Friends? Relatives?

You’ve probably heard it said, “You can choose your friends, but not your relatives!” Maybe that’s why some families have a difficult time when they gather together. Grudges, feuds, misunderstandings, and long memories are fertile ground for family strife, and yet...

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed!

I have been doing a lot of thinking about friendship lately.  As a therapist, people come into my office with a variety of issues.  One of the questions that I ask at the very first meeting is about their “support system.”  It is important to find out...

I Have Needs

Do you ever look at other couples with envy? They seem happy and content in their marriage while you feel alone and dissatisfied. There are many causes of marital dissatisfaction, including not having our needs met. Whether we realize it or not, we have needs that we...

Card Member Since 1987

Being a virgin in 2011 is not easy. Quite the contrary. It has been very difficult to maintain this status, harder still to defend it. For a while I was surprised by the reactions of those I finally told. Most were riddled with skepticism or surprise, others closer to...

Bonding With The Blonde Women

     Allow me to begin at the beginning. I was born in Brooklyn, New York on October     17, 1957.  I was named Elvira Robina Mannarino and my parents were Albert and Alessandra. We lived on Herkimer Street off Eastern...