I'm a Winner!

Yes, through the last 30 days I have been involved in a contest. A participant's goal is to write a novel of a minimum of 50,000 words in those 30 days. I find it mind-boggling that I actually made that goal last night and am a winner. I do truly find that mind-boggling. So far however, I don't know the end of the novel. I'm still writing toward that goal. The title of my novel is The Last Client. It draws on my years in the mental health system and is a novelized exposure of some of the not-so-pretty underbelly of that system. Watch for its publishing some day.

This writing has taken fortitude and resilience. It takes a lot of hunt and peck to get a 52,000 word masterpiece completed, which was my total. Thanks to everyone who supported and tolerated this effort, particularly my wonderful wife. It has dominated not only my life but her's for 30 days.
Stan the Man

Without Question, a Tropical Getaway

It is remarkable how few of the "essentials" of city life we actually need. In fact, it is truly mind-boggling. This was our experience during a recent visit to Belize. We chose not to stay at a fancy, expensive resort. There are a few such resorts we understand, even in out-of-the-way Belize. Instead we chose Barnacle Bill's Bungalows.

Barnacle Bill's is on Maya Beach, a relatively undeveloped area and consists of two basic bungalows and a beautiful private beach. Barnacle Bill and Adriane will assist you with just about anything you need. They will stock your refrigerator before your arrival, pick you up at the local airport after making flight reservations for you and just about anything else. There is no luxury here. The basic stuff you need is available. Simplify your life for a week or two! You drink twice filtered rain water that's delicious. If you choose to cook your meals, there are pots and pans and an ancient two burner stove that works great. Or if you choose, there are comfortable beachfront restaurants right down the road as well as many more in the Village of Placencia, a short taxi ride away.

Complimentary kayaks are provided. Explore Mayan ruins, scuba dive or do what we did. Yes, we sat on the beach, sat on the porch, laid in the hammock, slept long peaceful nights in the comfy bed, drank the tasty national beer called Belikin, played Scrabble, read and wrote. Barnacle Bill's provides a true getaway. Peace and quiet with no phones, no BlackBerries, no television. And it was clear, sunny and 84 degrees in mid November. Late in our week we had a "cold front" move through that dumped tropical portions of rain and the temperature dropped to the mid 70s. That rain was an interesting experience and led to our re-discovery of Scrabble.

We appreciated Bill and Adriane and their personal styles. If you need something, they will provide it for you. If not, they leave you alone. Perfect! Unfortunately, Bill's father died and he had to leave for the funeral in Denver....our condolences. We strongly recommend this tropical paradise if you desire a real change from a complex cold city environment. We also recommend Maya Regional Airlines they will fly you from Belize City to your destination at Barnacle Bill's. They proved convenient, safe and efficient. You will find such a get-away, mind-boggling, without a doubt.
Stan the Man   

November 16th in Belize, Central America: Sunny and 84 degrees

The contrasts one can experience in a short period of time through air travel are mind-boggling. I would also have to say these contrasts are body-boggling. Luckily both my mind and my body adjust quickly and easily.
The simplicity of life here in Belize compared to New York City is remarkable and mind-boggling. What we need here to survive and thrive is so much less than NYC. It is a dynamic change.
My body thrives on the constant warmth. Since arriving here three days ago cold has not once assaulted this old body. Instead my body is caressed by sun and warm sea breezes. Stress, aches and pains all melt away. We pass the days, evenings and nights doing what ever occurs to us. Wandering the streets of Placencia Village where the main street is a sidewalk just wide enough for two people and then walk Maya Beach. We stop for morning coffee in an open-air cafe. we sit just feet from the un-occupied white sand beach and the Caribbean Sea. The pictures to your left are two small representations of this place.
Everyone we meet as we stroll greets us warmly. We wonder into a bar built on a dock sticking out into the Sea. Sampling the Belize National beer called Belikin we find it delicious and refreshing. The owner tells us  people from New York usually only stay a couple of days because they are in such a hurry. We tell him we have seven days. There is a sign over the bar that is mind-boggling. The message:
                                                Great people talk about ideas
                                             Average people talk about things
                                          Small people talk about other people
That gives us something to think about in this small, unusual out-of-the-mainstream nation in Latin America. 
Stan the Man

Back to New York: Peaceful and Attentive.

Flying back home to New York was surprisingly enjoyable. As I have written previously a set of values that are clear in one's mind can assist us in staying on course and help us get back on course when we have strayed. I had forgotten to focus on my value number 1 on the first leg of my journey. On the return flight I concentrated on peacefulness....staying peaceful no matter what is happening around me. I also concentrated on value number 2, attentiveness. In my book, attentiveness means being observant, aware, being open and interested in other's and their stories. It means connection through conversation and thus learning about fellow passengers jetting across the country at 35,000 feet above the earth. Unlike the previous flight when I simply sat and felt sorry for myself and got angry, this time I stayed relatively peaceful and attentive. My attentiveness led to a connection with the guy sitting next to me. Through a conversation, I heard his story and he heard mine. I know everyone has a story to tell. I've heard many as a therapist and as a participant in life. Stories teach me about life and they help establish meaningful connections with all kinds of people. They lead me away from being un-interested, close-minded and isolated. In this case it made the flight seem much shorter and certainly more enjoyable. My thanks to that fellow traveler.
I note that I started this post by referring to New York as "home". It does feel like home after living here only 3 months. NYC has the ability to capture one's affection quickly.
Stan the Man

Return Trip

Waiting for my flight back to New York City. I can only hope it turns out better than the flight to Seattle. My account of that flight was written about in the previous post. More about this up-coming flight when its over and I'm over it.
In the meantime I will attempt to embrace my first important value of which I have written, peacefulness. A 6 hour flight will challenge my peacefulness.
My second value is attentiveness supported by being observant, introspective, connection to others and story. I will be practicing each of these in the next 24 hours and then will write more about this value soon.
Stan th Man

Traveling Miseries Without Relief but Staying Peaceful.

A bad thing about moving from Seattle to New York City is that I have loved one's in the Seattle area. I need periodic trips back to Seattle. I made one Wednesday night from Newark International. I'm still recovering.
Forty minutes to board and find space for every one's so called "carry-ons." Why don't they check those monstrous bags? Oh yeah, the airlines in their thoughtful ways started charging $25 per bag. By the time I finally got to row 27 seat B there was no room left in the overhead bins. No problem for me. My 30 pound back pack fits snugly under the seat in front of me.
Sandwiched between two large men who have taken ownership of the armrests I can't wiggle around and get anything out of my backpack. My elbows become intimate. No writing tonight.
It's mind boggling that this transcontinental flight has no music programming to plug into, no TV or movies to present to passengers. Instead the airline wants you to rent a a small screen machine for your lap. That's only $12. And they don't take cash. Only credit cards.
Kids behind me scream and yell as they play some kind of card game with their daddy. At every scream there are kicks directly into the back of my seat probably doing permanent kidney damage.
Somebody I couldn't identify across the aisle and behind me coughed incessantly throughout the flight. They were uncovered coughs which sounded like TB or pneumonia to me. I'm waiting to see what I will come down with.
Intermittent turbulence and admonishments from the flight deck prevented my necessary bathroom breaks.
"Stay in your seat and keep those seat belts fastened".
Finally after 6 hours that seemed like 6 days as a cramped sardine we landed in Seattle.
Then the announcement. We can't get out of our seats and de-plane. "One of our fellow passengers isn't feeling too chipper". I'm not either. We must wait until the handsome EMTs get aboard and take care of her.
Then another 40 minute process of getting everyone and their carry-ons off and I finally escape hell.
This was a mind boggling experience and enough to get me to swear off flying forever but I need to get back to my wonderful, beautiful wife in New York. Then next week we fly to Miami and on to Belize for a week in a tropical paradise. Will I never learn.? Stay tuned for updates on that adventure.
Stan the Man