Friday, March 31, 2006

Freddy's Dead: Understanding Death's Permanence

Questions: How old were you when you first experienced issues surrounding death? How did you cope with the news? How do you feel you came to understand what death was as a child?

One area of research I have become particularly fascinated with during my graduate studies is the issue of childhood bereavement. That is, issues of children greiving from the loss of a loved one, or a friend, or perhaps a pet, etc.

My first experience: I was about four or five years old when I met a nice little lizard, whom I came to call "Freddy," that resided on a woodpile in my family's backyard. Freddy was very tame, for a lizard, and never seemed to mind me catching him. Often I would bring him inside the house to play for a while before returning him back to the woodpile.

One evening, I remember, I put Freddy in a bucket and carried him over to my grandmother's house around the corner from me. When we arrived, my grandmother wouldn't let me bring Freddy inside with me and asked that I leave him in the bucket in the backyard. I didn't seem to mind.

Sadly, later when it came time to leave grandmother's house, I discovered that Freddy would not move when I nudged him. Little did I understand that he was dead. Seeing an elderly neighbor in her backyard, I ran up to her, holding Freddy's lifeless body in my hand, and began crying to her "What's wrong with Freddy?" In a consoling tone, she told me he was dead.

My parents and I buried Freddy in the backyard that night. However, that was not the end of it.

According to the Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut Bereavement Program regarding children ages three to six and their perception of death the "Child thinks death is reversible; temporary, like going to sleep or when a parent goes to work; believes that people who die will come back."

So, what did I do? Yep, I thought death was "reversible." Thinking Freddy would be coming back to life any day, I took a hand shovel that was in the backyard and dug up my pal the day after the burial. His eyes were sunken in and he had begun to look a little shriveled and his scales were starting to fall off. Also, as would be expected, he smelled pretty bad.

I continued digging him up for at least a week or two before my parents found out what I had been up to. It was then that they had to tell me the most devastating news -- Freddy wouldn't be coming back to life. Sad day.

Oh well, I suppose I have somehow coped with it in the past twenty, or so, years!

Friday, March 24, 2006

"Envious Feline"













"Envious Feline"

What would I do if I were human?
I'd sing in the shower
About love, money, and power.
I'd cover my body in fancy clothes,
And order pizza from Domino's.
That thing they call the TV,
It'd be in the trash if it were up to me!
Oh! How humans waste time with things like that!
But oh! How boring it is to be a cat!
I can't read, write, or calculate.
Heck! I can't even take a cat on a date!
I'm stuck in a life of litter and fur.
My owner? Oh, how I wish I were her!

By. Holly H.

Friday, March 10, 2006

The Things Kids Say

My sister and brother-in-law are always telling me about the funny things my little nephews (Adam, age 5, and Caleb, age 3) say. Which reminds me, do they still make new episodes of that show "Kids Say The Darndest Things"? Anyway, the following are just a few recent examples of things they have said:

#1:
My Sister: So Caleb, do you want a baby brother or a baby sister?
Caleb: I want a baby friend.

#2:
My sister and her husband took both kids along with them when they went to a place to have their taxes professionally done. When they arrived at the place, Adam asked, "Is this where the government lives?"

#3:
The kids' grandma on their dad's side of the family owns a successful greeting card making business. One line of cards are made using real insect carcuses. The carcuses are frozen and them somehow their images are scanned into the card paper in a way that leaves the imprint of the carcus on the card, making for a very unique greeting. Well, if anyone knows Adam, they know that he is a very sensitve young man who is also very much in-love with nature. Thus, he cannot stand the fact that his grandma makes these cards by freezing poor, innocent insects. So, the other day when his grandma sent the family one of these cards in the mail, Adam saw it and said, in a frustrated tone, "Ugh, grandma's been freezing bugs again!"

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

A "Da Vinci Code" Disclaimer?

This morning there was an interesting debate on "The Today Show" regarding the film version of one of the best selling novels of all-time, "The Da Vinci Code."

The debate: Should there be a disclaimer attached to "The Da Vinci Code" movie advertisements noting that the story behind the movie is a work of fiction?

According to what I saw on "The Today Show," members of The Catholic league are working to get such a disclaimer attached to the film. The representative of The Catholic League that appeared on "The Today Show" says that although Dan Brown states several "facts" at the beginning of his book, that they are actually fiction -- lies basically. He went on to say that viewers need to know the truth (that the story is a work of fiction) and need not be decieved by this film. The book and film claim that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that she bore Jesus' child and that the Catholic Church strategically covered this secret to save face.

The idea of having to attach a disclaimer to this film asserting that it is indeed fiction is ridiculous. And frankly, I do not think it is justified as far as Ron Howard's (the films' director) constitutional freedoms are concerned.

Further, what about those who don't believe the story of Jesus in Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" is true -- wouldn't there need to be a disclaimer on that film proclaiming its story fiction, for those people? This is only one example of many movies I can think of.

Also, it's well known that not all of what is written in "The Da Vinci Code" is true. A story is a story and it can have bits of fact, bits of fiction, and bits of nonsense. The book is located in the "Fiction" section of book stores for goodness sake. Isn't that enough? Also, as one of the debators said on "The Today Show," if a person is really interested in historical facts then they should know that sitting in a theater for two hours probably isn't going to get them very far. That is what libraries are for and what researching is for. If they'd rather get their facts from a movie, then to each his own.

To end this, I find it kind of amusing that in "The Da Vinci Code," the Catholic Church is desperately trying to cover up an ancient old secret that they believe could result in the fall of their church if the secret was ever to be known. Here, today, with certain members trying to get a "disclaimer" attached to the film, it almost seems as if that same sort of desperate anxiety is present, fearing that this film is going to destroy their church. Well, whatever happened to that simple, yet powerful thing called "faith" in God?

Rural American & International Mental Health

Here are some things that were discussed/mentioned in my Mental Health Policy class this morning, which I find interesting:

- Rural America makes up 90% of our nation’s landmass and is home to 25% of the U.S. population.

- There are higher rates alcohol and drug use among residents of rural American communities (Go figure: nothing to do = getting wasted).

- Since persons often do not want others to know they have a mental illness, it is sometimes harder for persons of rural communities to make themselves get treatment – fearing that, in a smaller community, people might find out their “secret.” Thus, by the time they do seek help, their illness has often progressed very far into its course and can be very expensive to treat.

- More than 1/4 of the U.S. adult population is suffering from a mental or addictive disorder within any given year. (This was actually from an earlier class session)

- Across the world there is a great lack of psychiatrists, medications, and care. For instance, in Ethiopia there are: 70 million people; 1 psychiatric hospital; and just 11 psychiatrists. Imagine – only 11 psychiatrists for 70 million people.

- There are 250 million severely mentally ill people throughout the world on any given day.

- WHO’s Millineum Developmental Goals (the U.S. didn’t sign these because of the very last two goals since, as my professor stated, “The U.S. is not proactive but will do something if there’s an economic gain"):
  1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
  2. Achieve Universal Primary Education
  3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
  4. Reduce Child Mortality
  5. Improve Maternal Health
  6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other Diseases
  7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability
  8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Engaging Reads for the Aging Mind

Tonight I spent the evening at my local Barnes & Noble store reading (skimming, actually) an array of books, which included:

"The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America" - by. David Horowitz

As the B&N website says [from the publisher],"We all know that left-wing radicals from the 1960s have hung around academia and hired people like themselves. But if you thought they were all harmless, antiquated hippies, you'd be wrong." "Horowitz exposes 101 academics - representative of thousands of radicals who teach our young people - who also happen to be alleged ex-terrorists, racists, murderers, sexual deviants, anti-Semites, and al-Qaeda supporters." David Horowitz's riveting expose is essential reading for parents, students, college alums, taxpayers, and patriotic Americans who don't think college students should be indoctrinated by sympathizers of Joseph Stalin and Osama bin Laden. The Professors is truly frightening - and an intellectual call to arms from a courageous author who knows the radicals all too well. "

My thoughts: Interesting book but very one-sided. Its tone is very anti-leftist/anti-liberal in itself. Also, I sometimes got the impression that it challenges readers to think inside the box (*sarcastic laugh*). I personally don't care to buy this book because purchasing it would ultimately mean contributing to Horowitz's own radical causes. However, I don't mind sitting around reading it for free at B&N. Thanks to this book, I now know more about some very intriguing professors across America's colleges and universities, whether or not I agree with the supposed teachings of each of them. Perhaps this book especially appeals to me since I, myself, am going to be a college professor one of these days! Moreover, another interesting thing about it was that one of the so-called "101 Most Dangerous Academics in America" is a professor at the university I currently attend. Oooh!

"Fleshing Out Skull & Bones: Investigations into America's Most Powerful Secret Society" - Chris Milligan (Editor)

As the B&N website says [from the publisher], "This chronicle of espionage, drug smuggling, and elitism in Yale University's Skull & Bones society offers rare glimpses into this secret world with previously unpublished documents, photographs, and articles that delve into issues such as racism, financial ties to the Nazi party, and illegal corporate dealings. Contributors include Anthony Sutton, author of America's Secret Establishment; Dr. Ralph Bunch, professor emeritus of political science at Portland State University; Webster Griffin Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin, authors and historians. A complete list of members, including George Bush, George W. Bush, and John F. Kerry, and reprints of rare magazine articles are included."

My thoughts: Ever since seeing the movie, "The Skulls," I have been very interested in learning more about this supposedly all-powerful society. As one character says in the movie, "If it's secret, it can't be good." Guess I'll find out whether or not I agree after I buy and read this book!

"Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Related Subjects" - by. Bertrand Russell

As the B&N website says [from the publisher], "Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself -- questions about man's place in the universe and the nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality, freedom, education, and sexual ethics. He brings to his treatment of these questions the same courage, scrupulous logic, and lofty wisdom for which his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous. These qualities make the essays included in this book perhaps the most graceful and moving presentation of the freethinker's position since the days of Hume and Voltaire."

"I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I am that they are untrue," Russell declares in his Preface, and his reasoned opposition to any system or dogma which he feels may shackle man's mind runs through all the essays in this book, whether they were written as early as 1899 or as late as 1954.

My thoughts: A seemingly intriguing read, whether one agrees with or rejects the author's ideas. I might buy this one with my left over Christmas gift cards.

"His Bright Light" - by. Danielle Steel

As the B&N website says [from the publisher], "From the day he was born, Nick Traina was his mother's joy. By nineteen, he was dead. This is Danielle Steel's powerful personal story of the son she lost and the lessons she learned during his courageous battle against darkness."

My thoughts: As the book discusses, the "darkness" Steel lost her son to was manic depression (more popularly termed "bi-polar disorder"), which led him to take his own life. I can tell, just from the first few pages, that this is probably a book well worth the time it takes to read.