Question of the Day | 01/08/2009 11:00 pm

'When I grow up ... ' When did you decide upon your career?

Whoopi Goldberg | 01/08/2009 11:00 pm

Whoopi Goldberg Was Born in the Spotlight

Emerging from my mother. At my birth, I looked up, saw the lights in the operating room and said, "This is for me."

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Joan Ganz Cooney | 01/08/2009 11:00 pm

How Joan Ganz Cooney Paved Her Way to 'Sesame Street'

I was working as a publicist for the TV drama series "The U.S. Steel Hour," and had lunch one day with the line producer of the series who told me he was leaving to go to work for the educational station in Boston. This was before public television as a system existed, and I remember my head exploding and saying, "I had no idea there was such a thing as educational television." I knew instantly that whatever it was, it was for me. In fact, there was no educational station in New York. Channel 13 was a commercial station and, as it turned out, a court battle over its future was in progress, as a non-profit group fought and won the battle to have it turned into an educational station. I followed the case as it wound its way through the courts and when I read that the challengers had won, I finagled a meeting with the station manager and talked him into giving me a job as a producer of news and public affairs. A few years later, I fell in love with the idea of turning the tube into a real educator to benefit young children.

5 Comments

Liz Smith | 01/08/2009 11:00 pm

Liz Smith: Journalism Was Plan B

When I was in the University of Texas drama department and realized I had no talent, it seemed logical to go for a Journalism major.

Click here on this text to read my New York Post column.

4 Comments

Mary Wells | 01/09/2009 2:25 pm

The Road to Love? Not Always Direct, by Mary Wells

I had been a child actress and had attended the Neighborhood Playhouse and Carnegie Tech’s drama school and it was assumed by my family that I would continue in the theater.

But while waiting for my husband to graduate I needed to earn a living, and the woman running the advertising department of a retail store in Youngstown, OH, figured that a theater background with the love of writing that had won me a number of awards should add up to a good copywriter in her department – and hired me.

It was love at first sight, meant to be, destiny, all that stuff. I never looked back.

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How great that you can make a living with the arts.’ I am always so delighted when an artist can make a go of it. In the 1940’s when I was in Catholic schools the nuns taught us calligraphy. Hence even if I sign a check I have to use a fancy signature. It is now memorized in my fingers.

By Jeannot Kensinger on 01/10/2009 8:40 am

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Tricky question. Since I was a child I said I was going to be a diplomat. I learned all the languages, I graduated in Political Science & Foreign Relations, and then, as luck would have it, because of a peculiar twist in my country political situation, I switched to tourism. And, you know what, it was a blessing. I had the most exciting career & it was all for the best.

By marta pont on 01/09/2009 11:57 am

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Now here’s a coincidence, Marta. At this time in my life I would love to be a diplomat. I have had so many different careers and each one brought their own satisfactions and dissatisfactions and I’m thankful for all those experiences. Now, however, if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I’d have opted for political science and foreign relations. Am glad for you and your finding something you love.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 01/09/2009 12:38 pm

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Yes, I would have loved to be a diplomat…… I’ll tell you what happened, just a sample of south american stupidity. The year I graduated, it was so messy in Argentina that I was dispatched to Europe for about 6 months. In the middle of my trip, I was supposed to spend Xmas & New Year at the home of one of our Ambassadors in Europe, a sort of relative- I went & after what I saw & heard during my 2-week stay, I decided not to apply to our Foreign Office Institute. Had I followed the natural course of events, I might have been one of the many casualties that happened the following year. He, the Ambassador, saved my life, he knew I would be in danger. I have been forever grateful to him, and as he is still alive & kicking we can still share the good feelings.

By marta pont on 01/09/2009 12:54 pm

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Sitting on the back veranda with my Daddy, holding hands and stargazing. I was 3 years old when I knew that the world was bigger than my own backyard and I just had to see and experience it all!

By HA BIBI on 01/09/2009 1:06 pm

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And you, Lily, are what I would call a mensch!!! Your foray into world religions and philosophy interest me as I, too, got very involved in that. What did you come away with after delving into these fascinating topics? Sorry––that’s perhaps too complicated a question––can you give me a summary? I have looked at your pottery and am very impressed and if I wasn’t in the position of getting rid of instead of purchasing more I would love to have some of your works. You add to the magic in such a lovely way.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 01/09/2009 4:24 pm

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A Druid? Well, maybe––only if you are dispensing your Celtic magic on all those frolicking creatures running around in those woods of yours. Being science oriented, I am continually fascinated by man’s need for myth and legend to carry them through life’s struggle. The world is rich with beliefs and rituals. I also connect to the earth and to those earth worms that are so essential to it. And love–––yes, of course–––always love.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 01/10/2009 5:42 pm

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Lily — what a varied and absolutely fascinating life. I think we may have learned more about each other today than we ever have before. But Thunder Bay made my ears perk up — as you keep going north from Duluth and you eventually get there — it has been a while but our paths crossed in a matter of speaking. This has to be so different than Windsor - so do you like it better, or is it just different? Don’t they have a medical school at your university there? I usually read up before going — but that was a while ago, but wasn’t there a pretty large Finnish population? Do they pretty much keep to themselves - one neighborhood and all - or have things changed over time? We are all so widespread - and yet, yet, we have so many common interests that keep increasing as more of who we are and what we do become known. So near and close in our thinking — and yet so far!!! Thunder Bay - wait until I tell my husband about this!

By joan larsen on 01/09/2009 7:31 pm

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Lovely life, lovely surroundings, doing what you were meant to do and doing it with love, teaching others, surrounded by nature — no wonder you sound so happy!!! And with it all, you have had a wide range of background travel and learning - which I believe means that you hopefully have no regrets as you have run the gamut. What a wonderful gal you are! Six degrees of separation — and I loved that movie also - finds us conversing in print, finding our own common ground. Lovely, and a Godsend I would say. But speaking of that, you just flew over modern dance. Have you happened to hear of Merce Cunningham then - the Martha Graham era but still teaching I believe. If you can believe this one: I was sent to summer camp from an early age - all summer - and began to excell in horseback riding and certainly, my favorite, the backstroke that got me on the university team later. But it was the riding that made my family find a camp in Steamboat Springs, CO - still there by the way - that offered the strange combo of horseback heavily and modern dance. The former was my love, but Merce Cunningham was the modern dance teacher — and how good was THAT!!! He wasn’t at his peak, of course, and the name he became — but who else do you know was taught by a leader in that art? Actually, haven’t thought of that in a very long time — but then no one mentions modern dance either — and then, then, you did. Six degrees … absolutely right.

By joan larsen on 01/10/2009 4:51 pm

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YOu know that Jeannot lilves near Black Mountain College — I looked it up and all the names you mentioned — and the gorgeous Robert Held work — just stunning. But somehow, Lily, I missed what your website is. Could you tell ME as I would love to look! What a life - a lifetime - you have had. What a varied and amazing life — and perhaps it hasn’t all been wonderful, but it seems that way to me. Thank you … it was a whirl looking and reading …

By joan larsen on 01/10/2009 7:53 pm

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http://lilyinthewoods.blogspot.com/ Here’s Lily’s web page……………

By Dona Howlett on 01/11/2009 4:13 am

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Dona — you are home, of course??? And I - who have those powers - deem you our historian of WOW (I can do that, can’t I?) and in the running for “best loved”, “winner of the Ms. Wonderful” contest, and a page of other things. For now … can I just say THANKS and thinking of you in the final phase of Phase 1? Good luck.

By joan larsen on 01/11/2009 8:17 am

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Joan, Thanks for all the accolades…….. For our Tough World Traveler………….you have the sweetest heart. If we had more people like you in this World we would have WORLD PEACE. I, as always send love your way.

By Dona Howlett on 01/11/2009 5:19 pm

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Lily, thank you for sharing. I too love your pottery and your website is a delight. I also learn a lot from your postings. Thank you for that.

By Jeannot Kensinger on 01/10/2009 8:49 am

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Lily thank you for the offer, I may join you one night when I can keep my eyes open longer than 9PM Right now I am still in the state of exhaustion but hope to get back to normal soon. Darn thyroid. I could use one of your affirmations. I am healthy NOW!

By Jeannot Kensinger on 01/10/2009 5:27 pm