  
|
13.5 "MINUT" SPEECH
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
"Di tsaytung" (The newspaper) headlines read:
. BALEAGUERED GOLFER, TIGER WOODS, READY TO TAKE A SWING AT SCRIPTED APOLOGY
.. TIGER'S MOM "FURIOUS" ABOUT PHILANDERING
Tiger Woods apologized for his behavior at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. His jilted wife, Elin Norderen, was not present; his mother, Kutilda Woods, was.
This is the "ershter" (first) time he's faced the public since his disastrous sex "skandal" broke on Thanksgiving.
Woods, 34, spoke for 13.5 minutes, addressing a small group of friends, colleagues, and select reporters. He took no questions, and said he's headed "back to therapy."
His mother sat in the front row; no doubt she felt "a shande un a kharpe"--a shame and a disgrace--for her only child.
As he hugged his mother at the conclusion of his talk,all I could think of were the following Yiddish proverbs/expressions:
. "Az der kluger failt, failt er veit." (When a clever man makes a mistake, does he make a mistake!)
. "Altsding lozt zich ois mit a gevain."
(Everything ends in weeping.)
. "Az me redt zich arop fun hartsen, vert gringer."
(When one pours out his heart, he feels lighter.)
. "Yeder mentsh hot zein peckel."
(Every man has his burden.)
. "Ain kind iz azoi vi ain oig."
(Having an only child is like having one eye.)
In the last few years, we've all heard so many apologies. There's Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky speech, and Eliot Spitzer's resignation speech. There's Jim McGreevey's resignation speech, and John Edwards' interview on ABC when he admitted to a "toes"--a mistake. There's Mark Sanford's "Appalachian Trail" speech.
We know from books that the late Senator Ted Kennedy was haunted by the death of Mary Jo Kopechne to his dying days. He spent the last half of his life atoning for the first half of his life. But he spent those last 40 years making the world better for all of us, and especially for the "orem" (poor/ needy), the homeless, and the "krank" (sick). "Our sins don't define the whole picture of who we are," Kennedy said.
Kennedy's father said to him early on, "You can have a serious life or a nonserious life, Teddy. I'll still love you whichever choice you make. But if you decide to have a non-serious life, I won't have much time for you."
Why even the state of Israel made an apology [in 2008]. The state apologized to the Beatles for banning them from performing there in 1965. The government refused to grand permission for "der kontsert" (the concert) saying the band's music would corrupt the morals of Israeli youth. "We should like to take this opportunity to correct this historic omission," said the letter, which was sent to Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the survivors of John Lennon and of George Harrison. The country invited McCartney and Staff to perform at its 60th anniversary celebration in May.
I don't normally read golf magazines, but the Feb. 10, 2010 issue of "Golf World," really caught my attention. Chris Jones, Editor, wrote [Editor's Letter]:
"Here's a sentence I never thought I'd write: Tiger Woods has become a laughing stock-- throughout this year, fans will be shouting jokes about Tiger's driving. Every time Tiger appears in public, this scandal will be resurrected. Every time Tiger Woods is leading a tournament, his rivals will be thinking: "Now I know he's human, I can take him down." That air of invincibility has gone.
This isn't taking into account the turmoil in his private life, which is undoubtedly going to affect his game...Woods might win the Masters by 12 shots again, just to prove a point. But this story shows no sign of dying down any time soon.
In fact, I see Tiger being tarnished by this for the rest of his career, whatever happens on the golf course."
{Thank you, Chris Jones!]
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z |
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe is the author of
two books:
"Yiddish for Dog & Cat Lovers" and
"Are Yentas, Kibitzers, & Tummlers Weapons of Mass Instruction? Yiddish
Trivia." To order a copy, go to her
website: MarjorieGottliebWolfe.com
NU, what are you waiting for? Order the book!
| Yiddish
Stuff Jewish Humor Schmooze News More Majorie Wolfe |
Principle Jewish Stories All Things Jewish Jewish Communities of the World |
Haruth Communications
