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R.I.P. Eddie Fisher — A True Hollywood Legend!

Posted by on October 16, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Eddie Fisher passed away on Wednesday night from complications from hip surgery.  I love the 40′s and 50′s and I’m a fan of old Hollywood, so I wanted to honor his passing in some way here.

ONE80CENTER is located in Elizabeth Taylor’s former home at the top of Benedict Canyon.  We have pictures of her and old lobby posters all over the facility and I found myself studying them more closely this week.  I got a little emotional reflecting on what it must have been like to have been at a party with Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher back in the 1950s.

Eddie Fisher is best known for having been married to Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, and Connie Stevens.  He left his first wife, America’s sweetheart Reynolds, to marry his best friend’s widow, America’s sex symbol Taylor, who then dumped him for Richard Burton.  It’s popular opinion that his career never really recovered after that public relations disaster.

Some of the best footage from old commercials was with Eddie Fisher on these short breaks, called “Coke Time”, which were sponsored by the Coca-Cola. At the time, Coke’s contract with Eddie to promote their product was an unprecedented $1 million dollars.  Pretty amazing.

A final question — Could Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor first have met at a party thrown by the young starlet at her beautiful new home in Benedict Canyon? Is ONE80CENTER truly even more a part of the history of Old Hollywood? As stars like Eddie Fisher pass into history and legend, the stars of Hollywood dim slightly, and we remember his talent and flair with a lasting smile.

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Writers in Treatment — An Inspiring Los Angeles-Based Program About Creativity And Recovery

Posted by on October 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Before coming up to work at ONE80CENTER, I had heard about this organization called “Writers in Treatment” through my sober fellowship.  I had always been curious and after meeting Ashley Dane at ONE80CENTER, I had the opportunity to learn more.  It’s an organization that believes in the power of networking, letting go of anonymity in a safe place where writers can discuss their sobriety, their work and their process for each and how they are related.  They discuss and promote work that exhibits stories written by alcoholics and addicts or about alcoholics and addicts.  There are open discussions and it’s a very safe, inspiring and mentoring atmosphere.

At work, Ashley and I started talking about ways to support a film we had watched that we all loved and wanted to do something for — Ashley then introduced me to Leonard Buschel and we were able to connect Leonard with Thea Maichle and John Chester, the producers of the film, “Lost in Woonsocket”….which may have the opportunity to screen at the “Writers in Treatment” film festival this year…and once again…everything is connected.

That is what recovery is all about for me lately.  The G-d shots.  Finding the through lines where there didn’t seem to be any.  That’s how this program works for me.  Pretty amazing.  Not only am I now involved in this organization but because of the support of ONE80, we were able to help the filmmakers and now these incredible people are all connected to each other and we are all stronger and better because of it.

What’s really amazing to me, is that all of this is how I imagined things to work when I started here.  I believe very strongly in the power of art and to that end, the power of artistic people.  In my opinion, art has more than the ability to entertain.  It has the ability to heal, to inspire, to open up our souls and make us more available to each other and to life experiences.

Listening to someone talk about their program and how that relates to their writing process and their reflection of the work they do, etc. is only part of the experience.  Beyond that, it’s being in the room with like minded people.  Sharing laughter, sharing light bulbs, sharing frustrations.  It’s a meeting.  Of the minds.  And to me, it makes all the difference.

I’m so grateful to work here at ONE80CENTER – a place that thinks outside the box and recognizes the power of creativity and creative people and fosters an environment where we can put these things into practice and literally watch each other and this place grow because we have opened ourselves up and have become willing.

If you or a loved one need help, please contact the staff at ONE80CENTER for help by calling (888) 588-4180!

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Stefanie Wilder Taylor Celebrates Sobriety and Recovery

Posted by on October 7, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Stefanie Wilder Taylor is hilarious.  She’s got a voice that just reaches me.  I love her writing and she has this amazing ability to break heart and keep me smiling at the same time.  I think it’s because of her honesty.  The more honest someone is, the more able we are to relate to them — and she is an open book — literally.

She is the author of, “Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay,” “Naptime Is the New Happy Hour,” and the blog, “Babyonbored.”  She recently gave an on-air interview for 20/20 on ABC where she was very open about her struggles and shared a lot about her experience as an alcoholic and addict and offered hope to many mothers out there who may have been too ashamed to ask for help.

Her story is nothing like mine, but the feelings are all the same.  She is a wife and mother.  I am not.  She drank wine to “relax”.  I drank Bourbon, Rum and Whiskey and then got into fights.  But in AA, we look at the similarities, not the differences — and in that respect, Stefanie and I are practically twins.

I love that someone with such a sensitive nature and such a great sense of humor is out there in the public eye, offering a humorous introduction to the issue — so many moms are at home, wondering if they are alcoholics but are too afraid to ask anyone, for fear of what it would mean to people and to their ability to parent.  So, they stay quiet.  They stay in their disease. Stefanie is a voice that can help change that.  We need more voices like hers.  I’m grateful for her courage and for the laughter and hope.

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R.I.P. Greg Giraldo

Posted by on October 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

The entertainment community has lost a lot of people this month;  Sally Menke, Eddie Fisher, Tony Curtis and now one of my favorite comedians, Greg Giraldo.

Greg’s passing really affected me because laughter is one of the most important things in my life.  The declaration in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous about not being a glum lot is one of the cornerstone’s of my sobriety.  I’ve mentioned in other blogs how important I believe it is to find a positive use for pain and to create art from it.  That is the gift that can come from tragedy.  But this has thrown me for a loop.  Greg was one giving the gift and now he’s gone.

He was respected a great deal by many people and especially other comedians.  I’ve heard people comment on his intelligence and honesty and fearlessness on stage.

This was a great loss to the comedy world and my prayers go out to his family and friends, I cannot imagine the loss they are dealing with.  He was a lawyer before quitting that profession and becoming a comedian.  He had a reputation for being kind and generous and being a mentor.

It was a shock to me because I had heard that Greg was sober and I was not expecting his to be a name that was in the news for an accidental overdose.  Of course, the boards are teaming with comments from people asking what an “accidental overdose” is and there are many people in 12 Step Programs who have, thankfully, responded to those explaining that he may not have meant to take too much.  He may not have meant to check out.  That’s as painful as any other possibility, to me but I know it’s important to say we don’t know what we don’t know.  And it’s just as important to recognize that this is a reminder that we are all, each one of us in recovery, susceptible to this disease no matter how much time we have.  It’s humbling and heartbreaking.

If you would like to do more to help out Greg Giraldo‘s family other than going online and purchasing Greg’s brilliant work, which I highly, recommend, then you may want to look into the fund that has been set up for his three young sons:  http://bit.ly/dt1P2Y or here:

Giraldo Children’s Fund
c/o MaryAnn McAlpin-Giraldo
P.O. Box 1827
New York, NY 10025

His story resonated with me in the article about Greg Giraldo that Esquire magazine featured and I encourage everyone to read the article.  Greg, you will be missed.

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