The Cleveland Salon

Death. We’re all going to die, but how often do we think about it? How would being surrounded by death, as people in the past have been, change how we live? Is our society’s treatment of death good or bad for people, and for ourselves? Is it good that we’re extending human life, or is a longer life not necessarily better?

These are just some of the questions we will be considering in the next Cleveland Salon on April 16 at Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Joining us will be Thought Leaders who deal regularly with death: Mike Belsito and Kevin Barnett.  Mike is one of the founders of eFuneral.com, an online funeral planning service that is working to change the way funeral planning is done.  Kevin is an embalmer and funeral director at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz in Cleveland Heights (and was recently featured in Cleveland Magazine).  Mostly, however, this is a chance to discuss something incredibly important to all of us, yet isn’t discussed much until it actually happens.

Also, we’re starting at 7 p.m. again in response to feedback.  See you in a couple of weeks!

As preparation, please take a minute to think about what health means to you, personally. Is it the ability to lift heavy objects? Being disease-free? Feeling good? Living a long life? All of these? Something else entirely?

So we’ve discussed race.  We’ve discussed religion.  We’ve discussed sex, politics, guns, Burke Lakefront Airport, Chief Wahoo and, the most contested discussion of all, Robots.  The next salon is going to focus on something that we think is going to be extremely charged, personal and difficult to talk about – but also extremely important, and that’s why we have this space in the first place.

Obesity.

There are few issues nowadays that are both as highly emotionally charged and relatively new as a social concern as obesity.  It is described by some as a major health epidemic, as costing the economy billions of dollars, as being damaging to personal health and social wealth.  At the same time, every study about obesity’s negative effects is disputed by people pointing out the study’s flaws or showing that there are positive effects of being overweight/obese and indications that this is not as big an issue as is often portrayed in the media.  As important an issue is “fat shaming” – the exceptionally damaging ridicule of obese individuals.  The effects that this ridicule has on those individuals’ feelings of worth and value as human beings is devastating and can lead to eating disorders (which are arguably far worse a problem than obesity).  And don’t get me started on BMI.

It’s yet another important, and difficult, topic to discuss.  So we’ll talk about it.

We’ll be at Mahall’s again on March 19, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.  (This is a change from earlier ones that started at 7 p.m.; the earlier time allows us to finish earlier, too.)  We hope you can join us.

As for thought leaders, we’ve lined up Genna Petrolla and Rachel Kacenjar!  Genna is a model for Re/Dress, a plus-sized vintage and modern clothing company, and works with Rachel, a local designer.  Erin Thomas, a body-positive fashion blogger, will also be joining us.  We’re still working on people in the health field who might be able to come down as well.

###

PS For relevant information from my best friend Bianca, see her Pinterest page.

So far, our thought leaders for Tuesday include Jim Irvine from Buckeye Firearms, Ohio Representative Ted Celeste and Pepper Pike City Councilwoman/The Civic Commons’ Director of Partnerships Jill Miller Zimon.  See you at Mahall’s 20 Lanes on Tuesday at 7 p.m.!  

We’re just a few days away from the Cleveland Salon on Tuesday, where we’ll be discussing one of the big topics of the year: gun control.  Just so you know, we have Jim Irvine from Buckeye Firearms and Ohio Representative Ted Celeste.  We’re working on a few others to be announced shortly.  See you on Tuesday!

“Great men discuss ideas. Average men discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Thanks are in order.

First, thanks to Kelly Flamos and Mahall’s for hosting us in their incredible downstairs lounge, and having the bar open!!!

Second, thanks to all of the Thought Leaders: Matt Jauch, Brian J. Cummins, Randall Lipstraw, Jack Storey and Jonathan Simon for participating as Thought Leaders and inviting people, guiding and adding thoughts!!!

Third, and most importantly, thanks to everyone who came, participated, shared and were incredibly respectful of diverging opinions and thoughts. To paraphrase Greg, I was so so so so so happy and impressed to see everyone able to talk about so many big ideas while keeping it civil and respectful. You all are incredible!!!

We’ll have details for the February Salon in a little bit. Until then, keep thinking, talking and leading!

The next Cleveland Salon will be held on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 at 7 p.m. at Mahall’s.  The topic will be government at all levels, its roles and purposes, and what it should and should not do.  Should the government be involved in gun control?  Abortion?  Gay marriage?  Should it stick to public defense?  Should it aim to promote the general welfare, or just give people the opportunities to improve themselves?  Joining us will be an awesome group of Thought Leaders, including (right now) Jack Story, economic development director at Northeast Shores Development Corp. and founder of Saving Cities; Michael Meuti, an attorney at Baker and Hostetler and president of the north-east Ohio chapter of the American Constitution Society; Randall Lipstraw, a city councilman in Port Clinton; Matt Jauch, a mechanical engineer and active thinker; Brian Cummins of the Cleveland City Council; and Jonathan Simon, a marketing specialist and current candidate for City Council.  More names will be announced shortly.  Regardless, we hope to see you in a couple of weeks at The Cleveland Salon!!!

The next Cleveland Salon will be held on Thursday, January 24 at 7 p.m. at Mahall’s 20 lanes in Lakewood. The topic, just after inauguration, will be the point of government. Why do we have government? What should the government do and, as importantly, what should it not do? What should we, as citizens, be doing to influence the way our government operates and what it does? And other such big questions.

See you on the 24th!