Recently a friend told me about remembering times when people could sit on their porch and simply bask in nature’s beauty is priceless but never will it be hopeless. It’s true in time humans will be implanted with electronic devices which take the place of phones, watches, glasses and probably laptop computers. All that and more will be available by simply thinking about it. Ask a question and you’ll be connected to the internet with relevant information appearing in thin air for you to read. Progress can’t be stopped and we can’t or shouldn’t attempt to stop it.

The same goes for those simple pleasures of life. We shouldn’t let them be pushed into our history only to be remembered with envy. Every person is different which is something I wish more people would realize and accept as a positive, non-threatening thing for the most part and relax, stop the hate and take the time to understand people, but I digress.

The simple pleasures of life need to be experienced. It’s not as simple as it sounds. One must take the effort, make the time to chill and wrap themselves around a sunrise, fall colors, the first snow fall, frost on the pumpkin, a kid building sand castles or whatever floats your boat. I’ve said it many times; people need to remember their pleasures as a kid and relive them as an adult. Sure people will look with disapproval on their faces, that’s their problem. Don’t let them rain on your parade.




Richard
 

What do Rick Sanchez and Juan Williams have in common? They both have been fired for making bigoted remarks. For the life of me I don't understand why people don't realize the right of free speech also has consequences. What you say can and will be used against you. When a person works for a company that company has the right to exercise punishment if they feel the employees' comments are inappropriate. More people oughtta think before they speak, it would make for a better country.

Richard
 

The YMCA has been my choice for working out for several years. Never has the song inspired my workouts. Curiosity got the best of me this morning. The friendly employee said, "Sure, we play it several times a day."

My next question was, ""Do people stop and do the routine?"

"The kids do sometimes."

Which again proves the point that adults forget how to enjoy basic, simple fun. They might look funny doing it but they would feel better.


Richard
 

Yesterday I visited my hospice client, the one whom speaks in a faint whisper. Approaching his home he was sitting outside in a lawn chair. I waited until I got right next to him to speak but stopped. Looking in his eyes, which were half open, I saw nothing. His eyes were lifeless. He did not recognize or respond to me in any fashion. Seeing this condition with past hospice I concluded that he was heavily sedated.

I sat in a chair next to him. He would move occasionally in the chair and his upper body and arms would shake now and again. Not saying a word to maintain his peace I sat with him for 30 minutes. He never recognized or responded to me. His sister, whom lives across the street, had previously instructed me to stay with him as long as it was productive. After 30 minutes I decided to leave. I didn’t see his sister and assumed she was home aware of his condition.

Arriving home I called the social worker assigned to him. She said she would call his sister. About an hour later the social worker called back. His sister was, in fact, not home and was an hour away. She was surprised to hear of her brother’s condition as earlier in the day he was bright and alert. The hospice nurse had visited him and he had responded to her. The social worker asked me if I thought he had over dosed on his medication. Certainly that was possible however I couldn’t be sure. His sister returned home as soon as possible.

In the past I’ve visited clients whom had been left home alone. It’s not the best situation however sometimes it can’t be avoided. I’ve experienced clients whom asked me to leave because they wanted to be alone. Naturally I honored their wishes. Unexpected things happen to all of us, all of the time. We attempt to do what we think is the best at that moment. Sometimes we are right and sometimes we aren’t.

I haven’t received an update on his condition and won’t pursue one until I work in the hospice office on Friday. It’s not about me anyways.


Richard
 

When visiting a hospice client never is there a terminally ill person. They are simply a person. Identifying them as a terminally ill person does them an injustice. They aren’t their illness; they are thoughts, ideas and opinions just like everyone else. As one client told me when I was standing in their bedroom doorway, “You can come in I’m not dead yet.”

When people invite someone into their home they want to make a good first impression and make the visitor feel welcome. Hospice clients are no different. They create, for the most part, an inviting atmosphere for the volunteer, conducive for a pleasant exchange.

The client sets the direction of my visit. Where they lead, I’ll follow. It’s usually best to stay in their World, after all their comfort is most important. I don’t walk on eggshells either. I let my personality shine, with thought. Rarely am I over the top. Yet there have been clients who enjoyed over the top.

Every hospice client is different and almost every visit with an individual client is different. Relaxing, being myself and letting my personality shine works for me and it should work for you, when meeting and visiting not only terminally ill people, but people in general.

One last thought. Don’t try to be perfect, you won’t be. When mistakes happen accept and acknowledge them. A sincere apology will be quickly accepted. The client knows you weren’t being mean spirited. In fact an innocent mistake usually doesn’t register on their radar screen. They have more important things to accomplish: Living life to its fullest.




Richard
 

Recently two new hospice clients came my way. They are different, yet alike.

One has difficultly communicating verbally. His words can’t be understood except for a few now and then. Remarkably he said in clear pronunciation, “I have difficulty talking clearly.” My response was acceptance and understanding. His disability didn’t stop him from conducting a complete tour of his home, commenting on every picture, knick-knack, and collectible gathered during his life. Although understanding him was difficult, his gestures and facial expressions were quite easy to grasp.

The other client communicates clearly however in a faint whisper, so faint that my ears had to be about a foot away from his mouth. His whispers didn’t stop him from asking questions about my life and times. He enjoyed my stories, laughing and smiling several times.

Two people facing obstacles, refusing to let those obstacles keep them from doing what they want to accomplish. Communicating with each of them is challenging, mentally draining and misunderstanding are common. It doesn’t matter to them when the message isn’t clearly understood. Just the simple act of communicating with another person is powerful enough to try and try again.

People need people. We enjoy telling our life stories and listening to others’. It is a basic, simple, sweet pleasure of life. The three of us are unique and probably have little in common. Being there is enough. My future visits will bring new challenges, mistakes will happen, successes will be shared. Yet, in the end, being there is enough.



Richard
 

Happy September, the month of cooling temperatures and the start of a rainbow of fall colors. August was rather busy for me, a man of leisure. My annual physical was a success, complete with blood and urine analysis, everything is normal which is unusual for a person with abnormal tendencies.

A visit to my niece and her doctor husband was relaxing. Just sitting around and gabbing. Being twenty years their elder brought a different perspective to the conversations. They feel I could be an effective motivational speaker as my life stories entertained them. Laughter was my response. My life and times aren’t that different or special from others. They expressed my self esteem was somewhat low. Again laughter, not to insult them but to illustrate that is what I choose to share with them. My self confidence is best kept to myself.

Upon returning from family fun ten days were spent house sitting. My friends went to Chicago to visit family. Two acres of fenced in heavily wooded and private residence was paradise. Watering the grounds and caring for their nine year Akita were the only draw backs, if you don’t consider causing a false security alarm. My friends called me from Chicago asking what happened. Given that I wasn’t there when the alarm activated, I had no answer. The police had made a perimeter inspection of the house and everything was secure indicating no one had entered. Yet I still was required to enter without backup.

Armed with a hatchet, accompanied by the dog the front door was opened. The dog entered first took a few steps, turned around and stared at me. Quick coaxing yielded no action from the mutt. Taking the lead, hatchet raised to strike, the dog behind me every step of the way, every room and door was opened. No one attacked.

The month ended with a lost cell phone. Retracing my actions and steps, searching my home and a quick search of my car yielded no phone. Resigned to buying a new phone the light bulb in my dimly lit brain illuminated an idea; maybe the phone fell under my car seat. Sure enough there it was. Having avoided a major nuisance a decision was made to take a proactive step to avoid a potential health issue. Rolling up my sleeve the pharmacist administered a flu shot.

Hopefully September will be dull and duller.



Richard
 

What is wrong with people? In a local example a man ran over his wife with a tractor injuring her leg. She escaped to a neighbor’s home and called the police. When they arrived her husband, armed with two guns, fired at them hitting the car. The police retreated, regrouped and shot the man in the leg. He is currently under armed guard in a hospital.

Elsewhere the protest and uproar over construction of Muslim mosques at the World Trade Center site in New York City and around the country is simply anger fueled by ignorant fear. If only these anger and ignorant people would educate themselves maybe they could understand the concept that the Muslim religion is not unlike their own and embrace freedom of religion. The following is copied from the Spokesman-Review newspaper, August 9, 2010.

Islam is a growing faith in the U.S., though Muslims represent less than 1 percent of the country’s population. Ten years ago, there were about 1,200 mosques nationwide. Now there are roughly 1,900, according to Ihsan Bagby, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky and a researcher on surveys of American mosques.

The growth involves Islamic centers expanding to accommodate more Muslims – as is the case in New York, California and Tennessee – as well as mosques cropping up in smaller, more isolated communities, Bagby said.

A 2007 survey of Muslim Americans by the Pew Research Center found that 39 percent of adult Muslims living in the United States were immigrants who had come here since 1990.

Islam is a growing faith in the U.S., though Muslims represent less than 1 percent of the country’s population. Ten years ago, there were about 1,200 mosques nationwide. Now there are roughly 1,900, according to Ihsan Bagby, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky and a researcher on surveys of American mosques.

The growth involves Islamic centers expanding to accommodate more Muslims – as is the case in New York, California and Tennessee – as well as mosques cropping up in smaller, more isolated communities, Bagby said.

A 2007 survey of Muslim Americans by the Pew Research Center found that 39 percent of adult Muslims living in the United States were immigrants who had come here since 1990.

Mosque leader Essam Fathy, who helped plan the new building in Murfreesboro, has lived there for 30 years.
“I didn’t think people would try that hard to oppose something that’s in the Constitution,” he said. “The Islamic center has been here since the early ’80s, 12 years in this location. There’s nothing different now except it’s going to be a little bigger.”
Bagby said that hasn’t stopped foes from becoming more virulent.

“It was there before, but it didn’t have as much traction. The larger public never embraced it,” he said. “The level of anger, the level of hostility is much higher in the last few years.”

Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a nonprofit that advocates for reform and modernization of Islam, said opposing mosques is no way to prevent terrorism.Neighbors didn’t want his family to build a mosque in 1979 in Neenah, Wis., because they didn’t understand who Muslims were.

“If the Wisconsin mosque had not been allowed to be built, I, at 17, might have put up walls and become a different person,” he said. “If we start preventing these from being built, the backlash will be increased radicalization.”

A study by professors at the Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and the University of North Carolina backs up Jasser’s statement. The study found that mosques, religious bookstores and other communal associations that bring Muslim-Americans together help prevent radicalization.



There is nothing to fear except fear itself.




Richard
 

A few days ago,arriving at the local hospital for blood work to complete a physical exam the person in charge told me my doctor hadn't issued a request for blood work to be done. She said she would call me when she had the request. Two days ago she called with approval for the blood work. No waiting for repeat customers, my butt was seated and the drawing commenced. A few minutes later all was done. The person handed me a sample container. My bladder was dry so another return trip was necessary.

This morning while working out massive amounts of water flowed into my body. The goal was to fill the sample container immediately after my work out and drop it off. Mission accomplished. A couple of mini-star decals were affixed to the container, adding a special touch. Walking into the hospital lab with the container concealed in a brown paper bag the front desk was unattended although the waiting room was half full of people. Waiting for someone to approach me and take the sample, impatience over came me. The paper bag was left on the desk. Walking away no one looked or called after me.

Richard
 

The following is on a local bar's reader board, it made sense to me.

"Don't speak unless you can improve the silence."


Richard