Mary Ellen Rago
Marital Status:
Divorced after 23 years of marriage to “you know who”, maybe you don’t…“Many a man owes his success to his first wife, and his second wife to his success”.
Children?
I have four (that’s right, count them, FOUR!) infinitely amusing children who keep me hoping. An accepted aspect of the great cosmic flow, another dimension of “oh, wow”. They are smart, loud, opinionated and beautiful, spicy is a good word. Always noisy, always hectic, most of the time fun. Jillian Rose -20, Abigail Jane -18, Sara Elizabeth 13, and Caroline MacKenzie 11.
Education:
BA from Monmouth College magna cum laude how about that? Double major in art and education, although my occupation is not related to either art or education.
Occupation:
Administrative assistant.
Volunteer and Professional Activities:
Nothing really profound. The usual ones having to do with kids and their sports, activities, and school.
What percentage of your hair is visibly gray (is this a trick question?)
What happened to the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy? The army doesn’t like to discuss nerve gas either.
If you had one year free of all responsibility and unlimited funds, what would you do?
Get a villa in Tuscany. Dine on the beach at sunset in ST. Barts. Wear sweatshirts and jeans and flip flops. Visit Greece. Read more. Live in Paris for a year. World peace, allthough I’m too much of a realist for this one. The U.S. seems to have unlimited funds and is having quite a bit of trouble accomplishing this. Gardening.
What are the most rewarding things that you have done in your life?
Kept my sanity, my most treasured possession. Raised my girls, so far, so good.
What rewarding things do you plan to do in your life?
Let the adventure continue…
What are your favorite non-family related things to do in your free time?
Free time? Free time? Not much of that…
How would you best describe your idea of "being successful?"
Who’s smarter, prettier, richer? Who’s got a better backhand, a flatter stomach, a faster track job? If you can’t stop comparing yourself to others, you’ve got a case of what Asian philosophers call monkey mind, and honey, it will only drive you bananas.
What are your most vivid memories of your days in Ridgewood?
If a salamander were blindfolded, could it find its way home? And if it did, what kind of a home would it find?
Hanging out front on the lawn with walks almost every day to the stream. Parties. Art classes. Trips to New York. Trips to Harriman. Trips to the Jersey shore. “Trips” in general. Getting along with everyone, regardless of the clique you were in. Parties. How beautiful the houses were. Walking up and down Ridgewood Ave. Walking in general. Parties.
We return (not often enough) to places we have lived and known to reconnect with who we were, to understand who we have become. Childhood sweeps us up, carries us off. It’s only afterward that we see how little we appreciated the ride. How restless we were, how easily we skipped past moments and memories in the making. It is as adults we learn how quickly time flows by.
What single piece of wisdom would you like to leave for the next generation?
Single piece of wisdom? I have four kids, and I’m full of advice…
All though it may not seem like it at the time, the universe is probably unfolding exactly as it should.
Make the best of things.
If the obsessed pursuit of excellence doesn’t knock you off the seemingly boundless plateau of normalacy, then the achievment of it will. On the other hand effort is very important. Do whatever you do to the best of your ability, whether it is changing diapers, running a corporation or striving for world peace.
Don’t bother wasting time or energy (not that this is a high energy level activity) matching socks. It doesn’t really matter in the long run. No matter how hard you try buy different colors, buy different brands, buy different styles. Inevitably, you end up with (at least I do) a basket in the hallway with 30 socks that just don’t match any of the others. Who cares? Get new ones every month or so.
How have you changed since high school?
Mazlovs hierarchy of needs takes on a whole new meaning as I age.
What else should we know about you?!
Hmmm…