The
Huntting Family--Some Important History:
I want the world to know that Aesthetic
Realism enabled me to be kinder to my mother, and this changed how I
saw people as such! I was so scornful and superior--I became honestly
interested in knowing her and saw her
depths as real as my own.
My brother Rick had died of Muscular Dystrophy when he was 20 and my
father Don Huntting of cancer in 1971, before I met Aesthetic Realism
in 1973.
My mother, Jean Huntting and brother Ames both came to New York City
from where the family had lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had Aesthetic
Realism
consultations. My brother recently resumed studying in
consultations after two decades.
In 1977, Jean Huntting wrote the following letter to Eli Siegel, which
I'm
proud to print here. I feel she would want this very much! She died in
1985. At the time she wrote
the letter I had the honor and tremendous pleasure to be studying with
Mr. Siegel in thrilling, culturally rich, scholarly classes (some of
what I'm grateful to have learned from him in those classes, that
changed how I saw people including my mother, is in papers I publish
elsewhere on my website):
40 Waterside Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10010
November 1, 1977
Eli
Siegel
67
Jane
Street
New
York, N.Y. 10014
Dear Mr. Siegel,
As I sit here
watching my beautiful view of sparkling water and soaring seagulls, I
am so
happy.
How is it I am so
fortunate to have
so much—a
new life at 61 that I never dreamed of, my son and daughter
caring so much to make
this possible for me, the closeness
that has come
about?
It certainly has
been because you have taught them to see their life in a new way, therefore
enriching mine.
I foresee a great new
happier future for
the Hunttings, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Jean C. Huntting
In the mid-1970s,
as the above picture shows, the three of us demonstrated in front of
the NY Times
building with many others, protesting their then over 30 year boycott
of Aesthetic Realism. Some years later, Jean Huntting also wrote to the Times:
40
Waterside
Plaza
New
York, N.Y.
10010
November
24,
1980
The Editor
NEW
YORK TIMES MAGAZINE
229
W. 43rd
Street
New
York,
N.Y. 10036
Dear
Editor:
I
recently read your cover story of October 26, 1980, "Freud's
Fragmented Legacy" by Dava Sobel. A week ago, a
man where I live at Waterside
Plaza was rescued from the East River by a barge, after informing a neighbor
that he was going to jump
in; and this Friday a body was removed from the water at the
marina nearby. Last
summer
I
saw helicopters
trying to rescue a man who
had jumped
from the 59th Street
Bridge. This was
considered
news fit
to print.
These
people were in despair and didn't know where to turn for
help. Psychotherapy, as presented in
your article, doesn't seem to
have
the answers. Menninger himself has
admitted
that psychiatry
seemed a
failure.
Aesthetic
Realism has helped my whole family—my
son to overcome
alcoholism, my daughter
and
I to
become friends, and all three of us to respect
each other
more. I believe
Aesthetic Realism is what
families need to
know. Eli Siegel, the founder of Aesthetic
Realism, said
that contempt is the
cause of all mental difficulty and of insanity. He
defined contempt as "the disposition in every person to
think he will be for himself by making less of the outside world." These persons who tried to take their lives
thought so little of the world they wanted to leave
it. Others in mental hospitals have
such contempt for the
world they retreat into one of their
own. In different ways my family and I
wanted to leave the
world, too.
Since
1941
people have been helped by the study of Aesthetic Realism.
This is a form of knowledge and education
that should be made known, so that people can find hope and help
instead of
despair. I do wish this letter would
spur you to
inform them.
cc: The Cincinnati Enquirer The Hartford Courant
Ladies' Home Journal McCall's,
Redbook,
Family
Circle, other
journals
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