Experience the World of New York Society

Society has different meanings to different generations."Society, or the Social world is made up of people who by reason of birth, wealth, personal attainments, or social or public service, obtain a certain standing as citizens." Col. Mann.

In order to claim membership in the American Society, two requirements were necessary. Money, the more the better, is a dominant factor and the ability to advertise oneself. In New York men and women were judged by their bank accounts. Some of these inherited their fortunes from their ancestors; others became wealthy through their ownership of valuable real estate, and the social ladder climbers who married someone with a title, or a large bank account in order to establish their presence in society. These people who by their tastes of wealth, love to display their riches, to friends and acquaintances, are led to join together in all social functions, of the Society World. The social register, is comprised of the elite and most prominent people of society, which fit these qualifications.

Some families made great fortunes from their investments throughout the second half of the 19th century. They had the money and leisure to indulge in conspicuous consumption, furthering a new emphasis on Society manners. The Astors were one of the landholding and mercantile families that made great private fortunes during the early nineteenth century. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie, giants in the nation's growth, were multimillionaires resulting from their investments in transportation and industry. "Through his association with Philadelphia's old established firm of Drexel & Co, J. P. Morgan came to the forefront of American finance, at a time of big opportunity." Other business giants of the era were Rockefeller in oil, the Armours, Swifts, and Morris in meat-packing, the Havemeyers in sugar, and the Dukes in tobacco. The peak of power and wealth of these financial giants was during the years 1866-1897.

Before they even had the warmth of cash in their hands, the new millionaires were deciding upon the mansion they would build, one which would satisfy even their pampered wives and daughters. Soon there would be nonstop invitations to balls for themselves and their family. There-or at the most exclusive men's clubs-- they would rub elbows with the elite. Old money was essentially dead. Money, if enough of it, talked, however recently it was produced.

During my research of the early history of New York City, I became totally fascinated by this world of prominent people of great wealth that lived in staggering opulence during the gilded era. This was a side of New York City history of which I was unfamiliar with.

In my determination to create a special directory for thehistorybox.com, I began to research public records, books, newspapers and web links, gathering as much information as I could in order to share it with the public. The unique presentation of "The World of New York Society" is a work in progress, which has required over six years of extensive research. Upon completion it will offer more than 600 transcribed articles of historical interest as well as hundreds of web links.

Topics will include Children, Young Ladies, Men, Society Women, Balls, Dances, Social Registers and more. Those who achieved great wealth lived in staggering opulence, while the vast majority of rural Americans and Immigrants flooding into New York City barely could survive, living in tenement housing amid crime, filth and disease. The social treadmill, the idleness of the rich, the power struggles among men and women of society, the financial crashes resulting from sudden reverses of fortune, all are here. The businessmen who prematurely age due to supporting a family living beyond his actual means in order to stay in society; fortunes that are spent every year on lavish dress, entertainment, and opulent house luxuries from the Gilded era find their way to TheHistoryBox.com . (Here is link to the flash intro ) or you can bypass the intro and go to the Main Directory of the World of New York Society.

Please note: the flash version of the introduction will take time loading, once it is loaded if you wish to go back to it, it will be much quicker...also please keep your speakers on for the music and the voice.

Goodbye for now.....until the next time........When "Mimi Speaks."

contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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Once Upon A Time, Home Sweet Home (A Tale of NYC's Homelessness)

Homeless! Just the mere sound of the word, sends shivers up my spine. Statistics say that approximately 100, 000 New Yorkers experience street homelessness each year and that the City shelter system accommodates at least 38,000 of these homeless individuals on a daily basis, among which are included 16,000 children .The soup kitchens and food pantries that are made available throughout the city of New York, cannot satisfy the overwhelming demand of hungry men, women and children who desperately pour into their facilities to be fed. Unfortunately, those who are not of the lucky ones, are turned away to find nourishment elsewhere. This ongoing problem not only exists in New York City, it is now becoming a national crisis.

"Once Upon A Time, Home Sweet Home" is my narration. In my narrative I make a comparison of the past homelessness that existed during the 1800s, among which were included thousands of abandoned children roaming the streets of the city of New York, as well as reflecting on the causes and effects of modern homelessness; emphasizing the obvious pattern between the two.

Increasingly, it has become hard for the non-homeless population to understand the situation of the homeless. As a result of Jacob Riis's book, "How The Other Half Lives," though not referring to the homeless, which documented and photographed the poor and destitute in New York City tenements in the late 1800s, public awareness was raised by this, causing some changes in building codes and some social conditions. Modern homelessness as we know it, is a result of the economic stresses in society, and reduction in the availabilty of affordable housing for the poverty level and working class income. It is not only those who live in the slums of the city of New York that suffer from landlordism, unemployment, as well as dangers from natural and man-made causes; the working and middle class population of the entire nation are equally exposed to these same dangers, but on a much larger scale. Without going any further into this subject matter, judging by the steady and alarming increase in its numbers, it must suffice to say that there are many facts to sustain, that homelessness will always be present as well as a persistent, unpleasant visible feature of urban life. (Click here to read my article)

Goodbye for now....until the next time.....when "Mimi Speaks."

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Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net

What Can We Do When Things Seem to Go Wrong (1)

By Miriam B. Medina

This week has had its unexpected dilemma; two huge car repair bills, which deflated my finances. Naturally, I would not be truthful, if I didn't say that my immediate emotional reaction to all of this was one of high stress. Although I encourage having a positive outlook on life, I must admit that we all experience at one time or another in our lives these displays of emotions, of "hitting the roof, or blowing a fuse," "When things go wrong." Especially in today's economic times, with gas prices sky rocketing, real estate taxes increasing, heating expenses going up, children's college tuition to pay, child support payments, lack of commission , etc. our wallets and bank accounts are feeling a humongous crunch. Everyone's lament is that prices keep going up, but the salaries remain the same, how are we going to survive? Not only do we have to contend with our overhead expenses, but also with other unexpected issues and calamities that interrupt the normal flow of our daily life; such as plans that go awry, accidents or sudden illnesses, unemployment, anticipated profits that fail to materialize, so on and so forth.
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Some are fortunate to have a nest egg as a cushion to fall back on, while for others who live from hand to mouth, it becomes a frightening experience. What happens to each and every one of us does matter, but more important is "How we react to it." Three of the emotions that are normally displayed and I would label under STRESS in response to these calamities are "Fear, ""Anxiety," and "Hysteria". FEAR, is defined as "a continuing state or attitude of fright, dread, or alarmed concern, an uneasy feeling that something may happen contrary to one's desires," ANXIETY: " a tense emotional state characterized by fear and apprehension, regarding the future." HYSTERIA: abnormal excitement; wild emotionalism; frenzy. These all contribute to our state of mind when we react to "When things go wrong."

One has to meet his or her problem in a positive constructive way, no matter how dismal it may seem. There are those who have accepted the challenge and have won. Again it is not what happens to us, but HOW we react to it that counts. Life is a mirror, and it reflects back to us, whatever image we place before it. Every seed that we plant in the soil of life will bear fruit according to that seed. For example: If we are planting potatoes we will not reap oranges. Thoughts of failure and negativeness will not produce success. Life gives back to us exactly what we believe we can accomplish and believe what we are able to accept for ourselves in our own mind. No more and no less. We need not to set limitations on ourselves to all possibilities of excelling these calamities, "When things go wrong." Most of us live our lives within a limited circle. We set up barriers by limiting ourselves with "I cant’s," and other forms of self-condemnation and self-limitation. Here is a dot . which are you and me . Now we are the center of a circle without a circumference. In dealing with "When things go wrong, " we need to erase all limitations, stop making excuses etc., which we have been imposing upon ourselves, and move forward to successful accomplishments and finding successful solutions in rectifying all situations.


So you say "Okay, I am willing to admit that I have been defeated most of my life, so where do we go from here?" The ultimate challenge is that we are not "at the mercy of Fate," as the expression says "Que sera, sera...what will be will be.", thus clouding any possibilities for a better future. We can neutralize this image by establishing a positive frame of mind. Self-direction is what motivates us to pick up the pieces and start all over again. In order for you to achieve whatever you set out to do, you must believe in whatever you wish to achieve, accept its possibility and confidently expect it to be realized. These truths can be applied to every area of your life, whether it be your health, home, career, job or relationships, and in doing so you will lift your thoughts, and your vision to see beyond your needs, circumstances, or conditions that surround you, which will result in fear turning to courage and confidence, anxiety to calmness , and despair to faith and
hope.


Successful people do not fear failure because they really never expect to fail. Although they may be surrounded by scoffers, they do not deviate from the image that they have created for themselves. The only time one fails is when one comes to a halt.

 In closing, I leave you with the words of Walter D. Wintle which have been an inspiration to me:


"If you think you're beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you think you can't win, and know you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.

For out in the world you'll find
Success begins in a fellows will
For it's all in the state of mind.
Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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What Is The Blog "Mimi Speaks?"

First before anything, we need to understand what a blog is all about. A Blog is a frequently updated journal or diary, also called a "Web log," which is a specialized site that allows an individual or group of individuals to share a running log of events and personal insights with online audiences.

This journal is often updated daily and contains all information that the person (the blogger) who maintains the Blog wishes to share with the world. This information is automatically inserted into a template that is tailored for the Web site. A Blog is a publication of a mixture of personal thoughts, experiences, and web links. Some blogging sites may provide a variety of topics that may be of interest to the public. There are blogs that allow visitors to make comments or ask questions, in response to the blogger's postings. A blog can be formal or informal, depending on the train of thought of the blogger. Some bloggers may use their real name or prefer to remain anonymous, by using a nickname. In some cases, the "blogger" will write in the first person.

As for the Blog "Mimi Speaks." Many people who have visited history, educational or genealogical websites, and benefited immensely from them, have never had the opportunity to know who the individual or group of individuals are, that have worked behind the scenes diligently, researching and providing this trustworthy information to the public. I know that I myself at times feel curious about this. Since History is my passion, I love nothing more than sharing its long-term relationship with you. The "Mimi Speaks" blog's intent is to discuss New York City, New York State and areas of American history, as well as some issues on life , in the hopes that the public be encouraged to participate in expressing their own thoughts, questions and opinions. It is also a great way for getting to know each other. From the grateful feedback which I have received in regard to the Feast of Mt. Carmel and the Giglio Feast, which was posted in the "East Harlem" Blog, apparently it seems to have stirred up nostalgic memories among its past participants and once residents of the old neighborhood. This is what makes the Blog worthwhile. I sincerely hope you will continue to visit. May each and every one of you have a great and positive day.

Goodbye for now.........Until the next time.................When "Mimi Speaks."

contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net