First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Am I Bitter?

You may NOT want to watch this video. When I saw the Babies trailer a few weeks ago, while captive at the movies, I almost gagged. I can’t think of a film I’d rather not sit through, and that includes Hot Tub Time Machine. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy cuddling with adorable toddlers as much as the next woman, but it’s not how I’d choose to spend my entertainment dollars or time. (Sorry Moms!) And since I’m in a confessional mood, I don’t like cute pet videos, either. Am I missing a goo goo ga ga gene?

Why Me?

It sounds like a setup for a Woody Allen joke. What happens when a Rabbi and a Jungian get together to talk about faith? (Pause for laughter.) But seriously folks, the unlikely pairing of Rabbi David Wolpe and Psychoanalyst Lionel Corbett were brought together by the Hammer Museum for a dialogue about Jung’s illustrated manuscript, The Red Book. My favorite moment was when Wolpe talked about the WHY ME question (with which I’m all too familiar, especially when it comes to not finding a mate). Wolpe is puzzled that people ask why me, only when times are hard. And he should know about hard. He has survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a brain tumor. So what about when life is abundant? “I live in the richest country in the world, and never have to go to bed hungry,” Wolpe wonders. Isn’t that when we should also ask, why me?

Image from The Red Book by C.G. Jung.