New York City, Here I Come!
Soon, NYC will have a flood of adoptees pouring through the airports and into the city streets to attend Operation Fog Lift, a production created by friend and fellow adoptee, Autumn Sansom.
Soon, NYC will have a flood of adoptees pouring through the airports and into the city streets to attend Operation Fog Lift, a production created by friend and fellow adoptee Autumn Sansom. For those who don't know, Autumn is the producer of the Reckoning with the Primal Wound documentary.
If you still need to see this documentary, watch the trailer here.
Rent the movie here.
I was honored to connect with Autumn approximately four years ago. She reached out to let me know she was going to release the documentary trailer on Adoptee Remembrance Day, October 30th, 2020. I was delighted to learn this news, and we've been building a friendship since.
Fun Fact: For those that don’t know, Autumn is known by many as Rebecca. However, she has asked that her fellow adoptees honor her original name, Autumn. It’s not always easy to switch names for people, but let’s TRY to honor her request. I get this need, and I respect it wholeheartedly.
Not long after, she asked me if I would like to record a snippet about Adoptees Connect, Inc., to add to the documentary as a resource for adoptees who might be watching it. I agreed to the idea and am incredibly grateful for it!
Over this time, I have watched Autumn grow and create a community of supporters of the documentary. Of course, she has unfortunately had to deal with her share of unsupporters, which has been a lot to navigate. I couldn't be more proud of her! This has been a challenging ride for her! I think about five or ten years ago when nothing like this existed, and now it does!
Times are changing, thankfully! But we still have so much work to do.
Over the years, I've learned that there will always be supporters and opponents of what we do. I've accepted there will always be people, even adoptees, or people who are cruel, mean, and downright problematic.
I have had to do some inner work on myself to understand that because other people have visions, goals, or dreams I might disagree with, it doesn't mean I have to be unsupportive or bash what they are doing.
I remind myself how refreshing it is to see others doing something, not just sitting back and critiquing what others are doing or not doing. I respect other adoptees and all the unique ways we have come together to create more educational resources for the adoptee community. Some of the things out there I might not understand or even like; however, I respect the fact that someone is trying to do something for the better good of the adoptee community. Some adoptees likely need all the resources that are coming about somewhere.
One of the reasons I decided to create my platform here at The Real Adoptea Moxie is to build a space of supportive people who support my work. I plan to continue developing this platform and creating content that validates the adoptee experience and helps others who are not adopted better understand it.
What is happening in New York City?
Operation Fog Lift NYC edition is happening.
Click here to learn more about it.
The Making Of Me Podcast Hosts Sarh Reinhardt and Louise Browne are hosting a happy hour on Friday evening, which will be a fantastic time to connect with them and finally meet in person.
We will also gather with Jeffrey Leventhal of S12F, Greg Luce of Adoptees United, Inc., and many of our Adoptees Connect, Inc. facilitators, volunteers, and attendees for this groundbreaking edition of Operation Fog Lift. This is going to be a grand celebration and a great time!
There are five places to meet up with your fellow attendees during the Operation Fog Lift weekend in NYC:
Friday, Feb 2, 2024 - (6-8 PM) ATMOM Happy Hour - Tanner Smiths 204 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019 - Please reserve a spot themakingofmepodcast@gmail.com Dress Code: Dressy Casual.
Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 - (10 AM-12) Adoptees Connect Brunch at The Smith - This is optional and casual - Several people have coordinated to meet here for brunch, so if you go, you will see some friends. 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, USA - Make a reservation directly with the restaurant.
Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 (2-6 PM) - Operation Fog Lift - 90-Minute Movie: Reckoning with The Primal Wound, 15-minute mini-concert with soundtrack artist Celeste Krishna, and 75-minute Un-M-Othered play. There will be breaks and refreshments. The location is "The Berklee Power Station", 441 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, USA. Tickets Are Required: SOLD OUT. Dress Code: Casual / Dressy Casual/ Wear Fog Lift Merch if you have it.
Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 (6-8 PM) - Fog Lift Epilogue: Reflect and Celebrate. Click here for tickets and more information. 428 W. 54th St.
Dress Code: Whatever you wear to Fog Lift or Dressy Casual
Sunday - Feb 4, 2024 (10 AM-12 PM) Writing to Heal with Dr. Liz DeBetta 121 West 27th street, 1003C (10th Fl) New York, NY, 10001RSVP: dr.liz@lizdebetta.com (Limited spots available)
Autumn has worked tirelessly to put this documentary together for years. She has poured her heart and soul into it and gained followers and supporters of the documentary worldwide. While this week is going to fly by, and by Friday afternoon, adoptees from around the USA will be headed to NYC, we're excited so many have come together for such a fantastic cause.
If you will be in NYC for this event, I hope to see you at one of these events. I will attend all but the Sunday writing workshop as I fly home on Sunday. I can’t wait to see you all! It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend for travel.
The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium News Flash:
As most of you know by now, I have launched The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium, which is the very first true-to-life greeting card collection created for adoptees, LDAs, MPEs, NPEs, donor-conceived, DNA surprises, and search angels by an adoptee.
While the collection has taken off like wildfire, I want to thank each of you for supporting this new project. I have received 100% positive feedback, which is refreshing because this has been needed for so long in our community, and I have poured my heart and soul into it.
Consider Reading: USPS Delivering Love and Light to Mailboxes Around The World.
Two of my favorite cards I recently designed are for all my fellow humans, specifically adoptees who don't have an accurate account of their birth. This means they are still determining if their birthday is theirs, and sometimes they don't even know where they were born. It's already hard on our birthdays when we are adopted, but the layer of uncertainty of not knowing if that is the day someone came into the world adds a whole different layer of difficulty to the day.
Consider Reading: How Adoptees Feel About Birthdays.
These true-to-life greeting cards were created for them. I am designing many more, available in the coming days, weeks, and months, so there will be more to choose from. Click each card to see a closer version. I’ve also added a collection of St. Patrick’s Day true-to-life greeting cards for those who found out they have some Irish DNA in them. That’s a big deal when we spend our lives not knowing this truth. Order yours today to receive it before St. Patrick’s Day.
Next week, I will be sure to update you all on the NYC trip and all the adventures along the way!
If you visit The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium, don’t forget to use coupon code “TWENTYONE” at checkout for 21% off your order every day, all the time. Why 21%? Because I was 21 when I found and met my birth mother. Each item designed at The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium becomes a bold and unique statement, and every true-to-life greeting card tells a story. www.therealadopteamoxie.com
I see you; I feel your pain for all the adoptees who feel forgotten, lost, and alone. Please don’t give up, and know you aren’t alone in feeling like you do.
I have compiled a list of recommended resources for adoptees and advocates. It can be found here: Recommended Resources for Adult Adoptees and Adoption Advocates.
Thank you for reading and for supporting me and my work.
Understanding is Love,
Pamela A. Karanova
Here are a few articles I recommend reading:
100 Heartfelt Transracial Adoptee Quotes that Honor the Truth of Adoption by Pamela A. Karanova & 100 Transracial Adoptees Worldwide
What Are the Mental Health Effects of Being Adopted? By Therodora Blanchfield, AMFT
10 Things Adoptive Parents Should Know – An Adoptee’s Perspective by Cristina Romo
Understanding Why Adoptees Are At A Higher Risk for Suicide by Maureen McCauley | Light of Day Stories
Toward Preventing Adoption- Related Suicide by Mirah Riben
Relationship Between Adoption and Suicide Attempts: A Meta-Analysis
Reckoning with The Primal Wound Documentary with a 10% off coupon code (25 available) “adopteesconnect”
Still, Grieving Adoptee Losses, What My Adoptive Parents Could Have Done Differently.
Have fun in NYC!! They have awesome pizza and hotdogs!! I can’t wait to hear about it!!!
I am very interested in the documentary. I'd never heard of it before OR about all of these Adoptee events. I'm an NPE and felt I didn't "qualify" as adopted. Yet, I find myself indentifying with many aspects of the adoptee experience, especially after reading the article "The Fog" that was published in The New Yorker last April.