Happy New Year to one and all!! Well, we managed to get through another year. How many of us view the past year in those terms? As we near the end of each year, we tend to reflect on what we have seen, heard, accomplished, gained or lost in the past year. Even TV and
newspapers treat us to scenes and stories of various events that have past into history within the past year. Another tradition that is practiced by an unknown number of us is that we "make new year's resolutions".
What does it mean, to "make one or more resolutions"? What steps does it require to make just one resolution? After making whatever number of resolutions, does it require any additional effort or time? There are many other questions we could ask so as to understand the significance of our "making a resolution".
At this point, it is suggested you take a moment to grab a dictionary and look at the number of meanings of the word "resolution". I bet you are surprised when you read all the meanings given. I know I was. But to focus on the meaning usually understood by many of us, it simply means to make a promise to ourself to change one or more of our habits that we believe is problematic.
Of course, the first step we have made, or should make, is to identify (admit to ourself) any
habit(s) we feel would be to our benefit to change. If there is more than one habit you plan to change, it would be best if you would write them down so as to keep track of them. The other advantage to writng them dowm is that you will be able to review them. It should be realized that changing any of our habits may benefit others as well as ourself. This first step is one of the more crucial steps in "making a resolution".
Now, while reviewing the list, mentally weight each entry in terms of its importance. Write the number "1" to the left of the one that is considered the most important. Write the number "2" to the left of the one that is considered the next of importance and so on. After numbering all the entries, it would help to rewrite the list so that the most important was at the top. It is further recommended to put the list aside for a period of time, a couple of hours or at the most, a day. The second time the list is reviewed you may believe the order of entries should be changed. This step is OK. You are simply refining, readjusting the list. If you decide to change the importance of any entries, make sure to renumber the the entries.
If the recommendations noted above have been followed, much has been accomplished. To have reached this point is a monumental step in the right direction. You are on your way to making life better / easier for youself and those around you. Or are you?
So far: bad or ineffective habits have been identified; a list of them has been created; and the entries have been weighted in terms of importance. But now comes the part that is a little tricky. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to adopt any change in the manner in which you usually live your life? If your answer is YES, you are to be commended.
OK, let's begin. The next recommendation is most important. It is crucial that one should not, must not, dare not attempt to change more than one habit at a time. It is virtually predictable that failure will occur if an attempt to work on more than one is made. It is reasonable to work on the one that was listed as the most important first. When it has been successfully changed, then and only then, start to work on the next most important.
Anything that is worth doing is worth doing right. Attempting to change a habit is challenging. It may require a significant deal of time but think of the end result. Stick to your guns once you start. Do not begin to make excuses to delay or to give up trying. Changing a habit is nothing more than a constant effort to remind one's self to desist committing the habit. It is a mental exercise that will strengthen your will power just as physical exercise will strengthen your muscles.
You may wonder why I chose the word "Resolution" for this blog's focus. While it will certainly serve to overcome any and all habits that tend to detract from a satisfying life's existance, I chose it so as to cause the reader to reflect on the possible habit of not voting at all or voting without any belief that the one(s) for whom the vote is made will demonstrate a dynamic and truthful work ethic.
To not vote at all or to vote with no knowledge of the past work history of the one(s) for whom we vote may be compared to playing "Russian roulette"!! If anyone who reads this blog is a true gambler and places no value on their existence or the manner in which they prefer to live their lives, then this writer has spent his time and the reader has read the foregoing needlessly.
Rather than attempt to exist in a lifestyle dictated by others, namely the politicians in Harrisburg, it would be far more beneficial to spend some time to research the work history of those in office and then be able to make an informed decision for whom to cast a vote. Let's all make a resolution to vote for those who, by their example and not just their words, have been truthfully working for us, their employers.
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Excision - To Excise
Anyone who is unfortunate enough to require surgery will experience an excision. Webster's dictionary describes the word "Excision" as, "The act or procedure of removing by or as if by cutting out". The purpose is to remove diseased or damaged tissue. In times gone by, swords or cutlasses were used in combat. When used, the weapon would sometimes sever a body part e.g. an ear, finger(s), hand, etc. The difference between the two is that an excision is meant to heal a person whereas a sword or cutlass is meant to cause death.
In the Bible, an exhortation may be found in Matthew, Chap 5, verses 27 - 32 "If thy hand offends thee, cut it off; If thy eye offends thee, pluck it out.
In both the medical and Biblical sense, if a part of an organism is severely diseased, it is recommended it be removed or death of that organism would occur.
When I worked in the emergency room (ER) of a hospital in Philadelphia, it took quite a while for me to understand why so many clients aka patients waited so long, after noticing symptoms that signaled "something was wrong", to come to the ER for help. Let's face it, when we do not "feel good", we first attempt to "fix" the problem ourselves. We may take a Tylenol, drink some liquid, lay down, etc. We may even think that a "good night's sleep" will fix us. We drag ourselves into bed and try to sleep but without success. The distractions that were present during the day and the darkness now seem to magnify our symptoms. Some times we may wait hours or even days before we admit our self care is not working, It is only then we come to the ER for expert help. The only problem with that train of thought is that the longer we wait to seek help, we may be doing ourselves irreparable harm. In fact, I have witnessed a few cases when waiting too long to seek help resulted in that person's demise.
For a moment, let us think of our society as an organism that is experiencing symptoms that prompt us to realize "something is wrong". We may even consider attempting to "fix" whatever is wrong by ourselves but we're not sure how to go about it. We try to "put up with" the symptoms for some period of time. In some cases, months or even years go by but the symptoms persist.
We try to extend every opportunity to our "leaders" the "experts" to resolve the problem but to no avail. Let us look at the present situation that is facing our society. You know, the one that was and is caused by he "experts" who are supposed to know what they are doing; supposed to provide the help we all need; supposed to think of the ones they are "leading" and not just themselves. Think of them as the "heart" of the organism (our society).
Who are these "experts"? They are none other than the ones we voted into office to provide the leadership we all expect but many, if not most, times are sorely disappointed. How long can a living organism remain viable with a heart that that does not function as it should? In the case of a human, just four to six minutes.
Perhaps, at one tome or another,you were not satisfied with the care you received from a medical person or facility. In other cases you were not satisfied with a product you purchased or a service you employed. What did you do about it? I doubt you did nothing. In fact, lawyers are just waiting in the wings to assist you to solve such scenarios.
OK, let's put all these thoughts together so as to arrive at a solution to the fiscal dilemma in which we find ourselves.
1. We know what the root of the problem is -dysfunctional leadership
2. We know that we cannot solve the problem ourselves - It's too big
3. We know we need help - Ethical, truthful leadership is needed
It does not lend itself to want to win but be faint of heart. Neither does it require a "rocket ship" mentality to arrive at the conclusion what the next step should be. What it does require is commitment, resolve, and a plan to "take the high ground" and "take no prisoners". Planning requires time and thought. We have just a short time to design and initiate our plan. Let us not fail to utilize our time wisely. Let us do our homework and reap the benefits.
I have given some clues in previous blogs that will assist in laying the groundwork for a successful campaign. It is therefore recommended you review the following blogs: Habit, Something Good or Bad? 30 OCT 09; next, look at The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 20 NOV 09; then look at the next three Twas the Night Before Christmas; Sheep, Ostrich, Falcon or Owl; and Need vs Want. The last three were posted on 27 NOV, 4 DEC, and 11 DEC respectively.
There are a number of web sites that are recommended that will provide important information. The first is www.PTCC.US (Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition); the next is www.pa2010.com ; and the last I strongly recommend without equivocation is www.SamRohrer.org.
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
In the Bible, an exhortation may be found in Matthew, Chap 5, verses 27 - 32 "If thy hand offends thee, cut it off; If thy eye offends thee, pluck it out.
In both the medical and Biblical sense, if a part of an organism is severely diseased, it is recommended it be removed or death of that organism would occur.
When I worked in the emergency room (ER) of a hospital in Philadelphia, it took quite a while for me to understand why so many clients aka patients waited so long, after noticing symptoms that signaled "something was wrong", to come to the ER for help. Let's face it, when we do not "feel good", we first attempt to "fix" the problem ourselves. We may take a Tylenol, drink some liquid, lay down, etc. We may even think that a "good night's sleep" will fix us. We drag ourselves into bed and try to sleep but without success. The distractions that were present during the day and the darkness now seem to magnify our symptoms. Some times we may wait hours or even days before we admit our self care is not working, It is only then we come to the ER for expert help. The only problem with that train of thought is that the longer we wait to seek help, we may be doing ourselves irreparable harm. In fact, I have witnessed a few cases when waiting too long to seek help resulted in that person's demise.
For a moment, let us think of our society as an organism that is experiencing symptoms that prompt us to realize "something is wrong". We may even consider attempting to "fix" whatever is wrong by ourselves but we're not sure how to go about it. We try to "put up with" the symptoms for some period of time. In some cases, months or even years go by but the symptoms persist.
We try to extend every opportunity to our "leaders" the "experts" to resolve the problem but to no avail. Let us look at the present situation that is facing our society. You know, the one that was and is caused by he "experts" who are supposed to know what they are doing; supposed to provide the help we all need; supposed to think of the ones they are "leading" and not just themselves. Think of them as the "heart" of the organism (our society).
Who are these "experts"? They are none other than the ones we voted into office to provide the leadership we all expect but many, if not most, times are sorely disappointed. How long can a living organism remain viable with a heart that that does not function as it should? In the case of a human, just four to six minutes.
Perhaps, at one tome or another,you were not satisfied with the care you received from a medical person or facility. In other cases you were not satisfied with a product you purchased or a service you employed. What did you do about it? I doubt you did nothing. In fact, lawyers are just waiting in the wings to assist you to solve such scenarios.
OK, let's put all these thoughts together so as to arrive at a solution to the fiscal dilemma in which we find ourselves.
1. We know what the root of the problem is -dysfunctional leadership
2. We know that we cannot solve the problem ourselves - It's too big
3. We know we need help - Ethical, truthful leadership is needed
It does not lend itself to want to win but be faint of heart. Neither does it require a "rocket ship" mentality to arrive at the conclusion what the next step should be. What it does require is commitment, resolve, and a plan to "take the high ground" and "take no prisoners". Planning requires time and thought. We have just a short time to design and initiate our plan. Let us not fail to utilize our time wisely. Let us do our homework and reap the benefits.
I have given some clues in previous blogs that will assist in laying the groundwork for a successful campaign. It is therefore recommended you review the following blogs: Habit, Something Good or Bad? 30 OCT 09; next, look at The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 20 NOV 09; then look at the next three Twas the Night Before Christmas; Sheep, Ostrich, Falcon or Owl; and Need vs Want. The last three were posted on 27 NOV, 4 DEC, and 11 DEC respectively.
There are a number of web sites that are recommended that will provide important information. The first is www.PTCC.US (Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition); the next is www.pa2010.com ; and the last I strongly recommend without equivocation is www.SamRohrer.org.
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
Friday, December 11, 2009
NEED vs WANT
NEEDS
Did you, from time to time, think of just what you NEED? Each of us may consider what we "need" differently. But let's get down to basics. Real basics!!! For those of you who may have taken a college course in psychology, you are no strangers to the name of Maslow. He was a psychologist who designed what has come to be called "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs". Usually, you will see his "Hierarchy" as a triangle with five rectangular boxes arranged parallel to each other and extending past the sides of the triangle. In each of the boxes are listed words that describe "needs" ranging from the most basic, in the bottom rectangle, to others that may be considered the least "needed" in the top rectangle.
The title of "needs" in the bottom rectangle is Biological and Physiological Needs. The next box up is Safety Needs. The next box up is Belongingness and Love Needs. The fourth box up is Esteem Needs. The title in the topmost box is Self-actualization.
Most of us, in the United States of America, have enjoyed the "Needs" in the bottom two boxes of Maslow's Hierarchy ever since we can remember. As we move up to the top three boxes however, those "needs" are sought after by all of us in one form or another but are not always attained.
I imagine that most of us are certainly aware of that group of our society who are labeled "Homeless". We see occasional glimpses of them if we travel to large metropolitan areas. We certainly see them in news broadcasts on our TVs. What are our thoughts as our attention is drawn to them? Do we sympathise with their plight? Or do we in some fashion blame them for their condition? Do we ever consider the chance that we may join their ranks at some time in the future?
Ridiculous you say? "Fat chance of that ever happening to me", you may think to yourself. That is probably just what so many of the current group of "homeless" thought just before the market recently crashed. That is precisely what so many are probably still thinking even though our leaders in government are telling us that we are gradually coming out of the recession. You may hear newscasters saying the same thing but almost as an aside, we hear that the unemployment remains at 10%!!
If you ever did attempt to consider losing your home, did you take your thoughts to the next step and ask yourself, "What would I do"? Have you actually taken steps to prepare for the unthinkable? Perhaps you should if you live in Pennsylvania!! Why there? Because things are going to get much worse for all of us in the very near future.
For some rather obscure reason, a law was passed when Governor Ridge was the governor of our state that guaranteed state workers, including teachers, 8 1/2% return on their pension funds!! That was great when the market was up. When the market crashed recently, every one's pension fund was affected, including the teachers'. The only difference between the teachers and everyone else is that their pension is guaranteed by law. The teachers are not to blame however, the politicians are!!!
So what happens when 2012 arrives and we are expected to pay the current expected increase in property / school taxes to pay for the losses in the teachers' pension fund? If you are currently out of work, how will you be able to pay for the increase? If you expect to have work by 2012, will you earn enough to pay for the increase? If however you have become one of the "homeless", you won't have to worry about the increase!!
OK, so maybe there is a benefit to being "homeless"(?) That is if you don't mind living in a cardboard box on top of a steam vent in Philadelphia or some form of shelter provided by the government that confiscated your home!! Of course you won't have all the little niceties you probably enjoyed when you were still living in your own home. But don't despair, on special days of the year numerous charitable organizations set out a feast for you to enjoy. The only problem with that arrangement is that the "special days" of the year will not begin to equal all the days you were able to eat similar "feasts" at home. There will be many other things you will have to do without but why should I paint an even more gloomy picture. All you have to do is turn on your TV and look at the squalor in which some societies exist in Africa, South America, etc. Now, just picture yourself as a member of that society!!!
WANTS
Hah!! Who am I kidding? "Wants" are all of those things that are not included in the bottom two rectangles of Maslow's Hierarchy, e.g. everything except food in your stomach, clothes on your back and a roof over your head. You may think you need all of the other things but they are not essential to life. Your life would certainly be vastly different than it is now but you would be alive.
How to Keep your "Wants"
What's that? You don't want to lose your home? Well, if that's so, what are you doing to change the very real possibility that you will lose it? Don't plan on winning the lottery or hoping that a philanthropist will knock on your door and hand a million dollars to you. Don't plan on getting a good paying job either. Remember, the unemployment is still at 10%!!! Well, what else can you do? Is there a "Light at the End of the Tunnel? Answer: YES there is!!!
All you have to do is access the web site www.SamRohrer.org and read and listen to the man who has been working at and remains committed to pulling this state out of the hole in which we currently find ourselves. Remember though, he cannot do it by himself. He needs us, that's right, you and me and all of us to do what we can to help him to help all of us!! WE can do it!! WE must do it!! Also, you should take a look at the web site www.PTCC.US
Postscript:
Have you ever seen the movie "Tea House of the August Moon"? Marlon Brando plays one of the main parts (an Okinawan native). In the beginning, he is seated on the ground in front of a palm tree. He is recounting the history of Okinawa and how many time they have been invaded and then occupied by foreign troops. He states that each time it created great pain for the inhabitants but that, "Pain make man think; thought make man wise; and wisdom make life endurable".
Apparently not enough of us have experienced enough pain to make us "think". Or we have just begun to think but have not yet profited by our thinking to become "wise". If we ever reach that elusive plateau of "wisdom", perhaps we will be ready to cast the real jerks in Harrisburg overboard and vote for politicians that have our best interests at heart rather than just themselves. Someone like Sam Rohrer!!
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sheep, Ostrich, Falcon, or Owl?
It is interesting to note how many times we may refer to someone in terms of an animal. Sometimes, we may describe someone as a "beast". What we are saying is that person acts like a beast, that they do not demonstrate human characteristics or traits. Other times, we may say of a person that they are "sheepish". In this case, we mean that they are somewhat timid or meek in their behavior, they are easily led. There are quite a few other animals that have taken their place in our everyday language to describe some one's traits.
Believe it or not, some folks believe that after they die, they will be reincarnated in the form of an animal. Gee, I wonder just what kind of an animal I would like to be if I held that same belief? Would I be satisfied to be a sheep? If so, I would find it difficult to make decisions, always look to someone else to lead me, almost be afraid of my own shadow. No, I don't think I would want to be a sheep. Perhaps it would be better to be an Ostrich. I could run very fast but as soon as I was faced with a problem I would "stick my head in the sand"! Ostriches really don't do that but it is widely thought they do. It is the reason anyone who is faced with a problem and tends to not make an attempt to solve it, their behavior is referred to as the Ostrich syndrome. They hope that if they don't admit there is a problem, it will resolve itself without their intervention. No, I wouldn't want to be an Ostrich.
There are however, some animals who are thought of as having traits that are enviable. A dog for instance. A dog will, if treated with kindness, always greet you with tail wagging when you return home. It will never complain when fed the same thing day after day. It will always try to please you by obeying your commands. I'm not sure I'd like being a dog however. I'd always have to depend on my owner being thoughtful of me. Unfortunately, not all dog owners treat their animals with kindness.
I know!! I believe I'd like to be a Falcon or Owl. Even though they have to find their own food, they do not have to depend on unkind human owners. They are their own masters, free to go where they want when they want. They even develop hunting strategies to increase the chance of getting food. In fact, the Owl is spoken of as "the wise old bird". Wisdom is a great attribute. With it, one can reason. With reason, one can figure out how to solve problems.
You may wonder why I have chosen the foregoing to begin this week's blog. It is because we, us Pennsylvanians, are faced with a monumental problem. At least those of us who are "home owners". In fact, we will never "own" our homes. We are forced to keep paying year after year for the privilege of staying in not our homes but the homes that apparently are owned by the state and our local school district. In case you have wondered what would happen if you failed to pay the state and the school district, you would be evicted!! You would find yourself outside the house you thought you "owned". Certainly, not a happy prospect.
Now that I have identified the problem, are we going to be like sheep and timidly be forced to give up not just the "extras" but some of the necessities in order to stay in the home we thought we owned? Or, are we going to be like an Ostrich burying our heads in the sand, hoping the problem will just resolve spontaneously without our intervention? The latter of the two was adopted by our present governor when he did not deal with the "pension grab" problem that will rear its ugly head in 2012. In case you're not aware of it, the current estimate of the increase of property / school taxes in all of Pennsylvania in 2012 is 29.7%!!!
Instead, why don't we be like the Falcon or Owl and rise up to the occasion and do something about it? I don't know about you but my wife and I worked hard to build and "own" our home. I'm not ready to give up and meekly be told to, "Get out". Neither am I ready to be told that I have to give up any of the necessities just to be able to pay the state and the school district year after year in order to stay in "their" home.
There is someone who is, and has been for years, working diligently to make it possible for us to actually stay in the homes we thought we owned and without paying anyone for the privilege.
That person is Sam Rohrer. If you haven't looked at his web site, I strongly recommend you do it. The address is www.SamRohrer.org . Even if you believe you may have the tendency to be like a Sheep or an Ostrich, all you have to do to keep your home is look at his web site. In the blogs I have posted during October and November, I have described how you can insure that Sam's plan (HB 1275) will be passed in Harrisburg. Notice, I did not say "may be passed". I said "will be passed". If you are reading my blog for the first time, I strongly recommend you read those that I wrote starting with the first one "Are You Fed Up Yet?"
As always, I invite any questions you may have or objective criticisms. My e-mail is johnjhere@gmail.com .
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
Believe it or not, some folks believe that after they die, they will be reincarnated in the form of an animal. Gee, I wonder just what kind of an animal I would like to be if I held that same belief? Would I be satisfied to be a sheep? If so, I would find it difficult to make decisions, always look to someone else to lead me, almost be afraid of my own shadow. No, I don't think I would want to be a sheep. Perhaps it would be better to be an Ostrich. I could run very fast but as soon as I was faced with a problem I would "stick my head in the sand"! Ostriches really don't do that but it is widely thought they do. It is the reason anyone who is faced with a problem and tends to not make an attempt to solve it, their behavior is referred to as the Ostrich syndrome. They hope that if they don't admit there is a problem, it will resolve itself without their intervention. No, I wouldn't want to be an Ostrich.
There are however, some animals who are thought of as having traits that are enviable. A dog for instance. A dog will, if treated with kindness, always greet you with tail wagging when you return home. It will never complain when fed the same thing day after day. It will always try to please you by obeying your commands. I'm not sure I'd like being a dog however. I'd always have to depend on my owner being thoughtful of me. Unfortunately, not all dog owners treat their animals with kindness.
I know!! I believe I'd like to be a Falcon or Owl. Even though they have to find their own food, they do not have to depend on unkind human owners. They are their own masters, free to go where they want when they want. They even develop hunting strategies to increase the chance of getting food. In fact, the Owl is spoken of as "the wise old bird". Wisdom is a great attribute. With it, one can reason. With reason, one can figure out how to solve problems.
You may wonder why I have chosen the foregoing to begin this week's blog. It is because we, us Pennsylvanians, are faced with a monumental problem. At least those of us who are "home owners". In fact, we will never "own" our homes. We are forced to keep paying year after year for the privilege of staying in not our homes but the homes that apparently are owned by the state and our local school district. In case you have wondered what would happen if you failed to pay the state and the school district, you would be evicted!! You would find yourself outside the house you thought you "owned". Certainly, not a happy prospect.
Now that I have identified the problem, are we going to be like sheep and timidly be forced to give up not just the "extras" but some of the necessities in order to stay in the home we thought we owned? Or, are we going to be like an Ostrich burying our heads in the sand, hoping the problem will just resolve spontaneously without our intervention? The latter of the two was adopted by our present governor when he did not deal with the "pension grab" problem that will rear its ugly head in 2012. In case you're not aware of it, the current estimate of the increase of property / school taxes in all of Pennsylvania in 2012 is 29.7%!!!
Instead, why don't we be like the Falcon or Owl and rise up to the occasion and do something about it? I don't know about you but my wife and I worked hard to build and "own" our home. I'm not ready to give up and meekly be told to, "Get out". Neither am I ready to be told that I have to give up any of the necessities just to be able to pay the state and the school district year after year in order to stay in "their" home.
There is someone who is, and has been for years, working diligently to make it possible for us to actually stay in the homes we thought we owned and without paying anyone for the privilege.
That person is Sam Rohrer. If you haven't looked at his web site, I strongly recommend you do it. The address is www.SamRohrer.org . Even if you believe you may have the tendency to be like a Sheep or an Ostrich, all you have to do to keep your home is look at his web site. In the blogs I have posted during October and November, I have described how you can insure that Sam's plan (HB 1275) will be passed in Harrisburg. Notice, I did not say "may be passed". I said "will be passed". If you are reading my blog for the first time, I strongly recommend you read those that I wrote starting with the first one "Are You Fed Up Yet?"
As always, I invite any questions you may have or objective criticisms. My e-mail is johnjhere@gmail.com .
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
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