I’ve Seen All Good People

• Lori Palminteri
• Uncategorized
• November 3, 2025

“Don’t surround yourself with yourself
Move on back two squares
Send an instant karma to me
Initial it with loving care”

— from “I’ve Seen All Good People,” by Yes

The above referenced song is about chess. But I’ve been thinking about that song lately. Because, for quite some years, it has seemed to me that the most grateful people I meet in this world, whether right in my backyard in Queens or New York City, or my travels touring the country or exploration abroad to other countries, are the “have nots.” The people I encounter facing financial hardships or health ones seem to find the silver lining in life more easily than those who have everything. Sometimes it’s spiritually driven, but I think more than that, it’s humanity driven. Conversely, some of the most rich people I’ve ever met are miserable.

While I would consider myself, like most people, existing somewhere between the haves and have nots, when I broke my foot some months ago and was confined to a cane, I frequently thought, “if this is how my life was indefinitely, I’d kill myself. Shoot myself down like a horse with a broken leg.” Not that I think a handicap’s person life is worth less than anyone else’s (of course), by my own mental health is so entangled with my ability to move freely. When your health is compromised (or for me, my precious foot), nothing is more valuable to you than your health which we all take for granted when we’re without pain.

Breaking my foot wasn’t my only hiccup this years. After losing a TV writing job, I spiraled into a hopeless void that my dreams were stupid childish games I’d been playing my whole life and it was time to leave Neverland. But, “help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it.”

Do I deserve it? I’m not so sure. Being an artist requires one to act more selfishly than others. However, I don’t believe being selfish is necessarily a bad thing. Every one is selfish. That’s okay, as long as it’s not at the expense of others. Ayn Rand said selfishness is one of the fundamental keys to human survival. Rand said… “Selfishness does not mean only to do things for one’s self. One may do things, affecting others, for his own pleasure and benefit. This is not immoral, but the highest of morality… To love is to value. Only a rationally selfish man, a man of self esteem, is capable of love.”

And isn’t it just the very thing I’ve been told in therapy over and over? In order to really love, you must love yourself, Lori. LOVE YOURSELF. YOU ARE WORTHY OF IT.

“Do you love me?” I’d ask. “No,” she’d say, “I’m your therapist. Pay me now.”

It took me too long in my life to lean in on others in my times of need. My younger self would rather go it alone (don’t surround yourself with yourself). Nowadays, I’m pretty quick to pick up the phone to call my Mom, cousins, and close circle of friends. In the midst of a depression, or in dark societal times where social media algorithms favor spit venom over a shade of kindness, it’s easy to believe humanity is lost. That we’re damned for the worst and people are worse than they’ve ever been.

We do live in strange times, that is for sure. But if you are well read in history, we’re not even close to the darkest times in human history. Actually, MOST of human history is devastating. Full of wars and disease, a constant cycle of death and decay. While I don’t think we’re in the most prosperous of times as a species, the actual reality is things could be or get way, way worse. Instead of fanning the flames of fires, if you’re not in a position to put out fires (I mean this figuratively, in case you are on the dumb side), my suggestion is to enjoy life and the people around you before your life is filled with a thick smoke that the shit people argue with strangers over on the internet don’t mean anything to you at all.

Such smoke crept into my life when I was on the mend with my foot and got some luck career wise. One of my best friends in comedy is Michael Somerville. Somerville is a tall, silly Irish man and witty jokester who loves drinking more than I do, which is almost an accomplishment in itself. There are many comics I love and rejoice when I work with them on the road— but few comedians I look forward to our post show hangs more than Somerville. About three years ago, he and his wife had a baby girl. A former nanny, and on and off again babysitter, I was worked in the rotation to caring for little Emmie.

I’ve watched easily a hundred kids in my life. From more personal bonds with families to group babysitting. Emmie was such an easy baby and a real delight. She’d thumb through pages of children’s books for over an hour, which is an attention span unheard of for a baby who can’t even walk yet. We would make little rap videos (or I should say, I forced her into making rap videos, but she laughed hysterical) to send to her mom at work and dad on the road. Watching Emmie wasn’t a job to me. It was like hanging out with another friend, the literal product of my friends.

A couple years later, TJ was born and she became a big sister. And Michael would send me videos of TJ housing bottles like a frat boy with a text, “he’s definitely my son.”

Not long after Emmie’s third birthday, I found out the bad news. They were in the hospital with Emmie, and she was diagnosed with cancer. No, no… it wasn’t just bad news, it was THE WORST news. Anyone getting cancer is horrible enough. I know far too many people who have had or still have cancer. But it is especially devastating when it’s a little kid. Any kid at all. But of course it stings more when it’s a kid you know personally and care about.

Initially, they were hesitant to do any sort of crowd funding because they are mindful people. Michael literally said to me, “well, there are people who have it worse than us.” Still, by his toddlers hospital bed, he was concerned about others. I told him he was being crazy and people would be glad to help. The comedy community would rally for Emmie. Not everything is covered by insurance. Also, they shouldn’t be worrying about bills. They should just be focused on getting this little angel better.

With some embarrassment (insert my eye roll here), Michael spoke with his wife about crowd funding. I promised they wouldn’t have to do anything at all, and I’d be the one guilting people into donations. But the truth is, I knew I wouldn’t have to guilt anyone. There is no cause more noble than helping out a child in need. Unfortunately, most of the major charities are scams where about 10% goes to those in need, and the rest of the funds go to large overheads and/or someone is getting rich. With a GoFundMe, it’s all going to go exactly where we need it to go.

The Somerville’s asked that I put in the description of the fundraiser that any money that isn’t used towards Emmie’s medical bills will be donated to Children’s Hospitals/research.

We set our goal at 10K, but I was hopeful we’d double that in a month. In less than 24 hours, we beat 10K. 48 hours later, we are almost at 30K. Every donation counts, and to anyone who’s donated, thank you so much! But there’s also been numerous anonymous donations a thousand dollars or more!

There are few comedians I know more beloved than Michael Somerville. Up until a couple days ago, almost no one even knew about the weight Atlas wouldn’t envy that he and his family are carrying. Any comic I texted that his kid has cancer responded usually with a “Fuck. No. Fuck.” And many are spreading the word, not just helping with passing around the gofundme, but praying for this little innocent girl who should be spending her third year of life learning and laughing, not going through chemo.

As heartbreaking as this tale this is, the outpouring of support I’m witnessing and the Somerville’s are feeling, defies everything you are exposed to on the news and internet about how awful people are. There are really horrible people out there, but I think it’s just possible they are outnumbered by good hearts. In this chess game of life, I have seen all good people come forward when it’s necessary. Beating cancer is like playing chess versus a chess master. But, luckily, we live in a time with genius scientists and insanely good doctors. With a combined effort of decades of break through science, generous donations, and countless prayers and/or good vibes, Emmie, like many other kids, will prevail and better days of the wonders of childhood are ahead of her on the other side of this rough road she’s going through.

You can support or share here.

(An old picture, but a good one, of me, Somerville and baby Emmie, when we were brainwashing her into being a Ranger fan like us.)