Haunting

Have you ever watched something on television, or in a movie, read something in a book, or newspaper, that continues to haunt you for days afterward? I have had that experience just recently. I was watching a segment of Nightline regarding the explosion of shootings by gangs in Chicago. This segment went on for two nights and ended with the gangs getting together to try to stem the bloodshed of not only gang members but innocent children, grandmothers, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The numbers are astounding. Literally, 419 people just this year - more than all the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined!

But what haunts me is the excerpt from a young man who pleads for America to help him and others like him to have a chance at life. A chance to grow up and have a job, home, children. He doesn't want to be in a gang, he simply feels he has no alternative. It is either be preyed upon or be the prey. As we go into the voting booths in the next few weeks, we need to think about the America we want to pass on to our children. We're at a crossroads. Our choices are going to determine whether we turn our backs on these young people, or we stand together and insist that things change. It's time to make our representatives responsible for We The People, and not multi-national conglomerates that want to up their profits by controlling our Congress and sending our jobs overseas. If we don't start investing in the people of this country, instead of the Military Industrial Complex, Chicago is coming to a town near you.

Please watch this 1.5 minute segment and look at this young man's face. It's haunting, and also, strangely... sweet. He's just a kid. Somebody's little boy. He deserves a chance to live.

No, he deserves a chance to thrive.

Tinkering With Drugs

Dr. Peter Dregen, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist did two hours on Coast to Coast the other night about the doping of our nation by the pharmaceutical companies. His new book, Psychiatric Drug Withdrawl, is a must read for anyone who is currently taking psychotropic drugs and especially for anyone who is considering putting their child on one.

I loved that Dr. Dregen didn't mince words - he totally blasted doctors prescribing these drugs to millions and millions of people and keeping them on them for much too long - sometimes for a lifetime. None of these drugs were designed for long term use. And when the pharmaceutical companies get sued - they just pay it - the money they are paying out is minute compared to the billions being made. In one case, after paying out  three billion in a settlement, the stock actually went up - everyone knew what the impact was going to be and it wasn't that bad - business as usual.

Once on a drug of this type for too long, the next step is another drug to counter the effects of the first drug, and on and on it goes. The drugging of children in foster care is especially grievous. People are not finding solutions to their problems, they are just masking the symptoms of their pain. And in the case of children, we're drugging normal children to make them easier to control. The small percentage of people that actually have a chemistry imbalance in their brain has turned into treating millions that don't have the imbalance, but may have depression that is situational based on past events, or current difficulties. One caller said that he found out his son's school was actually getting kick-backs from the drug companies for children they recommended go on drugs for ADD. (I can't verify that, by the way.) Teachers are not trained psychotherapists - they cannot tell you your child is ADD or ADHD. You need a trained professional to give those types of diagnoses. All too often even trained professionals take the easy way out and suggest mood-altering drugs, especially if the patient is asking for one. So be very careful if a drug is suggested for your child. Get another opinion. Be especially careful if you are on more than one - the long term consequences on your brain could be far reaching. Coming off of these drugs takes time, and should never be done all at once.

This is a bugaboo subject with me, as most of you know. Dr. Dregen believes that people need to feel their pain so they can work through it and go on with their lives, which is exactly what I believe. We feel pain for a reason - to help spur us on to fix whatever it is that needs fixing. Just as we feel pain when we touch something hot - our psyche needs to feel pain if we are doing something, (or someone is doing something to us), that needs to be avoided. Finding life purpose, following our dreams, getting involved in life, are all ways to feel well.  Good nutrition and exercise also play a part in good mental health. A good mental-health practitioner should give you their time and their empathy, which is what Dr. Dregen feels is most important in helping someone get through life's trials and tribulations. We are not machines. A good friend, supportive family, spirituality, finding your passion, all help people deal with life. (And let's not forget blogging!)

So if you have some time, listen to him on Coast to Coast and buy his book if you feel you might need it, or know someone that does. I think this is a very important subject. We are reeling from the impact of these drugs on our society.

Revelations

If anyone is still in doubt that we are in times of Revelations - the revealing - then this radio segment on Red Ice Creations is for you. I was absolutely blown away by the information revealed on this (free) segment. You can follow up with more information on this topic here.

It's time to stand up and be counted. It's time to rip away the masks and curtains.

I applaud all of those brave individuals who are now fighting for what is right and just, especially when it comes to children. Their time has come.

700th Post & Fourth Dimension

This is my 700th post! I'm happy to bring good news.

60 minutes did a segment on child prodigy, Jake Barnett. Jake is one in 10,000,000. Diagnosed with autism at age two, it was questionable whether or not he would ever go to college - let alone be a college honors sophomore at age 13! At age ten he taught himself high school math in just two weeks.

His gift is mathematics and science, and he has been attending college-level courses since age 8. What amazed me, from a developmental point of view, is that he came out of his autistic shell when given the opportunity to learn. It was age eight when he came home from school and asked his mother when would he learn something? That is when she started taking him to audit college courses where he would often join the conversations. It wasn't long before his genius became known to the professors and his life changed forever.

It was when he started talking about the Fourth Dimension, (which is what many believe is humanity's evolution - from third dimension to fourth dimension), that I sat up and took notice. Unfortunately, that part of the conversation was short.

The entire episode made me happy. I actually had tears in my eyes watching this beautiful young man get excited about helping people become less fearful of math. He is so fresh and sweet.

He, and others like him, are gifts to mankind.

If you would like to read the entire transcript go here.

Kiddy Botox

Nightline did a segment Thursday on a woman who routinely injects her 8-year old daughter with botox to mitigate wrinkles. She is in beauty pageants and feels she is much prettier after her Mommy injects her face with one of the most dangerous poisons known to man.

The mother was being investigated by Children's Services after it was aired on one of the morning shows.

From a developmental point of view, this child is going to have problems with how she looks and feels about herself for many years, if not forever. It is during childhood that our sense of self first emerges, and with so much emphasis on outer beauty this little girl has not been given time to explore her world, safe in the knowledge that she is okay just the way she is. I think that was clear when she said she felt better after the treatments. This child is desperate to please her Mommy, and if it means going through painful procedures, then she will do that.

After all, if Mommy feels you need this in order to be prettier - she must be right. Children see themselves through their parent's eyes.

Seriously, if an alien race is watching us - we are freaking them out!

Special Children

Taking off from my post on educating the children of today, I thought I would let you hear what some of them had to say. You may not agree, or understand what they are communicating, but the ages of these children are striking in contrast to what they are doing:








I have no doubt that education is going to need to change in this new age. We need to quit medicating our children, help all children to find their special gifts, and quit trying to make them conform to a linear-sequential education when they obviously see the world in a unique way. These children are special and we need to see the world through their eyes. They are our future.

Meet Lilly

Okay, time to come back and check in with my adult friends. I've been busy watching so many Backyardigan episodes with my two-year-old grandson that I can literally sing their theme song.
It is snowing here in Portland, not a norm in this rainy city. In fact, my sister-in-law is stuck near her home and the police are not allowing her up a steep hill. So my husband is off in our four-wheel-drive, headed across town to help her out. So while I'm waiting for his safe return, I thought I'd introduce you to Lilly. Lilly is our great-niece and she just turned three years old.

Our little girl is very tiny. She is struggling with an illness for which the doctors do not have a definitive diagnoses. Around age one she quit eating normally and became very ill with ear infections, pneumonia, and other illnesses. Since that time she has been through countless tests and doctor's visits, and is currently seeing specialists in Seattle. They have said that she has super low B and T cells and non-functional antibodies. They have been giving her immunoglobulin G by IV to give her a boost. They know that she has many other symptoms like low appetite/slow growth but so far nothing to tie everything together. She has short telomeres and they think she might have some previously unknown form of Dyskeratosis Congenita.

Despite all of these hurdles she remains a joy to all of us who know her. Her hardworking parents divide their time between jobs, school, and caring for Lilly. In March they will go to Disneyworld as part of the Make A Wish program that will be granting a wish to Lilly, who is all things "princess." We can't wait to hear all about it!

In the meantime she had a very special visit with Santa. After waiting in line at Macys, for what seemed like forever, it was finally her turn. She had been worried about the visit, more than a little frightened. But then she just took off and ran to him, wrapping her arms around the jolly gent and proceeded to hug him intensely for what seemed like forever, not letting go long enough for her mother to get a good picture! After the bear hug, she proceeded to talk to him in what her mother described as a "strangely intense" manner for about five minutes! Her mother couldn't hear what she was saying, but the kindly Santa was quite taken with his tiny visitor, and told her mother she could come back anytime. (Click on the photo to see their expressions.)

We don't know what they talked about, but we do believe in miracles. So please say a prayer, or send healing energy to our little darling. 2010 is going to be a great year for Lilly!

New Economy & Clothes

We go to Oregon quite often to visit family, so I generally save any shopping for when we head in that direction. Oregon doesn't have a sales tax, and Nevada's continues to rise. Which brings me to an annual event my daughters and I share. Fall shopping for warm clothes. Both Portland and Tahoe require such expenditures. Some things just wear out by the end of the season, and warm boots take a beating in the snow and rain. I purchased just what was needed, and so did the girls. Basic layering t-shirts and a sweater or two, to spiff up last year's winter jeans and skirts. I looked at all of the things people probably wouldn't buy this year, and thought this economy is not going to improve through consuming. I think those days are over. People are being very conservative. Our country, and maybe the world, needs to retrain and retrench.

My younger daughter needed a few things in order to segue from college hippie to working girl. Baby steps with that one - she doesn't feel the need to dress up for much. But she actually seemed pleased when I took her shopping, explaining that going to work with holes in your leggings should be a thing of the past. That, no, it was not okay to save all of her good clothes for going out at night, and wearing the worn ones to work. (She doesn't work with the public, except by phone.) It was time to think about moving up from her basic job and maybe into a more interesting position in the company. Hers is one of the few companies actually growing in this economy. That if she wanted a different car, that held friends and camping equipment - she would have to improve her income. Parental units are pretty much finished with their responsibilities. She knows she is lucky to have a college education minus student loans. She is lucky to have a job that has health insurance, including eye care and dental. She is lucky to have the possibility of upward mobility. Her dream of farming may have to be on her own time, however, starting in her own yard. Travel will have to wait until she can take a leave of absence, but she is lucky to work for a company that will allow her to leave for three months and come back! In other words, it is time for her "to paddle her own canoe," as my father used to say. She graduated into a new world. A new economy less forgiving, and not at all conducive to moving around looking for just the right fit. More like the world her father and I knew when we graduated high school. The Vietnam war was raging and inflation was double digits. Gas lines were long, and finding a good job was a blessing.

I actually think she was listening.

Hmmm... Maybe we are entering a new era, she and I. She is growing up, and I am learning to let go. Maybe, just maybe, we did a good job raising her. She is capable and prepared. Smart and industrious. She is loyal, honest, and works well in a team environment. Good workplace qualities. She always earns an additional bonus at the end of each month, given to those making few errors.

In a country where one in ten Americans are out of work, an estimated 15.1 million and growing, I'm grateful. And more importantly, I think she is, as well. At least for the moment. And isn't that where we're supposed to be living?

Life Stages

http://www.terragalleria.com/index.html

We are visiting with several generations of family this week. I'm enjoying all the stages of life, from my grandson at 22 months, who is just learning to communicate, my daughter and son-in-law with all of the stresses and fun of a new family, and my youngest, fresh out of college. We are in the mix, grandparents who are semi-retired due to the worst economy in our lifetime.

My grandson is the glue. He keeps everyone entertained and always hopeful. He is a joy to be around. We all adore him, and he responds in kind. My youngest is looking for new roommates, more in line with the things she likes to do. We bore her with our staying home at night and lack of enthusiasm for music festivals and bluegrass.

My older daughter and son-in-law, on the other hand, find grandparents very useful. Having a built-in babysitter, and others willing to entertain said grandson is valuable. Never to be underestimated. Freeing.

We are also visiting my mother-in-law, recently widowed and 97 years old. She lives in a lovely retirement home, but as she becomes more fragile, we are waiting for that time when we will move her from her small apartment to assisted living. That time may be very soon.

We are in the post-mid part of our life. Young enough to enjoy it, and old enough to know better than to take it for granted. We watch friends our own age struggle with life-threatening illnesses, and we know that for this moment in time we are blessed. Our family intact, our health stable. But we are also sandwiched, like so many of you. Aging parents, children struggling to get a foothold in life.

All the life stages. All with beauty and uncertainty.

I guess that's what it's all about. Enjoying the ride. It careens right along, sweeping us up, moving us along, and eventually it puts us down. It's the sweet moments, the sunsets, the laughs, the kisses, that make it all worthwhile. A good reminder to pay attention to those moments. When all is said and done, it's our memories and the things we paid attention to that will determine a life well-lived ... or not.