SERENA-THE WINNER-WILLIAMS

Serena Williams has been sharing her personal story of what she's been though, in order to be what she is in this picture -- a very beautiful mother holding her very beautiful daughter.



In Time Magazine (August 27) with her face on the cover, she talked about her fear that she isn't a good enough mother. She described how becoming a Mother led to a pulmonary embolism and hematoma that required multiple surgeries.  Serena said, "I went through hell to have Alexis Olympia Ohanian, who is in fact, (she bragged) already learning to count the stairs in French."

After six weeks in bed, too weak to get up, detailing her schedule, her exercises -- how she struggled to regain her strength -- Serena revealed how arduous it was, after a difficult childbirth at age 36, to take on a global championship as an athlete who has reached stardom.

That is exactly what what Serena is doing right now at the U.S.Open Tennis finals in Forest Hills. She has a team surrounding her, guiding her,  an adoring husband, the owner and founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, also a fitness guru, along with her agent, her coach, and a fashion expert who works with her on everything that has to do with how she looks.

Since the tight-fitting (to prevent blood clots) "black-panther body suit" she wore at the French Open was banned, we have been seeing her everyday in ballerina "tutu "outfits.

Here's the blue tutu.

My husband, (tennis nut John Cullum) seeing Serena in this black tutu, finds the outfits a bit silly,

Serena's determination to win can be seen in everything she has been doing, is now doing more than ever -- her fund-raising charities for domestic abuse victims and children -- as an author of several published books, she recently announced she's writing a TV show storyline, which will be converted into script form by her agency.

Reading and rereading various other biographies, I sense that everything she does has to do with  childhood dreams that have shaped her and become her plan -- to do everything at the top most, highest level and win -- win -- win.

This woman knows tennis -- knows everything there is to know about the game and winning. You can't win without learning about losing. Winning or losing, she will find more and more more things to win.

EM ADVICE--BE YOUR OWN DOC

Practical thoughts.

It's time to do your own annual checkup. You need to keep track of what's on this list.

Your Blood Pressure -- know the words systolic, diastolic and know the numbers -- are you high, low, or in the normal range.

 Your Elimination -- urination and bowel habits -- be aware of quantity, color, quality, frequency, discomfort -- all the aspects of your body's output -- the sphincter and peristaltic feelings. Are you having to work hard to empty bladder or bowel? Are you losing control?

Your Symptoms -- anything that's weird, odd, different that you're feeling, you need to know when it occurs, how often, and does it keep you from functioning normally. Include moodiness -- depressive, or suicidal thoughts, and your worries -- events, things you do that get you flushed, or get your  heart-racing. Are you ever dizzy, ever feel faint? Do you get enough sleep? Are you often exhausted? Also, keep track of sneezing, itching, rashes; also twinges, or dull aches when you bite or chew. Do you sweat a lot, or never sweat? What about your eyes, your ears -- are you seeing and hearing normally?

Your Exercise -- do you know what exercises you ought to do every day, or every other day, or once a week?  You need to be in charge, and realistic. Be aware of your arms, legs, shoulders, back -- do you wake with a backache, or aches in neck, elbows, hips, knees, or wrists? Whatever/where ever-- pay attention! And include feet, toes, hands, fingers, and thumbs, in your exercise.

Your Weight and Height -- are you gaining, losing?  If you're shorter than you were a couple of years ago, you are shrinking as you age, so pay attention to sitting  and standing taller.

Your Diet. Get educated: learn about the calories, carbohydrates in the foods you eat or over-eat, as well as essential nutrients, vitamins, C, D, B, calcium, and minerals.

B-Bp, E-limination, S-ymptoms E-xercise W-eight/height, D-iet -- B E S E W D -- that's my advice.  Be aware of these things, and maintain awareness. Even if it's difficult for you -- do it anyway.

Yes, its a lot of stuff. If necessary make notes in a little notebook. I do it, been doing it for years. It works!

If if something seems weird, wrong, painful, or repetitiously worrisome, consult a trusted, highly recommended MD.

Guys, it's YOUR job. YOU are the boss of YOU.  BE YOUR OWN DOC is a BIG part of it. 
  

(VIDEO) SERIOUSLY UNFAVORITE THINGS

Emily Frankel asks her husband, John Cullum to name celebs, stars, topics--things he can't stand the moment he the sees them on TV.

John sails into a tirade, listing, condemning, describing commercials that absolutely horrifically infuriate him.

SPIKE LEE IS SHOUTING "WAKE UP"

"BlacKkKlansmen" is the title of Spike Lee's latest film.

It was released August 10th, on the anniversary of the 2017 White Supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a Nazi Supporter drove his car into the protesters, and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer. In May, at the Cannes film festival, "BlacKkKlansmen" won the Grand Prix.

Time Magazine's August 20 issue features a five-page article on Spike Lee by Rembert Browne, a 31-year-old, well-established journalist, who says the film will change the way we think about racism.    

Here's another photo of Lee in Browne's article. He says Lee in his Blacka hat (each A in the hat is also a Klansman's triangular white hood) is a walking advertisement for Spike Lee and his new film. I think the cover photo and this photo tell us how confident Lee feels about his film's message, and its waking up people.

Browne says, "Getting to know Spike is delightful if you know how to hang, how to spar and how to shut up. He does he have an air about him that suggests wasting his time will not be tolerated. Lee vacillates between talking with you and talking at you as if every moment will be his last opportunity to say his piece. And when he gets to the end of one declarative statement, he smiles at you and then says some version of the phrase "WAKE UP" -- the refrain he's used in many of his films.

"You'll hear it in this one. He refuses to let the viewer miss the parallels between racism in the 1970s and today, between law enforcement then and now, between the Klan and the so called alt right."

(alt right=white supremacists)

Guys, click the link -- see for yourself what the desperately angry Spike Lee is saying in the August 20 issue of Time Magazine.

Then, maybe you'll go see the film.