Atlantic City Weekly

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I remember, as a young girl, my grandparents telling me stories about their life and their experiences. But I never really paid much attention to them. I was listening, but it wasn’t really registering emotionally for me. I think for most people, we take these stories for granted without realizing it.

This past weekend, my grandfather was asked to speak about his war experiences at a veterans meeting in New York City. He was in almost constant battle for two years aboard the aircraft carrier The U.S.S. Bunker Hill (CV-17) from 1943-45 — until it suffered a kamikaze attack.

After his 30-minute, carefully prepared speech, expressing what he had to deal with as a young adult, he got a standing ovation. It made me think about all the times I have heard him speak about the war. I never understood the impact it had on his life and how he fought for our freedom, along with millions of other people who did and still do. His passion and persistence to make sure Americans don’t forget our history paid off when he was recognized in the New York Times a few weeks ago (the Aug. 14 edition). He also gives speeches on the American Flag to grade-schoolers and doesn’t charge. My grandfather is living history and directly responsible for my own freedom and I’m glad I’m at a point in my life where I can appreciate him.

My hubby’s grandparents are both Holocaust survivors and the stories they tell are so interesting. You won’t find these types of stories in a textbook, so it is imperative that we record them. We are so fortunate to have these people in our lives; they are living links to the past and can make us realize how much times have changed.

I challenge you to start writing down or videotaping the stories of our elders because that is our history. A saying that I love is: “The faintest ink is better than the sharpest memory.” No matter how many times you heard a story or how well you think you will remember all the details, the safest way to preserve our personal history is to have it recorded. And next time you sit with your grandparents or parents and you hear their tales, realize how lucky you are to have that person in your life. Try to come away with a better understanding of where they came from in order to appreciate the person they are today.

Whitney’s Radar

My hubby has always loved learning and practicing magic and is especially good with card tricks, so for his birthday we decided to go see Kozak the Magician at the Comedy Stop at the Trop.

As a comedy-magic show we weren’t sure how it would be, but, boy, was it fantastic! Kozak does his thing every day (at 6pm), but you would never know it. He comes out on stage like a ball of energy, with a great smile and fantastic jokes and tricks. We were entertained throughout the entire show. It just so happened that the audience that evening was comprised of all adults so Kozak was able to do a couple adult jokes — but don’t fret, he does shows with kids all the time and he promises to keep it clean when kids are present.

Kozak has more than 25 years of experience and has performed for many esteemed audiences including Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.

“I never promise more than I can deliver, and I always deliver more than I promised,” he says. “My greatest joy is performing the magic I love so much and bringing people laughter.”

You can see Kozak nightly at the Comedy Stop Café & Cabaret located inside the Quarter at the Tropicana Casino Hotel Atlantic City. Check out kozakthemagician.com or comedystop.com.

Kozak informed me that he will be living in the community for the next few years so please stop by and welcome him. He said he’s looking to become active in our community and wants to join a few local groups to meet people and promote his show. Let’s help him out!

Dishing out advice on various topics to our female readers on issues related to networking, dating, employment, news, events, shopping and much more. She is the current president of the Greater Atlantic City Jaycees and owner of My Jewels by Whitney.