I've had to take some time to rethink this blog. I had some unexpected eyes checking up on it. Not that I really care but I still had to make sure there wasn't any "questionable" material. I often get asked what my blog is about. I find that this is not an easy question to answer. If you are a regular reader, you know what I'm talking about. I usually answer "Whatever's in my head." That's about all I can answer. When I attend an event, some people will asked if I am going to blog about it. I usually answer "I don't know," which is true. I don't know what I am going to write until I sit down at the computer. Other's have ask me how do I come up with topics. Again, I don't know. Anything I write: this blog; poetry; short stories; or novels, just come to me. My brain creates it and I write it. I wish I could explain it better but that's just how it works. I used to keep a pen and paper by the bed so that when I woke up in the middle of the night I could jot stuff down. I have forgotten many a poem and now many a blog by not being better prepared. Incidentally, I only have so much time to write and I usually use it to blog. But last week I had a short story pop into my head and it took all of my free time to write. Of course, if I could type better I could probably cut my time in half. The title of the story was "The Book of Xi Su." I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it but I'm am very proud of it.
I have some blog topics bouncing around in my head that I might get to some day but who knows what will be in my head next time I sit down. As far as stepping back, I did it for about a week. I thought about and going forward, nothing is going to change. "Inshanesbrain" will be same: thought provoking, story telling, and nostalgic with an occasional poem and maybe some short stories. By the way, I am open to suggestions because I do struggle thinking up topics. I also, want to take a moment and thank those who read this blog, especially those who comment regularly: Gretchen Morgan, Brett Minor, Kelly (Beckett) Ellis, Lela Bremen and Kevin Fradelos. Comments really do help. They let me know when the blog is good and when it's bad. I do not delete any comments. They are all there for anyone to read with one exception. If someone comments "Your dumb" or "This is pointless" or anything like it, I will delete those. If someone puts those same comments and then explains why then I will leave it because it helps provoke thought. But to say that I am "dumb" doesn't add anything to the conversation and thus will be deleted. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Laughter IS the Best Medicine
I had to take my son my for tests at the hospital this morning. During that visit, I had flashbacks of a trip to the E.R. and the week long stay in the hospital that followed; that occurred when I was 15 years old. These two events had a lot in common. I will begin with my story.
It was November, 1988 and I was having some stomach pain. I had incurred a similar pain only 6 months earlier but was deemed healthy and sent home. Now the second occurrence was much worse. I "walked" hunched over with both arms on my stomach with most of my weight pushed on to mother who was doing her best to keep me off of the ground. We drove to the doctor office and after a short stay were sent to the hospital but only after a shot of some sort of pain killer. By the time we had reached the hospital, which was only minutes away, the meds had taken over. I was higher than helium filled kite. I can remember the following through my drug induced haze: they sat me in a wheel chair and wheeled me into a room, I hopped out of the chair and onto to the table like a king taking his throne, I don't know how long I slept but they then put me on a gurney/bed and wheeled me for x-rays. I can remember looking up and watching the ceiling lights pass. The bed was cold and the room was freezing. The proceeding caused me to start shivering. About 2 minutes or so into these shakes, my dad arrived. Now, I couldn't imagine his shock and fear upon walking in on this until 14 years later when my second child was born. (That story is for another day) At some point I was taken to a regular hospital room that became my home for the next 5 days. I don't know where my dad was at this point and maybe I have gotten things out of order but what was to occur next is forever ingrained in my head. As I lie in my bed, I decided that I needed to go to the bathroom. I was still under the influence so my mom helped me up and into the closet size restroom. I took my seat and began the largest gas release known to man. It started normally but then then quantity and intensity sky rocketed. Loopy from the drugs, I began to giggle this only to help put more pressure my stomach, which led to even more release. The aforementioned restroom had such great acoustics that it probably rivaled those of the Sidney Opera House. I'm not quite sure how much my mom heard but she definitely got a show. I imagine it sounded something like 100 tubas playing "Three Cheers For The Red, White, and Blue." Soon the giggles turned into a full laughter, causing even greater percussion. Alas, the reserve emptied. And that was that. They could've let me go after that episode but they kept me around for days running test and scaring my family with words like "Crohns." No diagnosis was ever given and I haven't has any issues since.
This morning, I had to wheel my "drugged" son through the hospital in a wheel chair. When we were waiting, he was falling out of the chair and staring at lights. Upon hearing a television, he perked up and attempted to turn his locked wheel chair around to watch. We were then instructed to take him into an examination room. The room was decorated for kids. It was a scene from under the sea. It had fish, octopi, and dolphins. My son kept telling us that the vent had a camera in it. So much so that I actually looked to see. Then he started to reach for the fish on the wall. After several failed attempts, he succeeded and proceed to pet the fish, while saying "good fish." He then asked why there weren't any boats. It was quite amusing but I resisted the urge to video it because I wouldn't want that done to me. His test came out fine and his parents are relieved.
So,whether 1988 or 2011, the hospital can be both scary and hilarious.
It was November, 1988 and I was having some stomach pain. I had incurred a similar pain only 6 months earlier but was deemed healthy and sent home. Now the second occurrence was much worse. I "walked" hunched over with both arms on my stomach with most of my weight pushed on to mother who was doing her best to keep me off of the ground. We drove to the doctor office and after a short stay were sent to the hospital but only after a shot of some sort of pain killer. By the time we had reached the hospital, which was only minutes away, the meds had taken over. I was higher than helium filled kite. I can remember the following through my drug induced haze: they sat me in a wheel chair and wheeled me into a room, I hopped out of the chair and onto to the table like a king taking his throne, I don't know how long I slept but they then put me on a gurney/bed and wheeled me for x-rays. I can remember looking up and watching the ceiling lights pass. The bed was cold and the room was freezing. The proceeding caused me to start shivering. About 2 minutes or so into these shakes, my dad arrived. Now, I couldn't imagine his shock and fear upon walking in on this until 14 years later when my second child was born. (That story is for another day) At some point I was taken to a regular hospital room that became my home for the next 5 days. I don't know where my dad was at this point and maybe I have gotten things out of order but what was to occur next is forever ingrained in my head. As I lie in my bed, I decided that I needed to go to the bathroom. I was still under the influence so my mom helped me up and into the closet size restroom. I took my seat and began the largest gas release known to man. It started normally but then then quantity and intensity sky rocketed. Loopy from the drugs, I began to giggle this only to help put more pressure my stomach, which led to even more release. The aforementioned restroom had such great acoustics that it probably rivaled those of the Sidney Opera House. I'm not quite sure how much my mom heard but she definitely got a show. I imagine it sounded something like 100 tubas playing "Three Cheers For The Red, White, and Blue." Soon the giggles turned into a full laughter, causing even greater percussion. Alas, the reserve emptied. And that was that. They could've let me go after that episode but they kept me around for days running test and scaring my family with words like "Crohns." No diagnosis was ever given and I haven't has any issues since.
This morning, I had to wheel my "drugged" son through the hospital in a wheel chair. When we were waiting, he was falling out of the chair and staring at lights. Upon hearing a television, he perked up and attempted to turn his locked wheel chair around to watch. We were then instructed to take him into an examination room. The room was decorated for kids. It was a scene from under the sea. It had fish, octopi, and dolphins. My son kept telling us that the vent had a camera in it. So much so that I actually looked to see. Then he started to reach for the fish on the wall. After several failed attempts, he succeeded and proceed to pet the fish, while saying "good fish." He then asked why there weren't any boats. It was quite amusing but I resisted the urge to video it because I wouldn't want that done to me. His test came out fine and his parents are relieved.
So,whether 1988 or 2011, the hospital can be both scary and hilarious.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Fear of a Black Planet
Happy birthday to the 7 Billionth person on this Earth. No one seems to know when it was but apparently it has occurred. I recently read the latest estimate is that this world will surpass 10 billion people by 2050. What really concerns me is that nobody cares.
10 billion people will be a bigger threat to the human race than any other force. 10 billion people to feed, water, shelter, doctor, and clothe. 10 billion people creating trash and human waste. 10 billion people needing to breathe. 10 billion people to bury. The world only has so many resources and 10 billion people will push those resources to the brink.
Roughly, 75% of the Earth is water. I don't know what percent is drinkable but 98% is salt water and we pollute our fresh water, so who really knows. We continue clear cut our forests to make room for more people. Those forests house many animals that are endangered and once they are gone they aren't coming back. Look at our metro areas. They continue to grow as urban sprawl eats away at our farm land.
Water, food and oxygen are three MAJOR concerns. We are going to need material for clothes and without farm land where will it come from. Animals? No we already killed them all for food. So now we have no animals to eat and our farm land is gone or used up. This leads to 2 things: famine and war.
If we somehow manage to survive past those concerns, we still have our waste issue. What are we going to do with our garbage? And what are we going to do with our human waste? We can't flush it out to sea because we may have to drink it. Yes, I know we have devices that can clean the water for consumption but not everyone has those. This will lead to disease and death. And without our forest, new medicines will be hard to find and create. Which leads to the last question. What are we going to do with our dead? Cremation seems to be the answer but many believe that we should be buried and you need land for that.
I know that I have painted a very bleak future for our planet. However, I don't think any of it is far fetched.
A barren Black Planet filled with polluted air and water is a very real possibility. But if we start now, maybe just maybe we can save ourselves. "Start what?" you say. Okay I will name a few.
1) Respectful and responsible reproduction
2) Energy conservation
3) Control Pollutants
4) End Clearcutting
Many of you may think this sounds like a left wing agenda. Okay, maybe it does. BUT I'm not from the left wing. My presidential voting record is Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, McCain. I think it should be considered a human agenda. We need to stop polarising issues and do what is right. And if the people in office can't do that, then it is time for them to go.
The American Eagle flys because it has a left wing and a right wing. But they work for the greater good of the whole body. We should too.
10 billion people will be a bigger threat to the human race than any other force. 10 billion people to feed, water, shelter, doctor, and clothe. 10 billion people creating trash and human waste. 10 billion people needing to breathe. 10 billion people to bury. The world only has so many resources and 10 billion people will push those resources to the brink.
Roughly, 75% of the Earth is water. I don't know what percent is drinkable but 98% is salt water and we pollute our fresh water, so who really knows. We continue clear cut our forests to make room for more people. Those forests house many animals that are endangered and once they are gone they aren't coming back. Look at our metro areas. They continue to grow as urban sprawl eats away at our farm land.
Water, food and oxygen are three MAJOR concerns. We are going to need material for clothes and without farm land where will it come from. Animals? No we already killed them all for food. So now we have no animals to eat and our farm land is gone or used up. This leads to 2 things: famine and war.
If we somehow manage to survive past those concerns, we still have our waste issue. What are we going to do with our garbage? And what are we going to do with our human waste? We can't flush it out to sea because we may have to drink it. Yes, I know we have devices that can clean the water for consumption but not everyone has those. This will lead to disease and death. And without our forest, new medicines will be hard to find and create. Which leads to the last question. What are we going to do with our dead? Cremation seems to be the answer but many believe that we should be buried and you need land for that.
I know that I have painted a very bleak future for our planet. However, I don't think any of it is far fetched.
A barren Black Planet filled with polluted air and water is a very real possibility. But if we start now, maybe just maybe we can save ourselves. "Start what?" you say. Okay I will name a few.
1) Respectful and responsible reproduction
2) Energy conservation
3) Control Pollutants
4) End Clearcutting
Many of you may think this sounds like a left wing agenda. Okay, maybe it does. BUT I'm not from the left wing. My presidential voting record is Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, McCain. I think it should be considered a human agenda. We need to stop polarising issues and do what is right. And if the people in office can't do that, then it is time for them to go.
The American Eagle flys because it has a left wing and a right wing. But they work for the greater good of the whole body. We should too.
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