The whole idea started out innocently enough. My eldest daughter Perry is also here, not staying with her boring old dad, but rather as a juror, a participant in the Giffoni Film Festival I am covering. As mentioned before, the whole idea is to gather children and teens from all around the world; and have a culture exchange of sorts in the context of watching, discussing, and meeting those involved with movies. The people at Giffoni must be on to something; the festival is in it's 39th year; with over 2000 young people from all over the globe.

     Since my daughter and another teen from Los Angeles are not staying with me; they have to be staying somewhere, right? The festival has placed them with a host family; and seeing that I was in the same general area; I thought it would be polite to invite the host family to dinner. As the Andria family speaks no English; and my Italian is rusty at best; thanks to one of the on-line translating sites for helping me come up with the following letter;

     Maybe heaven is on earth, and it is pretty easy to say that writing from the balcony of my room at the Santa Caterina Hotel in Amalfi. It is the most spectacular day; warm with a gentle and cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Snoozed until past 12 noon, woke up to the most amazing and simple Italian lunch ever; went to the Amalfi paper museum; where I learned that while the Chinese and Egyptians may have first invented paper; it didn't really become good until the process was perfected here in Amalfi.

    Yesterday was spent at the Giffoni Film Festival; now re-named the Giffoni Experience. Here, as I reported last year, over 2000 children and teens from all around the world gather to meet film-makers and movie stars; all the while having a very complete cross-cultural experience hanging out in a campus-like setting with plenty of time for simple mingling and conversation.

     Every year, a few fairly major movie stars make the trek to Giffoni. First up for 2009 was Eva Mendes. What happens when a physical beauty meets actual physical beauty in the form of geography and scenery. Well, as Eva and I boarded a boat to cruise from Amalfi towards Salerno; she was literally left speechless. "I am just trying to take this all in," she told me. The Amalfi coast is one of natures true wonders, as is Eva I suppose. The boat had a few festival officials and Eva's beau George; a tremendously nice guy in his own right, and like Eva very low-key.

     "We are hiders, we are not scene-makers," she said. "I like staying in my own little bubble." Eva broke the bubble and more to meet the children of Giffoni. I watched as she held two small private meetings; one with a group of about 50; and another with a group of just 8. In one of those experiences that I imagine will leave an indelible impression, Eva sat in the private patio of a guest house, and shared gelato with the selected few.

    "I still go to acting class, as often as I can," she said. "I consider myself a student of the whole process. I have to keep learning and keep growing."

    "Initially I wanted to become a nun; but I also realized very early on, I wanted to pay my family back for everything that they have done for me. When I learned that as a nun, I probably would not be able to buy my mother a house; I decided to become an actress instead. I have been at this now for about 10 years; and five years ago, I bought my mother that house."

    Eva left the small group to head to the main Giffoni campus, where she participated in a giant Q and A with well over 1500 young people. The kids were not shy with their questions, nor was Eva with her answers.

    "You're very beautiful," one girl from South Africa shouted out. "Is being a great beauty enough?"

    "No," Eva answered back. "Beauty will get you in the door once, it may open the door; but it will not keep you in the room; it will not keep you working; you have to have more than just beauty."

    "What's the hardest part of your job?" asked a boy from Ireland.

    "Hearing the word 'No.' Eva said. "I heard 'no' for years, I still do. But after years and years and years of people say 'no' of people insisting that you cannot do it; finally if you keep at it, you will get there. I didn't come from a rich family, I was not at all connected in anyway; and yet, after a lot of hard work; here I am. The most important thing you can do, is pick your friends wisely. Choose people who will love and support you. I am still friends with the girls I was friends with when I was 12 years old."

    Eva was generous with her time, care and advice. She is savvy too.

    "Create your own art," she told the crowd. "If that means acting or dancing or trying something new, do it. You are the next generation of great writers and directors. And while you are at it write something for me."

    Finally, as Eva left; one girl with a thick Spanish accent shouted out, "I love you Eva and I love your sunglasses."

    Eva walked right over and took her sunglasses that had been resting stylishly in her hair; and put them right on the girl's face. The teen was beaming. She may never take those glasses off.

    Much of what Eva said certainly wasn't startling or new....but what made it new; is that she herself has actually lived her own advice.

    On an incredibly beautiful day in Italy, I am thinking that the simple pleasure; including keeping ones own counsel, may well be enough.

     At KTLA, the young woman, Jeannette,  who has produced our early-edition 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. newscasts said so-long on Friday. Our loss is KABC's gain; and while I like our Morning News much better than the cookie-cutter quality of 'Eyewitness News'; there is no denying that ABC/Disney is over-all in considerably better corporate shape than our parent company Tribune, currently going through the bankruptcy process.

     So how did Jeannette get a better job, paying more money in this environment?

     Simple. Day in and day out, she did her job extraordinarily well; with no drama or conflict. The fact that she was calm, cool and collected was not lost on any of us; nor, apparently was it it lost on our competition. If you are good, really good, people notice. 

     And I especially noticed this. On Friday, her last day, Jeannette brought in hand-written notes for virtually each and every person she worked with. The note she wrote to me was wonderful. Thoughtful, warm, personal, and funny. I will save it and refer to it often. It will not only remind me of a colleague and a friend I will miss; it reminds me that when and if I am in a position to hire someone; I'll want someone who has the exact same qualities as someone who would be kind enough, and let's be honest, smart enough, to say good-bye in such a wise and classy way.

    Almost all the reading and writing we all do is on electronic screens. Because they are increasingly rare, the power and impact of the hand-written word cannot be overstated. 

     Good-bye Jeannette, as you wrote to me, I truly hope our paths cross again.