Meaningful Connections

LEARNING TO COPE WITH FEAR AND ANXIETY

THE WORLD IS NOT ENDING NOW SO YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO COPE

All life threatening events are different but they share a common psychological response. They induce fear, anxiety, and other highly unpleasant affects causing undo suffering. Although it is tempting to lament ones sorry state insisting this is not how the story of their particular life was supposed to have been written, hard nosed reality sticks out its tongue at the protester implicitly saying tough! Thus in the face of such unwanted, often unfair, intrusions there is little choice than to use ones residual energies to do the best one can to keep oneself and ones concerns protected and functioning. In other words – if choosing activity and life instead of surrendering to passivity and death there is no other choice than to learn how to cope.

A TRIBUTE TO MICKEY SPILLANE FROM A GRATEFUL ONE TIME ELEVEN YEAR OLD

NEVER LET GOING TO SCHOOL INTERFERE WITH GETTING A GOOD EDUCATION

I had a key memory of Mickey Spillane just one day before he died, recalling my discovery of his steamy I The Jury  when I was a curious but relatively naive 11 year old.

SPECULATING ABOUT THE PSCHOLOGY OF A TERRORIST

                 GOING OUT WITH A BLAZE OF GLORY

                                          OR

                THE WORLD SHOULD END WITH A BANG,

                                NOT A WIMPER

A number of articles attempting to objectify the terrorist phenomena indicate that many of them are remarkably intelligent, educated, some women as well as men, and a few even parents.

If we shake off the natural inclination to explain the whole "movement" as oviously "crazy" zealots then it forces us to try to really understand what makes them tick - if indeed there is a particular path to understanding.

MY RESPONSE TO "MISERY LOVES A MEMOIR" AN ARTICLE In the NY TIMES BOOK REVIEW

                   ANOTHER TIMELY COINCIDENCE

This is the 6th day since my agent sent off  a proposal of my memoir - SMACK IN THE MIDDLE - MY ODYSSEY TREATING HEROIN ADDICTS IN THE SIXTIES - A MEMOIR to four prospective publishers.

While there is alot that is indefinite, two things are certain: if I ever had an illusion that one or more of them would be so positively overwhelmed that they would call me by now, it has been laid to rest; but I haven't received any rejection letters either.

CONVERTING FROM SELF IMPOSED ISOLATION TO PLUNGING HEADLONG INTO MARKETING

                                   .... BUT WILL IT SELL?

The first entry of my journal when I was a very confused 19 year old is: Plato said "The unexamined life is not worth living" however I can add that the overly examined life is incapable of being led."

Among other meanings this journal entry highlights two themes that dominated my life for the next fifty years:  I declared myself an active author but one who would be self conscious about being self conscious.