Sunday, September 28, 2008

Thoughts of Paul Newman

I was so sad to hear of the passing of Paul Newman. He had such an incredible career and an incredible life. I loved his movies. I would be hard pressed to name my favorite. Maybe Butch Cassidy. Maybe Cool Hand Luke. Maybe just about anything he was in! Those blue eyes got to me every time. Even in his last years, his eyes just floored me every time I saw him.

His off screen life was not the usual fodder of the tabloids. He was married to the same woman for over 50 years. He didn't seem to get caught up in the Hollywood stereotype. He fought for the ideals he believed in. He believed in peace and opposed war. He wanted to do go.

I never met him but he touched my life in an amazing way. My son has a bleeding disorder and it would have been hard for him to attend summer camp like most children. But not to worry. Paul Newman started Hole in the Woods camp in upstate New York just for kids like my son. For 11 years, the highlight of my son's summer was his week at Hole in the Woods. The camp was totally free for us and, in the later years, even the transportation from NH was provided. He would talk about his time at camp all year and looked forward to the time he would get on the bus to head off for camp. And I was comfortable knowing there were doctors and nurses who understood his condition and would be with him if anything happened. My son met children with different handicaps and learned how to live life to the fullest. We will never forget the contribution that Paul Newman made to our lives.

Goodbye Paul. Sleep well. And know made a difference in this world.

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