9/3/06 The Beginning

The Beginning of a Discussion (I hope)

Health is a realm of information and action I have felt drawn to explore since I was young.

Early on I was into psycho-emotional health, mostly. When I was 10, feeling wrecked by some stuff going on in my life, I tried to figure out how to deal with it; make myself feel better. (I’ve been pretty much at that for the 40 some intervening years between then and now). I talked with lutheran ministers, a catholic priest, guidance counselors, a teacher or two, a couple of friends, studied psychology in high school and college. Somewhere in there I came to believe everyone could benefit from the stuff I was learning, and I was off and running. For a while, I thought I knew what was wrong with us (humans/Americans), and at least some of what we could do to fix those things.

I told all who would listen, personalizing the message to fit their own particular problems and potential fixes. In time I worked as a counselor for teenagers and their families (easy audience), but I sure didn’t withhold my advice from friends and family, acquaintances, newly met people on the street. I was motivated by love and compassion, and by the sense that if we humans didn’t change many of our ways soon, life was going to get pretty bad for us and/or our children here on our little planet.

In other phases I have realized I still didn’t even understand what was wrong with me, and the clarity of my arrogance has smacked me in the face. I was raped in the summer of my 18th year. I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on my 30th birthday, and told the chances of surviving 5 years were 40% (60% chance of dying within 5 years). Though, thank goodness, most of my rude awakenings have been considerably less rude than those.

I have been a liar. I have cheated, stolen. Been a slut. Thrown away things I’d have been wiser to keep; kept stuff I should have ditched. Flunked out of school. Been an “A” student. Shamed by the harshness of what comes out of my mouth sometimes. I’ve ranted about the need for labor unions, and later ranted about how bad they are for us. Been three months short on rent. Owned a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath on a small acreage at the foot of the Catskills in New York. Married to one; partners for life with another. Raised one daughter from my own body; participated with two stepchildren. I love sex, food, music, animals (including humans), camping, working, fire and water. I hate many of the ways we practice medicine in this country. I am the sole proprietor of one business, and president of another I own half of. I make a living.

The seasons go ‘round and ‘round, I find myself again wanting to speak with people about how we are going to go from where we are, to living in ways that feel better while we live, and leave a world that will sustain our children when we’re gone. Again I think I know some of the keys to health for our selves, our nation, our world. And, unlike during some of my earlier phases, I want to know what you think.

Please read (and write) with both your mind and your heart as open as you can get them. We are all doing the best we can. Sometimes that looks pretty good, sometimes pretty ugly, sometimes looks pretty, but is ugly, and vice-versa…in all of us. That’s what I think.

I'm starting here: Telling the truth is a key element of health. By “truth” I mean what each of us would tell if we were being honest. A “lie” is pretty much anything else. Think about it. For 1 week try to only tell the truth. Let me know how that comes out for you.