The holidays are a time when people seem to give the most generously of themselves in so many ways. Unfortunately, the need continues to exist for people and organizations everywhere, even after the calendar turns over a new leaf. After the gifts are all unwrapped, and the colored lights are packed away until next year,  there is still plenty of time and plenty of necessity for those who wish to give of themselves. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's time, sometimes it's a hand or an ear or a voice. This week we will talk to a variety of people who are giving in some way, or making it possible for others to do so. So spread the word, share the information, and by all means if you possibly can... give! 

YOU RECENTLY TOOK PART IN A CHARITY EVENT, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS?
"I took part in the Polar Plunge On New Year’s Day (along with my oldest daughter, Lexi, 20: younger daughter, Billie, 17, served as “official photographer” and organizer!)."

WAS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT?
"It was my first time participating in any sort of “polar plunge.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?
"I loved the event, and feel that it barely scratched the surface as to how big it could be. I understand that similar “plunges” went on in Brigantine, Margate and other beach locations in the immediate area, but feel that this infrastructure was not taken full-advantage of. I have some definite ideas as to how this particular plunge could be both larger and more lucrative."

CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT, WHO THE EVENT BENEFITTED AND WHAT YOUR VISION IS?
"The event benefitted MS. I have two dear friends, both young, in 40s and just turned 50, suffering from MS. I’ve seen the effects, read about the condition, and wanted to do something to start the new year to “pay it forward.” I also see permutations of a charity that my daughters and I launched in memory of my wife, “Have a Catch for Barb” — it is catch related, and I envision lots of catches prior to running into the ocean…"

The holidays are a time when people seem to give the most generously of themselves in so many ways. Unfortunately, the need continues to exist for people and organizations everywhere, even after the calendar turns over a new leaf. After the gifts are all unwrapped, and the colored lights are packed away until next year,  there is still plenty of time and plenty of necessity for those who wish to give of themselves. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's time, sometimes it's a hand or an ear or a voice. This week we will talk to a variety of people who are giving in some way, or making it possible for others to do so. So spread the word, share the information, and by all means if you possibly can... give! 

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND THE NAME OF YOUR CHARITY?
"My name's Dave "Bear" Scheuring. The name of the organization is Hogs and Heroes Foundation. I'm the President of the PA2 chapter."

WHAT DOES HOGS AND HEROES BENEFIT?
"It was set up to benefit first responders (police, firefighters, EMS) and the military." 

WHAT DO THEY DO FOR THEM?
"We hold events to try and raise money to donate to other charities that benefit these folks.  We're a 501C3 organization. We can donate directly to other 501C3 organizations. We go out and find those organizations that do things more directly for the welfare of first responders and military and raise money for them. The way the laws work for non profits, we can't donate directly to a single person, we have to donate to larger organizations. Then it's up to the charities we donate to to decide where the money goes. For instance, we just did a crab cake dinner to raise money for an organization called Operation Homefront. What they do is take care of the families of currently deployed military. They'll do things like buy a new transmission for a car of the wife of a deployed gentleman cause she's gotta take kids back and forth and work. We found them recently. We look for organizations that coincide with our mission and work hand in hand with them." 

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET INVOLVED WITH HOGS AND HEROES?
"Personally, I was looking for something to do with a motorcycle organization. I fell upon this when I went to a beef and beer, at this chapter, for a military vet that got injured in a motorcycle accident. I was just going to be supportive of their efforts and ended up talking to the folks that were running the chapter at the time. It seemed like a great opportunity for me to belong to something that both involved the motorcycle aspect as well as a charitable organization of something I believed in." 

HOW LONG AGO DID YOU GET INVOLVED?
"About a year ago." 

HOW DID YOU WIND UP PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER AFTER ONLY A YEAR?
"There was a lot of turnover. Some people left due to moving out of state and it left some vacancies in the structure of the organization and I ended up being appointed Vice President of the chapter relatively quickly after I joined based on recommendations from friends of mine that were in the organization. The term of our President was up in December and I guess some of the folks that have gotten to know me over the last year or so came to like the things I'm trying to do with the organization. I was nominated in November and voted into the position in December." 

IS THERE ANY ONE EXPERIENCE THAT HAS STOOD OUT TO YOU SO FAR?
"Yes, there is. One of the things we do is moral support capacity (in addition to fundraising capacity) that we call escorts. We will escort young military folks on leave from the airport to home. There's a situation where they take veterans from this area down to Washington to visit the memorials. When they were coming home, I was involved, with about 200 other motorcyclists, in escorting them from Delaware state line to Springfield, PA where they were meeting for a dinner on their way home. It was a humbling experience to travel on the Blue Route, which was shut down in order for us to escort WWII vets and their families. To see the support from fire companies at every overpass, the support of other motorists on the road on the other side...  Personally, I had an experience with a gentleman that had gotten off the bus. He took the time to come over and shake my hand and thank us for what we had done that day, which was very humbling cause all I had done was ride a motorcycle which is something I love to do on any given day. What these gentleman had done years ago in their lives for us to be able to live the lives that we live...for them to come thank us is a wonderful feeling. It's was the one time that solidified me knowing that the decision I made in joining this organization was the right one."

CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED IN THIS ORGANIZATION IF THEY AREN'T MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS?
"The organization was started by a gentleman that was a motorcycle rider, but we have different classes of members in every chapter. There's a full member, a riding member and we also have associate members who are non-riding members that want to belong to the organization and be hands on doing what we do, and we have junior members who are under 18 that want to get involved early. Whether you ride or not, you're welcome to join the organization. There are some positions within the organization that you have to be a motorcycle rider to hold. Our chapter is split up about 60/40 of riders and non-riders. So basically anyone that wants to be involved can be. We're always looking to expand. Currently there's 3 chapters in Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Delaware County, and my chapter in Montgomery County based out of Bridgeport) and we would love to have a number more. There are things that have to happen in order to start a chapter. You have to have a certain number of people and riders to start the chapter. They can certainly contact me and I can get them in touch with the right people to do that." 

DO YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS COMING UP YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT?
"We're in the works of putting together a blood drive that we're hoping to do on February 28 which would be held in Conshohocken. There will be more information after this week about that. It'll be on our website as well as our Facebook page." 

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN THIS ORGANIZATION?
"Take a look at the way the world's going, not only in our area but nationwide, with our first responders and our military and notice there's a need. These folks have needs and they need some support from people. If that's something that drives you and you have strong feelings for, this is certainly one of the many organizations you can get involved in to put some action behind those feelings." 

To learn more check out these sites. Please be patient, someone will respond as quickly as possible. 
www.hogsheroesfoundation.com (main site)
www.hogsandheroespa2.com (Dave's local chapter)
You can also link to Hogs and Heroes pa2 on Facebook. 

The holidays are a time when people seem to give the most generously of themselves in so many ways. Unfortunately, the need continues to exist for people and organizations everywhere, even after the calendar turns over a new leaf. After the gifts are all unwrapped, and the colored lights are packed away until next year,  there is still plenty of time and plenty of necessity for those who wish to give of themselves. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's time, sometimes it's a hand or an ear or a voice. This week we will talk to a variety of people who are giving in some way, or making it possible for others to do so. So spread the word, share the information, and by all means if you possibly can... give! 

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE CHARITY EVENT YOU TAKE PART IN?
"Sure. I took part in an event for Covenant House (last year, for the first time), which is an organization that opens it's doors for homeless youth. The actual event is called "The Sleep Out". Every year, different people get together and raise money for homeless youth. Usually in March, we go to the outreach center. This year I'm doing the one in Philadelphia (last year she did it in NYC). People get together and we sleep on the street outside the shelter. Primarily, it's to raise awareness for people passing by, but it's also for the kids, the kids that live there. To show them that people do care. That we're willing to sleep on the street and be uncomfortable, even if it is only for one night, to show them that there are people that care and support them. It just gives them a little hope and courage."

ARE THEY RECEPTIVE TO YOU? DO YOU THINK IT REACHES THEM?
"Absolutely. Everyone that's participating, usually gets there around 7:00 pm. We get together, people from all walks of life. We all kind of mingle, talk about anything. Then we all go inside the facility and there's a ceremonial type of thing. There's chairs set up and all, and a couple of the kids that live in the covenant house and have used their services, who were once on the street and homeless, get up and tell their story. It's pretty awesome. There's little workshops where we get to break down into smaller groups and talk one on one with some of the kids. (Find out) what their struggles are, how they became homeless, where they're at now in their life. Some of their stories are absolutely amazing. Some of the kids are runaways because of horrible situations at home. Some of the stories are tragic. When it comes to kids, there's a special place in my heart because to them, at that age, the streets were a better choice than they're home environment. It's devastating." 

WHAT'S THE AGE RANGE OF THE KIDS?
"The kids that I met last year, ranged from 14-20." 

DO THEY HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AT ALL?
"I guess it depends on each particular case. We were asked, obviously, not to take pictures with any of the children in case there is a situation where someone out there may be looking for them (in a negative way). We were allowed to take pictures of ourselves outside and all of course though." 

HOW MANY OF YOU TOOK PART IN THIS LAST YEAR?
"Last year it was me, my friend Nicole Fox, who I absolutely have to acknowledge. She's a good friend of mine that works at the Covenant House in Philadelphia. She was the whole reason I started helping with this organization and charity. There were about six of us. Between us, we raised $11,000. It was pretty amazing." 

THAT'S INCREDIBLE! HOW IS THAT MONEY ALLOCATED?
"It keeps the lights on in the facility. It provides food and shelter. (Provides) bedding, essentials like toilet paper, conditioner, etc. Like when Nicole got started, she would drive a van around and pick kids up off the street to bring them to the Covenant House. When they're there a little while and stable, they provide medical services, therapy, education, trying to stabilize them to send them on their way so they can live a happy, healthy life so they don't go back to being homeless." 

DO THEY HELP THE OLDER ONES WITH JOB PLACEMENT?
"Oh yeah. There are services like job placement."  

HOW LARGE IS YOUR TEAM THIS YEAR?
"So far there's 7 of us. We're hoping that we'll grow in numbers and donations." 

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE LAST YEAR, SLEEPING OUT?
"It was amazing. I didn't know what to expect. I was excited just to raise the money and then it was time. We met up at Nicole's house and drove up to New York. We drove up with a bunch of people, it was a kind of chaotic. It was pretty amazing. They gave us cardboard boxes to sleep on. I brought extra clothes. I put on a bunch of layers. It's not the same experience as being homeless cause you're surrounded by a bunch of your friends, and because it's for a good cause, you're happy and excited. I actually did wind up getting sleep that night. I was able to bring as many layers as I wanted, whereas these children don't have that many layers. They may not be able to find that many clothes. They're not surrounded by their friends. They're not laughing and joking. They're under a stairwell somewhere alone, scared and frightened. It's more about showing these kids that there are people out there as opposed to feeling what it's like to be homeless for a night cause there's no comparison. I would (and will) do it again in a heartbeat." 

WHY DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN NEW YORK'S LAST YEAR AND NOT PHILLY?
"No real reason. That was just what Nicole presented last year. It was just the way it happened. But me being from NY, it meant even more to me. Having all my friends from Philadelphia drive up to NY Covenant House made it a little more special for me. There's 27 different locations around the country, Canada and Latin America. This year we're doing it in Philly and maybe will again next year, or who knows, maybe we'll pick another location." 

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH RAISING FUNDS AND AWARENESS ABOUT THIS?
"When it comes to homelessness in general, but especially homeless youth, people don't wanna think about it. It's kind of out of sight, out of mind. I've even found that when using social media, like Facebook, that it didn't grab as much attention as if I were to post a silly article or a picture of a cute kitten. For example, last year, for a different organization I was posting about, it barely got any attention. Then two seconds later, I put up a profile picture of myself that received about 80 likes, whereas the fundraising post only got about 4 likes." 

EVEN IF SOMEONE CAN'T AFFORD TO DONATE, IT COULDN'T HURT TO PASS IT ON TO SOMEONE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO AND JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARTICIPATION. 
"Yes, even if my friends just share the link, I'd be so grateful for that. The more people who see it, the more awareness there is. Part of the sleep out for me, and you have more than 200 people sleeping on the street, people that are walking by, the pictures that are being taken, it's making it more real. I think because it's not my sister or father or niece or brother that's on the street...if I posted something like "can you please help my brother who's homeless and on the street", I'm assuming there'd be a crazy amount of people to support me. Like I said, out of sight out of mind. It's not personal." 

WHAT MAKES THIS CAUSE SPECIAL TO YOU?
"Living in Philly, I'm sure you're aware, there's always people asking for money, panhandling, asking for cigarettes.  A lot of people out there get mad or upset about that. And that's fine. But for some reason, I just have a sense of compassion for these people. Everybody has a story. When you see alcoholics or addicts on the street, a lot of times people don't wanna give them money and I choose not to either. We feel like they're just gonna use that money to buy more liquor or drugs, so I'll give them a bottle of water or something along those lines.  There's a special place in my heart and I think some of that is because of my background. 
Part of my background is that I am an alcoholic and an addict. I'm in recovery and just celebrated 6 years sober. I've been there (homeless) by choice cause that's where the drugs took me. I had a mother, a home, a family, but there were nights that I did end up on the street cause that's just where the drugs took me. Again, that was by choice just because I didn't wanna be at home. I had a warm home, a warm bed, a loving mother, food in the fridge. So I can't even imagine the abuse that goes on that these kids will run away just to get away from. Especially in the streets of NYC. Even Philly. It's scary out there. There are neighborhoods that I wouldn't even alone into at night. And these kids are sleeping on the streets, trying to find their next meal or trying to find a warm coat or blanket and they're alone and scared. It breaks my heart. 
A lot of people on the streets are drug addicted or suffer from mental illness, and I feel that more people need to be aware of them or have some more compassion for that. Everyone has a story. As an adult, you kind of make that choice, even if drugs and alcohol are involved, you're old enough to utilize services on your own. Children are not able to make those choices. So places like Covenant House are absolutely crucial for helping the children." 

DO THEY GET ANY FUNDING FROM THE STATE?
"I don't think so. They're the largest privately funded charity in America. I like people to know that they're also work to stop human trafficking in exploited youth.  They hold a lot of workshops to try to bring that to light. That's even more hush hush or not so in your face, the trafficking that goes on. It's something we'd watch on a documentary on Netflix, but it's happening right here in Philly. Before I did the sleep out last year and before I really started looking into this organization and becoming a part of it, I did not realize the amount of children that are trafficked and how big a problem it is. We don't think that happens here." 

CAN ANYONE JOIN YOUR TEAM?
"Yes, I'll give you the links (see below). Then on March 20, we all would go down to the Covenant House of Philadelphia which is in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, and sleep out. And I guarantee it would be the most satisfying, rewarding experience you'll ever have. It's for the kids and looks on their faces are priceless." 

How you can learn more and/or to help:
To join or donate to Babz's team, the 215 all stars, click on this link:
http://covhou.convio.net/site/TR/SO_YoungProfessional/SleepOutYoungProfessionalEdition2015?px=1812311&pg=personal&fr_id=1464

To learn more about Covenant House:
http://www.covenanthouse.org/

And check out this video to learn more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk4wbek6UYo

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
"I manage a spa/salon inside a resort hotel/casino. I am also a licensed massage therapist and I teach yoga."

SO YOU GET A LOT OF EXPOSURE TO PEOPLE TRYING TO BETTER THEMSELVES IN VARIOUS WAYS?
"Oh yeah. I mean, the people who are coming to the spa are usually on vacation and looking for a massage or a facial or one of the premium services we offer (mud wraps, seas weed, hot stone, etc.) It's more of a one or two shot thing. Sometimes they come in for hair or makeup for events, but mostly it's a relax and pamper thing."

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE RESOLVE TO SPEND MORE TIME PAMPERING THEMSELVES IN THE NEW YEAR?
"I think. I mean it's probably a good resolution to make. Resolving to spend more time, not necessarily on your appearance, but just on your self overall. Making time for yourself. Doing something that isn't a necessity, but strictly something extra or special just for you. I definitely think that is a good resolution to make."

HOW ABOUT WITH TEACHING YOGA? FITNESS AND HEALTH IS A HUGE RESOLUTION THIS TIME OF YEAR ISN'T IT?
"The biggest I'm sure. I have a big surge in clients the first few weeks of January. People say, okay, I want to get fit. I want to lose 10 lbs. I want to fit in my skinny jeans by spring or in a bikini by July! Yoga is a great way to do that. It improves more than just your waistline. You can lose weight, but you can also stretch, tone, tighten, plus improve circulation, relaxation, flexibility, breathing, and increase self-awareness and self-confidence. My housemate teaches Zumba. Her class is jumping in January!"

DO THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP FOR THESE THINGS AS PART OF A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION STICK WITH IT ALL YEAR? 
"Well, for yoga I see a slight drop off. But, seriously, once you try it and start seeing the benefits, you will be so motivated. In my experience not too many people take up yoga and then quit. I know Jill (housemate) sees that big push in January of everybody saying, my resolution is to lose 10 lbs by March 1st or whatever. Sometimes they stop as soon as they reach their goals. Other times they don't even make it that far. Not that Zumba isn't awesome. It is. I take her class 4 times a week! I just think that people who sign on as part of a New Year's Resolution may not realize what a commitment they are making. I think people think it's easier than it is to be committed to fitness too. It's work. I would think that is true with many kinds of fitness classes. Gym memberships probably go way up in January and I bet a good chunk of those people have quit or stopped going before Easter (laughing)."

WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEE IN THE WAY OF COMMON RESOLUTIONS LIVING AND WORKING WHERE YOU DO?
"Well, the getting fit one is big. Weight loss, flexibility, all of that. I've seen some at the spa who are in getting services because their resolution is to look great at their high school reunion, or to get their ex to notice them and be sorry they left- stuff like that. And I also have people who want to get into massage and things like that because they've resolved to finally deal with their health such as a chronic pain issue. And I of course see people resolve to quit smoking, drinking, gambling, etc. all the time"

DO YOU LIKE BEING A PART OF HELPING PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES AND SETTING AND REACHING THEIR GOALS?
"I do. I like it all the time. I mean, it's more common right now, more discussed. Anytime someone walks through the door of the spa though, they are our guest and we strive to make them happy. That's my job. It's my job to ensure that they get what they've come in for and that they leave satisfied and looking/feeling amazing. But, that's my job. I have to do that. I mean, I like it, but it's definitely slightly different."

HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT'S DIFFERENT?
"Well, when I have people who come in to the spa, I'm happy if they leave looking good. I'm happy if we have them a great facial. I'm happy if they love the highlights that they got. But if someone comes and takes my yoga class and says, wow, this class is great. My resolution is to get healthy this year. I want to be off o my blood pressure medicine or I want to be able to run my first 5K. If I can help people reach their goals, real tangible goals that they've set for themselves, I think that is really amazing."

SO, DO YOU EVER MAKE ANY RESOLUTIONS OF YOUR OWN"
"I do. I make them every year pretty much. I mean, I resolve to do stuff like, drink more water or get an additional certification. I only like to set goals that I am pretty darn sure I can reach. I hate failure. This year I resolved to try to grow the size of the yoga class by double by the end of the year. I like to make goals, long term stuff with long term benefits more so than quick fix resolution type stuff."

WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST RESOLUTION YOU HAVE EVER HEARD IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?
"Oh man. I think it would be the time we had a woman come in with a picture from a magazine. She came into the spa. This was a few years ago now, but it was so bizarre. They were staying at the hotel over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in one of our party package weekend specials. It's funny because the spa treatment was part of the package and it was called like, "indulge your resolutions" or something like that. So she came in, probably 5'5" maybe 5'6". Probably about 165-170 bs, with a large bust. She had long brown straight hair and brown eyes. She handed the picture to one of the hostesses and said her New Year's resolution was "to look as much like this woman as possible". Well, the hostess hands me the photo and the woman in the photo, probably a supermodel, is like 6' tall and pencil thin of course. She has super-short, pixie like, loose wavy white blonde hair and blue eyes. And freckles! Freckles! Were we supposed to pencil them on for her? We just looked at each other like, okay lady it's a resolution not a fairy godmother. So, I have to say they did a great job. I mean they cut her hair, double processed it to light blonde, gave her a facial, the stylist even went online and showed her what she would like if she went and got blue contacts. But she still looked nothing like the woman in the picture."

ARE YOU FROM VEGAS?
“No but I’ve been here 14 years now.”

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
“Arizona.”

WHAT MADE YOU MOVE HERE?
“We came here a lot when I was younger. Just wanted something more exciting. Thought it’d be a cool place to live and work.”

WORKING IN A CASINO DO YOU SEE A LOT OF CRAZY STUFF?
“I see a lot of drunks, some fights, but some cool stuff too like marriage proposals and celebrities, and people freaking out when they hit a big (or even not so big) pot!"

DO YOU GAMBLE WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
“Sometimes. But when you work around it all the time it loses some of the mystique I guess. It’s like maybe you love pizza. You can eat pizza every single day. Then you get a job at a pizza restaurant and work around pizza 10 hours a day. The last thing you want to do is go eat pizza.”

DO YOU EVER MAKE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?
“Not really. I mean, I may say I’m going to try to do this or that, but I never say, ‘okay starting January 1st I am giving up something’ because it never works. I guess I’m not into setting myself up for failure. I'm not willing to take that risk. Not much of a gambler, unless it's for money.”

I’D IMAGINE QUITTING GAMBLING IS A PRETTY COMMON NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IN VEGAS?
“I would say so. But I think it’s a common resolution on a Tuesday too (laughter). I’ve heard a million times people saying ‘oh man I am quitting [gambling]’ or ‘if I just break even right here I will never gamble again’. That’s a great one. It’s like when you’re really trashed and you’re on the floor saying, ‘please God I will never ever drink again if you get me through this’. And then you’re at the bar that next weekend, hell the next night even. So yeah, I hear a lot of people saying they never plan to gamble again but I have no idea how many stick with it. I would bet not many. I obviously did not give up gambling (laughter).

SO IF SOMEONE TOLD YOU THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY HAD TO MAKE A RESOLUTION THIS YEAR, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE?
“Wow, hmmmm, I need a minute. I don’t think I would give up something. I think I would probably resolve to maybe spend more time with my family or something. I hardly talk to my family anymore. They are all still in Arizona except my brother. he’s in New York. I’d probably resolve to call my parents and my sister like once a week or something. Yeah, maybe I’ll actually do that. Thanks.”

WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR'S DAY TRADITION?
"Every New Year's morning, I do the Mummers Parade, where I am a wench in the Froggy Car brigade. They put a bunch of roofers, construction workers and beer bellies in dresses and bloomers. The beginning of the Mummers Parade was the wenches. (The Mummers Parade is over 100 years old.) I got started when we used to hang out at a bar called O'Neal's, which is where we'll be having our between party this year (and last). One of the bartenders we befriended offered to sponsor my friend Victor, and I to be in the parade. We said sure, let's try it out. It was a blast!" 

HOW LONG AGO DID YOU START THIS TRADITION OF BEING IN THE PARADE?
"I think this is my 13th year. I count the costumes, it's hard for me to remember. I was just looking at costumes, because this year is a reproduction of a couple of years ago, and I counted 8 of the dresses but have 13 different parasols (some of the dresses are in storage). When I do the math, I believe this is my 13th year." 

WHAT IS THE DAY LIKE?
"From beginning to end, it's controlled mayhem. It's so much fun. We start out at the clubhouse, where it starts with 2, then 20, then 50, then 800 guys in dresses and parasols. The cool thing is, everybody tweaks their costume a little. Some guys will wear different wigs. Some guys paint their faces differently. Some have the legging socks. Some will have double tiered parasols. Everybody tweaks it just a little. The coolest part is that we go around south Philly to the houses of whoever's members passed away that year and serenade them with the band. We have a little horn section band.  So we go into these little side streets in south Philly and knock on this lady's door, 800 of us, to serenade her for whoever passed away that year. That's why we usually get to Broad Street late and get disqualified every year. It's pretty cool though. Makes ya feel good. It's a little uncontrollable for a while, nobody with a megaphone or anything saying "come on guys, let's go this way!" You just follow the masses till you get to Snyder. When you get there, there's a little box truck with a couple of guys handing beers off the back. It's like a pied piper thing. It's three guys handing beers off one at a time to 800 guys and everybody's filling their satchel. That's how they lead us to Broad St. Once we get there, the truck turns off, cause there's no trucks allowed on Broad St. that day, and then we're there till we do our little march down. I like to stay on the side, play with the kids a bit since they're off to the side. We do our little march down Broad St. It's just long enough." 

HOW LONG IS IT? 
"We meet up with friends around 11-11:30, and then it's about 3 hours of stopping and going. But mostly going. Then we get to stop and watch the string bands. Most of them." 

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER THAT?
"We go to our party which I started about ten years ago when I lived at 9th & Oregon in south Philly. I wanted to have a holiday party, but everyone was so busy during the week. Then I thought "nobody has a New Year's Day party". (Usually I work on New Year's Eve, working a concert). Sure enough, people welcomed the opportunity to get out of the cold for a couple of hours. We drank and whatever. It grew from about 30 people the first time to, the last one I had at my apartment two years ago, 80 people. It was a little too small for 80 people in my apartment. So last year we rented upstairs at O'Neal's and it turned out perfect. About 150 people showed. That's what the owner said. We have a smaller window (that the party will go on for) this year just cause we wanna make the 2 street festivities. We kind of missed our group, Froggy Cars, the last couple of years, cause we stayed at the party too long. So we made it for 2-4:00 this year, so there's plenty of time to get to 2 street (AKA 2nd Street) by 5:00." 

WHAT IS THE 2 STREET TRADITION?
"All of the winners in each category get to march down 2 street. It gets to be like Mardi Gras where it's just a mosh pit of people. It's a lot of fun. Everybody that lives there opens their door to strangers. I've been to many strangers houses on New Year's Day just cause of the costume. They don't let just anybody in. It's a huge party. Whoever won each group/category of the Mummers Parade gets to march by themselves down 2 street and serenade the whole group of people that are down there. Even though we usually don't win, we're the biggest and say "we're marching anyway!" And we do our little march with our band, the people are in the spirit for the rest of the night."

WHERE DO YOU GET THE COSTUMES FROM?
"Each group in every category has a clubhouse. Some are on 2 street, from Washington to Snyder. Walk down there any day and you'll notice that there's all different clubhouses. You go to the clubhouse, usually the Wednesday after Thanksgiving is when they start, you have to be sponsored by someone and give the name when you get down there. Pay your $225 for the year. When you're a member for the year they give you the dress, parasol, the badges, the hat, and there's different events through the year that you're invited to. A night out at the Phillies game, or they'll have beef and beers at their clubhouse. New Year's Day they put a big tent out and have breakfast sandwiches in the morning and coffee. Then when we get back they'll have some little pony beers left over from the truck and a pork sandwich or something. They do take care of you." 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
"It's a camaraderie. You make friends with strangers and you have no idea what they look like cause their face is covered in make up. A few months later you'll be at a bar and will be talking and they'll say "we were in Froggy car together". You're like "ok, if you say so". 

BEING SOMEONE THAT ATTENDS THE PARADE, I'VE SEEN THAT YOU GUYS GET TREATED LIKE CELEBRITIES. DO YOU INTERACT WITH THE CROWD?
"Usually when we finish the route, we go into the crowd. It's good luck to kiss a mummer, so everybody's asking for that. We get lots of pictures with kids, which I'm always happy to stop and make funny faces with the kids that aren't scared to death of you."

DO YOU ENCOUNTER PEOPLE THAT AREN'T FROM HERE OR AREN'T FROM THE AREA THAT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A MUMMER IS?
"All the time. You do a lot of explaining." 

(Note the link above for a full explanation of the Mummers and Mummers Parade tradition) 

WHAT WOULD SAY TO SOMEBODY THAT ISN'T FROM THE AREA BUT IS CONSIDERING CHECKING OUT THE PHILLY NEW YEAR'S DAY FESTIVITIES?
"Hotels still sell out. There are still people that come in just for the parade. It's the longest running parade in the United States. It's a parade for the people. Even the fancy's and string bands, with the beautiful costumes that are real expensive, they're all regular Joe's playing those instruments. There's no professional musicians or anything like that. This is all people that do this on the side. These are your cement workers, your plumbers, the blue collar of the city of Philadelphia that get together and celebrate another new year. You gotta love that part of it." 

As another year winds down, many of us will reflect on what we've experienced and learned over the course of the ending year and will ponder what's to come as the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve.  Some will resolve to make changes that will, hopefully, contribute to a good year.  I'm no different. This time of year makes me reflect on life more than usual. For me, Christmas gets that train rollin. And in case your curious, here's my 2014 life assessment. Maybe you'll be able to relate. 

2014 had a theme for me: Bittersweet. Now I realize bittersweet is pretty much life as a whole, but this year was the perfect example. I took some "nasty falls" this year. But I believe that there were lessons attached to them. 

I've had a business in direct sales since 1999. I love my business, the people I meet, the way I get to make others feel, and yes, the money is nice (and necessary) as well. Over the years, I've earned free cars with my company. Six of them. Pretty sweet for a part time gig! Being a high achiever (where was that part of me in high school?), I earned a leadership position in my company in 2009 where I mentored others to get out of their businesses what they wanted. I enjoyed that position. Then I didn't. I stepped down from my position in September. Some of that was choice. Some was productivity. More hard work was needed to maintain that position, by me and my team. It didn't happen that way. So I kind of lost my job. I also stepped out of a free car. These changes stung. Made me question my worth. I've always loved this business (and still do) so why would I not be performing better? The answer, I believe, was passion, or lack thereof. I lost it. I'm not good at going through the motions. It bores me. Then I don't perform. This is in any area of my life. I've always known that to some degree, but this year it was crystallized. I'm still active in my business, still love the business, my customers, many of the folks I get to work with. I just needed another outlet as well. Something more creative. I've always enjoyed talking to people, hearing their stories. I've loved photography for years.  Then I saw HONY (Humans of New York) and was inspired. That was like something I had wanted to do for so long. Michelle was in a similar boat as me, with variations. We got together to talk about life and how to fill this creative void we both were feeling. I brought up the aforementioned. She loved it too, but we wanted a variation, not a duplication of what HONY was doing. Fast forward, One, Unified was born. Bitter. Sweet. 

Having lost a full time gig, naturally money was lost too. Again, I questioned my worth (in more ways than one). As many of you may know, this can make for a lot of depression and anxiety. Money isn't everything. Money doesn't buy happiness. Money is the root of all evil. But, dammit, we need money to survive. I wasn't pulling my weight. More pressure is on my already hard working husband. We have a kid going to college in the fall. While this problem is yet to be a thing of the past, and as I work to get my business back up to the well oiled machine it once was (with or without the leadership position), we struggle a bit. But I was blown away by the people that came through for us this year. I'm not saying our bills were payed off, gifts were bought for us, college is now paid for, but smaller (I didn't say small) things. Tickets to a concert I/we really wanted to attend. Paying our way so we could enjoy a night out we may not have been able to swing otherwise. Some side work to earn some extra cash when we were really strapped. Understanding and compassion when it was toughest. Some of these friends are people we've known for a long time. Some are people we've only been friends with for a few years. It touches my heart and makes me feel so rich to have people like this in my life. Bitter. Sweet. 

Unfortunately, knowing many people, there's a flip side to that last paragraph and bound to be a little drama. I'm not a fan. Sadly, I've learned things about people this year that was disappointing. I learned that not everyone can be taken at face value. I'm a very honest, sometimes brutally honest, person. You never have to wonder if I'm telling the truth. If the words are coming out of my mouth, it's true. I'm not saying that to toot my own horn, it's just who I am, how I was raised. So I expect the same in return. It just doesn't always work out that way and it's a little heartbreaking when you learn that someone you thought you could trust, you may not be able to. So I've adopted a policy (and this isn't really that new, I've practiced it in the past) to just accept people for what they are. Know that they're doing their best or what they think is their best, but that I don't have to put myself in their space more than necessary. There are true blue friends, fair weather friends, good time friends, and acquaintances. There's people that don't want to be friends, people I choose not to associate with as well. This is a lesson it's taken some time to learn. In years past, I agonized over this. Trying to get everyone to like me. Getting upset every time I was disappointed. I still get upset, but not in the obsessive way I used to. It's a 2014 miracle! But more than likely it's just an age thing. Bitter. Sweet. 

This was a tough year, but I realize not as tough as many others had. (I've had those years too.) But I'm ever grateful for the lessons I was lucky enough to be here to learn. I'm blessed, beyond words, to have a hard working, loving husband that is completely supportive (possibly too supportive for his own good sometimes). I have a funny, intelligent, empathetic, socially aware, caring son that was just accepted into Penn State Abington. No one in my family attended college, so this is kind of a big deal. I'm lucky to have my parents still with me. My sister and nephews and a wonderful extended family. Not to mention a whole other family of friends that are there on a dime when needed. My late uncle Eddie was a very wise man that gave me invaluable guidance and advice till he passed in 2010. He told me all the time, "You can't control EVERYTHING Noelle", as I tend to try to do. I've heard this in my head more this year than in years past and I'm grateful for it. It's rather freeing. 

My goals (or resolutions if you will) for the future, 2015 and beyond? Yes, I have the get healthier mantra so many people resolve to do. It really is important. But mostly I want to squeeze every ounce out of life. To be present in my life. To make good memories with the people that are important to me. To try, no matter what, to find a positive in every situation and person. To continue to earn the right to be called someone's friend. To be the best version of me as I can possibly be. 

I write this realizing just how thankful I am, despite any worries I carry about my future, and there are definitely worries. Grateful for those family and friends mentioned earlier. And I'm grateful for YOU, the reader and the wonderful people that have shared themselves with us (and you). This has been such a wonderful experience and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it with someone. We all do have a common thread and truly are one, unified. 

Another year is drawing to a close. I don't know if it's me getting older or just my imagination, but it seems that each one goes faster than the last. The ushering in of a new year can be different for everyone. For me, I look at it as a good time to reflect. It's a good time to decide what needs changing, to plan, to resolve to do better. And even though it's just a day on the calendar, it can be scary, happy, sad, exciting, and a slew of other things all rolled into one. This year as I say goodbye to the outgoing year, as I reflect on 2014 laid out behind me, I have one main feeling moving forward--- hope. This hope that I have for the coming year is replacing the most prevalent feeling of 2014 for me--- doubt. 

The past year has brought me a lot of the same old, same old... the kid's baseball and softball games, family dinners, Sunday football games, homework, holidays, and the day to day grind that is the life of mother of three. This year I stopped blogging, lightened the load on my freelance work and got more involved in charitable projects and my personal writing. I started running. In May I completed Muderella with some of the fiercest women I know. That was something I never thought I would do. I finally finished the two half-written children's manuscripts that were lurking around forever. Sure they're still collecting dust, but at least they are complete! I even got another few chapters done in the never-ending novel. So, in many ways it was a year of staying still, but also of moving forward (figuratively and literally).

It was a challenging year. It was not, to put it nicely, one of my favorites. It actually started out strong. It was a year of the unexpected! At the beginning of the year I was happy and full of a renewed sense of purpose and joy. I was looking forward to a year full of changes and challenges that, although scary, I was ready to meet head-on. But, as they say, 'the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry' (read as: shit happens, roll with it). The changes and challenges of a promising new year quickly became, like many years before it, one of loss, sadness and yes, pain. I spent more time in 2014 in pain than I have cared to admit, but now I guess it's the time. 

Very few people are happy all of the time. No matter how blessed we are, sometimes it is hard to be the perky, smiling one. It is hard to be the always optimistic, ever-grateful one. And it's even harder to admit when you are not feeling those things, because that is what people have come to expect of you. And when you have been blessed as I have been, with a wonderful family and friends, a roof over my head, food on my table, and very few of the real-life worries that so many must deal with every day, it seems selfish to even admit that there are days when you are just not feeling it. But, I am admitting it. This year I wallowed. I swam in a sea of questions, and confusion, and doubt for a good long while. I questioned my place, my purpose, my life. Most who know me, probably never even realized. And never being one to let my negative emotions show, I wanted to quickly get myself together, move on, and finish out the year strong. I tried my best to pick up the pieces, dust myself off, and jump head first into the rest of my life. I finally got the ball rolling on the business I had started several months prior. I started this site (along with my friend and partner in crime, Noelle). I started making decisions about the next chapter(s) of my life and who and what belonged with me on my journey. With my children to motivate me and to guide my choices as they always do, I pulled it together. Yes, I still have unanswered questions about my path. Yes, there is still an element of the unknown surrounding me in some places. Yes, there are still a lot of choices to be made and things I would like to do. But, there is hope. 

Luckily for me, this is exactly what a brand new year is for! Each new year, a new beginning. Although the year did not finish quite as I had thought or hoped that it would, I did learn a lot of things along the way this year! I learned that you have to walk in your own truth, no matter what that is. You can only be yourself. It is the only way that the right people will come into your life and stay there! And if they walk out, well, it is their loss... perhaps their role in your life was over, or maybe they were never meant to be there in the first place! I also learned that not everyone will be who and what you want them to be. This is okay. I learned that sometimes no matter how much you believe in someone, no matter how much faith you have in them and in what they are capable of, if they don't share that belief, you can not make them. You can try. But more often than not, there will come a moment when you will have to walk away- no matter how much it hurts you. I have learned that some people will judge you by your past- by things you have said and done long, long ago, and by the mistakes you have made, even if you are a changed person. Let them. Their judgments can not hurt you (refer back to walking in your own truth). You are not the mistakes you have made and you should only concern yourself with those who understand that and who see you for who and what you are now! I have also learned, and listen to me closely, that it is never too late to change the road you are on! It's never too late to create a new beginning! And no one is too broken to be fixed! You just have to be brave and take the risks. Some people are not that brave. I hope to be that brave! 

If I had to make goals for the coming year (I am always reluctant to call them resolutions) there would only be a few. One would be to get to know myself better. It's easy to lose sight of who you are when your whole existence hinges on the existence of others. And that ties into my other goal, to say 'no' when I have had enough, to ask for help when I need help, and to understand that I can only control my own stuff. I don't have to be everything to everyone. I don't have to make the best chocolate mousse in the world. It's okay to just make a good chocolate mousse. I don't have to volunteer for every school party and function. It's okay to make it to a few and let the others go. People who love me, people who respect and care about me, they will do so whether I make them cookies or not. It's wonderful to be thoughtful, but it's also important to think of your own needs too. In the coming year I am going to try, for the first time in as long as I can remember, to balance my own needs with the needs of others. I hope that I am successful. 

This year I will have hope in all things. I will hope because sometimes that is what gets you through- looking forward- even when you are unsure. There's a line from one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, that says: hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. Things may not always be exactly what you wanted or how you wanted them, but if you live in hope, you can get through the days knowing, believing that someday they will be. In this I truly believe, I truly hope.

I wish every one of you joy, peace, health, happiness, and yes, hope in the coming year.
Happy New Year!
~Michelle 
  xoxoxox

ARE YOU FROM THIS AREA?
“No. I’m from Atlanta.”

HERE ON BUSINESS OR PLEASURE?
“Pleasure. Here for a week with my sisters.”

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME HERE?
“No. My sisters and I come out two or three times a year. We’ve been coming since ’06.”

HOW DID THAT TRADITION START”
"We came for my older sister’s 40th birthday in December of ’06. We had so much fun that we planned a trip for the following spring. After that we thought it’d make a nice sisters getaway and planned to do it every year, but we kept getting these flight deals and room offers and stuff, so we started coming every winter and every spring. Last year we came out 3 times”

DO YOU DO A LOT OF GAMBLING?
“I don’t know if I’d say ‘a lot’, but I do my fair share. My younger sister is much worse than I am though. I start saving my pennies up about 3 months before the trip and bring out a set amount for gambling only.”

DO YOU STICK TO THAT AMOUNT?
“Not as often as I should, no. I mean, I’m not pawning my ring or anything (laughs and holds up wedding band set), but I’ve hit the ATM a bunch of times when I’ve gone through what I had allotted for gambling money.”

HAVE YOU EVER MADE A RESOLUTION TO TRY TO GIVE IT UP?
“Not really. I mean, I’ve said, ‘oh I’m going to definitely stay within the set amount this time’ about a dozen times, but I have never said, ‘I’m going to give up gambling for my New Year’s resolution’, no.”

DO YOU EVER MAKE ANY RESOLUTIONS?
“Oh yeah. I’ve made the resolution to quit smoking at least a dozen times too. And I’ve made resolutions to go to the gym, give up sweets, take up running, cut back on how much coffee I drink, a bunch of them every year pretty much.”

DO YOU STICK TO THEM, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY NOT THE SMOKING ONE, BUT IN GENERAL?
“Not really. I’ve stuck to some longer than others. The smoking one never seems to last but I try it every year. I made a resolution to go to the gym last year and I did join and I was going like 3 or 4 times a week for a while, like maybe 6 months or so. Now, I go less often but I still go when I can, which I guess means when I feel like it.”

DO YOU HAVE ONE IN MIND FOR THE COMING NEW YEAR?
“I haven’t really thought much about it yet. I guess it’s time. I don’t know. I think I will probably try to quit smoking again.”

DO YOU THINK YOU’LL STICK TO IT?
“No. But, it’s nice to try, right? I mean what do they say? Every cigrarette takes 7 minutes off of your life? So even if I give it up for 3 days that’s like 60 cigarettes. So that’s like giving myself an extra, what, like 420 minutes. That’s better than nothing.”

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS NEW YEARS?
“We all have kids. Mine are teenagers now but I don't really like them going out on New Year’s Eve, so we alternate house parties every year. My older sister, the one who started the whole Vegas tradition, it’s her year. Our kids all invite friends over and hang out and listen to music in the family room downstairs and the adults have drinks and talk and play cards sometimes, and watch the ball drop at Times Square. We live an exciting life. Maybe when the kids are all out we can make one of our Vegas trips a New year’s trip. I bet it’s crazy here on New Year’s Eve. That’d be fun!”

WHAT DO YOU DO?
AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO THAT FIELD?
"I don't call myself a Personal Trainer but rather a 'Fitness Professional'. 
I teach people of all ages, with various goals and backgrounds, how to achieve their desired goals in the most effective plan and execution. I always played sports, since I was 7 years old, and even as a kid I became a leader on my teams because I loved to teach. I carried this attitude into the U.S. Army. 


I eventually became the Physical Training Officer, where my program spread to an entire aviation battalion. After that I knew my purpose was to help the world with fitness and health."

DID YOU REQUIRE SPECIFIC TRAINING?
"Yes it does require specific training. There are too many "personal trainers" who take the easiest route to work at a local fitness club or to freelance. Some are not even certified. There are also many trainers like myself who take the tougher route because we are simply curious about knowing everything. I graduated from the National Personal Training Institute which required 500 hours of practical training along with multiple written and oral exams. After that, I earned my CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) which is the gold standard of certifications. I earned my Masters Degree in Exercise Science in 2012 and I continue to study and have multiple certifications."
    
DO YOU TEND TO SEE MORE "TRAFFIC" THIS TIME OF YEAR, AROUND THE NEW YEAR?
"I always see more gym traffic at the New Year. People mentally see it as a fresh start. Some studies have shown a 33-50% gym membership increase in the 2nd week of January. However 80% of those people fade away by the 2nd week of February."

BEING IN LOS ANGELES WHERE PEOPLE MAY BE MORE IN TUNE WITH APPEARANCES THAN OTHER PLACES, DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE IN THE CLIENTELE AND COMMITMENT THAN YOU'VE SEEN ELSEWHERE?
"Los Angeles is a very big difference than Philadelphia for example. I have a steady clientele throughout the year in Los Angeles because for one reason, the weather is warmer. I would say about 90% of my clients are very committed as I have had some of the same clients for a few years now. There are also many more people with higher income in my area of Los Angeles which also helps. I had to aim for a very specific niche of clients in Philadelphia in order have steady clients which made it more difficult. It is December and 72 degrees out today and I already have two new people contacting me."

WHO ARE SOME OF THE MORE WEE KNOWN CLIENTS YOU HAVE WORKED WITH?
"I am now working with 5 Playboy Bunnies including 2014 Playmate of the Year Kennedy Summers. I have also trained Jeremy Jackson from Baywatch, Loni Willison (Fitness Model), Hayley Hasselhoff, Kevin Dees (Son of Rick Dees), Thor Bradwell (Hollywood agent to Taylor Lautner), a few ladies from the 'Housewives' shows, and more. I have many "behind the scenes" clients such as the producer of The Doctors show and a major Hollywood Movie Editor for 'Trailers'. Universal Pictures also hired me to train the up and coming young stars. There are a few other celebrities that I can not discuss. In 2010, I was a trainer for an auction in Malibu for charity which included stars such as Dick Van Dyke. I also work for the prestigious Jonathan Club. I am not allowed to discuss the celebrities who are members. Of all the high profile clients that I have ever trained, I am even more proud to have trained hundreds of U.S. Army soldiers and to teach hundreds of fitness students from 3 different universities."

WHAT IS YOUR BEST TIP FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO STICK WITH A NEW AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR THE NEW YEAR?
"Fitness is your health and your health is a lifestyle. Don't just exercise for weight loss. Fat loss is mostly diet and exercise helps to aid in fat loss but is mostly designed to improve movement. Focus on improving your movement and performance because it will help you stay on track. Choose short term goals such as improving push-ups and distance on treadmill. If your performance improves it should lead to fat loss. Weight loss begins at the supermarket. Also, your body does not like excuses. It doesn't care that you are too busy for the gym. It doesn't care that you ate a piece of cake because it was a birthday party. You can leave your job or even move to another country but you are stuck with your body until the end so why not treat it the healthiest way possible."

WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU IN 2015?
"I am looking forward to 2015. I recently gained a business partner to create the most intelligent and effective fitness programs and websites for the average person as well as athletes. He is an expert in website designs and marketing with many Hollywood connections. We can reach millions of people and create a brand with my expertise and his trust in me. We will be creating fitness videos with celebrities along with exercise programs and diets. The main goal is to change the world and become a powerful voice in the fitness industry."

                                       Happy New Year! 
The holidays are just behind us and we are moving rapidly into 2015. There’s something about a new year that makes people reflect, regroup, set new goals, give up old vices, and tackle new challenges. It’s just another day on the calendar, no different than any other, but there is something inherently powerful about January 1st. It seems to offer us a brand new start, a clean slate, another chance to do, or not do, the things that we feel need to be done... or undone as the case may be. 

This coming week we felt as though we had to talk about resolutions. Who’s making them and who’s not? What are the most common resolutions people make and how good are they at keeping them? We also touch on a few New Year's traditions that people have. Some you may be familiar with, some perhaps not. 

We invite you, as always, to join the conversation! Have you made any resolutions for the coming year? Do you think you will stick with them? Have you helped someone else achieve their goals? 
You can share your resolution successes (and failures) with us here in the comments or on our Facebook page! You can read interviews all this coming week about the ever popular, often made, sometime even kept, New Year’s resolution and more...
In the meantime, we invite you take this short poll about New Year's Resolutions.
Thank you for your continued support and Happy New year!

WAS CHRISTMAS A BIG DEAL WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?
“It was. Don’t know if it was a “bigger” deal than it is now, but there was more excitement. There was definitely a lot more celebrating than I am able to do now.”

WHAT’S A BIGGER DEAL IN YOUR HOUSE, CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS DAY?
“Day. Christmas Eve is nice, but Christmas Day is a full day together.”

WAS IT THE SAME WAY WHEN YOU WERE A KID?
“Christmas Eve was always bigger to my family, but not for me. Day has always been my thing.”

DID YOU OPEN GIFTS ON CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS DAY?
“When I was a kid we could open a lot, most, on Christmas Eve. Now I save them all for Christmas Day.”

SO WAS THERE EVER A GIFT THAT YOU REALLY WANTED AS A KID BUT NEVER GOT? 
“Not really. I had a Godsend for a Grandpa. He always made sure I was happy.”

IF YOU COULD ASK SANTA FOR ANYTHING THIS YEAR WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR? 
“Oh that’s a tough one! I really only asked for a couple of things this year. I like buying things for my son more. I'm in retail, I can always use coffee. Starbucks gift cards maybe?”

SO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE ON THE NAUGHTY LIST OR THE NICE LIST?
“I don't think I’ve seen the nice list since middle school."

Do you celebrate any winter holidays? 
"I grew up celebrating Kwanzaa just cause my parents were into Islam when me and my brother were born. So we did that in my early childhood up until the time my dad died. When that happen, thirty years ago yesterday, when he passed away (I was only nine years old). After that my mom kinda reverted back to Christianity but she gave me and my brother the choice of what we wanted to do. The fact that I was already used to not doing the Christmas thing or whatever, I just never really felt the need to after that." 

Did you continue celebrating Kwanzaa after that?
"Not on a consistent basis. Whenever that time of year would come, my mom would ask us, and it took a while cause by him (his dad) passing away, like a week before Kwanzaa would've started, that kind of made it hard to really get into it. We were used to doing it all together. I think I probably waited till I was a teenager before I really was ready to get into it again." 

What is the custom of Kwanzaa?
"Each day is slightly similar to Hanukkah, where you light the different candle. Kwanzaa is a seven day thing and each day has a different principle. Whatever day that principle represents, you give gifts based on that principle. And it doesn't have a be a gift all the time. It used to be that each person in your family would host a get together. But of course being a work week, what we used to do, was the day, or whatever the closest weekend was, we would have the big celebration. The elders would just sit around and tell stories about the ancestors, how they grew up. A lot of our ancestors, talking about my grandparents, were from down south, so they would just talk about why we should be thankful to have what we have. They had a more difficult life than we did, of course, being that they migrated up north. So the last day of Kwanzaa we'd celebrate with a big feast, kind of like what you would do at Thanksgiving. They always wanted to give gifts to the kids. I thought it was a cool concept. And a lot of the gifts would be hand made stuff and not necessarily something you had to go out to the store to buy. The Grandmoms or the Aunts always made stuff like cool hats and matching gloves. They'd be red, black and green; the African colors. Stuff like that. My one aunt was in ceramics, so she made all of us personalized tea mugs. Every once in a while, the aunts and uncles would buy us toys and stuff, but for the most part, they tried to stress that handmade stuff is more important. Like when we made cards for our parents when we were little. It's more valuable. I got stuff from my kids now on my refrigerator from when they were little. So, that's how we celebrated. Some people you talk to may have done it a little different but it's all based around that same concept." 

Getting to hear those stories from our ancestors is invaluable, isn't it?
"Yeah, and fortunately I still have one grandparent left. My Grandmom turned 95 in October. Still lives by herself in Germantown (a section of Philadelphia) which is right around the corner from my mom and step dad. On my days off, at least once a month, I go down there and see if she needs anything or whatever. But then just sitting down and talking to her.... her memory's starting to go a little now, but she's still strong enough that we're not putting her in a home. I mean she still lives in a three story house by herself! Same house my mom was born in. Her and my grandfather bought the house in 1955 and my mom was born in 1957. I get a lot of old stories from her." 

Do you still celebrate Kwanzaa? 
"The last time I did it was in 2005 the year before my daughter was born and my son was 5. I wanted him to at least experience it. What would happen was, the family would alternate (who hosted). My mom had it in 2003, then my aunt in 2004 and my turn was in 2005. Basically, it's supposed to rotate where you'd host it about very five years. Once it got to my house, it kind of stopped."

Why?
"You know how some families are? They'll commit to it in October but then when you try to confirm everything and find out who's bringing what....
The way I had it set up was I would cook most of the main dishes and have everyone else just bring the sides. But then people, at the last minute, just checked out. And I just got frustrated and figured I'd just do it with my immediate family since no one seemed like they were interested anymore. My daughter was born in the beginning of '06, and that whole year it was supposed to be at my aunts house. She ended up having a stroke that year, so we were focusing on her a lot. In '07 was when I moved to Glenside from Mt. Airy. I was still interested in doing it, but I think by that time it was kind of broken, so to speak. Then my kids were starting to get into that Christmas mode more than the Kwanzaa mode and I didn't wanna force it on them. Their mom grew up with Christmas so I let them do their thing, basically. This is maybe the second year there's decorations cause my daughter is really into the Christmas decorations and all that. Since we moved up here, I've kind of compromised a little bit. Mainly for the little one. My son's now 14, so he don't really care. We had a little tree last year. We do the stocking thing and all that. And I went to the stores yesterday and got some stuff my daughter had on her list." 

Do you celebrate Christmas with them?
"I guess you could say yeah, but no. My mom would always get on me cause when my son was little, I would tell him about the whole Santa Claus being a fictional thing." 

What made you decide to tell him that at a young age?
"I guess cause that's how my dad was with me and I was kind of glad he did. Growing up in the Islam faith, they don't really believe in fictional Gods. I guess it's sort of similar to Christians when they say like, "there's no God before him". They always thought the whole Santa Claus thing was like worshiping a fictional God. Plus, as hard as me and their mom worked, I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend all that money on gifts and have them thinking someone else gave them to them. (Laughter) We put in all that overtime and stuff for that! So my thing is, I let them do it but I try to teach them the real. Sometimes I get criticized for it, but I just like to tell them the truth." 

Does their mom feel the same way about the holidays as you do?
"No, she always celebrated." 

Does she get frustrated that you're not into the holiday?
"Not anymore. She's used to it by now." 

How do you celebrate Christmas Day?
"Christmas Day I'm always home. Sometimes my brother might be in town from Indianapolis. When he is, my mom always has something over her house, so we'll go over there. He'll bring his wife and daughter with him. Othe than that, I'm always home." 

What is your favorite Kwanzaa memory?
"The last Kwanzaa celebration we had when my dad was still here. It was just me, him, my mom and my brother. My paternal grandmother came over, a couple of cousins and we had a nice, big old feast. I was amongst the oldest of the cousins at that time. I was 8 and my brother was 6 and we had a couple of cousins between those ages. The grown folks were doing their thing and all the kids were doing their thing. That was the last one we had and the last one he was alive. That's my favorite one. December of '83." 

"The second one was one I had as an adult. My mom had a big Kwanzaa dinner. My brother was in town that particular year. It kind of brought back the memory of the one in '83, except we were older and my dad wasn't there. It was more people involved. When my mom married her current husband back in '93, he already had four kids so we were like a blended "Brady Bunch" kind of family. They were involved in the whole thing. It was a bigger celebration." 

This week we've been talking about the holidays. If you're kind enough to share a few moments of your holiday with us, thank you. Today, we're sharing an interview with someone who is doubly effected today. Do you have a holiday birthday? Tell us about it. And help us wish Holly a Merry (Happy) Birthday!

How is having a birthday on Christmas?
"I got cheated out of presents all my life. I would get one present, total, for my birthday and Christmas, combined. My mom and dad would get me gifts for both, but everyone else would give one gift." 

How about celebrating your birthday. Was there a separate celebration?
"Christmas Eve my family got together and sang happy birthday to me. We still do it, even though my parents have passed."

If you could give advice to people with a child that has a birthday on Christmas, what would you say?
"My mom, one time, would put numbers in a bag up to 31, and picked one out for July and we celebrated then. Make sure you celebrate. Give a birthday to them."  

What was the best gift you every received?
"A fur coat from Clover. A black rabbit coat my mom got me." 

Was that a Christmas or birthday gift?
"A birthday present. It was something I always wanted." 

Do you still have it?
"No. I was like 9. It fell apart." 

How do you feel, as an adult, about having your birthday on Christmas? 
"When you get older, it doesn't really matter anymore. As long as I'm around my family and friends, that's all that matters."