Lo and I are sitting on the porch outside drinking coffee, eating breakfast, and reading. She is reading "possum living" which is about how a girl and her dad lived without working. I would like to try that, but I do not want to raise rabbits to eat in the cellar like she did. Lo has been reading exherpts out of it and they are funny. She dropped out of school in seventh grade so she could learn useful things like how to make moonshine. The girl wrote the book when she was 17. What makes it most interesting to me is she ended up becoming an aerospace engineer. I am reading a Madaline L'Engle book that at the point is a bit depressing so I thought I would put it down for a bit.
Anyway the reason I wanted to get on here is because I had these two experiences yesterday which I wanted to think about. Plus I haven't blogged in a while and it was a great coping mechanism.
Yesterday I spent time with two dads. They are very similar in many ways. They both are very angry, they both make threats, they both could probably take your head off literally. They both know how to use a weapon and even though they mostly just make threats about beating the crap out of someone or going to hunt them down I know they are not always empty threats. One bragged back in the day he could lay his four grand on the kitchen counter even when his house was full of people and no one would touch it because they knew what would happen if they did.
What struck me is that because of his kids one of these men turned his life around without rehab or an AA group. Mostly he did it because of the support of his best friend and the love of his kids.
Most of the families I work with have generations of horrific parenting. For example, when siblings would be fighting over a toy the parenting solution was to lock one door and papaw would stand at the other, put the toy on the couch and make the kids fight it out until they were bloody and whoever won got the toy. Another would be punished with jumper cables. And another was whipped and thrown out in the snow without shoes to learn his lesson. Much different than I was raised for sure. Stories like these from the parents are the norm.
The difference is in how they tell their stories. One focusing on how bad other people are and how they are going to get revenge. The other able to talk about how even when no one else knew they were doing drugs their daughter knew and the thought of that caused them to get off drugs.
What was most interesting to me is how I felt when with these two dads. The second one I sat with for a long time listening to his story. He actually knew his story. He has turned his life around for his kids and I felt that soft hushed feeling inside of me while I listened, which I usually only hear when there is a miracle. It is a miracle he was able to transform. The first one was still in fighting mode and claimed everything was everyone else's fault. He also didn't have a coherent story about his life. What this made me think about was how can have the same threats, the same anger, but in the end what made the two men different is three things: one had a best friend walking the same road, he is funneling his anger and even aggression to keep temptation and drugs out of the house and protect his kids, and somehow he was able to look at his story and write a different ending. Or at least that's what it looks like today.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, April 30, 2010
Someone is throwing these people in up-river!
When I was in graduate school we would talk about how as helping professionals after you (metaphorically) pull people out of the river enough times you start wondering what or who is throwing them in up-stream. This is an analogy that is becoming very vivid in my work these days. I see so many people in this area with similar diagnosis. I keep wondering what is it that gives them these common diagnosis's.
I can't for sure say that there is more sexual abuse and violence here than other parts of the country of course, but there is a lot of it. I knew this would be the case due to the poverty and powerlessness of many in this rural mountainous area. I knew that hurt people hurt people but I am now seeing up close families with three or four generations of sexual abuse, trauma, violence, anger issues.
I work with clients who are from age 4 to 18 years old. Some days I sit in front of a client while he describes blacking out when angry and realizing later he has beat someone's head in, or a client who talks about how she has coped with her multiple rapes from family and non-family with addictions and violence and I think -- How is this person going to find healing? Because their parents and their grandparents and probably their great grandparents had similar issues. Plus there is a culture that you don't talk about these things, even though that is the very thing that needs to happen.
What is throwing these people in up-river? How is it possible that humans can hurt children this bad? Children are innocent. It's all so overwhelming.
Not to wax spiritual or anything but I do sense something evil sometimes has been invited into some of these families. And I know for sure that no amount of training is going to prepare me to ever fix any family. I can give them some tools and copings skills. But, like they say: "No one ever changes, a counselors job is just to help people accept who they are and be the best 'them' they can be." Of course that means seeing oneself and one's family fully including all the pain and gunk and goriness. And that.... that is not easy.
I can't for sure say that there is more sexual abuse and violence here than other parts of the country of course, but there is a lot of it. I knew this would be the case due to the poverty and powerlessness of many in this rural mountainous area. I knew that hurt people hurt people but I am now seeing up close families with three or four generations of sexual abuse, trauma, violence, anger issues.
I work with clients who are from age 4 to 18 years old. Some days I sit in front of a client while he describes blacking out when angry and realizing later he has beat someone's head in, or a client who talks about how she has coped with her multiple rapes from family and non-family with addictions and violence and I think -- How is this person going to find healing? Because their parents and their grandparents and probably their great grandparents had similar issues. Plus there is a culture that you don't talk about these things, even though that is the very thing that needs to happen.
What is throwing these people in up-river? How is it possible that humans can hurt children this bad? Children are innocent. It's all so overwhelming.
Not to wax spiritual or anything but I do sense something evil sometimes has been invited into some of these families. And I know for sure that no amount of training is going to prepare me to ever fix any family. I can give them some tools and copings skills. But, like they say: "No one ever changes, a counselors job is just to help people accept who they are and be the best 'them' they can be." Of course that means seeing oneself and one's family fully including all the pain and gunk and goriness. And that.... that is not easy.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Update... One year later!
So pretty soon it will be one year since I last blogged. What a insanely crazy year. I have experienced more change in the last year than in all my live cumulatively before this year.
In the last year I quit my job for a church denomination, married my girlfriend, got a new job, moved across the country to a new state, and switched career's entirely.
And right now the only thing I regret sometimes is my career choice. If you ever think of going into the field of mental health re-think it. I knew it would be hard but it has been 1,000 times harder than I ever thought to get liscensed. If you want to someday be a therapist you have to first go through the hell of getting liscensed and while provisional you can only serve people who are struggling the most. This means you work with the hardest cases. Getting liscensed in North Carolina is so hard I feel like crying often. Today all things changed for me, I was doing therapy and now I am back to doing Q work because I am missing one single class.
So the self care I did after such a bad day.... I reminded myself at least I still have a job, I reminded myself that those liscensure people have a hard job. I went for a walk and it was so pretty out. I got love from my wife. I went out to eat and drank so much I felt tipsy. My wife force me not to think about it. I know it should be this big of deal but being demoted even if it's just for one month sucks. So I should be provisionally liscensed again in about 3 months. Ug. this stuff takes forever!
On the upside my home live is amazing and I feel so loved and supported every day! Plus we are building a house right now and that's fun.
In the last year I quit my job for a church denomination, married my girlfriend, got a new job, moved across the country to a new state, and switched career's entirely.
And right now the only thing I regret sometimes is my career choice. If you ever think of going into the field of mental health re-think it. I knew it would be hard but it has been 1,000 times harder than I ever thought to get liscensed. If you want to someday be a therapist you have to first go through the hell of getting liscensed and while provisional you can only serve people who are struggling the most. This means you work with the hardest cases. Getting liscensed in North Carolina is so hard I feel like crying often. Today all things changed for me, I was doing therapy and now I am back to doing Q work because I am missing one single class.
So the self care I did after such a bad day.... I reminded myself at least I still have a job, I reminded myself that those liscensure people have a hard job. I went for a walk and it was so pretty out. I got love from my wife. I went out to eat and drank so much I felt tipsy. My wife force me not to think about it. I know it should be this big of deal but being demoted even if it's just for one month sucks. So I should be provisionally liscensed again in about 3 months. Ug. this stuff takes forever!
On the upside my home live is amazing and I feel so loved and supported every day! Plus we are building a house right now and that's fun.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Edification
I feel so accepted and edified by some key people in my life right now. A pastor and professor in my denomination just called to tell me they would love to come to my reception. They were so pleased to receive my invitation and so edifying of my worth and my journey.
And then I had the opportunity to tell some of my story to someone today over lunch. That's a pretty rare occurrence. And in the midst of it they said maybe someday I will come back and tell my story in this denomination of mine. I think that is more than I hope for right now. I am in many ways cutting ties to this church of my birth. But it felt really sweet that someone thought that could ever happen.
And then I had the opportunity to tell some of my story to someone today over lunch. That's a pretty rare occurrence. And in the midst of it they said maybe someday I will come back and tell my story in this denomination of mine. I think that is more than I hope for right now. I am in many ways cutting ties to this church of my birth. But it felt really sweet that someone thought that could ever happen.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Poem: One square of soil
There is only one square of soil left.
It's not big enough for my roots.
Are my life's compost, worms, nutrients transportable?
Am I?
Whatev'!
I sprawl in the dirt.
Wholy messy, arms full of it, trying to take it with me
It's too much.
It tumbles down the front of me.
Then the sky cracks and goes dark
I stand suddenly wet, head back, mouth open
arms outstretched, choking, sobbing
I am undone
It is only this act that will heal.
I choose one type of love over another.
I choose one land over another.
I choose to go where I will be planted and tilled.
And where I can plant and till what is sustaining and real.
Good bye Chicago.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Today's class on sexual ethics...interesting!
Today's ethics class was very interesting so I typed out what I learned in case anyone wants to read it.
We started with a historical perspective because sexual ethics and morality actually comes out of history and our human desire to keep existing.
So in 1860 kids died a ton. Because of this society's goal was to continue humanity. On average if two people got married they had to have 6.5 kids to replace themselves. Infant death was the norm and child birth was also so dangerous that probably the most years you would be married was 14 years due to women dieing in childbirth or men dying due to heavy labor. Because of this sexual ethics was entirely created around having babies. It was called the "procreative ideal". The procreative ideal became a norm (which means, this is the way it has to because God says so) because of St. Augustine. Boo Boo St. Augustine!
The procreative idea/norm is this. Having babies is the only goal of sex and marriage. Therefore - Sex has to be: free, with another person, who is human, of the opposite gender, within marriage (to raise the kid) with your spouse - (so it knows who it's folks are), in a complete act (because other wise a baby wouldn't be made), that is open to procreation (no contraception). IN fact St Augustine went so far as to say that if you have sex and your motivation is not to have a baby, it's sin.
Now jump forward to the next century. In 1960 things were very different! 75 years ago a dude named Alexander Fleming figured out antibiotics, and therefore now kids don't die as much. So now days if you want to replace yourself on the earth and let humanity keep going, you only have to have 2 kids. AND people stay married (if they stay married until death) an average of 45 years.
What shocked me was that NEVER and I mean never in human history did people stay married more than 14 years before this era because they died sooner. So we actually have never known what it is like for people to stay married and average of 45 plus years. This is interesting because people still keep the "stay married forever" mantra in the church (which I do think is good) but they say this out of an 1800's ethic without realizing that being married 14 years with kids the whole time is a bit different than 45 years sometimes without kids.
So basically now all of Christendom has been trying to figure out what in the world to do with sexual ethics. In the last re-writing of cannon law by the catholic church they changed the definition of marriage. This I didn't know. They changed it away from this 1800's procreation ideal/norm to "the union of two whole selves." And they use this for deciding when a marriage can be annulled as well. eg., It used to be if you didn't have kids or sex your marriage could be annulled. But now if you aren't whole or able to commit due to drugs or mental illness etc. you can have your marriage annulled. So even the catholic church is changing their entire sexual ethic.
We discussed today two major players in a new sexual ethic. I think they are both Catholics. A dude named Richard Wesley and a woman named Margret Farley. They are part of a bunch of ethicists trying to write an ethic for christians for how do we decide what is good or bad sex/relationship/marriage in today's society where people are marriage for 45-60+ years and don't need to have 6.5 kids etc.
This is a bit of what they say. Wesley's ethics is all based on what is honest/true and what is communion. In the old days 1860's they said humans were animals with reasoning. Now we say (christians) humans are enfleshed spirits. The difference being what gives a spirit joy verses talking about animalistic impulses. And Wesley says what gives us joy and life is truth and communion. So he has this whole ethic around truth and communion/connection.
So you can respond to the old list of what was good and bad sex not through the lens of procreation but on the basis of what's better communion (eg. it doesn't do harm and is life giving) and what is true. So for example using Richard Wesley you could say rape is still wrong because it does harm, doesn't bring communion between two spirits, and it isn't true/honest connection. It's based on selfishness, not asking for that need to be met honestly, but stealing it. However, using Wesley you could say homosexuality can be good sex depending on how the relationship is structured because it can be communion/union of two whole selves who are being honest about who they are and what they need and are in whole life communion. Totally interesting. There's a lot more to this but that's what I found most interesting about Wesley. His reading is a bit boring, but the concepts are totally interesting.
Now Margret Farley is a catholic nun. She wrote a book that just came out two years ago called "Just Love". And she took the old school (16th and 17th century) virtues and turn them on their head. She uses the same old virtues, but puts sexual ethics in a new place. In the 16th and 17th century they said sexuality and how we were to be virtuous in sex./marriage should be understood as falling under temperance. (The four virtues are - prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude). She says putting sexuality under the virtue of temperance is a totally MALE understanding of sex. Sex for men in that day was something to control.
She says today sexuality should be understood/put under the virtue justice. So sexuality is understood as something that is not scary to be controlled or wielded. Instead sexuality is about justice and equality. About two adult equals communing in a way that is equal and life giving and "just love" as her book title says. I actually haven't read the book so I don't know if this is how she explains it but this is what I got from class.
I guess I share all this to say it's very freeing to understand sexuality this way for me. It allows me to still have a sexual ethic in a more spacious way. One that still has right and wrong, justice and injustice, but does not have the historical perspective of old.
We started with a historical perspective because sexual ethics and morality actually comes out of history and our human desire to keep existing.
So in 1860 kids died a ton. Because of this society's goal was to continue humanity. On average if two people got married they had to have 6.5 kids to replace themselves. Infant death was the norm and child birth was also so dangerous that probably the most years you would be married was 14 years due to women dieing in childbirth or men dying due to heavy labor. Because of this sexual ethics was entirely created around having babies. It was called the "procreative ideal". The procreative ideal became a norm (which means, this is the way it has to because God says so) because of St. Augustine. Boo Boo St. Augustine!
The procreative idea/norm is this. Having babies is the only goal of sex and marriage. Therefore - Sex has to be: free, with another person, who is human, of the opposite gender, within marriage (to raise the kid) with your spouse - (so it knows who it's folks are), in a complete act (because other wise a baby wouldn't be made), that is open to procreation (no contraception). IN fact St Augustine went so far as to say that if you have sex and your motivation is not to have a baby, it's sin.
Now jump forward to the next century. In 1960 things were very different! 75 years ago a dude named Alexander Fleming figured out antibiotics, and therefore now kids don't die as much. So now days if you want to replace yourself on the earth and let humanity keep going, you only have to have 2 kids. AND people stay married (if they stay married until death) an average of 45 years.
What shocked me was that NEVER and I mean never in human history did people stay married more than 14 years before this era because they died sooner. So we actually have never known what it is like for people to stay married and average of 45 plus years. This is interesting because people still keep the "stay married forever" mantra in the church (which I do think is good) but they say this out of an 1800's ethic without realizing that being married 14 years with kids the whole time is a bit different than 45 years sometimes without kids.
So basically now all of Christendom has been trying to figure out what in the world to do with sexual ethics. In the last re-writing of cannon law by the catholic church they changed the definition of marriage. This I didn't know. They changed it away from this 1800's procreation ideal/norm to "the union of two whole selves." And they use this for deciding when a marriage can be annulled as well. eg., It used to be if you didn't have kids or sex your marriage could be annulled. But now if you aren't whole or able to commit due to drugs or mental illness etc. you can have your marriage annulled. So even the catholic church is changing their entire sexual ethic.
We discussed today two major players in a new sexual ethic. I think they are both Catholics. A dude named Richard Wesley and a woman named Margret Farley. They are part of a bunch of ethicists trying to write an ethic for christians for how do we decide what is good or bad sex/relationship/marriage in today's society where people are marriage for 45-60+ years and don't need to have 6.5 kids etc.
This is a bit of what they say. Wesley's ethics is all based on what is honest/true and what is communion. In the old days 1860's they said humans were animals with reasoning. Now we say (christians) humans are enfleshed spirits. The difference being what gives a spirit joy verses talking about animalistic impulses. And Wesley says what gives us joy and life is truth and communion. So he has this whole ethic around truth and communion/connection.
So you can respond to the old list of what was good and bad sex not through the lens of procreation but on the basis of what's better communion (eg. it doesn't do harm and is life giving) and what is true. So for example using Richard Wesley you could say rape is still wrong because it does harm, doesn't bring communion between two spirits, and it isn't true/honest connection. It's based on selfishness, not asking for that need to be met honestly, but stealing it. However, using Wesley you could say homosexuality can be good sex depending on how the relationship is structured because it can be communion/union of two whole selves who are being honest about who they are and what they need and are in whole life communion. Totally interesting. There's a lot more to this but that's what I found most interesting about Wesley. His reading is a bit boring, but the concepts are totally interesting.
Now Margret Farley is a catholic nun. She wrote a book that just came out two years ago called "Just Love". And she took the old school (16th and 17th century) virtues and turn them on their head. She uses the same old virtues, but puts sexual ethics in a new place. In the 16th and 17th century they said sexuality and how we were to be virtuous in sex./marriage should be understood as falling under temperance. (The four virtues are - prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude). She says putting sexuality under the virtue of temperance is a totally MALE understanding of sex. Sex for men in that day was something to control.
She says today sexuality should be understood/put under the virtue justice. So sexuality is understood as something that is not scary to be controlled or wielded. Instead sexuality is about justice and equality. About two adult equals communing in a way that is equal and life giving and "just love" as her book title says. I actually haven't read the book so I don't know if this is how she explains it but this is what I got from class.
I guess I share all this to say it's very freeing to understand sexuality this way for me. It allows me to still have a sexual ethic in a more spacious way. One that still has right and wrong, justice and injustice, but does not have the historical perspective of old.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Interesting! Gene Robinson will deliver the invocation at inauguration... Sweet!
Bishop Robinson To Deliver Invocation At Inaugural Kickoff
In an apparent olive branch to the gay community, President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural committee has announced that the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, who became the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop in 2003, will deliver the invocation at the inaugural kickoff at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. However, the Obama camp denies that this invitation came about as a response to controversy over Rick Warren’s selection to give the invocation at the inauguration itself:
An Obama source: “Robinson was in the plans before the complaints about Rick Warren. Many skeptics will read this as a direct reaction to the Warren criticism – but it’s just not so.”
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
My blogging plan until I graduate
Just so you know I am going to just be posting about once a month until I graduate. I think this is wise since I want to respect boundaries I have set up during internship. And since I rather explain any future moving and marriage plans I may have in person.
I will blog more regularly in a few months (May/June 2009) either here, or by starting a new more professional blog. Most likely a more professional blog.
The Christmas plan includes Lo coming here to spend Christmas all on our own. (Very exciting) And then I fly off closer to new years to visit the family. I am an aunt now so that will be a good distraction.
For now you can see me in action here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/101oranges
I will blog more regularly in a few months (May/June 2009) either here, or by starting a new more professional blog. Most likely a more professional blog.
The Christmas plan includes Lo coming here to spend Christmas all on our own. (Very exciting) And then I fly off closer to new years to visit the family. I am an aunt now so that will be a good distraction.
For now you can see me in action here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/101oranges
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Here comes thanksgiving
So I'm going to spend thanksgiving with Lo's family in Miami! I do not remember ever being to Miami. I'm excited. Meeting new people and time in some sun (perhaps). Should be interesting.
I also saw an awful image online and am still finding it upsetting. Surfing for some positive happy image to replace it.
I also saw an awful image online and am still finding it upsetting. Surfing for some positive happy image to replace it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Tagging people is going around AGAIN...
This time I got tagged from two people and one of them is Nicole (who is crazy cool) so I guess hae to respond. I think it's funny that "the rules" include - post the rules on your blog. :) Ready here we go.
The "Rules":
The "Rules":
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
Six Random things about myself
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
Six Random things about myself
- I am spending Thanksgiving in Florida and Christmas here in Chi-town. It will be the first Christmas I will have spend not with my family. However Lo and I hired "our very own chef" who is amazing to make us Christmas dinner. Woo hoo.
- I hired a vocational coach named Eileen who is amazing and lives in Canada. She has started a ton of businesses. I heart her. :)
- This next week I present to my class on dissociative disorder.
- I like my engagement ring more every day. I of course also like Lo more every day. :)
- I watched the movie "Night at the Museum" recently which is kindof a kids movie but I really liked it.
- We are going to have to go get married in Connecticut now that California's Prop 8 failed.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The not so great blogger....
I think all bloggers hit a patch where they don't blog as much. That would be me right now. I don't need to kill my blog off or anything yet, but you may not hear form me much being I don't use my blog to process much anymore.
If I was going to blog about anything right now it would be politics. I have been doing a ton of reading of political news. But, the one time I tried that I got a bit of flack. Even more of a reason though is that a blogger I used to read took his psychology blog and turned it into a political blog. I get so ticked off at it I stopped reading. I suppose that was because I see things differently than him. :) hmm.
Any of you have blogs that you used to read and now don't any more?
If I was going to blog about anything right now it would be politics. I have been doing a ton of reading of political news. But, the one time I tried that I got a bit of flack. Even more of a reason though is that a blogger I used to read took his psychology blog and turned it into a political blog. I get so ticked off at it I stopped reading. I suppose that was because I see things differently than him. :) hmm.
Any of you have blogs that you used to read and now don't any more?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
My weekend in bullet points
Let's see, this weekend I...
- I tried to do homework.
- T and I grabbed pizza and watched cable which I was totally starstruck by (I don't get out much) :).
- I watched the movie "Mrs Petigrew lives for a day".
- I spent way the heck too much time looking into wedding/travel etc
- I made split pea soup which I loved.
- I made a chicken dish that I do not like much at all.
- I went to church etc.
- I slept in and went for walks.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Awww. That's the best story ever! The bilioburro
I just read this story another blogger had linked to on the New York times website. About a man in Colombia who has a biblioburro instead of a librarymobile.
Thoughts on love and committment
My thoughts this morning have to do with a blog post. A blogger I read from Singapore, Anj, compared these two quotes in her post re-visiting the crush effect:1) "As long as romantic love exists, remain in the relationship, why stay in a relationship out of obligation to your word?" [Obligation to your word is like "I said i love you forever and so i have to love you forever".] However, this stand can be dangerous [for relationship longevity] if you identify love as the insanely smitten state. "I need to feel in love!" Folks who need to feel "in love" might find their "love" hopping from person to person [assuming that people of their criteria are not hard to come by] and may wonder why "love" doesn't last.I wrote this on her blog and have expanded it a bit here...
2) Yesterday, Kai told me the principle her father lives by: "When you get married, it's a commitment. It doesn't mean that you will never meet someone else that tugs at your heart strings. But these are transient; the commitment remains.
"I also agree with Kai's father. I also have always believed that love is a feeling to be learned. Or in other words love is like an education. You have a crush in the beginning, but that feeling changes and matures as you and your partner grow and learn about each other. The work we do in relationship to "be/act loving" impacts our feelings, just as our commitment does.
For me love has never been the same as a crush or being "in-love". A crush is fun start to things, but it tends to only last from 6 months to 2 years. Love is a much more mature, adult, and commitment type feeling (if commitment can be a feeling).
Now I believe this because I was taught it in a book called "Love is a feeling to be learned". However, I also think it because I have observed this growing and educational "work" in couples I know who have stayed in "love" and been married for twenty to sixty years. And these couples are not all evangelical christians who stay together because of the shame of divorce or shoulds. They include couples who do not even have a faith background and gay couples as well.
I am pretty lucky to know a lot of people who have stayed married a long time and I think it's because of this that I have confidence about what I am doing here. What I know to be true is that Lo and I are committing to the growth, learning and work of love. We are not just saying "Hey I think you are hot would you marry me?" Although she is hot. :)
P.S. The picture is from the pumpkin carving date we had last night. Who knew you could have so much fun carving pumpkins while talking on the phone? Her pumkin was a peace sign. :) We just want to birth peace and love into the world. (so cheesy!)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Speaking at church
pet to church Sunday!
Crazy... Barking in church. Saint Francis would be proud. I just hope
I don't sneeze.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Going to check out Art Therapy today
Today I am going to go and try out art therapy. I'm pretty excited. I sometimes wonder if I would enjoy being an art therapist so I'm going to go and see what I think by doing. Since I'm required to go to counseling for school I figure I should try out as many types of counseling as possible. Here's a link to learn more about art therapy.Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A hate crime where I do internship
There's been a racist hate crime where I do internship. Arg. Here's the report from the director of security with any identifying information taken out. The campus is responding to it.
This past Saturday at approximately 8:50 in the morning, a female African-American student reported that as she was walking towards campus, she noticed two white male subjects in their mid 30’s, watching her from their older model light blue pick-up truck. The subjects did not say anything to her, but had a wood sign attached to the front grill of the truck that said “All black people must die”. The letters were hand written in black ink.
The victim stated that she saw the same vehicle and occupants on Friday at approximately 3:00 pm. This time there was a dead raccoon hanging from the front grill.
The Campus Community and the Police Department take this incident very seriously; anyone with information related to this incident or observes the truck should contact the Police Department immediately at 9-1-1.
Then later... All in our campus community, as well as citizens living in our neighborhood, agree that the hate message painted on the sign attached to the vehicle gives voice to a despicable spirit. We agree that such a sentiment should have no place in our community or society at large. Such a spirit of hate threatens the life-safety of select members of our community and it threatens the well-being of all of us. I am very pleased to report that no one has been physically injured through this incident, but the crime goes far deeper in it’s effect than physical pain and injury.
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