The term self-care has received a lot of attention lately; however, it is not a new concept. The bible gives instruction for taking care of our bodies. For example, Exodus 34:21 tells us to take a day of rest. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Self-care involves being aware of your physical and mental needs and taking the time to invest in you. Taking time to exercise, eat healthy, finding time for the activities you enjoy, and having “me-time” are all part of self-care. You should be consistent with self-care. It should be a priority for you. Self-care should be a part of your everyday routine. However, if you miss a day or two do not give up just get back on track.  It is not selfish to practice self-care and you should not feel guilty for taking time for yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Not taking care of yourself will make it difficult for you to help others.

Practicing self-care will take research on your part. It is developing a plan specific for you. You should be aware of your body. Do not ignore issues. Know your limits and do not let anything or anybody push you beyond them. I believe our bodies speak to us. We just need to learn how to listen. Your body when let you know when you need to rest. It will give you signals when you need to change how you eat. It will speak to you about the stress in your life. Physical pain can be a signal from your body that something is wrong. You should not ignore sudden changes in your body. Seek professional help for any consistent problems.

Put simply, it’s time to end needless book banning and bullying.

It’s time to challenge any human that believes they are wiser than the common man, with an attitude of superiority or entitlement.

It’s time to value the lived experience of every person (and animals and nature) that people our planet.

It’s time to end the patriarchy and white supremacy that divides the U.S!

Note to all: Critical Race theory is taught primarily in grad school, not to K-9 students who study ways to end oppression or othering. Those who follow critical race theory rightfully believe–at least in my humble opinion– that racism is BAKED into our systems, most notably public service (allegedly politics), corporate America, and schooling.

Back in the day (2000-2009), I taught compelling units on disinformation and dehumanizing practices to interested students:

Third graders read The Giver and learned about the atrocities connected to the Cherokee Trail;Fourth Graders read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,And the fifth grade curriculum was the most challenging; we read The Fourth Man, the Narrative of Frederick Douglass, and MLK’s brilliant and somewhat ad hoc, “I Have a Dream” speech.

I also taught students about the Holocaust; see Letters from Prague, 1939-1941, a memoir written by some family friends.

All of these books might have been banned by a hostile, school board, but not in this still progressive, yet primarily white school district, NSSD 112, located in Highland Park, Illinois.

To put my curriculum as a gifted resource teacher in NSSD 112 in context, the students were delighted to dive into these books so they could understand evil and strive to stop it.

Plus, Highland Parkers love to explore, to read, and to discover.

A flashback related to my nearly ten year stint of teaching in that town: some of you may be aware of the fact that in Highland Park, there is a street called Roger Williams. One day, I was meeting with a few gifted third graders and one sharp student posed a question about that street.

Mrs. Stern, my student (hereafter Student 1) wondered,

“Was Roger Williams named after THE ROGER WILLIAMS who was so intent on promoting and insuring religious tolerance?”

Below is what I recall of the conversation:

Student 1 continued: Wasn’t Roger Williams fond–and respectful– of Native Americans, too?

Stern: How might we find out?

Student 2: I don’t think any of the founders of Highland Park are still alive. After all, our school, Ravinia School, is nearly 100 years old.

Stern: Could we try to trace the history? Perhaps contact folks at City Hall?

Well, the students decided to call the folks at City Hall. Put simply, no one at City Hall was aware of any connection between Roger Williams Ave—not the civic leaders we spoke with at City Hall, folks who grew up in Highland Park, and not even grandparents still living in that town.

How did the students question get answered? Some sharp student decided we should reach out to the Highland Park Historical Society; see, https://highlandparkhistory.com/

And boy–did we realize the depth of history. Roger Williams Avenue was in fact named for the founder of Rhode Island and supporter of religious tolerance, the late Roger Williams. A group of Native Americans settled in our town after fleeing unsafe territory to the east of Illinois.

Not only that, I made a personal connection.

My husband’s grandfather’s family was the first Jewish family to settle in Highland Park. So, my husband and I began asking questions of his family, particularly his grandfather, Grandpa Bob Goldberg. Grandpa Bob did remember a few significant connections. He regaled us with stories arising from his roots: “yup, it took me a half day by horseback to travel from Highland Park to Chicago.” According to Grandpa Bob, that’s why Half Day Road in Lake County, IL, is called “Half Day Road.”

And Grandpa Bob also told us where he shopped—“I remember Old Man Fell, he owned a store for necessary goods.” Grandpa Bob didn’t remember whether Old man Fell drove a hard bargain, but according to Greta, his granddaughter (I practiced law with Greta), the late Greta Fell Carl, Old Man Fell was a kind and decent man!

Our inquiry didn’t end with that phone call (or even frustrating attempts to connect with those who participated in the founding of Highland). Instead, my students and I took a field trip to the Highland Park Historical Society. And while we were walking through that small building, I found a picture that appeared identical to one hanging in my in-law’s house. The picture was of Goldberg’s Opera House (remember, Grandpa Bob was a Goldberg). The Goldberg’s got their start in the entertainment business! And funny enough, both of my nieces on that side of the family also are in the entertainment business. Plus, my husband, a finance lawyer, was involved in global finance related to film projects, as well.

As we mark this President’s weekend, I urge you to think about respectful Presidents—not only the obvious—Biden (am a huge fan of “build back better“), Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt—yup–think about leaders, dead or alive, in the U.S. and around the world.

In my mind, President Obama ought to be on that list as well!

Who else can I name?

• Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa:
My people are going to learn the principles of democracy the dictates, of truth, and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them worship as they will, every man can follow his own conscience provided it does not interfere with sane reason or bid him act against the liberty of his fellow men.

• Or, former Turkish President, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk:
Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savour their

I close—and thus make my case for free expression and respect for all–with a most beautiful depiction of the power of voice and the need to give all a platform for expression. I found this saying on the wall of a CPS school. Read on and take note; let the crucial conversations in the educational community continue!! We can do this!!

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. Maya Angelou, Apr 6, 2015

It began around 1916 and was documented as one of the most significant events for African-Americans in America. During the Great Migration, millions of black people moved from the South, and Chicago was one of the main cities African-Americans moved to, seeking a better life through employment. 

The history of the blues is another historical event in Chicago featuring some of the best names and clubs in the world. The migration of African-Americans brought musicians to places like Maxwell Street in Chicago’s west side during the ’30s and 40s, whose unique exhilarating sound captivated clubs. That sound became known as the blues. Some of the biggest names in blues came from Chicago, and Chicago was known for having the best blues clubs in the world. Frank Sinatra was right when he came to Chicago, “It’s My Kind of Town.” 

Porchlight Theatre latest mainstage production, ‘Blues In The Night,’ conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, received a Tony Award Nominated for Best Musical. Set in the roaring ’30s, in one of Chicago’s hotels, we learn about three women, The Lady from the Road, The Woman of The World, and The Girl with a Date, lives, love, and losses. Through blues songs from Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox, and other blues greats, these three women, with the help of The Man in the Saloon, lament about the daily blues they experience. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Featuring the incredible talent of Felicia P Fields (The Lady from the Road), whose raspy and soulful voice thrilled the audience. Fields, nominated for a 1983 Tony Award in her portrayal of Sofia in The Color Purple on Broadway, commands the stage and reels you into her performance with her comedic Moms Mabley, Bessie Smith-style, and grace. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Donica Lynn (The Woman of The World), three-time Chicago award-winning for her performance as Effie in Dreamgirls, has amazing vocals. Although Lynn seemed to have been laboring vocally on the Night we were there, she still inspired the audience with her songs.  

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

The Girl with a Date, played by Clare Kennedy, returns to Porchlight Theatre, where she made her debut in New Faces: Sing of Broadway. Kennedy, who needs to work with Armstrong to have that smooth and easy dance style of the blues, equally provided a great singing performance. 

The three ladies make up the trio of fabulous women occupying separate, shabby rooms that bewitch us for two hours, sharing their stories while singing torch songs of the blues. Then you get to hear the velvety voice of Evan Tyrone Martin. The only male crooner on stage with the silky smooth voice, Martin has a fabulous stage presence and reminded me of Johnny Hartman. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Terrell Armstrong, who has performed at Porchlight Theatre in A Chorus Line, is the last entertainer on stage. Armstrong, a graduate of Columbia College here in Chicago, as The Dancing Man, wasn’t in the original Blues in The Night; the revue originally was staged by Epps and Gregory Hines, although Porchlight could be honoring Hines. But don’t overlook the incredible dancing abilities of Armstrong. We get a glimpse of his impressive, elegant, and graceful moves that make you want to know when and where he will be performing next. 

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Blues in the Night Although the original Blues in the Night doesn’t provide names for the ladies, just listing them with numbers, Porchlight Music Theatre’s Blues in the Night includes title names for the ladies. However, they feature the original songs, “Dirty-No-Gooders Blues, When A Woman, Lover Man, Nobody Knows You,” and other great songs from the original production. Scenic Design Angela Weber Miller’s stage layout had appropriate furniture, including lamps, wallpapers, and a liquor cart. I enjoyed the smooth sounds of the band featuring Piano conductor Maulty Jewell IV, Rafe Bradford, Ricardo Jimenez, and Darius Hampton.

Blues in the Night is solely for those who love the blues. I grew up as a young twelve-year-old boy, listening to blues in a dark basement home of my uncle Jimmy, so this backdown memory lane musical was a treat. Blues in the Night will have you in that smooth, soulful state of mind where you are continuously tapping your feet and bobbing your head to the rhythm of the beat.   

Let’s Play Recommends Blues In The Night at Porchlight 

Theatre. 

Porchlight Theatre

Blues In The Night

Conceived and Originally Directed by Sheldon Epps

Now through March 13, 2022

Tickets: $25 -$74

I wanted to talk about the fact that Rob Manfred and MLB made a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad proposal that they brought to the MLBPA just before the Super Bowl, but since everyone else has already talked about it, I think I’ll focus on what I think the long term effects would be instead.

I suppose I should also once again emphasize that (at least in my opinion, but an opinion that has been supported by a lot of smart baseball people I follow) this is mostly MLB’s fault. But perhaps we should start with some perspective again:

Based on various easily-Google-able facts, such as the fact that minor leaguers are treated like crap in terms of financial and housing support (slowly changing) until they make it to the bigs, then paid a much lower minimum salary than in the other professional leagues with the carrot of “you might make tons in arbitration and free agency” (never mind that MLB front offices have been stingy about paying free agents lately), what the players are asking for is fair given how MLB franchise value has far outpaced the stock market. I’ll let you guys read better analysis elsewhere, but what I am concerned with now is the future of the sport.

I have mentioned numerous times that Star Trek has predicted the downfall of baseball by 2042. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal as this prediction was made in the 1990s when Deep Space Nine was aired, but the franchise did predict a lot of things such as genetic engineering in humans, personal data devices and Alexa, the conditions that may lead to the Bell Riots in about two years, and friggin’ World War III. So this death of baseball prediction is always sticking in the back of my mind, and it’s even more of a possibility with MLB continuing to lock out the players and, again in my opinion, not negotiating a fair contract in good faith.

The self-imposed financial disadvantages inherent in North American professional baseball makes me wonder whether there is any incentive for young athletes to choose baseball over another sport. It’s expensive to fund participation in Little League, travel teams, and training programs to get better and get exposure. There are far fewer scholarship opportunities available to college baseball athletes than their peers in other sports, and again, when they are drafted and assigned to a minor league affiliate, they’re going to literally be fighting for survival as the seasonal pay scale isn’t enough to pay rent or buy good food. Why would any kid, especially those without a good support network to make up the difference, choose that? And then they are probably seeing how, even when they make it into the big leagues, the pay isn’t nearly as lucrative as in the other sports even if those sports are governed by salary cap rules.

The impasse between MLB and MLBPA (mostly the fault of MLB, you see) also means they can’t negotiate on rules changes that could make the game more dynamic and less boring for casual and even long-term, passionate fans such as myself. So in addition to not being able to attract the best athletes, MLB is going to suffer the double whammy of hemorrhaging fans, too.

It will be interesting to see how both sides proceed after the Super Bowl concludes and we focus more on baseball, but the Olympics are still going on, as are NBA and NHL games, so this is not the best situation for MLB to drag this out. One hopes that MLB sees MLBPA’s counterproposal and meets them on a more reasonable level.

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Balin Schneider is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after filmmakers in the industry after directing the Material Issue documentary, Out Of Time. I was lucky enough to get a chance to interview him in between his press for his directorial debut, and several new projects in the hopper.

Balin, thanks so much for making the time for me. I want to start with the question everyone is wondering. When will the rest of the world get to see this amazing documentary?

I think there will be an announcement on proper dates in the next month. For sure, the first half of 2022, and physical releases in the summer. There will be a strand of theatrical shows in May and April, and maybe the summer as well. We just had some things we wanted to fix before everyone else saw it. After hearing it, we wanted to tweak the mix.

I was hoping to add the trailer to my post, but I couldn’t find one. Is that something that you’re working on as well?

We should have a trailer out, hopefully, this month, maybe next month, but it should be live soon. The trailer is really cool! We’ve had some licensing holdups, but it’s ready on our end as of this week.

When I watched the documentary, I felt a sense of resolve. Did you feel like you were bringing closure to the Material Issue story as the process went on?

Personally, I had the whole journey with the film. Emotionally, it feels like adding a chapter for sure. Both the Minneapolis show and the Chicago show were my favorite parts, just talking about it with people and being able to tell that it brought closure to a lot of people, even the people that were interviewed too. There were some people I could tell when I was interviewing them for the film that they had not even talked about it for 25 or 30 years. It kind of gives this story an end chapter, some finality. I think especially for the fans, too, it definitely gives them closure, and that’s my favorite part of what it does. I hope that what the film does when it comes out is it takes people who aren’t into the band and makes them fans. On the other hand, I think what makes me most happy is that it will provide closure to the fans, and people who knew the band, and people who worked at the band’s label back in the day, you know, anybody connected to them.

Material Issue drummer Mike Zelenko (left) and bassist Ted Ansani (right) pose with director Balin Schneider (center) –Photo by Barry Brecheisen

You mentioned the interviews, all of which were gripping. But one, in particular, stood out to me, the one with the producer of their first two albums, Jeff Murphy (Shoes). It still felt as though he was heartbroken over Jim’s suicide, and really needed to get some things off his chest.

Jeff really cared about Jim, and that’s so evident. He made two amazing records with the band and, maybe, two of the most important records he’s ever made? Not that his own stuff isn’t important, but I think he really loved those records and loved working with those guys. Having this huge artistic thing happen in your life and not being able to talk about it is hard, because, you know, there was never any public platform where anyone was talking about Material Issue. I think that’s definitely why.

You did such a great job of bringing in people around the band who really cared about Jim. What was that experience like?

It’s been an emotional journey for the band because there are a lot of things you have to explore while doing it that are really…emotional. But the band, and the people around the band, and Jim’s family, are all kind of like…a family. I think that’s a given in any circumstance like this, but they really are very tight-knit and close. It was really nice to see everyone band together around one important thing.

Was Covid an obstacle to the production of the film?

Production was kind of right before Covid. We had a really long production period, there wasn’t a huge budget, so it was over the course of a year that we filmed all the interviews. We filmed 30 interviews total, and the thing that took the most time was collecting all the archival material and music, which was like a year and a half probably.

But we did our editing almost all during Covid, so it was remote. I’d watch a cut and then Zoom with my editor, as opposed to not being able to be in the room with her. The editing team Cara (Myers) and Pat (McIntyre) were really amazing, but all of that was pretty much remote. So, that was kind of weird, and I think probably prolonged the process a little bit. Also, when it came to releasing, the festival run was a little screwed. We premiered at Sound Unseen, and then we did the Lincoln Hall premier, but we didn’t enter into a bunch of other festivals because none were in-person, and I didn’t want to do a remote festival.

Balin Schneider Greets The Crowd During The “Out Of Time” Premiere At Lincoln Hall In Chicago, Illinois.
Photo by Barry Brecheisen

I definitely think it was cool to see the film with other people. It just felt so intimate and emotional, I caught myself shedding tears. I hope other people get to share this experience.

Yea, for sure…I still cry. There are certain things in the film that I see, that, I still cry at…even though I’ve seen it like three times. We want to do more of these theatrical runs where we’ll try to get the band to come out too.

Those moments with the family, especially Jim’s mom, and all of their interviews are really touching.

I think the family stuff is really awesome too, just in the fact that they were literally all so vulnerable about it, and didn’t hold back on talking about anything. That’s important because so much of the message that Jim’s mom gets across in the film is about mental health, and the whole family being able to be open and vulnerable about it, made the film what it is. It had this other message which was really important.

You’re 21 years old and have just directed this documentary of extraordinary magnitude. I’m wondering, Balin, do you come from a family of filmmakers, or where does the inspiration come from?

No, not really (laughs)! My dad’s a History professor, with a Ph.D. in history, so I’ve always been into historyand that part of a documentary. I was a Freshmen in college and I knew Material Issue and thought, they would make a good 8-minute YouTube video project. So, we did the first group of interviews and it just seemed like a good thing for my portfolio. Turns out, that as soon as we did those interviews everybody on Facebook was saying that a Material Issue documentary was being made, and it’s going to be huge! So that really spiraled and it all went well.

From then on we just learned as we went. I pretty much think everything I’ve learned about filmmaking, other than college, is from doing the documentary. There were definitely mistakes, money misspent, and that kind of thing. But it was really just learning while doing it. The band was really helpful too and my parents were big supporters of it. It was very challenging, and there were hard times, but it always worked out in the end.

Balin Schneider
Photo by Barry Brecheisen

Do you have any new projects in the works that you can talk about?

I have like seven things in development. Two of those projects are music-related: one’s about a new musician, and one’s about an older musician. Hopefully, something on that will be announced this year, but we’ll see.

That’s great news, congratulations! I think after seeing Out Of Time, a lot more people are going to know your name and will be looking forward to new things.

Yeah, hopefully, that’s the plan, but, I’m just happy that the fans that have been way too patient are finally going to see this film. Some of them have been waiting three-ish years to see it, so that will be cool.

Are there going to be any physical releases for the movie? There was a rumor going around Lincoln Hall that there might be a vinyl release along with the film?

We’re working on something that is either going to be a full LP or a 7-inch, and that will hopefully be out at the end of 2022. But we are for sure going to release something. We’ll also have some cool physical stuff, like definitely a blue-ray with bonus features. We might even do a limited edition VHS for collectors, and, also, posters.

Very cool! Well, I heard the doorbell ring so I’d better let you go. Thank you so much for your time, this was perfect.

I don’t know who that was, but someone else will get it! Thank you so much, I had a lot of fun doing this.

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