I drove out to the beach the other day and I always love the way I feel when I get to the end of the 10 freeway and it opens up to the ocean. It makes the murkiness of Hollywood seem worth it and things suddenly become clear when I breathe the Malibu air. My destination was Pepperdine, a beautiful sprawling campus that sits upon prime real estate where the privileged wrack their brains in their free time to get up out of Mommy and Daddy's grasp. Everyone is good looking and has that sort of California slump to their posture. They can't be bothered and they aren't.
I thought about my cold college days in Boston where I worked a full time job to get through my college experience. I was always hustling. I wouldn't know how to be like these kids. I decided to adapt for the day and I found myself slouching and smiling more without a care in the world. I made my way to the library where I was going to a lecture. I was helping with the event, so I couldn't slouch too much (ha). There were rows of folding chairs lined up and the room could fit about 75 people. The windows in the room went floor to ceiling and naturally there was a view of the ocean. Coming off of my 2 week juice fast, the cranberry ice tea was like crack and I gulped down two glasses before I even enjoyed it. People slowly started to filter in and I realized there were lots of Hollywood heavyweights filling the seats, the ones that make the decisions. I made fast friends with a young woman and secured my spot in a center row. We exchanged small talk about the day. I wondered if I would get antsy sitting through a lecture about the holocaust. I had always been prone to checking out in an academic setting (that explains a lot!) and I suddenly dreaded sitting in the same spot for more than an hour. There was a slight buzz in the air and then our guests of honor entered the space. The air changed, it felt full with more weight. Judy and Bernie had been married for over 40 years having escaped Dachau and Auschwitz respectively and meeting up years later in Munich where they fell in love.
Judy spoke first. She is 92 years old. Bernie adores her still, I could tell by the way he looked at her, it warmed my heart. She recounted the last time she saw her mother and father, it was on the train taking her to the camp. Everyone was getting off the train and it was absolute chaos with the SS guards, pushing, prodding and shooting anyone that misstepped. Judy was 14 years old and was put in a separate car from her parents. Her mother was in a wheelchair and was with all the other "sickly" women. Judy spoke in a low labored tone as she remembered turning around in the middle of the crowd and glimpsing her father, he wore glasses. When she spotted him, she called to him and his glasses were knocked off of his face. She yelled. "Papa , your glasses, you can't see without them." As he bent to pick them up someone had stepped on them. That was the last time she ever saw her father, without his glasses. Next, she heard her mother calling for her. "Judy, where is your father?" "He lost his glasses, he can't see without them." She answered. And that was the last time she saw her mother. You could hear a pin drop in the room. It was sad beyond belief. My eyes were swollen shut and I had so much snot coming out of my nose I had to use my hair to wipe it. I didn't care, I was paralyzed and I couldn't move to get up and get a kleenex. She shared her story for an hour and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. In the end, Judy said she managed to go on and have a life, get married, have children and enjoy it. I will never ever forget this woman. She is remarkable. Her strength is inspiring and meeting her just seemed to reset my whole being. Anytime I start to feel sorry for myself I will remember Judy.
Bernie was next and his approach was more comedic. He recanted his tragedy like that of a stand up comedian. It was just as prolific and brutal but Bernie stood before us so happy to be alive and happy to be in this free country. He was a Nazi hunter and captured many former SS guards. It was like he was the action star in his own movie. This little old man that stood hunched over traveled across continents and looked his abusers right in the face and brought them to justice. He is my new hero. Bernie's life advice was "make decisions, work hard, be proud of this free country and date on the weekends."
I don't want to slouch anymore, I don't want to be like the spoiled California kids anymore. I'm glad I froze in Boston and worked my ass off putting myself through school. Working hard, standing up straight and making the right and wrong decisions led me to Malibu and led me to Judy and Bernie. For this I am grateful.
