12 minute read
ARTS & EVENTS
Making Himself Visible Like a Firefly
Playa del Rey resident publishes debut memoir
By Haley Beyer
Five years ago, Playa del Rey resident Ed Tar began jotting down random thoughts, memories and things he liked on paper and kept it in his desk drawer. He didn’t have a specific plan, he just knew that he wanted to remember all of those things. When COVID-19 hit, he suddenly had more free time so he opened the drawer and began organizing those thoughts. Tar’s experience as a script writer and journalist helped, but he also enrolled in an online Zoom class taught by professional writers where he learned more about how to tell his story. “Reading other people’s work in the class made me excited to see how they shared their stories and what techniques they used,” Tar said. “I wish I had more hours in the day to read and learn more.” After Tar wrote his book and finally felt good about the way it had come together, he sent his editor a copy. “Reaching for Fireflies” is Tar’s story of the constant struggles he faced as a young boy growing up with a chaotic family in Detroit. He and his father had a very complicated relationship and his family didn’t have a lot of money, at times unable to afford to heat their home. Tar was the only member of his family who showed interest in school and he was one of the few who graduated from high school and college. He was the outcast of the family and had to find ways to be there for himself and work toward the things he wanted. “I learned to fend for myself, I had to get out there and do it,” Tar said. Tar ventured out into the world to find opportunities rather than sitting around feeling sorry for himself and waiting for the opportunities to find him. “Like a firefly, I had to make myself visible,” Tar said This became the theme for Tar’s life one night when he was watching fireflies outside of his house. He realized that every firefly was an opportunity and he wouldn’t have known they were there if they didn’t make themselves visible. “Any time I heard the words, ‘You can’t do this,’ I would reply back with, ‘Yes, I can,’” Tar said. When he was unsure of what to do after completing high school, a visit with an Army recruiter was the push Tar needed to learn a new way to do things. “Joining the army and working in the military showed me a new perspective on life and gave me confidence,” Tar said. He was rewarded for his work during his time in the Army and experienced what it was like to be positively reinforced. After three years in the Army, Tar had the opportunity to speak with someone in administration at the University of Detroit and he decided to enroll there. Tar eventually graduated with a degree in business and minors in English and philosophy. Deciding to pursue a degree was a life-changing decision because he
Tar has worked as a writer, journalist, and independent producer of TV documentaries, short films and live events. Playa del Rey resident, Ed Tar, recently published his memoir, “Reaching for Fireflies,” which is about the challenges he faced growing up.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ED TAR had always been told that school would take him nowhere. College was also where he met his wife, Pat Gainor, who is a former actress, painter and artist. Tar began his writing career as a journalist and anchor in radio and TV news in Michigan and Ohio. In the 1970s, he relocated his family to LA for a job. He and his wife settled down in Playa del Rey, which was close to the ocean and a short drive from his office in Venice at the time. Tar continued to work as a writer, journalist and independent product of short films, documentaries and live events. He has also received numerous awards for his work from organizations across the United States including the International Film and TV Festival of New York, The U.S. International Film & Video Festival, and a Hollywood Angel Award, among others. “Reaching for Fireflies” is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and on Tar’s personal website.
edtarauthor.com
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THE ARGONAUT REAL ESTATE NEWS
Nine House Cleaning Tasks That Give You A Great Workout
House cleaning is a drag. That comes as a surprise to no one. But, there is a great side benefit to having a tidy home. Well, there are many, but we’re not talking about the psychological advantages of living in a clean home or even the fact that a clean house just plain looks good. We’re talking about working up a sweat. Go ahead and skip the gym. Grab the broom or the vacuum cleaner instead. Turns out the simple acts of sweeping, vacuuming, and so many more housecleaning tasks can give you a great workout. “You probably know that the U.S. Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days a week to maintain good health,” said Weight Watchers. “But did you know that any kind of physical activity counts, including housework? Believe it or not, dusting, sweeping, mopping, making beds and carrying laundry all add up to a lot of ‘incidental activity - the type some health experts view as potentially more beneficial than ‘official’ workouts, such as calisthenics.” So how many calories are we talking here? “According to Health Status, a 150-lb. individual would burn 99 calories doing 30 minutes of housework,” said LIVESTRONG. But the calorie burn varies depending on the activity - and your body weight; consider that the more you weigh, the more calories you burn.
Dusting.
Dusting can burn 80 calories in 30 minutes, and give you a good arm and shoulder workout. Want to burn even more? Add weights to wrists and/or ankles for this and any other task. “The American Council on Exercise promotes the use of weights to increase exercise benefit,” said Health magazine. “You can add this to your everyday life by using ankle or wrist weights. Just adding weights can burn 25-50% more calories during your everyday activities - no gym required!”
Washing dishese.
“Some activities are more vigorous than others. A 150-lb. person washing dishes for 30 minutes would burn approximately 77 calories, according to Health Status,” said LIVESTRONG. workout at the same time. Washing your windows for a half hour can burn 100 calories.
Laundry.
Few of us enjoy the task of doing laundry, but, while you’re putting clothes in the washer, moving them to the dryer, sorting, folding, and hanging, think about this: an hour’s worth of these tasks can burn 68 calories. It’s not as much as hitting the bike at cycling class, but at least now you have something clean to wear when you do go! And, you earned yourself a snack.
Sweeping
“A 30-minute dance with the broom will burn off 136 calories,” said SHAPE.
Vacuuming
Between all the walking, turning, twisting, and bending, vacuuming can burn 170 calories in an hour.
Mopping
Have a lot of hard surface floors in your home instead of carpet? Grab that mop. An hour’s worth of mopping can burn 170 calories, too.
Washing floors
“Extra dirty” floors may be a good thing in this case. “If your floors require a little extra elbow grease, you can shed as many as 187 calories in just 30 minutes,” said Shape.
Rearranging your closet
Whether it’s time to swap out summer duds for winter sweaters or you just need to clean out a closet that’s overstuffed, this task can burn about 85 calories.
Mowing the lawn
How about taking your tidying tasks outdoor? If your lawn is in need of some manicuring, you’ll love the fact that this type of home improvement activity can burn a whopping 300 calories in an hour. If it only takes you 20 minutes, you “can burn more calories than a power walk,” said Health. “But there’s a catch: you have to mow with a push mower. You may feel like you’re living on the frontier, but a push mower will turn your backyard into a boot camp!”
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTION CAME FROM: JAYMI NACIRI REALTY TIMES
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