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Category: Living in USA

Created: 10 February 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Letter from America

Written by Ellen Neumann
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sullivan County, New York
February 10th, 2012.

Ellen NeumannRecently DPNLIVE.com published an article written by me entitled Tattoos are not taboo today. I clearly stated my personal feelings about the art of tattooing and why I did not care for it. I asked for comments from my readers and WOW! Did I get an eye-opening earful! The opinions and comments I received made me realise there is a lot more to this present day phenomenon than I had previously considered. In fairness to those many intelligent inked people who took the time to reply to my article, I will tell you what I have learned.

Make no mistake: I believe every person (American, Irish or other) has the right to do whatever they choose with their body. If you want to get a single tat or cover yourself with them, I defend your right to do so. It matters not if I like it. My opinion takes a back seat to your personal freedom always. I also have a right, as a free person and mother, to express my thoughts.

Mark S, a young man who is heavily inked and was kind enough to allow me to photograph his tats (one of which I used in my first article and one I am posting on your left and below) is a decorated US Army veteran who served America valiantly in the recent conflict in Kuwait and Iraq. He now works as a deputy sheriff. His arm bears a message in bold letters: “What does not kill you will only make you stronger”. He also carries a tattoo of an angel surrounded by the world “Only the good die young” for his beloved grandmother who passed into eternity several years ago. Mark put great thought into the reasons he got these tats and sports them with deep pride. He is a grown man and knows exactly what he is doing. I respect his right to do so.

Jennifer G, a young lady from Georgia, wrote “…. when I was younger, I did stupid things when I was upset. I couldn’t always handle the emotional pain so I would slice my wrist to deal with a pain I could handle. I put a symbol of love there so if I ever tried it again, I would be forced to stop and think of all those I would hurt in the process. It has already helped me numerous times in the two years I have had my tattoo.” Jennifer is both courageous in sharing her story with the world and proactive in her effort to overcome her problem. It never occurred to me that a tat could be helpful yet Jen showed me it can. Bravo Jen.

Carol H wrote: “...To prove commitment to my upcoming marriage, I got a tattoo! A small blue rose on my left shoulder, the same side you wear a wedding ring…” Julie W states: “I do have tattoos… They are personal to me and yes, they will age and change, but so will the rest of me…”

Sandra S says: “…Some people tell me that once you get a tat, you want more; that the sensation of the actual act of getting inked (for some) is said to be near erotic.”

John P claims: “…They are my way of being non-conventional. I was getting them long before they became the current rage. I am 62 years old….”

Kyle K tells me: “It is estimated that 16 per cent of Americans have at least one tattoo. In a population of around 310 million, that puts the number of tattooed Americans roughly at 40.6 million people.”

Jack B proclaims to be “…a very big tattoo fanatic and love all that is tattoos…”

Poignantly and passionately, Diane SO writes: “I have a daughter who has many tattoos... all over…. I am proud to walk with her. She is a beautiful soul and has lived a lifetime for her young age… I know what matters in life, and quite frankly I don’t think tattoos matter. If someone turns away from me or my daughter... it is their loss. I have learned the hard way not to be judgmental. Sometimes it reaches around and bites ya!“

The above mentioned are a sprinkling of the comments in which people explained their reasons for making a commitment to ink. They are old and young, male and female, from different walks of life and with different philosophies. All are motivated to express themselves in the same way for different reasons. They are all thinking human beings who have made a common choice.

If I am going to be honest (I have to be in all fairness) I will say this: although my opinion remains the same it has actually softened a wee bit. I am not saying it would make me happy if one of my children made the decision to ink their body. Oh no, not at all! Yet I guess if this happened (Dear Reader: Please do not tell my children I said this) and they could give me a really good reason for doing it, I just might live to a ripe old age in spite of it! There, I said it. Tattoos are not lethal. They are not evil. That’s the truth of millions upon millions of people and they are sticking to it!

I welcome your comments. I will listen to you. Go for it!

Copyright © 2011, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved

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Written by Administrator

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Category: Living in USA

Created: 27 January 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Letter from America

By Ellen Neumann
Sullivan County, New York
January 26^th, 2012

Ellen NeumannAs a child growing up in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York, I learned many important lessons from my mother. Every child from New York to Dublin has taken a pen or a colored marker and drawn a picture on his/her arm/hand/leg or other body part. In turn, the mother/father/grandparent of “every child” has scolded him or her with these memorable words (as the “art work” is being painfully scrubbed away). “Don’t you know better than to write on yourself?” or “I brought you into this world with beautiful unblemished skin and will take you out of it if I ever catch you scribbling on your body again!” I, along with most of my contemporaries, heeded these words (fear can accomplish great things). Not so with the current generation! Tattoos are trending, viral and multiplying like rabbits. They are permanent and indelible. They are everywhere.

My first encounter with a tattoo was on the arm of a family friend; a WW2 era American sailor. He wore it proudly; a reminder of his service to his country in the US Navy. It looked odd to me, drawing my eyes toward it every time I saw him. Few people had sayings or objects permanently marked on their bodies back in the 1960s. The next time I met a tattoo I was well into young adulthood. A girl I was working with in a nightclub had the words “Property of Crash” tattooed across her bottom and a stem of cherries planted below her bellybutton. She was a free spirited wild child; the original Shock Jock. To know her was to be mystified by her. She thought nothing of dropping her drawers and showing off her body art! Today she is over 50. The cherries have turned into apples. The infamous Crash is ancient history; his name on her bottom as blurry as her memory of the man himself.

Today’s youth seem deaf, dumb and blind to the fact that what they consider art and beauty will one day turn into drooping, smudged and misshapen blobs of messy old inky flesh. The fact that a person is willing to commit to a life time of random or meaningless imagery befuddles me endlessly. “Why?” I keep asking myself; asking my friends and their children who have made this huge commitment. Do you think an inked image of Einstein on your thigh will make you brilliant? Do you think a “tramp stamp” will make you sexy? Do you think a quote or a phrase written across the base of your neck will enlighten you in some way? Will a portrait of your dead relative or pet etched into your skin bring them back to you or somehow prove your undying love and unwavering devotion? Have we become a society of people who detest our natural image and strive to change it externally and permanently, hoping to improve on God’s canvas? These questions remain unanswered and a mystery to me.

I wish I knew the answers. I want to understand, I want to be non-judgmental. I want to believe that the tens of thousands of people who get tattoos have very good reasons. They must, right? Right? The problem is, try as I might and after searching my soul I cannot come up with a single good reason for drawing on your arm/hand/leg etc. I look at my own beautiful daughters and thank God that they have heeded my wishes and never marked their bodies with ink. I feel that they honor my existence and the memory of their father by respecting our wishes. A gift to us indeed, for it is trendy to get a Tat and many of their friends have taken the leap. I appreciate this gift more than I have words to express. It means they like themselves just the way they are; the way their father, me and God created them. No room for improvement there! I feel confident that they will pass along the same thoughts to their beautiful daughters.

And the beat goes on!

I realise this article may not be popular with all my friends and family, but it is my truth and I’m stickin’ to it. I love you all, inked or not! I welcome comments and hope you will post them to this article, especially if you can help me understand. I value your opinion, don’t be shy.

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Written by Administrator

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Category: Living in USA

Created: 17 January 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Ellen Neuman
January 17th, 2012

IIna Marie Fiolana Marie Fiola died on Monday, January 16, 2012 in Hollywood, Florida after a long and difficult illness. She was 47 years old. Born May 1, 1964 in Connecticut, Ina was the daughter of Agnes Harlow Brown and the late Terrance Brown. She was raised in Maine.

A longtime resident of Sullivan County New York, Ina worked in several area hotels as a waitress.

She is survived by her life partner, Peter J Kreiter of Monticello; her beloved daughter, Angela R. Fiola & her fiancé Patricio Diaz of Hallendale, Fl; her grandchild & namesake Inella Maria Diaz of Hallendale, FL.; her mother, sisters & brothers, nieces & nephews of Turner, ME.; her former husband William Fiola of North Miami, Fl and many dear and loyal friends all over the world.

Ina was a lifetime Girl Scout, a giver to everyone and anyone in need. She was the kindest, most genuine human being to ever grace this planet. Her smile was sweet and warm. Her eyes twinkling; a pale blue as true as the friendship she offered to all who crossed her path. She loved without boundaries, cared without reserve. She smiled through years of pain and suffering, never giving up, never allowing defeat to enter her life, even through her darkest hours. She set a standard of strength and fortitude as she faced her demons with dignity.  Her courage was brilliant, her manner humble and pure.  Ina’s place at the table of life will never be filled for she is irreplaceable.

Arrangements are being made by Boyd/Paciera Funeral Home, Hollywood, FL. Cremation at the convenience of the family.  Memorial Service and burial in St Peter’s Cemetery, Monticello, New York will take place at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to Catskill Dialysis Center, 139 Forestburgh Rd, Monticello, NY 12701 (845) 796-3300

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Written by Administrator

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Category: Living in USA

Created: 13 January 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Letter from America

Living under lock and key
Written by Ellen Neumann
Sullivan County, New York
January 12th 2012

Until recently, I never locked a door in my life. I live in the Catskill Mountain area of New York State; a rustic community with glorious natural resources and magnificent panoramic views. We are primarily a rural farm and resort area, hosting thousands of summer visitors until a few years ago when the bottom fell out of our local economy. Our farms produced abundant bounty and provided a good living for their owners until they became overregulated as well as overtaxed. Poverty, which rarely reared its ugly head here in days gone by, now ‘rules the roost’ in our lovely Sullivan County. The newspapers are constantly and consistently reporting robberies, burglaries and home invasions within a 20-mile radius of my residence. Last week, a local synagogue was broken into and their Torah* was stolen. Why are these things happening to our once safe little world?

The resort industry, which was the main source of employment for thousands of county residents, came to a slow but steady demise over several decades. In the early part of the 20th century, the Catskill Mountains were easily accessible by rail from NYC and provided a perfect backdrop for summer vacations. Massive resort hotels (which employed many local people) were built to accommodate the hoards of summer visitors who scrambled to the Catskills each June and stayed for several months. As transportation became easier with the invention of the car and the airplane, people started to go farther away and the Catskill Resort industry suffered a slow death. Today the fine old resorts of the past stand empty; their grand buildings rotting to the ground. The thousands of people who once made their living through these remarkable establishments are now either unemployed (many living on public assistance) or have moved on to greener pastures.

Farming, an honourable and once a prime industry locally, has become a struggle for the average farmer. Land taxes continue to soar as more and more non-profit religious groups buy up huge tracts of land which are then removed from the County Tax rolls. This created a heavy tax burden to be carried by the farmers as well as all tax payers. Too many government regulations on the farming industry, some necessary and some frivolous, have added personal and financial strain to the weakening farming sector. In the past, hard-working farmers passed their farms to the next generation, attempting to ‘keep in the family’. Unfortunately, due to too much property division and a difficult economy, many farms have been dissolved and destroyed in favour of housing developments and landfills. This means fewer jobs and more poverty for our beautiful county. One thing is becoming very clear to me: Poverty breeds trouble!

The crime rate is soaring. The robberies continue. Drugs are a factor in this to be sure, but they cannot be blamed for all of the recent crime I firmly believe that the crime rate has a lot to do with so many people feeling desperate; taking measures to amend their plight using poor or no judgment. This is no excuse for the criminal acts now forcing me to lock my doors at night; to bring my keys into the house instead of leaving them in the ignition of my car and to make sure I have means of protection at hand. I am truly annoyed that I have to place myself and my possessions under lock and key. But I will! Oh yeah! No choice!

Lock n’ Load!

*Torah: is the name given by the Jewish faith to the ‘Five Books of Moses’ that begin the Hebrew Bible:

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