Family and FriendsSports

It’s not fair

I spent nearly all day in a wretched state of exhaustion. Naturally I’m wide awake at a quarter to midnight. Personally, I’d like to blame it all on Brian Stokes. James Shields pitches eight innings, allows two runs, strikes out TWELVE, and leaves the Rays with a two run lead going into the ninth. Naturally, the Rays lost by two (six to four) after allowing four runs in the top of the…
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Family and Friends

The little boy that could

Have you ever known a child to enjoy washing his or her hands too much? I’m not a regular on the parenting circuit so I can’t claim to be an expert; but I can tell you it’s a 50/50 proposition in our modest household. Our daughter exhibits many of the signs of phobia. She has little time for cleaning, and little use for clean hands. I didn’t think much of this… I…
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Family and FriendsThe Sunshine State

I went to the beach and I saw a beach

All my life I could count on the rocks of Honeymoon Island. I don’t know the complete history of Honeymoon Island, but I seem to recall a story about a developer who thought it would be a good idea to stabilize the island by dumping tons of rocks on the shoreline. In any case, the rocks were the sole sore subject of the island since I came to Florida as a young lad during the summer of…
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Family and Friends

So this is what a social worker does

There’s a widespread misconception about the role of social workers in America. Widely used reference materials aren’t helping matters either. Dictionary.com and Wikipedia both refer to “linking clients with agencies and programs that will meet their psychosocial needs,” when discussing the role of the modern social worker. Now consider a recent conversation with a real…
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Family and Friends

Don’t waste your time on me

I’ve used this space to talk about someone close to me… someone who suffers from mental illness. I’ve alluded to hospitalization… and it’s been about 7 weeks now. They’ve tried medication, counseling, and until Friday – ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) as a kind of last – or next to last – resort. Since none of it has worked they’ve begun…
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Family and Friends

No, this isn’t the Holiday Inn

Earlier this evening I was sitting in a room on a psychiatric ward during visiting hours, when a few other visitors arrived (to see another patient, assigned to the other bed in the room). A middle aged man looked into the room from the doorway, and at the person I was visiting. He said to his companion, “oh look, the wacko is in here.” His companion gave him a shush and shoved him out…
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Beth

The exception to the rule

Sometimes the hit flows up-shill. Case in point: Beth has a class project for her “gifted” class. She comes up with an idea and makes a blueprint. When she gets to a point that’s outside her expertise… namely: designing her presentation props in Microsoft Office – she enlists the help of Cheryl. At this point, the assignment becomes Cheryl’s project. She takes…
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CoffeeFamily and Friends

Beware of the label

I went with a loved one to a colonoscopy. Yes, that’s just as fun as it sounds. In the lobby there was a sign for “hot liquid” next to a table with a dispenser ubiquitous with America’s Favorite Stimulant. I was more than ready for some stimulating beverage, so I ambled over for a cup. I have to give them this much: it was both hot AND a liquid. As for any implied…
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