Pandora Paulos Seriani

I moved to Virginia in 1981. It was to help my mother & I owed her. In June of 1988 she died from lung cancer. By then I thought I had planted roots too deep to try to maneuver our way home. I was heartbroken at the time but remembered God works in strange ways. 1994 that marriage died a hard death, but 2 years later I met the most amazing man in the galaxy, Ryan. We’ve been together about 28 years, married 20. Since High School I’ve done just about every job you can think of... it was fun. From Dental Asst to poker chip handler/waitress—owned a restaurant/bar/music venue in N. Hollywood to 3 boutiques to Vice President of a trade organization, and so many more in between. Life has kept me busy & I love it that way. Really, would you have expected anything else?

I still owe a wonderful guy who paid my bus fair, because I was broke. I had been at the Israeli peace march and my best friend at the time, Nicci Ross took off. It was not my day. First, as I’m waiting to hear Frank Sinatra, I hear my name being called out in Arabic (not a good idea to be 14, sneaking into an Israeli anything, when you’re both Catholic & Lebanese, in 1967), but then ABC caught a great shot of me in my red polka dot shirt. And then I step on the bus, my first time, they asked for money, I started to cry & this wonderful guy from the back of the bus speaks out, “Pandora, I’ve got it. Don’t cry, just go sit, and I did. Right in front because I was mortified that I didn’t know his name, but he knew mine. Wouldn’t be long before I realized once you heard it, it stuck— (for good or bad) Then I get home. My sister & her boyfriend were watching the tube. As I walked in she said “the news station busted you. Never wear a bright color when you’re where you shouldn’t be. That was Sophomore year. I have 4 years of incredible stories, not all were nice & I still have my memory!