Mother’s Day – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

What About Other Holidays?

By Mitchell Slepian

For years, people have debated whether it is more appropriate to say “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Chanukah,” or the more general “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” Hallmark once produced simpler cards for that purpose, and e-card companies do the same today.

Every year, I send Chanukah cards to people I know who celebrate it and other holiday cards to those who do not. I make all my cards myself, using my own photos and high-quality printing from Printique by Adorama. I do this for a few other holidays as well, and I also send the cards by email.

Yesterday was Father’s Day. Someone I had never met wished me a happy Father’s Day. I chair a committee for one of the organizations I belong to, and he was running an event. A few months ago, he texted to ask whether my committee would participate. We exchanged information, and I attended. I had a great time, although the event chair did not show up. I had not heard from him in a while, but I expected to hear from him about a future event. I would want my crew to be there because the exposure is valuable.

Early this morning, I glanced at my iPhone and saw his “Happy Father’s Day” text. I do not have children and probably never will. My father passed away in April of 2014. I do not think I saw him on Father’s Day the year before. Maybe. He lived in Florida. I am in NYC. Sometimes I flew down, or he flew up.

Anyway, why would someone who doesn’t know me wish me a Happy Father’s Day? Yes, he friended me on Facebook. Perhaps he looked at my posts. The last time I posted was the summer of 2020. I was zooming with a friend. She was lounging in her bed with her dogs. I posted the screenshot. If you looked at my posts from six years ago, it is obvious I do not have kids. All my friends post pictures of important moments with their children. For example, graduations, becoming an Eagle Scout, being the lead in a school show, or winning a sports competition.

To me, his text made no sense. It annoyed me. I have always erred on the side of being politically correct during holidays so as not to insult anyone. But never thought Father’s Day would fall into that. I always wish my mother and grandmother a Happy Mother’s Day and extend my wishes to a few aunts and a friend or two whose kids I am close to. But I know they are celebrating. I don’t consider this a winter holiday when you may not know what someone celebrates. Maybe they celebrate Festivus? I figured Father’s Day is easier. Either you’re a dad, or you’re not. Or your dad is around, and you should be wishing him a great day.

So, what did I do for Father’s Day? I did something I never did; I went to the cemetery and visited my father and all my relatives nearby. I did some grocery shopping and sadly watched the Yankees lose.

Can We Be Polite When We Comment on Social Media?

By Mitchell Slepian

Positively and negatively, social media has impacted our lives. Even if you’re not active and don’t have any accounts, it has made changes for you. I have not posted on my Facebook wall in nearly six years. I do run several sites for the organizations I belong to. We get thousands of hits, comments, etc. It has helped us grow. We’ve gotten financial and other donations. Our social media efforts have helped drive our narrative.

I do post on a few fun sites. The top two are Coney Island and Staten Island Ferry Friends. Who doesn’t love Coney Island? It has it all – The Cyclone, Nathan’s, the NY Aquarium, the Polar Bears, the Wonder Wheel and more. Much more. I am originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. I spend a lot of time at Coney Island. Funny thing, I spend more time there now than when I lived in Brooklyn. Sadly, I only lived there for a few years.

The holy medicinal waters at Coney Island

As someone who grew up on Staten Island, I have taken my share of rides on that big orange boat. That boat has taken Staten Islanders to and from Manhattan since 1817. It has an annual ridership of 22 million.

I focus heavily on my photography at these locations. My posts get hundreds of likes and comments. One shot of the ferry has over 10,000 views. I do not live for “likes” on Facebook. I once had a dear friend who got upset when his posts didn’t get too many likes. Years ago (Feb. 3, 2017), I wrote a blog post titled “Do We Live for Likes?” It got a few views and likes.

Deck on the Dorothy Day: Over 10,000 views and 600 likes

It is nice to see my images generate comments and memories. People bring up fun times they had riding the Cyclone, munching on that great hot dog at Nathan’s, or when they heard the man yell, “Shine, shine” on the ferry. Don’t forget the ferry preachers. It is fun.

But what I do not understand is why people must be nasty about the posts. For the record, the people on the Coney Island pages are so positive. There are those afraid of the Cyclone and mention the moments they freaked out on the drop and its twists and turns. I rode it on Mother’s Day. Mom watched while she held my Yankee hat. Once my old Yankee hat blew off on the Cyclone. I am still hoping to find it under the tracks. Who knows what probably tried to eat it? I love it when people comment about how they ran into the ocean in February during a snowstorm. More power to you.

For the most part, people on the ferry page are just as nice. But people need to be polite. I recently posted a shot of the Sandy Ground boat docking at St. George. In the shot, the deckhand is at the gate. One person commented, “He looks lost.” Another wrote, “gay.”

Deckhand Getting Ready for the Sandy Ground to Dock

I can understand why people attack how filthy the boat bathrooms are. They need to be cleaned. Or when they are shocked by how clean the decks look in the images I shot. Bear in mind, I usually take photos on weekend morning runs. The ferries would be dirtier if I shot them during rush hour. But why can’t people just either be nice or refrain from commenting? There’s no need to say mean things about the deckhands. I can understand a comment about a needless pitching change that cost the Yankees a game. This is just a guy doing his job. Let’s love the drop on the Cyclone, ride our ferry, have fun, and support it all.