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Matt Gittleman
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Location |
Poughkeepsie, New York |
Birthday |
June 5, 1961 |
Occupation |
Marriage and Family Therapist |
Interests |
Family, traveling, squash, snowboarding, and all things french |
City |
Seattle |
State |
WA |
Country |
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Zip Code |
98105 |
I was born in |
Poughkeepsie |
From State |
NY |
From Zip Code |
12603 |
From Country |
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URL |
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Email Address |
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Private Message |
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Member Group: |
Authors |
Total Section Entries |
4 |
Total Comments |
7 |
Total Forum Topics |
0 |
Total Forum Replies |
0 |
Total Forum Posts |
0 |
Member Local Time |
January 06, 2009 05:26 AM |
Last Visit |
January 05, 2009 01:21 PM |
Join Date |
March 31, 2008 07:47 AM |
Most Recent Entry |
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Most Recent Comment |
November 05, 2008 10:19 PM |
Most Recent Forum Post |
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I think my emergence as an adult who recognized the essence of being part of the BLUR experience did not happen until I had my first child. My wife, Felicia, is a gorgeous mix of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and African-American. I tell people that my ethnic make-up in one half French and one half Brooklyn, NY. I've taught both my kids how to say "fuhgettaboutit" properly. However, I had a vision well before present day that informs my hopes about a BLUR society.
After leaving Poughkeepsie, New York, I bought a one-way ticket to follow the woman who had mesmerized me in college, and was determined to pursue my love to Seattle, WA. One day we were walking the streets of the University of Washington district when I commented to Felicia that I loved the "homogenized" faces that I saw. I think that at this point she must have wondered if it was a good idea to continue our relationship. She gently corrected my mistake, telling me that the term was "homogeneous." So, I knew more about milk than I did about grammar. Sue me.
As I've grown older, wiser, and grayer, I have embraced the diversity that characterizes Seattle. If you go into a high school in the city, you will not believe the beautiful BLURs that you'll find in every class. Our city is a model of integration, celebration, and appreciation for all races and cultures. The BLUR lifestyle is very present in most of our relationships here, as many of our couple friends are some combination of race, ethnicity, and culture. We love it!
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My Photo
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When you come from a place with a name like “Poughkeepsie,” you have to be ready to answer some questions. My home town is a simple, rural community with some beautiful old homes and farms. My parents were both educators, with my mom teaching in the french department at Vassar College. Vassar plays a huge role in my life, as you’ll here about a little later. I attended pre-school at the college, and grew to appreciate having a place to go and play as I grew older. My high school buddies and I used to maraud around the campus, using and abusing many of the facilities. What’s a bored, energetic teenager supposed to do for grins and giggles?
Poughkeepsie also has a pathetic downtown core, which has degraded badly over the years due to neglect and poor city management. Not a bad place to grow up, but I had to get the hell out of there after college. That’s where I met my wife, Felicia, and created some fond memories and made life-long friends. Upon graduating from Vassar in 1983, I headed west to Seattle. For me, arriving in Seattle felt like I had gone half-way around the world. The crispness of the air and beautiful vistas of mountain ranges coated in snow blew my mind. There is a song called, “the bluest skies are the skies in Seattle,” and it rings true to me. although it rains quite a lot, there is no place like Seattle on a warm summer day. It’s dry, with cooling breezes and the fluffiest white clouds, scattered about the sky, you’ll ever see.
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