The Mind-boggling Healing Power of Books

During my years as a therapist I occasionally ran across a client who welcomed illness. Perhaps it served as an avoidance of something they saw as a worse fate or perhaps a way they could get their emotional needs met. While I understood the function of illness in those lives it never attracted me as a personal strategy. No, instead I employed the opposite strategy. Even when I felt bad I forged ahead. Being sick meant weakness or punishment for a wrong-doing.

Recently I endured a period of illness that I couldn’t ignore. I decided to find a way to utilize the recovery time productively. I went on a mind-boggling reading marathon. Throughout much of that period I enjoyed a one-book-a-day regimen. Daily I experienced a new world, a new genre, a new protagonist. Each story assisted me in my recovery in some small way. I am reminded of the importance of good writing and good story.

My marathon began with James Patterson and his fictional tale called 2^nd Chance. I was attracted to that story because of its setting: San Francisco. Living in the Bay Area would make it more interesting. Now James Patterson is an industry, a formula writer, he has found the formula that sells books and made himself one of the richest writers around. I enjoyed the story and the unexpected twists and turns. Unexpectedly the story’s final scene takes place on the Stanford University Campus which I visited two weeks prior. The bad guy finds his way to the top of the Hoover Tower and begins shooting at people on the ground. When visiting the campus there were no bullets flying and I didn’t go up the Tower but did take photos there and elsewhere. It is still mind-boggling to me that I would find myself on enemy territory. Being a Washington Husky, Stanford was always the enemy. Admittedly they do have a nice Mission style campus but it doesn’t come close to the University of Washington Campus with its Gothic architecture and views of Mt. Rainier.

Next I chose Everyman by Phillip Roth. This is a story I might have avoided if I’d known the subject matter but the author is one of my favorites. Everyman takes place in New York City and New Jersey, two places I became familiar with before moving to Miami and then the Bay Area. Basically, through the story of one man the reader experiences the demise of every man and woman. Retirement from his valued professional life, loss of friends, family and place and ultimately his health. We follow him to his grave. These are all issues we must deal with in our lives. They are inevitable and are current challenges for me: Retirement, isolation, illness and mortality. Mind-boggling! 

I needed something more up-lifting so I turned to an old faithful: Carl Hiaasen. He writes zany, crazy, and sometimes mindless stories set primarily in South Florida. I chose Basket Case. It was an okay read but not quite what I needed. The protagonist in this story sits at the supposed bottom of the newspaper hierarchy. He writes obituaries. Entertaining at least but not exactly what a sick person wants to read.

These were followed by a mind-boggling list of titles:

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier; Charming Billy by Alice McDermott; Aleph by Paulo Coelho; A Morning for Flamingos by James Lee Burke; Thin Air by Robert B. Parker; The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.

I could go on. There were more that aren’t coming to mind. The experts say that the more you read the better you will write. After this mind-boggling reading marathon I should improve my writing at least enough to make it to the half-way mark. At the very least, I found a way to utilize a period of illness, now behind me, in a productive way.

Stan the Man

 

 

Mind-boggling Birds of a Feather

We live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether one lives in the City itself, the suburbs of the East Bay, the Peninsula suburbs or down south in Silicon Valley it is over developed and crowded. Seven million people are crammed into The Bay Area. The population translates into too many cars attempting to travel the same roads at the same time, scary business. The number one employment is the myriad of technology companies. More and better apps are what they focus on while ignoring the natural beauty and drama happening all around them.

Yes, in spite of all the chaos, the heart of nature in the Bay Area continues to beat. I sit at my desk writing and observing the variety of water fowl from my 10 ft. x 6 ft. window. Daily visits from a variety of feathered friends entertain me as they hunt for the morsels they need to survive. Sometimes they visit simply to stare at me, the weird animal sitting in the window.

Canadian Geese find this to be a safe haven. They graze on succulent green grass. The traffic stops to let them cross the street even when they aren’t in the crosswalk. The honking of the geese serves as our alarm clock at daybreak.

A Black Crowned Night Heron roosts all day in a tree just above my window. When dusk arrives he disappears for the night using his bright red eyes to hunt his prey.

The Snowy Egrets and the Great Egrets prowl the shallows for whatever it is they consider delicacies. At times 4 or 5 of these beautiful white birds are visible from my viewing location.

The huge American White Pelicans keep their distance but are visible in a sizable flock. Telescopic lenses or binoculars bring them up close for viewing. Occasionally a Brown Pelican will circle and plunge just yards from me and capture a fish to fill its belly.

Flocks of Cormorants swim by as they dive and re-surface with breakfast in their beaks. Occasionally one will stand on a rock looking directly at me. It seems I am being offered a hug but I know they are actually simply drying their wings.

This is a sampling of what I have observed. I have much more to learn before I will understand the culture and habits of the birds I live with. They interest me more than any new app.

Stan the Man      

The Violence is Mind-Boggling

Being an idealistic liberal arts student I dropped out of college in 1965 and applied to the Peace Corps. After 4 months of intensive training I found myself in Honduras with the assignment of rural community development. Honduras proved to be one of the poorest countries in Central America. That country experienced repeated revolutions but I was lucky to be there during a stable time. Political stability allowed my work to be fulfilling for me and a number of projects were completed successfully. The best part of the experience became the way the Honduran people embraced me, cared for me and worked with me. That time stands out as one of the best of my life. Recent news reported in the San Francisco Chronicle makes me sad:

Killings have escalated drastically in Honduras as the drug cartels have expanded their presence and an overall climate of lawlessness has emerged. Honduras now has the highest per capita rate of homicide in the world – 87 murders per 100,000 people. The second largest city, San Pedro Sula, has been declared the world’s most violent city. The Chronicle reports the Peace Corps has pulled out the 158 Volunteers working in the country. How many relationships, how many badly needed projects, how many inroads into a peaceful world were dashed by this action that shouldn’t have been necessary?

Honduras has become the preferred route for 84 percent of the US bound cocaine. Crackdowns on drug trafficking in Mexico and the Caribbean pushed the trafficking to Central America. Why do we need all that cocaine in the US? Are people so un-happy they need to be high all the time?

Meanwhile in Aurora, 12 killed and some 70 shot in the movie theatre. In Oakland the number of citizens killed by gunfire has reached beyond 60 for the year. In the heart of the Silicon Valley, San Jose, 2 people found shot to death in their home a couple days ago. Think back to Tucson and the shooting that left Gabby seriously injured and others dead. And the killing goes on in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and many other locations around the world.

What are the reasons for this seemingly senseless violence and killing that goes on and on? I don’t know what happened to my dream of a peaceful world when I joined the Peace Corps. Violence reigns in movies, in digital games, on the evening news and in the newspapers. There is apparently a huge market for drugs in the US that drives that violence. Why is that?

No simple or single answer to my questions exists. I believe we each must do what we can to make this a kinder, more gentle and caring world. Most of us can only do that in our own relationships, whether it is with family, friends, work associates or people on the streets and highways. Every action has ripple effect.

Stan the Man 

Nature in the Bay Area

Apparently there are a mind-boggling number of outdoor attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area. These attractions are of the “Sunday Drive” type and appear in the San Francisco Chronicle every Sunday. The author, Tom Stienstra, provides information on his chosen area along with detailed driving directions. He also writes a column on the outdoors that appears below the Sunday Drive. He’s a good writer, informed and has a sense of humor.

We’ve been reading these articles since our arrival in the Bay Area and finally decided to follow the most recent one. We headed to the Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area. The first part of the drive took us across the San Mateo Bridge for the first time. At 7 miles long it is the 25^th longest bridge in the world. It is mind-boggling to me how they can build a bridge that long that is able to handle the approximately 93,000 vehicles that cross the bridge on a typical day. We were glad an earthquake didn’t take place when we were in the middle. Since our arrival in the Bay Area this journey was our first to the East Bay.

Following the directions provided by the article we drove down Interstate 880 then through the suburb city of Union City. According to the directions we should have been arriving at the lakes any time but we continued to drive through heavy residential and business area. Just when we thought we had taken a wrong turn the entrance to the Recreational Area appeared. I must use the term mind-boggling once again. Three lakes, hiking trails, grass and flowers appeared just blocks from the developed areas and the rumbling traffic. There were few humans to be seen at first but the numbers grew. The transition was mind-boggling. These lakes lie nearly in the sun-baked hills of the East Bay but are only a mile or two from San Francisco Bay. Characteristics of desert, mountains and bay-country all co-exist side-by-side. The peace and quiet of the place was interrupted every few minutes by the commuter train, BART whizzing by on the tracks bordering the east side of the recreation area. Another example of the mind-boggling mingling of nature and development.  

It was hot but with a pleasant breeze. We hiked the trail that follows a route around the lakes (2.66 miles) taking our time to observe the variety of birds, vegetation, and people. A dragon boat race was taking place on one lake. The swimming areas became more populated as the day wore on. Bikers, hikers and fishermen did their thing. We enjoyed a beautiful rose garden in full bloom. Our exploration was completed with a picnic lunch sitting on the carpet of green grass under a small shade tree.

For our trip back home we decided to drive around the South end of the Bay, through San Jose where we had never been before. We ended up being lost and wandering about for some time in Silicon Valley until we found a familiar freeway that transported us back home. This was not a wilderness experience by any means. We did decide, however, that utilizing the “Sunday Drives” from Tom Stienstra in the Chronicle will be an excellent way for us to get familiar with all the Bay Area outdoor resources. For more on East Bay Parks go to www.ebparks.org .

Stan the Man

       

A Permanent Home???

It is a mind-boggling new place, the place we now live. Yes, it is intended to be a permanent residence. I think about 5 years is permanent for Katherine and I. For most of our life together we have been gypsies, wanderers who have tried many locations and many challenges. So where is this mind-boggling new “permanent location?” Redwood City, California.

Redwood City is 24 miles south of San Francisco. The claim to fame here is: “Climate Best by  Government Test.” Apparently the U.S. Government gathered weather and climate data for every location on earth for years. In 1925 it was proclaimed that three locations share the title of “best climate on earth.” These locations are the Canary Islands, the African Coast of the Mediterranean and Redwood City. Thus, since that time, “Climate Best by Government Test” has served as Redwood City’s motto. The average high temperature from April through October is 77 degrees and 63 degrees for the balance of the year. The average rainfall is about 20 inches. The sun shines nearly every day.

The home we chose, or more aptly stated, as is often the case, the home that chose us is in an area intersected by a network of waterways off of San Francisco Bay known as Redwood Shores. Our town- home graces the edge of one of those waterways. We have many neighbors but the most interesting are the birds, waterfowl, and wild animals. Resident geese graze on the lawns and obstruct traffic; squirrels scamper up and down trees; jack rabbits sun themselves at the foot of our deck. One morning I watched 2 adult raccoons clamber down a tree outside our window. Another morning a 4 foot gopher snake startled us as we walked on the nearby Bay Trail. My favorite visitors are the long legged Egrets that hunt delicacies as they wade by the window where I sit to write. It is a mind-boggling re-attachment to nature after two years in Manhattan and three months in San Francisco.

Our home grew from 700 square feet in Manhattan and San Francisco to 2000 square feet in Redwood City. New furniture became a necessity. A shopping spree for additional furniture has resulted. Today’s delivery will fill all rooms but one. Oh that’s right, there’s a new computer desk with a hutch in the garage waiting to be assembled. Yuk!

Living in California is a mind-boggling experience for me. Being a Washingtonian I always resented Californians. They invaded or as we said, californicated our beautiful state. They used our freeways, bought property, built houses and taught us the California stop. Now I am one of them. I find most to be friendly, liberal and thoughtful. It does feel strange to be here though. I’m still getting used to seeing the hated garb of Stanford, Cal-Berkley, the 49ers and the Giants instead of the Huskies, Cougars, Seahawks and Mariners. Perhaps I will adjust but then maybe not.

Stan the Man

  

More Mind-Boggling Differences Observed

My recent travels through the deep south of this fine country of ours opened my eyes once again. For my purposes the Deep South wouldn’t include South Florida. It seems to begin around Ocala, Florida as you travel north. Then one is deep into the culture of the Deep South through the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and a big part of Texas. The folks you meet along the way are, for the most part, about as friendly and helpful as you can find, and seemingly genuine. They aren’t superficial like inhabitants of the Great Northwest, they aren’t self absorbed and angry like New Yorkers. Most of them are not transplants like the populations of many cities. I’ve never met a resident of Miami who was born and raised there, except some second generation Cubanos. Transplants typically bring their own culture and are slow to adopt the culture of their new place of residence.

A large part of the population of the Deep South has been born, raised and never strayed from their locale. I talked to adults who had never been across a state line thirty miles down the highway. Others had never heard of cities at the other end of their own state. You have to figure these folks haven’t been exposed to much in the way of outside ideas. They do watch TV and it seems listen to a lot of radio. I was exposed to their radio programming as I drove through the Deep South. One morning Rush Limbaugh was on four stations at once and another four stations were broadcasting religious programming (I don’t mean church services or music). I’m talking political diatribes similar to Rush. This mode of communication or dare I say education seems to be part of the Deep South culture.

These radio stations, from my perspective, promote ultra-conservative and extreme right views. Fine with me except they dominate the air waves and on a 10 hour drive I can’t find any decent music. Admittedly, I have another issue with the phenomenon. It is always presented as a rant, as a diatribe, as an attack on one liberal or another. The material is presented as if the character on the radio has exclusive access to the truth. Furthermore it is his or her obligation and right to scream at the listener about the subject matter they are preaching on this particular day. I notice two approaches as they carry on loudly: They talk as if the know the facts, as if they have the proof of what they are saying but they don’t bother sharing it with the listeners. And when they do attempt to provide proof it is usually a snippet taken out of context. It might be from some obscure document or newspaper article or perhaps the bible. The message is, “just listen to me and believe. Don’t worry about the details or proof.”

So I drove through the Deep South getting more and more claustophobic. Driving mile after mile on the interstate, feeling separated from the world by a wall of green. Yes, tall green trees. Granted they are beautiful and I’m the first to enjoy nature. But it goes on and on and that’s all you see for miles on end. I got so curious what this wall of green was hiding. Does anyone live out there to listen to these radio stations? The consistent barrage from the radio stations that never seems to change helped promote my claustophobia as well. I was much relieved to reach the desert lands of New Mexico and Arizona with the classic rock stations of university towns like Albuquerque and Flagstaff.

I recognize this post reflects some of my biases. I own them. They are mine.

Stan the Man  

Mind-boggling Steak Opportunity?

My most recent post on this blog promised more story from my 7 day drive from South Florida to Northern California. Where to start? How about here:

I departed La Quinta in Shreveport, Louisiana at 9AM hoping to make it to Amarillo, Texas by the time I drove out of energy. My goal seemed to be in real jeopardy in Dallas. I was lost. Driving the myriad of freeways, express ways and construction sites in and around Dallas I became more and more exasperated and confused. Three times I stopped to ask directions and received opposing opinions. One gas station attendant told me he had never been to Amarillo and had no idea how to get there. Finally, a helpful Pepsi delivery man consulted his smart phone and quickly pointed me in the correct direction. So, I arrived in Amarillo that night at 8PM.

When on the road I try to stay at La Quinta motels since I can earn free nights with earned points. This night I couldn’t locate one and settled for a Comfort Inn right along Interstate 40. Standing at the front desk checking in I looked at the key card given to me. It had emblazoned on it an advertisement for a free 72 ounce steak. From my memory bank came images of several billboards I had seen along the freeway that advertised the same thing. I exclaimed, “Wow, free steak! What’s up with that? And 72 ounces, that’s 4 ½ pounds isn’t it?”

The answer came from a Texan looking blond woman now standing behind me. “It’s not free unless you eat the whole thing,” she informs me. She had apparently driven in behind me and noted my Florida license plate so she added authoritatively, “If you did it you would be the first person from Florida to ever eat the whole thing.”

I have to admit the potential claim to fame enticed me for a moment but I’m not really a big eater or much of a steak eater either. I said, “No way, not me. I’m not even going to give that a try.” She laughed and said, “I don’t blame you.”

It turns out that the Big Texan Steak House and Motel that makes this offer was close by. As the story goes, some years ago a cowboy came into the restaurant and said, “I’m so hungry I could eat the whole cow.” Thus was born the 72 ounce steak challenge. One has to pay $17.95 for the dinner which includes the steak, shrimp, baked potato and salad. If the challenger can successfully eat all of this in one hour or less they get their money refunded. I guess then they can go to the 54 unit AAA rated motel located next door and sleep it off. Several thousand have accomplished this feat. Check out the details at www.bigtexan.com. Like they say, “Everything is big in Texas.”

Stan the Man

http://www.bigtexan.com/