Yesterday, I read the Baltimore Sun from beginning to end and could not find a pleasant story. The main reason I get that paper now is to see if me or any of my friends are included in the obituaries. I do like the Carroll County Times for their local news and Elaine likes to spend lots of time checking out their classified ads.
For instance: Today, Elaine was intrigued by four ads:
For sale: Nick nacks and Tubberware. (Somehow that makes sense.)
For sale: Building supplies, antquies and toys.
Free: A puggle. 7 months old.
Free: 1986 model toilet, you haul.
.......................................................
I was intrigued by a few stories in the Sun:
01. Michael Phelps (you know, the swimming ace) was hit by a woman running a red light. His Cadillac Escalade (what else?) was damaged extensively, but Michael and his passengers were unharmed. What bothers me about this story, was that he was treated like a criminal by the policeman, and questioned as though it was a DUI case and he was the perpetrator.
02. Let me quote the Sun on this: "A 52-year old Howard County woman, whose mother was sentenced to six months in jail for abusing cats, must serve a day in jail for each of the 74 cats that died."
Nese Icgoren, a former equestrian champion in Turkey, said that she couldn't get her 81 year old mother to properly care for a small family of cats, then failed to do anything when that family swelled to over 100.
Huh? Can a daughter be penalized for not being able to force her mother to do something? Am I missing something? The judge, in passing sentence said: Those lives matter.. every one of them.
74 cats times 9 is 666 .. so should that have been the number of days served?
03. A prisoner from Jessup, Maryland choked the sheriff that was transporting him and disappeared. Somewhere in Howard County is a 20 year old with leg irons and handcuffs who outran groups of police officers, tracking dogs and helicopters, through a rural area. This sounds like a movie script.
04. An abused kitten is nearly ready to be adopted. Kids began by throwing rocks at the kitten and then poured a liquid on her and set her afire. The kitten was able to extinguish the flames, but the kids then set her on fire a second time. The doctor treating her says in spite of all she has been through, whenever anyone goes by her cage, she stands up and purrs.
I've seen a lot of evil acts in my life, mostly by children. I knew one child who made a point of punching every 4 or 5 year old within arms reach when he was around 11 years old. Of course, he had to have a course adjustment by that famous "bully beater".. namely me (but that is the subject of another blog.)
05. Headline: Defense tries to exclude DNA evidence in Harris murder. (No comment!)
06. Headline: 40 year sentence for shooter in killing of court witness. (Not enough time!)
07. The infamous "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest run by a Sacramento radio station in 2007 is still causing trouble for that station. One woman died and another now has a psychological fear of drinking water. (The ladies were given massive amounts of water to drink, and the one who did not pee in a three hour period won the contest.)
08. Jerry Seinfeld will be Jay Leno's first guest on his new show. One of my elderly friends was lamenting the fact that Conan O'Brien had taken Leno's place; she thinks that Conan's humor is juvenile. When I reminded her that Leno will be back, and at 10 pm instead of 11 pm, so she would be able to get to bed earlier, she seemed relieved. (She did say, as I have said many times, Johnny Carson was the best of the best on the Tonight Show.)
Elaine and I watched Leno when he did "Headlines" and when he interviewed the dumb college students. Other than those two segments, we would rather watch a Netflix movie or a DVR movie or go to bed (except that we are nightowls and like to stay up to 2 am.)
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Showing posts with label Carroll County Times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carroll County Times. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
The 100th Blog.. actually.
This is actually my 100th blog entry. Four of them were duds, so even though it says 104, it really is 100. And there is something magical about the 100th blog. Google suddenly thinks that now the blog is serious. So I guess I have to be serious today.
Earlier tonight, I heard Elaine remarking about the letters to the editor for a couple of the latest Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland). She couldn't believe that the newspaper would print some of these letters. I read the letters and agreed with her. It must have been a slow day for letters.
However, we did think that not everything on the "Opinion" pages was like the letters. So, if you don't mind, I will comment on everything that is printed there, and you can decide if you like any of the material.
For August 4th, 2009:
01. The editor remarked that according to a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans don't know what the three branches of Government are. This is a startling statistic. Don't all American children learn about the three branches in school? New citizens all know that. Most foreigners know that.
I would have thought that only the college kids on the Leno Show didn't know that.
The editor does see a change in the statistic, at least in Carroll County, because of a recent increase in Town Meetings.
02. Some people don't believe that Global Warming is happening, so Tom Harbold, a columnist, asks some excellent penetrating questions about it.
a. Why has the Northwest Passage opened for the first time since the Vikings?
b. Why has the polar ice cap shrunk by 2 million square miles?
c. Why are Alpine nations having to spread reflective sheeting on their ski slopes to limit snow melt.
d. Why have glaciers in Glacier National Park dropped from 150 in 1850 to 26 now?
Something seems to be happening, guys.
03. A letter writer is mad that President Obama apologized for some dumb things the U.S. has done in the past. He accuses the President of bringing Socialism to the U.S. (It sounds to me as though he has no idea even what Socialism is.) He hopes that the President is voted out of office. (Wouldn't it be better to hope that the President succeeds in office? Why all this negativity? I'm sure it is not a racial thing.. at least I hope not.)
04. A letter writer is mad because the President was never a governor or an executive.. and never served in the House of Representatives or served in the military. (Perhaps the writer should read his history about other Presidents.) However, he does say that we should all pray for the President. I'm not sure, but I think he also doesn't like homosexuals.. but he has read something called the "Gay Manifesto".. I've never heard of it. Sounds like a phony document.
05. Another letter writer feels that America, like Nineveh, has severely violated God's law. Abortion, sexual immorality, same-sex marriage, sinful behavior being taught in school, violence in the streets... all of these things would normally cause God to destroy us.. but maybe, if we play our cards right, we will be redeemed by faith.
For August 5th, 2009:
01. Tom Zirpoli, columnist, feels that Americans should be watching the upcoming Afghan election because the outcome will have a significant impact on American foreign policy in the region. This is a well thought-out piece of analysis in my opinion. (The last election had a turnout similar to that of the U. S.; however, U.S. voters did not have to worry about bombs along the way to the polls like the Afghan people did. Think about that!)
02. The editor of the paper wrote that "Cash for Clunkers" money should be increased, and lambasts the Republicans who are fighting it. He takes a great chance of subscription cancelations in this Republican County. We'll see.
03. A letter writer laments the fact that Insurance Companies are using scare tactics to fight against Health Care Reform. He makes the main good points: "We are the only industrialized country in the world that doesn't have universal health care," and "there are...47 million Americans who have no insurance at all because they can't afford it."
04. Another letter writer was grossed out by the anti-abortion protesters who were showing giant colored posters of aborted fetuses on the sides of Route 27. She did not feel good that her child had seen the pictures.
05. There was agreat cartoon of an elderly couple at a dating service. The wife is saying to the receptionist: "I'd like to trade him in under the "cash for clunkers" program.
There... we've got it all out of our systems.
Earlier tonight, I heard Elaine remarking about the letters to the editor for a couple of the latest Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland). She couldn't believe that the newspaper would print some of these letters. I read the letters and agreed with her. It must have been a slow day for letters.
However, we did think that not everything on the "Opinion" pages was like the letters. So, if you don't mind, I will comment on everything that is printed there, and you can decide if you like any of the material.
For August 4th, 2009:
01. The editor remarked that according to a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans don't know what the three branches of Government are. This is a startling statistic. Don't all American children learn about the three branches in school? New citizens all know that. Most foreigners know that.
I would have thought that only the college kids on the Leno Show didn't know that.
The editor does see a change in the statistic, at least in Carroll County, because of a recent increase in Town Meetings.
02. Some people don't believe that Global Warming is happening, so Tom Harbold, a columnist, asks some excellent penetrating questions about it.
a. Why has the Northwest Passage opened for the first time since the Vikings?
b. Why has the polar ice cap shrunk by 2 million square miles?
c. Why are Alpine nations having to spread reflective sheeting on their ski slopes to limit snow melt.
d. Why have glaciers in Glacier National Park dropped from 150 in 1850 to 26 now?
Something seems to be happening, guys.
03. A letter writer is mad that President Obama apologized for some dumb things the U.S. has done in the past. He accuses the President of bringing Socialism to the U.S. (It sounds to me as though he has no idea even what Socialism is.) He hopes that the President is voted out of office. (Wouldn't it be better to hope that the President succeeds in office? Why all this negativity? I'm sure it is not a racial thing.. at least I hope not.)
04. A letter writer is mad because the President was never a governor or an executive.. and never served in the House of Representatives or served in the military. (Perhaps the writer should read his history about other Presidents.) However, he does say that we should all pray for the President. I'm not sure, but I think he also doesn't like homosexuals.. but he has read something called the "Gay Manifesto".. I've never heard of it. Sounds like a phony document.
05. Another letter writer feels that America, like Nineveh, has severely violated God's law. Abortion, sexual immorality, same-sex marriage, sinful behavior being taught in school, violence in the streets... all of these things would normally cause God to destroy us.. but maybe, if we play our cards right, we will be redeemed by faith.
For August 5th, 2009:
01. Tom Zirpoli, columnist, feels that Americans should be watching the upcoming Afghan election because the outcome will have a significant impact on American foreign policy in the region. This is a well thought-out piece of analysis in my opinion. (The last election had a turnout similar to that of the U. S.; however, U.S. voters did not have to worry about bombs along the way to the polls like the Afghan people did. Think about that!)
02. The editor of the paper wrote that "Cash for Clunkers" money should be increased, and lambasts the Republicans who are fighting it. He takes a great chance of subscription cancelations in this Republican County. We'll see.
03. A letter writer laments the fact that Insurance Companies are using scare tactics to fight against Health Care Reform. He makes the main good points: "We are the only industrialized country in the world that doesn't have universal health care," and "there are...47 million Americans who have no insurance at all because they can't afford it."
04. Another letter writer was grossed out by the anti-abortion protesters who were showing giant colored posters of aborted fetuses on the sides of Route 27. She did not feel good that her child had seen the pictures.
05. There was agreat cartoon of an elderly couple at a dating service. The wife is saying to the receptionist: "I'd like to trade him in under the "cash for clunkers" program.
There... we've got it all out of our systems.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Sunday News June 7, 2009
Good news for avid book readers and reviewers like my son Chris (see his blog: chrisvaughanreader.blogspot.com ) .. Playaway audio books are now available in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard county libraries in Maryland, according to Mary Gail Hare in the Baltimore Sun. Unfortunately, only the Perry Hall library branch in Baltimore County has them at the location, but they can be ordered through the other branches. I have often borrowed books on cassettes from libraries and I'm anxious to see how the Playaway system works.
I'm not sure if Playaway can compete with the XM radio in my car. I just found out that XM now has a Metropolitan Opera Station that plays "live" operas 24 hours a day! I tuned to it yesterday, but was almost put to sleep by a work of Charles Ives.. not my "cup of tea." However, they promise to have others that I do like. It will be a problem to decide if I want to hear a favorite opera or stay tuned to the standup comedy station, or now, listen to a Playaway.
I didn't see any reference or hear on the news about Prime Minister Brown's referal to "Obama Beach." Maybe I misheard Brown's words.
There are 16,400 abandoned houses in Baltimore according to Peter Hermann in the Baltimore Sun. A company called Creative Camouflage has been authorized to glue pictures of pretty windows, doors, curtains and blinds over the boards of abandoned rowhouses.
I spoke with a fellow AARP member who told me he canceled his Sunpaper subscription when one of their columnists criticised Sarah Palin. The paper has now offered him a year's free subscription to entice him back. He says he may resubscribe after the year is up because, and only because, he likes the TV schedule that is printed in the paper.
Another Bird won the Belmont Stakes. Elaine was hoping that Calvin Borel would get his triple win dream. Maybe next year.
NBC's Meet the Press will not air today because of NBC's coverage of the French Open. Well, we can now see which activity is more important: hitting a ball or talking about the events of the day that affect everyone. (However, I looked through today's Sun and did not find one word about the French Open, and there was a lot of sports information.)
A commentator writes to the Sun that the West Bank settlements are no threat to the Palestinians.. then why are the Palestinians upset? I wonder if President Obama can resolve this dispute. It's a big one.
For the second time in a week a photo appears on the front page of the Carroll County (Maryland) Times showing a bare female belly. For a while I was thinking of sending them a picture of my fat belly to publish next week. They already print lots of pictures of me in that paper.. in fact, my friends in NARFE decided not to include me in pictures any more because "enough of Joe Vaughan is enough!"
Mystery: Yesterday, I had to shop at a super market. As I was walking in, an extremely heavy (500 pounds?) came racing past me with a cane, almost running, on massive legs squeezed into little tennis shoes. She was followed by a very frail little older lady, her mother. In the store, she surrounded an electric scooter and began a fast expedition through the store, followed by her mama, who tried to keep up. "Hurry up, mama," said the chubby lady as she terrorized the slower shoppers.
I lost track of the dynamic duo, paid my bill, and put my goodies in the car, when I heard one of the super market clerks calling 911. She was telling them that someone had hit a light pole in the parking lot. When I looked around, I saw an SUV billowing smoke and a bunch of people trying to pull the lady out of her car. She had indeed hit (head-on) a light pole in the parking lot. How she did that is the mystery to me. The pole is nowhere near where anybody parks and there is at least a 50 foot circumference area around the pole that is completely empty. How in the world did she go out of control, travel way across a large parking lot and hit that pole?
Anyway, three ambulances showed up and I left when I knew that everything was under their control. I don't think that she or her mother were badly hurt, but that SUV will never be the same.
Elaine reads in the Carroll County Times that another high school graduate has gotten himself killed in a car accident. Every year it is the same, one or more teen-agers killed, usually because of alcohol abuse. Twenty years ago, most of the unfortunate kids came from the area in which we lived: Gamber, Maryland. It wasn't just automobile accidents; the kids also liked to see if they could walk a straight line down the center stripe of Route 32. Because most of them were drunk when they tried this, they got hit by cars and killed. We called it: The Gamber Death Wish.
One of the teens that was in an auto accident at this time last year survived a head on crash. The other driver was lucky as well. She was drunk and had to pay a penalty when she recovered, months later. She graduated this year from High School and her's is one of the pictures I mentioned before of female bare bellies.
I learned today that there are 46 miles of nerves in the average human body. I wish that the nerves that were severed in my recent carotid procedure would hurry and rejuvenate. So far, some numbness has disappeared from the top of my right ear, but the bottom of the ear and some of the neck area are still numb to the touch. I've been told that nerve regeneration takes a while. Anyway, its better than having a stroke.
To help with the drive to cure breast cancer, Elaine purchased ten pink shopping bags yesterday. Besides that, pink is Elaine's favorite color.
Good news... The Detroit Police Department has adjusted their crime statistics and Baltimore now ranks second, instead of first, in homicides. Well, that certainly makes me feel better.
My police friends tell me that gangs of white-shirted youths are attacking people at Harbor Place. The police have stepped up patrols, but one still must be careful downtown. This kind of news will kill Harbor Place, I'm sure. However, Baltimore is still a wonderful and safe place to live in or visit, as long as you know which neighborhoods to avoid.
Westminster is probably the safest place to live or visit in Maryland.. and it has an interesting downtown Main Street. And Carroll Lutheran Village, where we live, is probably the safest place to live or visit in Westminster. Here, you can walk wherever you want, in perfect safety and pleasure. (advertisement)
What a great name for mattress sellers: SLEEPY'S.
I looked through the obituaries in both the Baltimore Sun and the Carroll County Times this morning and I did not see my name, so now I can relax and enjoy this hot sunny day in the safest place in Maryland, and possibly in the USA.
I'm not sure if Playaway can compete with the XM radio in my car. I just found out that XM now has a Metropolitan Opera Station that plays "live" operas 24 hours a day! I tuned to it yesterday, but was almost put to sleep by a work of Charles Ives.. not my "cup of tea." However, they promise to have others that I do like. It will be a problem to decide if I want to hear a favorite opera or stay tuned to the standup comedy station, or now, listen to a Playaway.
I didn't see any reference or hear on the news about Prime Minister Brown's referal to "Obama Beach." Maybe I misheard Brown's words.
There are 16,400 abandoned houses in Baltimore according to Peter Hermann in the Baltimore Sun. A company called Creative Camouflage has been authorized to glue pictures of pretty windows, doors, curtains and blinds over the boards of abandoned rowhouses.
I spoke with a fellow AARP member who told me he canceled his Sunpaper subscription when one of their columnists criticised Sarah Palin. The paper has now offered him a year's free subscription to entice him back. He says he may resubscribe after the year is up because, and only because, he likes the TV schedule that is printed in the paper.
Another Bird won the Belmont Stakes. Elaine was hoping that Calvin Borel would get his triple win dream. Maybe next year.
NBC's Meet the Press will not air today because of NBC's coverage of the French Open. Well, we can now see which activity is more important: hitting a ball or talking about the events of the day that affect everyone. (However, I looked through today's Sun and did not find one word about the French Open, and there was a lot of sports information.)
A commentator writes to the Sun that the West Bank settlements are no threat to the Palestinians.. then why are the Palestinians upset? I wonder if President Obama can resolve this dispute. It's a big one.
For the second time in a week a photo appears on the front page of the Carroll County (Maryland) Times showing a bare female belly. For a while I was thinking of sending them a picture of my fat belly to publish next week. They already print lots of pictures of me in that paper.. in fact, my friends in NARFE decided not to include me in pictures any more because "enough of Joe Vaughan is enough!"
Mystery: Yesterday, I had to shop at a super market. As I was walking in, an extremely heavy (500 pounds?) came racing past me with a cane, almost running, on massive legs squeezed into little tennis shoes. She was followed by a very frail little older lady, her mother. In the store, she surrounded an electric scooter and began a fast expedition through the store, followed by her mama, who tried to keep up. "Hurry up, mama," said the chubby lady as she terrorized the slower shoppers.
I lost track of the dynamic duo, paid my bill, and put my goodies in the car, when I heard one of the super market clerks calling 911. She was telling them that someone had hit a light pole in the parking lot. When I looked around, I saw an SUV billowing smoke and a bunch of people trying to pull the lady out of her car. She had indeed hit (head-on) a light pole in the parking lot. How she did that is the mystery to me. The pole is nowhere near where anybody parks and there is at least a 50 foot circumference area around the pole that is completely empty. How in the world did she go out of control, travel way across a large parking lot and hit that pole?
Anyway, three ambulances showed up and I left when I knew that everything was under their control. I don't think that she or her mother were badly hurt, but that SUV will never be the same.
Elaine reads in the Carroll County Times that another high school graduate has gotten himself killed in a car accident. Every year it is the same, one or more teen-agers killed, usually because of alcohol abuse. Twenty years ago, most of the unfortunate kids came from the area in which we lived: Gamber, Maryland. It wasn't just automobile accidents; the kids also liked to see if they could walk a straight line down the center stripe of Route 32. Because most of them were drunk when they tried this, they got hit by cars and killed. We called it: The Gamber Death Wish.
One of the teens that was in an auto accident at this time last year survived a head on crash. The other driver was lucky as well. She was drunk and had to pay a penalty when she recovered, months later. She graduated this year from High School and her's is one of the pictures I mentioned before of female bare bellies.
I learned today that there are 46 miles of nerves in the average human body. I wish that the nerves that were severed in my recent carotid procedure would hurry and rejuvenate. So far, some numbness has disappeared from the top of my right ear, but the bottom of the ear and some of the neck area are still numb to the touch. I've been told that nerve regeneration takes a while. Anyway, its better than having a stroke.
To help with the drive to cure breast cancer, Elaine purchased ten pink shopping bags yesterday. Besides that, pink is Elaine's favorite color.
Good news... The Detroit Police Department has adjusted their crime statistics and Baltimore now ranks second, instead of first, in homicides. Well, that certainly makes me feel better.
My police friends tell me that gangs of white-shirted youths are attacking people at Harbor Place. The police have stepped up patrols, but one still must be careful downtown. This kind of news will kill Harbor Place, I'm sure. However, Baltimore is still a wonderful and safe place to live in or visit, as long as you know which neighborhoods to avoid.
Westminster is probably the safest place to live or visit in Maryland.. and it has an interesting downtown Main Street. And Carroll Lutheran Village, where we live, is probably the safest place to live or visit in Westminster. Here, you can walk wherever you want, in perfect safety and pleasure. (advertisement)
What a great name for mattress sellers: SLEEPY'S.
I looked through the obituaries in both the Baltimore Sun and the Carroll County Times this morning and I did not see my name, so now I can relax and enjoy this hot sunny day in the safest place in Maryland, and possibly in the USA.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Anxiety
It's a beautiful morning in Maryland.. the sky is blue.. its already nice and warm.. I got up with the sun and sat on my back porch accompanied by our two cats and watched the groundskeepers work to make the golf course grass even more green than it already is. As my grandfather entered his '80s, he remarked each year when Spring arrived: "The grass is greener this year than it ever has been." Although I'm not quite that old, I can understand his observation. As we age, I'm sure that we notice and appreciate everyday things more and more.
Something that I notice this morning but do not appreciate quite as much as some other things, is the pungent odor of the manure that nearby Carroll County farmers are applying to their fields. I don't really dislike the smell, and, of course, an abundance of agricultural produce requires an abundance of manure.
When my family moved into our new home in Gamber, every young boy within five miles suddenly descended upon us to welcome us. (After all, in our family were two beautiful teenage girls.) One of these boys arrived by horse. He noticed that I, as a former city boy, had not the slightest clue about digging a garden. He offered to help me and I'm glad I agreed. A few hours later he and his horse plowed about a quarter of an acre in my back yard. I then provided the seed and his trusty horse provided a wealth of fertilizer. This turned out to be the best garden I ever had and I could join my fellow Carroll County "farmers" in setting up a table in the driveway so that passers by could help themselves to free tomatoes and cucumbers.
What does all this have to do with "anxiety"? It doesn't.. this was just a segue.
As for anxiety? Well.. look at the newpaper.. listen to the radio.. watch TV. Look at these headlines:
Warnings as Swine Flu Virus Spreads.
Helpful Teacher attacked by vicious Squirrel.
Deputy involved in fatal Shooting.
Suspect arrested in Shooting Spree.
Man shot after Attack on Teen.
3 shot, 1 killed in Pittsburgh.
Man charged in Delaware Fires.
2 arrested in Philly Murders.
Police fire Pellets at Kent State Rioters.
Storms pound Midwest.
Va Men hurt in Shooting.
Bomb kills 2 Guards in Kabul.
Professor still at large after Murder of Wife and Others
Five killed in Jersey Turnpike Crash
..... and worse of all: Swiss Voters ban nude Hiking!
What is this world coming to? Don't headlines like this contribute to our feelings of anxiety?
Some of those headlines were on the Internet, some in today's Carroll County Times. The CC Times is a great local paper.. but, being a newspaper, they also have to report news that isn't local. I understand that and also realize that the nice local news in the paper far outweighs the reports of carnage and idiocy that must be reported on. So, even in bucolic Carroll County, we encounter news that causes anxiety.
On today's second hour of the Diane Rehm show (NPR), an author talked with Diane and her thousands of listeners about the types and causes of anxiety and gave some tips on how to cope with it. She has written a book on the subject. I'm not going to tell you her name or the title of her book, so that you can get the pleasure of downloading the archived show to your IPOD or finding out the information by a plug into TWITTER as a fan of the Diane Rehm Show.
The author did mention that suddenly, in Salzburg, Germany, as she looked out the window of a highly located fancy restaurant, she developed a fear of heights. For many years, she could not take an elevator to the tenth floor of a building or higher. She was able to overcome her anxiety by following some of the tips given in her book.
When I entered my thirties, I thought that I was getting too fat. At the time, there was a Maryland doctor who was supposed to be able to help anyone lose weight. There were lines of patients around the block waiting to get to see him and either get shots or pills. I took my place in line and finally got to see him. (He was kind of chubby.. hmm?) Anyway, he gave me some pills to raise my metabolism.. they stimulated me too much, I became a nervous wreck.
So.. he gave me some pills to "take me down" (do you see the early mention of "uppers" and "downers"?) .. they took me "down" too far, so he gave me more "uppers", then more "downers".. etc etc. After a while, I did not know what way was "up" or "down" and my wife had to take me to the Emergency Room. They were able to "purge" my system and I was told that without pills I would be able to be normal again. (BTW, the doctor eventually was disbarred and disgraced.)
In recouperating from this medication, I had to endure a few weeks of "anxiety". I was not able to drive; when I went into a room, a door or a window had to be open; I was afraid to meet new people; I walked and talked like a zombie. I would never want to go through that again.
After a couple of weeks, to ensure that I had flushed all of the "anxiety" out of my body along with those diet pills, my GP ordered me to talk to a psychiatrist, a nice old man who was very much interested in parts of my life that I did not really want to talk about. I met with him four or five times and gave him lots of money.. I don't think I learned anything about myself that I didn't already know, but I did get one piece of insight from him that has sustained me through the problems and bad situations affecting me and my family over the years.
That insight was (as Saint Theresa is supposed to have said): This too shall pass!
And it does.
Something that I notice this morning but do not appreciate quite as much as some other things, is the pungent odor of the manure that nearby Carroll County farmers are applying to their fields. I don't really dislike the smell, and, of course, an abundance of agricultural produce requires an abundance of manure.
When my family moved into our new home in Gamber, every young boy within five miles suddenly descended upon us to welcome us. (After all, in our family were two beautiful teenage girls.) One of these boys arrived by horse. He noticed that I, as a former city boy, had not the slightest clue about digging a garden. He offered to help me and I'm glad I agreed. A few hours later he and his horse plowed about a quarter of an acre in my back yard. I then provided the seed and his trusty horse provided a wealth of fertilizer. This turned out to be the best garden I ever had and I could join my fellow Carroll County "farmers" in setting up a table in the driveway so that passers by could help themselves to free tomatoes and cucumbers.
What does all this have to do with "anxiety"? It doesn't.. this was just a segue.
As for anxiety? Well.. look at the newpaper.. listen to the radio.. watch TV. Look at these headlines:
Warnings as Swine Flu Virus Spreads.
Helpful Teacher attacked by vicious Squirrel.
Deputy involved in fatal Shooting.
Suspect arrested in Shooting Spree.
Man shot after Attack on Teen.
3 shot, 1 killed in Pittsburgh.
Man charged in Delaware Fires.
2 arrested in Philly Murders.
Police fire Pellets at Kent State Rioters.
Storms pound Midwest.
Va Men hurt in Shooting.
Bomb kills 2 Guards in Kabul.
Professor still at large after Murder of Wife and Others
Five killed in Jersey Turnpike Crash
..... and worse of all: Swiss Voters ban nude Hiking!
What is this world coming to? Don't headlines like this contribute to our feelings of anxiety?
Some of those headlines were on the Internet, some in today's Carroll County Times. The CC Times is a great local paper.. but, being a newspaper, they also have to report news that isn't local. I understand that and also realize that the nice local news in the paper far outweighs the reports of carnage and idiocy that must be reported on. So, even in bucolic Carroll County, we encounter news that causes anxiety.
On today's second hour of the Diane Rehm show (NPR), an author talked with Diane and her thousands of listeners about the types and causes of anxiety and gave some tips on how to cope with it. She has written a book on the subject. I'm not going to tell you her name or the title of her book, so that you can get the pleasure of downloading the archived show to your IPOD or finding out the information by a plug into TWITTER as a fan of the Diane Rehm Show.
The author did mention that suddenly, in Salzburg, Germany, as she looked out the window of a highly located fancy restaurant, she developed a fear of heights. For many years, she could not take an elevator to the tenth floor of a building or higher. She was able to overcome her anxiety by following some of the tips given in her book.
When I entered my thirties, I thought that I was getting too fat. At the time, there was a Maryland doctor who was supposed to be able to help anyone lose weight. There were lines of patients around the block waiting to get to see him and either get shots or pills. I took my place in line and finally got to see him. (He was kind of chubby.. hmm?) Anyway, he gave me some pills to raise my metabolism.. they stimulated me too much, I became a nervous wreck.
So.. he gave me some pills to "take me down" (do you see the early mention of "uppers" and "downers"?) .. they took me "down" too far, so he gave me more "uppers", then more "downers".. etc etc. After a while, I did not know what way was "up" or "down" and my wife had to take me to the Emergency Room. They were able to "purge" my system and I was told that without pills I would be able to be normal again. (BTW, the doctor eventually was disbarred and disgraced.)
In recouperating from this medication, I had to endure a few weeks of "anxiety". I was not able to drive; when I went into a room, a door or a window had to be open; I was afraid to meet new people; I walked and talked like a zombie. I would never want to go through that again.
After a couple of weeks, to ensure that I had flushed all of the "anxiety" out of my body along with those diet pills, my GP ordered me to talk to a psychiatrist, a nice old man who was very much interested in parts of my life that I did not really want to talk about. I met with him four or five times and gave him lots of money.. I don't think I learned anything about myself that I didn't already know, but I did get one piece of insight from him that has sustained me through the problems and bad situations affecting me and my family over the years.
That insight was (as Saint Theresa is supposed to have said): This too shall pass!
And it does.
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