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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

FREE FORMING FAMILY

Ever hear the term "free writing"? Sometimes it is referred to as "free form writing". Pretty much it is when you just put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and one thought just randomly leads into the next. The results can have tremendous meaning but it may in no way resemble a story with a plot.

I find that when I am bored (or sick, as is the case today) I do something similar to free form writing. Except that I will coin it as "free form GOOGLING". FFG!

FFG can take you to great places. Although, I would not allow children to FFG as it will also take you to some very inappropriate, albeit, quite intriguing sites as well.

Today I was FFG blogs under the initial entrance of "Orthodox Jewish Blogs". One thing lead to the next and I eventually came across a post written by a woman named Lynne Meredith Schreiber. You can read the initial post here :

http://www.yourtango.com/200623/forbidden-desires.html

For those of you who may read my blog and are not Jewish or not an Orthodox Jew - it is an interesting post on the concept of "family purity laws" written by a woman who was not originally an "Orthodox" Jew, but came back to the fold, so to speak. To summarize - she writes about what she finds beneficial in the "family purity laws" and how it relates to those who do not subscribe to it within Judaism or those who are not Jewish altogether.

For those of you unfamiliar with "family purity laws" in the first place, you may educate yourself with her post or I implore you to FFG yourself :)

Anyway, what I found interesting actually had not much to do with her specific post, but rather, what came next.

I read comments on her post and a few commentators mentioned the fact that while she was touting her Orthodox Jewish way of life as it relates to her relationship as wife to her husband in the most complimentary way, in fact she ultimately divorced the husband she refers to.

The post I was reading today was actually written in 2006 and some comments were written almost 2 years later at which time they felt her article was a moot point since the marriage she spoke of crumbled anyway.

Now in my mind, a divorce did not take away from the positive spin she put on Orthodox Jewish intimacy between husband and wife, but it had me wondering if she was not only divorced, but if she also was no longer practicing as an Orthodox Jew.

The truth is, I still do not know what "level" of religious practice she is at within Judaism, but I did investigate further .... you know .... because of FFG and I found her and her ex husband and then .... something else.

My FFG did however result in some FFF (Free Form Facebooking) and I love when people have no privacy settings in place. (PEOPLE, WHY DO YOU STILL DO THAT? SET YOUR PRIVACY!!!!)

I first did a search on Lynne Meredith Schreiber, only the first name that came up was Lynne Meredith Golodner. I checked out some of her pictures but realized that I never saw any reference to what she looked like in the initial post. So I went back to googling her original name and retained some information.

She is from Southfield Michigan. Her first husband's name was Avy Schreiber. He was a musician. She had 3 kids with him. She mentioned their names.

So I returned to this Lynne Meredith Golodner and checked out her location - Southfield MI and her pictures - of cute children that she refers to with familiar names.

She is in fact re-married to this Golodner guy. He has a daughter from a previous marriage. They live in Southfield. I feel like I know them. I am not a stalker. I am curious.

And then I FFF Avy Schreiber. He also has no privacy settings. He lives in Oak Park MI. I do not think he is currently married. He has many pictures of the same familiar kids with the same familiar names. AND THEN>>>>>

I decided to check out the album titled "my niece's wedding in Israel".

First I saw a picture of a lovely room in a small hall or synagogue in Israel set up as I have seen weddings set up there. It looked familiar, like I had been there before. In fact, I have been to many various celebrations in Israel, including weddings and I just assumed either I had been there for something or it looks like every other hall I was at.

Then he had some pictures of his niece at various stages of the wedding. I could deduce that this was his sister's daughter getting married. He had captions under all the pictures explaining to people, I assume people who are not familiar with Orthodox Jewish weddings, exactly what was taking place.

"Bedekin - the bride sits in a chair and receives guest...."

I was not really paying attention to the guests, but his niece looked as beautiful as most brides.

"Kabalas Panim - the groom comes and covers her face with a veil....."

Shoot - groom is blocked, can't see him. Who cares, I don't know these people.

"Now the bride's father, my brother in law, is giving her a blessing atop her head....."

Yes - that happens at every wedding.

"Now the groom is walked down the aisle by both father of the groom and father of the bride."

Ok - I was now distracted as I was thinking, well many Orthodox Jews follow the custom of having their own parents, mother and father walk them down as opposed to the same gender parent per groom and bride respectively.

"Now bride is being walked in by both mothers...."

So grainy and dark. They carry the candles just like my parents do. Wow, the mother of the groom looks like my aunt.

NO SERIOUSLY!!!

I go back a picture and check out the father of the groom.

YEP - IT'S MY UNCLE!

And the groom - well that is my cousin.

And then I recheck every picture looking for more relatives. I find a sister or two. Some more cousins and
HOLY F%$# - it really is a small world.

You start with some FFG - move onto a little FFF and some guy named Avy Schreiber who was once married to Lynne Meredith who wrote a blog about renewing intimacy with her now divorced husband every month, is actually the uncle of ... well .... my cousin by marriage.

I was not at that particular wedding, but I realized why it was so familiar. My parents were there. As were my siblings and many other cousins, aunts and uncles and we call that MISHPACHA!

Yes - Avy Schreiber is practically mishpacha (family) to me. Who knew???

I wonder what else I can possibly discover via GOOGLE and FACEBOOK freeforming!!!!

I implore you all to do a little freesearching of your own. You never know what treasures you will happen upon.


2 have shown Orah a little love:

adinab said...

Orah, I love you, but you have WAAAAY too much free time on your hands!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Still seems like stalking though I am glad to hear she is happily remarried and hope the same for her ex-husband.