About a month ago, I came back from a tour of Sicily. I was there for about two weeks. I did start my tour solo, as I arrived a few days before the tour officially kicked off. I saw a lot before I met my new “family.”
I went to the conference room in my Palermo hotel, and we walked over to a nice restaurant. I sat with some people that I wound up eating with several more times. I was solo. There was one other solo traveler. I was the tour photographer. I wasn’t hired for it. It’s just that I was one of only two out of 45 people shooting with a traditional camera v. a mobile device. I was using a Nikon Mirrorless 7.
Ruins
Sicily is beautiful, I became friends with nearly everyone. Of course, the people originally from Brooklyn and the Bronx were the best. Most people recognized I was from Brooklyn as soon as I started talking. That makes me proud. No other place has the Cyclone, the original Nathan’s, the Brooklyn Museum, and fantastic pizza. Sicily’s pizza is better. Way better. For the record, so is Milan’s.
Pizza made by me
Everyone on the tour was excellent. Yeah, we had some people that I thought were children of the corn. But we all got along and had a great time. We had a WhatsApp group during the tour run by our guide. She was the only one allowed to post.
Most people wanted to see each other’s photos. Someone made a WhatsApp group for us to use once we got home and went through our shots. It took me a few days to edit with Photoshop. But I posted as I edited. For the next few weeks, we swapped our photos and memories. We all commented. I am happy to say people loved my images. We are in a new year and still chatting.
I look forward to my next tour. I hope I can make a new family.
Email has been mainstream in business since the 1990s. As we know, we now have too many other ways to communicate, including but not limited to social media and texting. Remember faxing? Or snail mail? Both are still in play.
As a chair of a community organization and a volunteer in a few others, we generally communicate our business via email. Several of us who are friends often have our own discussions via chat. But all official business is done via email.
We have members who do not have email. They do not have computers. Some are senior citizens. But before we toss in the age factor, I have worked with people in their early 90s to create PowerPoints and run podcasts. They had no issues. Yes, I worked with people much younger who had no clue how to use email or other communication methods. So, age is just a number.
About two weeks ago, it snowed in New York City. It hampered some events. One started at 7:30 a.m. ET. The other was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. ET. We wound up combining our groups. This recent storm was not the first time we have had to take that course of action. It will not be the last. We early birds sat around, and the folks from the later-starting group wandered in. Both groups have their latecomers. Snow delayed some of them even further. A day or two later, I suggested that when we know the weather will not be good, we send an email and make a robocall to let people know we are combining. Several people blasted this idea, saying some people don’t have email, and others don’t want to be bothered by a robocall. I made the case that email has been in play for a long time and that the call was coming from a number we all know. It should not register as a potential spam call, as carriers like to say.
I know people who text to landlines. I still have one. The texts usually arrive in gibberish. As chair of my group, generally start meetings (which are traditionally on Zoom, that’s another issue), reminding people you need to text their cell phones. Some folks love Facebook Messenger. Unfortunately, they do not realize Messenger works on Facebook. Many don’t know that you cannot email Gmail or send SMS messages from Messenger. Don’t get me started on WhatsApp. I think it works great and has its place.
Before I was chair, I was corresponding secretary. I created a form for people to send me via email when they donate. I can take their contact information off it and generate thank-you notes to distribute via email and traditional mail. It is still lovely to receive a personal, warm thank-you note in the mail. One of my chairs used to mail me handwritten notes with donor information. Sometimes he would wait weeks, and I’d get an envelope with 30 or 40 scraps of paper with contact information. This issue severely hampered our program.
The question has always lingered in my mind: What to do? I continue to use email and will call people. But the question will always linger on how to reach everyone.
Guidance can help all of us. It opens our minds. Recently, I spent some time in Sicily. Book your flight. It will be a rewarding experience on all levels – culture, dining, fashion, history, sites, and more. Much more.
On the tour, we had several local guides. One stayed with us for about three days. She gave us a hands-on tour of Mt. Etna, the archeology museum, ruins and the Roman theater. She was a fountain full of knowledge. We first met her at the archeology museum. Keep in mind, I am a member of nearly every museum in NYC and the Smithsonian (which has a few venues in NYC).
Ruins
As we got off the bus and walked out of the museum, I thought, why can’t I do this myself? I do this once a week at home. One thing I did take into consideration was that, at this venue, none of the exhibit descriptors are written in English.
As soon as we walked into the museum, I started learning from my guide. Our guide taught us so many things. We were looking at the Sicilian people’s contributions to water and wine jugs, their creation of safety pins, and cooking equipment. She explained what was going on during the timeframe leading up to the creation of these items.
Listening to her, I realized I must look at museum displays a little differently. She gave a shout-out to the Sicilian art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She spent some time there a few years ago. I was there a few days ago and asked where the exhibits were. I found them. I learned so much more about Southern Italy’s culture than I ever would have on my own. I am now on the path to learn and appreciating it more. So, never underestimate the power of a good tour guide. They can open ancient worlds and teach you how some of what happened affects what’s going on in today’s world.
Jay was still shooting glass at the infants. Marc and Alana were providing cover and taking the hits. It didn’t hurt. Thankfully, most people were stuffing themselves with bagels and lox. No one noticed the kids were under attack. Everyone was too busy eating.
Marc and Alana looked at each other. They knew one of them had to socialize with their family and friends. They both should be doing that. They should be sitting proudly with their beautiful children. Of course, that wasn’t the case. Dispatched to the crowd after losing rock, paper, scissors, Marc began chatting with his and Alana’s parents. They wished the two would wed. But they knew that’d never occur.
Alana turned around for a second to scout out the room. She was ready to unleash wine. As she turned back around, she saw the kids smiling and watched their eyes blink like crazy. She heard them breathing a little heavier. Suddenly, Sarah rolled over and turned into a serpent. She slithers over to Jay and is about to unleash her venom. David Benjamin turned into a whale. The twins in their new forms looked at each other. They then stared Jay down. He flung glass at them. Sarah whipped it back at him, while David Benjamin opened his mouth, displaying his sharp teeth. Jay tried to retreat. Tried he did. David Benjamin whipped his small but powerful tail around and smacked him in the head. At the same time, Sarah released venom into Jay’s leg. Jay hobbled out of the shul. Alana stood in awe of her kids. She needed to show Marc the video she just shot on her iPhone. But first, she had to wait for the kids to turn back into cute little infants.
Think Them Through and Realize How Important They Are
By Mitchell Slepian
Every job has its exciting stuff. Every job has its why am I stuck with this? Sometimes, the latter is what grows your metrics and ultimately your organization’s revenue or reputation. I am sure Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera found specific training or other drills annoying. But they did it, and they have five rings to show for it. I wish they had more.
Back to the real world. We all love it when we score a hit on Dow Jones Newswires, a key industry trade, or when your Instagram and LinkedIn posts are hitting record views and have positive comments. Then there is managing the communication team’s email box. We all know that’s the overloaded inbox with requests from reporters, analysts, and event producers who want your CEO and CFO to speak at a leading industry event. We jump on those. Then there are the customer emails complaining. In your mind, you wonder, why didn’t they contact customer care? Maybe they did. Perhaps they never heard back or weren’t pleased with the service.
We get emails from people asking you to buy batteries, hamburger patties, insurance, or to see if they are related to you, and wonder what discounts you can give them. I am sure you’ve received the queries from people whose parents or grandparents worked for or were involved with your organization. Maybe they contributed money for fundraising campaigns or held leadership roles.
When I was in the internet telephony world, people emailed the PR Team’s mailbox every day. Rarely was it a reporter. They knew how to find us. One guy called me and tried to get me to buy his battery backup system. He said that if our network went down, his company would save us, and he was the only one who could. I directed him to our website, which explained our procedures for network outages. They had to be on our site. People purchasing our service needed to know the system worked. He said he never checked our site. I remember saying something along the lines that you probably should research the company you’re asking to spend six figures on before cold calling. He hung up.
I often get emails or calls from people whose now-deceased grandparents made donations to the organizations I volunteer for or work for. They want to know whether the plaques with their names are still hanging or whether the rooms dedicated in their honor are still in use. Often, they tell their children about the nice things their family did.
Many of us do not consider this public relations. But it is. When you take the time to listen to these people or work with those at your company or volunteer organization to get them the answers they need, it goes a long way. They are happy and will write positive comments on your social media feeds, buy more of your products, make donations, and come to events. Sometimes the annoying things are what help you grow.
Does Old School Still Work and Do We Want It to Continue?
We have apps and online platforms for everything. I love them. They are helpful and make many things easier. Is that always the case? Absolutely not. Time and time again, these extraordinary technical advances slow me down.
A few weeks ago, I tried to order deli sandwiches for delivery to my grandmother’s house for our traditional Chanukah celebration. The app wouldn’t let me pre-order more than a day in advance. It wouldn’t let me pick a delivery window. Funny thing is a week before it let me do exactly what I wanted. I had to cancel when she got sick. A year ago, I sat in her place and tried to do pretty much the same order. The wi-fi wasn’t working well.
Did I give up? No, I went old school. Both times I called the deli; I got a delivery or pickup window within 5 minutes. Years ago, she was able to travel to my place. The family came to me. I used to walk down the block to the deli and sit with the manager for 2 minutes. He scribbled what I needed on an order slip, took my credit card, thanked me, and gave me a hot dog. The deli’s manager called to confirm a day before the delivery. Unfortunately, that store closed. I carried on. I emailed a store a little further away. They called me to confirm and double-check everything. Like the other place, the day before, they called and confirmed. In all instances, the proper order arrived as planned.
A month ago, I ordered my favorite Dead Sea skin care products from the site that I have been using for over a decade. I am still waiting for it to arrive. The stuff usually arrived two or three days after I ordered. They’ve had my address since day one. I followed up. They told me the shipper returned it because the address was insufficient. They asked me to resend it. At one point, they had a simpler online ordering system. These days, it seems to go through who knows what? I am hopeful my products arrive soon.
A few weeks ago, my network-attached storage (NAS) drive died. I worked with the maker’s customer care department. They were helpful. They said I needed a new one. I suspected this and was only moderately upset. I knew the device was over eleven years old. It had a good run. I ordered the upgraded device. I asked how to transfer my data to the new one.
Customer care said to turn on the old one and do a data transfer. They had noted in the notes that the old device did not turn on. It flatlined. It was as dead as could be. They sent several more emails insisting that I need to connect the defunct NAS drive to the new one. Per their notes, the old NAS was done. I repeatedly sent back their notes. I called a data recovery service. They said drop off the old drives, and we should be able to recover everything and send it back on an external storage drive. I did that and, as advised, bought new drives.
I got the new drives and connected them to my MacBook. I had a few issues. I reached out to customer care. They told how to set it up on a Windows-based PC. The process is different for Apple. They had in their notes, that I was using a Mac.
The data recovery service emailed to let me know they recovered everything and that they are shipping the external drive so I can connect it to my computer and transfer the data. They shipped it with a PC-based cable. I emailed and they said we told shipping it needed to send a Mac cable. They said they’d mail the right one immediately. A week later, I emailed to see where it was. They forgot to send it. It arrived, and of course, the device would not power up. I tried connecting it to multiple electrical outlets. Nothing. I told them exactly what I did. Their advice was to try to connect to various electrical outlets. I finally got it through their heads that it did not work. They asked me to send it back and ship a new device. They claimed they tested the original. The power on it wasn’t working. The new one came, and all was well.
I could go on for hundreds of pages about situations like this, whether in finance, retail, or other tech products. Don’t get me started on when your internet or TV service goes down.
I miss the old days when it was simpler, you spoke to a human and got clearly written emails. I have been working to fix a few issues with bots. I’d give them a C grade. As we try to make things easier, we must remember that keeping it simple creates loyalty and repeat business.
Some of us remember the phrase, “All politics is local,” used by former House Speaker Tip O’Neill throughout his career. His dad reminded him of that in the ‘30s, after he lost his first election while running for a seat on the Cambridge City Council. He took his own neighborhood for granted. It has been said to be a great learning experience for him. For me, too.
Let’s jump out of politics and go to PR. Trust me, as a long-time practitioner who started in NYC’s government, the profession has its politics. The key thing to remember is that all good PR is local. It is the best way to build. We will jump from Staten Island, New York, to Edison, New Jersey, other parts of the USA, and end in Sicily, Italy.
Fresh out of college and while in grad school, I started volunteering on local and city-wide political campaigns in NYC. I landed my first job as a staff member in NYC, moved on to the mayor’s office, and then went into the private sector. I watched each candidate and elected official fight it out and reach an agreement on local issues. It could have been infrastructure, for example, which district would get money for new sanitary and storm sewers or better bus routes.
After leaving politics and joining a tech PR firm, I represented the former Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Association (CEMA), now the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). I was involved with this great organization for many years, both representing them and sponsoring their press room.
Composed of leading electronics makers, such as Bose, Panasonic, and Sony, which, along with others, made great audio equipment for cars. There was a time before you used SiriusXM or your iPhone to get your music in your vehicle. You pumped up your Caddy, Jeep, Nissan, Ram, Vette, Toyota, etc., with great speakers and cassette players. Then we moved onto CD players and theater systems in the cars. The car audio market was huge.
We sent local car audio experts across the country to explain why you should upgrade your vehicle with their equipment rather than rely on the dealer models. Our spokespersons traveled to top and secondary cities and did local newspaper, radio, and TV interviews. They popped into the local auto shows.
I remember when we had high-end cars with great sound systems and a spokesperson lined up outside of CBS’s studio in NYC. The story went national.
Years later, I worked for Vonage, the company that brought internet telephony to consumers. We first launched local area codes in NYC and Edison, New Jersey. One of my roles was to write the press releases when we launched in new locales. I wanted to interest the local writers. Sadly, in today’s world, many of those great folks are gone.
Vonage Device
Having watched some companies launch locally by saying, “We are now in Dallas, New Orleans, or San Diego…” I tailored the copy to make it sound like we were part of those cities. As soon as the releases crossed Business Wire and I personally emailed them to local reporters, we got coverage. Even better, retailers called and asked if they could sell our products in their stores. Civilians called to ask whether we were opening a store in their neighborhood and where to send their resumes. The service was sold online, for the most part. But we did sell the devices that connected to the service in local and chain electronics stores. So, we did our local thing, which may have helped local stores increase their revenue and the number of people in the workforce.
Jumping to marketing tactics in Sicily. I recently returned from Sicily. I highly recommend it. The sites, people, food, and drink are incredible. During my tour, I was fortunate enough to visit Savoca, where Francis Ford Coppola filmed several scenes from “The Godfather.”
While walking to the church where Michael Corleone and Appolonia wed, I saw a great local marketing tactic put into play by my local guide, a wonderful woman of British and Sicilian ancestry. She joined us for three days. Her intimate local knowledge was incredible. But her skills in helping people in small towns stood above it all.
As we walked to the church where Michael Corleone and Appolonia wed, we passed Dioniso, a great little store selling olive oils, spices, wines, and other great stuff. The store was not supposed to be open when we were touring Savoca. Our guide texted the owner and let him know she was bringing a crew of 45 people through town, and he might want to open. As we approached the store, we saw him opening the shop. She introduced us, and we did tastings and bought numerous items. He probably stayed open for just about an hour. He made many sales. Again, local marketing. Tell them we are coming and let them open; they will succeed.
Olive Oil from Dioniso
I remember so many calls from national reporters, particularly from the Associated Press or The Wall Street Journal, calling or emailing about things they read in the local news about the companies I worked for. I have seen this with social media. I run several sites for local organizations. We get thousands of visitors. Viewers of our work have increased donations of memorabilia and money, as well as visits to our location. Bottom line: start local and remember it will lead to growth.
Being single sucks. It costs more, and you are discriminated against. In many cases, it is not our fault. Yes, I know married couples with children experience the costs of housing for themselves and their offspring. It is not cheap.
However, what I want to get at is why being single is more expensive than most people think. Do you travel? I have been to many places, including Iceland, Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic), Italy, and Israel. I guess I like “I” nations. I doubt I will ever go to Iraq, Iran, or Indonesia. I have also visited Austria, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Russia. I am leaving out a few places. But you get the point. I love booking these trips and have a fantastic travel agent. I am a repeat traveler with certain touring companies and receive the appropriate discounts. I always pay in full when booking. You often get another discount for doing that. Sounds great. The discount means nothing when they tack on several hundred dollars for being a solo traveler. Some tours do not permit it.
Yes, singles tours are available. They are usually cheesy Caribbean cruises where they do games to hook you up. They are not trips to the spots as mentioned earlier. I have only been on one cruise. It is an orange boat – The Staten Island Ferry. Once I got to steer it. I had fun. That cruise is free. Anything can get on it. If you haven’t sailed on it, go for it, and you will see what I mean by ‘anything’.
Staten Island Ferry
I go to several concerts and shows every month. Shows can be theater, opera, ballet, and other forms of entertainment. Concerts could be the NY Philharmonic or at the Beacon, Garden, and Radio City Music Hall. Sometimes I go solo. Sometimes I go with my “concert friends.” We are single and attend tons of shows. For many reasons, I prefer aisle seats. I want it to be easy if I need to get up and run to the bathroom, concession stand (I rarely buy anything there), or walk out of the show because I am bored or the performer or show is offensive. I have walked out of a few: Hadestown, Patti Smith, and Porgy & Bess stand out. Lately, the Beacon and Radio City require you to buy the aisle seat and the one next to it. I struggle with this.
Lincoln Center
In some cases, I bought the third seat. I also reached out to my group and found someone willing to join me. Alas, I got my aisle seat. For the time being, City Winery, Regal, and Yankee Stadium let me pick any seat I want. Hey, I am paying, so I should be able to buy what I want. My choices are to stay home or buy two seats and have no one seated next to me. But why should I pay more?
Dining out is just as discriminatory. I go to restaurants solo all over the city. In some places, I know the bartenders and restaurant managers quite well. I have my preferred seating, and they welcome me with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. In others, the first thing they do is try to seat you at the bar. In some places, that’s my preferred spot. Others, I want a table. Recently, I attended a performance by the NY Philharmonic. Thankfully, David Geffen Hall and the other theaters at Lincoln Center are not discriminatory. You can sit wherever you want to pay for.
Lincoln Center
Try going food shopping, whether it’s an online grocer (my preference) or a supermarket. I eat lots of fresh veggies. Most of the packages are made for families, for example, a three or four-pack of corn on the cob, peppers, carrots, etc. I love apple cider donuts. These days, I rarely eat junk. But would buy one. Trader Joe’s and the other stores do not sell them singly. You need to buy a pack of four or six. These and the veggies would not last long enough for me to eat them. I have heard from friends about health care insurance costs when they are buying for themselves. They get ripped off.
Some are single by choice, while others are single for other reasons. Whatever they are, we deserve to be treated fairly.
If you live in a standard NYC apartment— be it in the city or the boroughs —you’re lucky if you have any counter space. My grandmother is the master of complaining about this. Her apartment has none. I have had three apartments. My current dwelling has a decent amount. The others had less. But more than grandma has. She has complained about that since I’ve known her. One of the first things she noticed and talked about when she visited my place was how much more counter space I had than she did.
She then made my grandfather count his steps as he walked through it. She was trying to figure out the square footage. Unless you live in a beautiful Upper East or West Side apartment with a stunning kitchen with an island in the center to eat on and formal dining room, you have an eat-in kitchen and/or a tiny dining room. I have both. However, the area that could be used as a dining room is currently used for other purposes. My dad once said I should set one up for when you entertain. I said Who am I entertaining? Except for the maintenance staff, no one has been in my apartment in over three years. I am not unhappy about this situation. I prefer it because it keeps dirt out. My grandmother wondered if I really lived there. The place looks sterile. I wish it really were.
Now jumping back to my counter space. Like most of we have many things residing on them. For example, I have a crock pot. You can make more than just meatballs in it. My mom got one when I was young. All she ever made in it were meatballs. We used to joke around and say that’s all it can cook. Truth be told, you can make tons of things in it, and most of the time the food is lish (Lish is a summer camp term for delicious). Next to the crockpot is a steamer and an air fryer. Opposite the main counter is another one. It has various items chilling on it.
Next to the cooking equipment are my iPhone and Amazon Fire Tablet, along with their respective chargers. Sometimes my portable phone charger is there. It usually chills in the cabinet on my wine fridge’s table. I also have an Atari game player loaded with the games we played on the 2600 in the 1980s. No matter how much better the tech is today, those games are still the best. I’ll take Asteroids or Centipede over anything we have today.
By the sink are Dawn, a dish towel, and, of course, the utensil holder and cutting board. With all the junk we place on our counters. It is a wonder we can prep and cook our meals. Then there are the mistakes we make due to having too many gadgets.
The other day, I filled the crockpot with stew meat, barbecue sauce, celery, and carrots. I put it on high and walked away. A little while later, I walked past it. I was bewildered as to why it didn’t feel hot and heard no sounds of the sauce starting to cook. I spent a few minutes studying the situation. Then it hit me. I plugged the Fire Tablet’s cable into the outlet and walked away. I thought I had plugged in the crockpot. I made the switch. This is not the first time it has happened. Then there was the time that I nearly marinated the meat with Dawn, rather than Worcestershire sauce.
If only I still lived in an apartment with a small terrace and grill. I never had these issues when grilling. It ruled. You could throw steaks on the grill. Sit back and crank The Cure with a nice glass of wine or beer. Well, for the long-term future, that’s out of the question. So, I will either place all my electronic devices and chargers further away from my cooking equipment. Or hope that my Amazon or iPhone charger will power the air fryer, crockpot, or steamer. Dream on.
You can be Isolated and in the Midst of It All – Get the Balance Right
By Mitchell Slepian
World’s Fair Globe, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
No, I am not writing about Ol’ Blue Eyes. Or quoting from Depeche Mode. (But I do want to hear his version of “New York, New York” played after every game at Yankee Stadium during 2026). The Big Apple is one of the world’s most photogenic cities. Yes, there are plenty of others, for example, Belfast, Jerusalem, Moscow, Milan, Reykjavik and Tel Aviv. What I love about New York City is that nowhere else can you find Broadway, the Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, the East and Hudson Rivers, the Staten Island Ferry, Yankee Stadium, and the World’s Fair Globe. And more. Much more.
Cell Tower Outside Brooklyn Botanic Garden
New York offers places where you can feel the big-city madness. Or areas where you can feel the quiet and almost feel isolation. When I say isolation, I do not mean the Joy Division tune. I am thinking about being at the Brooklyn (BBG) or New York Botanic Gardens, William H. Pouch Scout Camp, or just being in your own world while cruising along Museum Mile. NYC offers isolation and madness.
The Vessel at Hudson Yards
The joy of being in the “isolation”(Joy Division was running through my head) of NYC, or let’s be honest, any other major city, is the things that pop up on your travels. As I was walking through the Fall Harbor Fest at BBG, I looked up and saw a cell tower. A few feet away, I watched a squirrel around some dying flowers. It’s that time of year. Next to the flowers was a trash can. I remember seeing cell towers driving through Death Valley and along the Italian lakes.
Let’s face they are everywhere. We cannot survive without our Wi-Fi. In many ways, seeing them and the trash cans keeps it in perspective. You can enjoy your isolation or privacy. But know you are when you are in the middle of beautiful gardens or national parks and communing with nature, you can easily text your friends, check the baseball scores, or listen to Depeche Mode on Apple Music on your iPhone. And toss out your trash. NYC provides the perfect place to do it all. It’s just important to remember to stay balanced in your adventures and take it all in.
Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc. 