Kennedy at what was her darkest hours in life back in 1963 seen late in the movie. Instead of wallowing with continued negative thoughts in my head about my business and just accepting it as it is, the best choice I have decided to make is #3. Pick myself up and forge ahead looking to take my business to the next level.

Thank you for reading this message and I can add in, "Happy Birthday to me"!!