Cussing, Cleaning, & Tattoos; Awkward Conversations with my Father

 My parents got divorced when I was in high school.  It still affects me to this day as a middle aged adult, which is another post for another time.  I moved out the minute I graduated high school.  Or more accurately my dad got remarried and moved out on me a month before I graduated.  So I've pretty much lived on my own with various levels of roommates since then.  I had moments of short term renting a room for free from them during and after college, but very temporarily in an effort to save up money to go live abroad for awhile.  

My dad and I had a very good relationship when I was that age for the most part.  I lived with him after the divorce and he only got mad at me when I failed to call and check in with him past curfew, even though I was out with my older brother.   This was when cell phones were emerging so we didn't have them yet, but there were home phones and pay phones galore that I could have used.  

So back the title of the post.   My dad did NOT teach me to cuss.  In fact cussing was more likely considered a sin in my house growing up.  However when your parents commit the mortal sin of divorce, well you can always keep that in your back pocket to throw that in their face when convenient.  I got a job waiting tables my senior year of high school thanks to my brother.  And that is where and when I really learned to cuss like a sailor.  When no one shows up to work for a shift and 3 of you are left to wait on the whole restaurant, and it's slammed, and the kitchen manager is a bitch to you, well you learn how to cuss pretty quickly to manage through the stress.  This was back in a time when they didn't not seat open tables just because people didn't show up for work.  You just did the best you could and the manager rolled up his sleeves to help and we powered through it and made good money.  F yeah!

Well I started slipping up around my dad during college and he thought it best to warn me that my potty mouth wasn't attractive and I'd have a hard time finding a husband.  Joke was on him, because I married a kick ass man that loves me and my potty mouth.  And he's a pretty f-ing hot good cusser too!  I've slipped up enough around my daughter that I'm very self-aware that I'm the one likely teaching my her how to cuss.  She's not learning it at school.  For now she knows not to say that at school or teach her friends how to cuss.  She has been open enough to tell me when she has overheard some of her friend's older brother's friends cuss and ask about it.    

Then there was the time that my dad came by my apartment in or after college, and I was busy and it wasn't very picked up.  But I went over to other people's places, they didn't come by my place.  He awkwardly told me I was going to have a hard time finding a husband if I didn't learn how to keep things picked up.  But the thing is I wasn't searching for a husband at that time in my life so I didn't really care.  I knew when I was ready to settle down, I could pick up after myself so as not to scare the right man off.  I think my dad thought I was a slob, but my place never smelled like my brother's stinky feet closet, so there was nothing dead or decaying underneath my mess.  Thinking back, I'm not sure why he was preoccupied with my ability to get a husband.  I was in no rush and not a drain on him any more than he'd signed up for. 

Now on to tattoos.  When my brother was a freshman in college he asked my dad about piercing his ear to which my dad responded that any and all financial support would be cut off if he did.   Even though at the time he was going to school on loans that I guess my dad co-signed for but that was it.  The debt was still my brother's.  My brother liked to say shocking things for a reaction, not actually do them.  So I learned that you don't run things past dad that you know he'll disapprove of.   So I got a tattoo in a reasonably well hidden spot and kept it hidden pretty well until the one day when I accidentally exposed it and someone else saw it and ratted me out to him.  He got pissed, and made some kind of comment referencing what he told my brother.  I don't remember my exact response, but that's probably when I pulled out 'you got divorced and then moved out on me before I graduated high school, so if this is the worst thing I do or that happens to me, then you are f-ing lucky as a parent.'  And we never spoke of it again.  Because he witnessed the tragedy that became of one of my best friends.   He watched the struggles some of his friends have been through with their kids.  He's still an f-ing lucky parent in spite of my cussing, cleaning challenges, and tattoo, and he knows it.  

Anyways I share this because 20 plus years later in hind sight they are funny memories to me and I know he was looking out for me and wanted the best for me at the time.  But with each passing year of my young adult life, he gained new perspective that he wasn't expecting to gain.  I know he's proud of the person I've become and thankful that me and my tattoo are still around to have more awkward conversations. 

New Year New Goals

Another day and new year gifted to me in this life, for which I am grateful.  My personal goals for this 2022:

1. Personal growth

2. Keep Learning

3. Take more time off work

4. Get my stress level back to a healthier level

5. Practice the piano more/learn at least one new song 

No plan for how to achieve them yet, though some cases I just have to make a decision in a moment to take a day off work, to sit down at the piano and play, to find something new to learn about, to take a deep breath and choose to bite my tongue.  Others may truly require more deliberate actions and back up support to go forth and achieve.  In the case of number 5, if I don't call it out separately, it is not likely to happen. 

There it is.  Specifically generic.  And in some cases accomplishing one may also accomplish another.  You may think that's cheating, but I couldn't care less.  It's my life and they are my goals.   You can make whatever rules you want for your goals or resolutions for the new year.  Or you can choose not to set any at all, and I will practice my first goal, and love you anyway and not give you my opinion unless you ask for it. 

Happy New Year and may 2022 be Merry and Bright for you!

Hell Hath no Fury (Or Strength) Like a Toddler in a Car Seat

When I dusted off this blog, one of my intentions was to fill in some of the gaps of experiences between 0 and 10 of raising a child for the first and only time.  One that my mother did not warn me about was the car seat prison so despised by the freedom loving toddler.  This is probably because car seats were in the early stages when I was a baby and not likely nearly as effective at restraining a child as they are now.   

My daughter came out with early indications of being a highly independent girl, which I was very happy about.   She was walking around at 8 months, albeit a bit wobbly and not without many opportunities to teach her that she was 'tough' and didn't need to cry when she fell down, or bumped her head.   Though there was that one time that she earned a big cry and my parenting might be judged as questionable by some for not rushing her to the ER.  However the internet and the book I had confirmed they'd just monitor her and gave me signs to watch for.  So I monitored her for those concerning signs and made sure she was still functioning normally, and she turned out fine.  But I digress.  

The bigger and more mobile she got, the less she liked being strapped into her car seat for long periods of times.  It made her cranky to the point that we avoided trips longer than a just a 2-3 hours away for quite awhile.  And we also accepted that if they were longer, we'd have to go slower to let her get out and run around for a bit.   

It got to a point where we had many fights trying to get her strapped in.  She was a strong little thing too.  She would stiffen up straight as a board, which is not how car seats are shaped, and fight me with every ounce of strength in her little body.   Which by the way, surprised me that it greatly exceeded mine in these moments of desperation.  All of this came with screaming bloody murder as if she was being abused.  Manipulative little bugger!  This horrified me in big public parking lots with people walking past usually pretending not to notice as no one ever came over and checked on the situation.   There were a few times we cried together in frustration for 15-20 minutes until her strength was worn down to a level that I could safely overpower her and get her strapped in.   I remember wishing that it should just be left up to survival of the fittest, so that I didn't have to have that fight on a routine basis. I mean car seats didn't always exist.  I would have been happy to let her play on the floor in the backseat to avoid the whole scene now and then. 

Not only did my mother not warn me about this, no one did! They don't teach you anything about what really happens when you choose to bring a child in the world and raise it.  It's not all cute and fun.  Which I knew that going in.  I just really didn't know a car seat was going to become the bane of my existence as mother.  To this day that was the worst for us so far, so I can't really complain as there are many worse things that some parents have to go through with their toddlers and children.  I'm just putting this here for my memory and for those that might want to prepare themselves mentally for what comes when fiercely independent toddlers begin to fiercely despise the car seat.   We turned her around as soon as we could, and graduated her out of it into a booster as soon as she reached the borderline minimally recommended size.  Which was early compared to some kids we know that were just as content as could be in their 5 point harness turned backwards. 

Now she sits in the front seat and loves it!  She's still as independent as ever, but has greatly matured in how she exerts it, which makes it all worth it to control yourself, take a step back, and slow down as needed when they are toddlers.  Even if that means sitting in a parking lot for a half hour.  There's a light at the end of the tunnel.  Unless you keep having kids. Then it's just compounded for years and years until finally the last one gets there! 

My Only Child is Not Spoiled - Privileged Yes - But Not Spoiled

I have an only child.  A daughter if you've not read previous posts of mine.   I have friends and peers that have or planned to have only one child, so in my world it hasn't been that big of a deal to proclaim that decision to others.   And I've not received many comments related to having only one that I recall.  But it could be that I and we don't really care if someone disagrees with that decision, because it's really none of their business anyways.  However some that I know have heard many unsolicited comments about the decision to have one including their child is or will be:

• Lonely
• Selfish
• Antisocial
• Spoiled
• Bossy
• Dysfunctional
• Won't know how to share
• Won't work well with others

I only had one only-child stereo-type mentioned to me that pissed me off, however I bit my tongue.  It was a new colleague who came to talk business in my cube many years ago when my daughter was still young.  She saw the picture I had up of my family and asked if she was an only child to which I affirmed.  And she said 'oh she must be spoiled.'  I'm pretty sure I gave her a confused look as it seems a pretty bold conclusion to draw about a child you've never even met.  

As I've grown up and gotten further out from it, I honestly don't think she meant it with mal-intent or as a shot at our parenting as compared to hers or others with multiple kids.  She just didn't think that how she phrased it comes across as a negative shot at such a decision.  I think she probably meant it as we spend more time and money on her since we don't have other kids to spread it out on.  Which is true, but doesn't equate to raising a spoiled kid.  But she made a statement without knowing that we:

• tell her no
• considered that we would have to teach her to think about others
• take the time to demonstrate thinking about others as a value worth putting time an effort into. 
• consider a budget for Christmas and birthdays  
• participate in efforts to be generous to those less fortunate so she understands that she is indeed privileged 

I myself came from an upbringing where I was the youngest of 2.  My husband is on the younger half, but in the middle of 7 kids.  So we were both very well aware of the nonsense and/or chaos that comes with growing up with one or more siblings.  When we decided to have only one, we didn't make that decision lightly or without research.  We actually realized that we'd have to make more effort than we might normally like to ensure she has social interaction outside of the normal school schedule and year.  Honestly this is probably a good thing for a couple that is 1. introverted and 2. extraverted but borderline introverted socially.  This means we end up hosting her friends at our house more than other parents host her.  But honestly we don't always know her friend's home situations and so we are more than happy to have them over for lunch and and afternoon of fun.  When I think back to the parents (particularly the moms) that hosted me during my turbulent high school and college years, I'm incredibly grateful for them allowing me to dominate time at their homes with my friends.  They taught me so much about who I want to be as a mom to my daughter's friends going through the same tough times I did as a kid. 

She is on the other hand incredibly privileged in the following ways:

• She was born in a rich and free country relative to much of the world.
• She has parents who love her dearly and don't want to screw her up.
• She doesn't have to share a room.
• She doesn't have a sibling to break her toys.
• She doesn't have a sibling to fight about everything with including not crossing the center line in the car.
• She was born to parents who can provide food, shelter, and private education for her.
• She was born to parents willing to move her across the country to provide her opportunities within their value system that she didn't have just a few short years ago.
• She was born to parents who can afford to make sure one of us is currently at home for her and can take her to various activities that she likes to participate in.  This wasn't always the case for her.
• She was born to parents that believe vacations should include her and they don't mean only going to visit grandparents.
• She was born to parents that can and do teach her the value of a dollar and how to manage money including expenses, charity to those you don't know, and generosity towards those you care about and love.
• She was born to parents who know their limits.  Even when that means telling her No!

We have very much thought about the fact that when we are old and decrepit, that she won't have a sibling to share that stress with.  We both can currently talk to our siblings about the stresses that come with our parents aging or other frustrations that come with that.  However, we are doing our best to make sure that we are not a financial burden to her.  My own personal worry is that I will do or say something to screw up her desire to be part of our lives when she is an adult.  That concern is what reminds me to own up and apologize to her when I've been an unreasonable hardass.  Plus I have a wonderful husband that isn't afraid to call me out when I need it.  I also think of these times as opportunities to show her I'm not a perfect parent/adult and it's ok and important to own up to and learn from mistakes.   

We are trying to do our best just as reasonable parents who choose to have a heard of children generally try to do their best. She's privileged yes, but not spoiled.  My dog on the other hand, completely spoiled!

Metaverse, Reality, or Twilight Zone

Proceed with caution.  The thoughts below are my own opinions, and in this highly volatile and political climate we find ourselves in these days, I'm sure it will be offensive to some.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes miss the good old days before the internet. Some days I'm not so sure we aren't living in the Twilight Zone. 

We live in a world now where you can create your own reality.  Facts are whatever you believe and anyone that disagrees with you is a sheep deceived by fake news.  You can find anything on the internet to support your version of the facts since someone put it out there it must be true.  They don’t have to present legitimate credentials, experience, or expertise to back up anything they say.  They just have to say it, post it, and suddenly it’s true and any evidence counter to it is just false. This is our new reality, or thanks to Facebook, the new ‘Metaverse’ we live in.  While Mark Zuckerberg wants you to think of the Metaverse as something different from Facebook where you essentially have an avatar and can go have fun around the world from the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the cost, we have been living in alternative reality for years and years now thanks to Facebook.   The pandemic has just amplified it since people somehow had nothing better to do with their time than fall into the Internet abyss.

People are now morally conflicted about a vaccine because of the unsubstantiated 'research' they have found to support their created reality.  They are no longer morally conflicted about what’s best for the greater good of society and those most vulnerable in it.  A public health issue has been politicized, and so we can only get into a self-righteous argument about which stance is morally superior if we are to discuss it.  They aren’t antivax in their version of reality because they have all their childhood immunizations and so do their kids.  They just need more time to feel comfortable, and thank God they didn't hit the death lottery when they or their kids actually got Covid that one time.  Followed by 'thoughts and prayers' for those that have lost a loved one, or more fake news they were all going to die anyway.  They have ‘done their research’ even though they don’t have the training, expertise, jobs, or resources to actually ‘do the research.’  But the people that do can't be trusted and are just lying or publishing altered results in order to push something that is 'unnatural' on us.  For a purpose that still hasn't ever been articulated to me.  Meanwhile there is nothing ‘unnatural‘ about ingesting a pharmaceutical at the advice of Joe Rogan or other blow hards on tv or radio, none of whom have any training, experience, or expertise in pharmaceuticals or medical science.  They are instead patriots standing up for freedom and being persecuted for it.  Now in the face of vaccine mandates, they are morally conflicted about whether to support their families or stand by their convictions and leave their jobs.  Providing for one's family is not something anyone should be morally conflicted about.  And I don't know if it is a truly a useful exercise for those that are able to work from home and don't have to interact with the public given all of the misinformation polluting the Internet right now along and the inability to by many to cut through the clutter.  Most weren't taught about discerning nonsense on the Internet in school. 

Let me tell you what is real.  I work in corporate America now (not for Facebook/Meta) and many of my colleagues in my division were just fired, laid off, told they didn’t align with organizational changes that were taking place.  Six months earlier they were told the new boss coming in was told it wasn't a rebuild or division that needed to be fixed.   Five months later after an assessment period, in a matter of hours our lives are changed forever.   There was never any opportunity to discuss if there was a good fit for any of them that made sense in the new structure.   To make matters worse my impacted employees told me when they received the news.  This shook me to my core. I didn’t know it was coming.  My boss didn’t know it was coming.  And yet we survived what I can only describe as a blitzkrieg attack, the likes of which I have not experienced before now. 

That is real.  I saw it happen. HR didn’t help or advise me or others how to address what happened with our surviving team members.  I didn't know when they were hit if any of the others were next.   I was called to a meeting that basically laid out the new structure and confirmed it was over.  That was when I found out how many were impacted and it was many more than I had even heard about to that point.  I called my surviving team together and broke down in front of them as I shared the news and told them I had no clue, and how I felt like an ass for trying to allay any concerns or fears only the day before advising them to treat rumors as just that. I apologized for how this happened and went down.  I apologized for not maintaining composure. 

I got the crass emails from the system at the end of the day to go over the termination checklist to transfer data etc. from them.  Their system access was cut off well before that could be done because one of them tried.  I told them not to worry about it.  Those emails were followed by the system emails that their terminations were ‘successfully completed.’   A termination that neither my employees nor I had initiated.  So those words are ironic, callous, and robotic for such a traumatic event. It happened to them. It happened to others.  It happened to me.  

I’m still trying to provide for my family.  And I am now living with survivor's guilt because I am genuinely relieved I didn’t lose my job.  I am grieving for those that did.  I will return and I will support and participate in the rebuild, until a I have an exit strategy or alternative offer, because I have a family to support.  I don't have to agree with how it was executed to support the future.  This is real and this is hard.  But I have no delusion that I should ever feel comfortable as I watch the top leaders make moves that serve their future positions at the expense of average everyday grunt workers and low level managers that live paycheck to paycheck.   

I also live in a reality where my second X chromosome is considered weak because I got emotional.  Sure I had my game face on in the meeting with leadership that I was summoned to, but not with my team, and I should have handled it like the Y chromosome would.  I live in a reality where, thanks to a form a feminism I don't subscribe to, those that came before me said we are the same as or better than men.  Indeed if we want to be men by all means we can turn ourselves into them and our 'dreams will come true.'   They chose that route rather than fighting for equality where it matters and celebrating the strengths we each (XX & XY) bring to the table and embracing the differences that come with the 2nd X chromosome.  We are expected to be stepford wives, stepford mothers, and stepford leaders all at the same time.  They created an expectation that is impossible to live up to if you want to join the ranks of executive leadership in the work place.  And for those that actually do, they are royal bitches that lack empathy and compassion.  So you're either weak or a bitch, and it is possible to be a weak bitch.  But you can never be a great or even good enough leader, because let's face it, that's still men's work first and bitches work second, all others need not apply.  Depending on your perspective or maybe upbringing, one is better than the other.  This is the world I'm trying to raise my daughter in.   I hope she never feels compelled to apologize for what comes with her second X chromosome, or that she somehow handled a situation poorly because of what came naturally with it.  I'm optimistic that as the pendulum swings, she will have an experience better than mine, and gracefully contribute to a better experience and work environment for the women and men that come after her.  

Finally I live in a reality where "Me Too" cherry picks some bad behavior and gives passes to others.  As long as Q (or is it god?) ordained them to save the world from all the evil in it, then their "Me Too" behavior gets a pass.  Also this person suddenly cares deeply for the average person in spite of the fact that his business and personal actions demonstrate he only cares about himself.  I was taught that actions speak louder than words, and I still believe that.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Metaverse.  I just have one question Mark Zuckerberg, when your vision for the Metaverse is realized, is it still rape if it happened there?  

For those that once had or still have identity in Christianity, your (our) religion has been hijacked.  Though since history repeats itself, this certainly isn't the first time.  The Bible is full of wisdom about not being deceived (Mathew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21).  It also says the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-39) are: 

    1. To love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, and mind. 

    2. To love your neighbor as yourself.  

Notice it doesn’t say to love yourself first then them.  And if you’re unclear on who your neighbor is, go watch the documentaries on Mr. Rogers.  He understood it well and taught it to many of us. 

The Bible also says pure and undefiled religion is to care for widows, orphans, and strangers (also known as refugees and qualify as your neighbor)  (Matthew 25:31-46 and James 1:27 among others). 

You don't have to be a Christian to find these to be good principles to live by, or to find resources other than the Bible that teach these principles.  If 'we' spent as much time learning and living these principles and less time with cultivating passion and distress caused by own personal self involved Metaverses, maybe, just maybe this world can be a better place for you and for me in the few short years in our lifespans that we have left on it.  How do you want to be remembered?

What's In A Name?

Before our daughter came along, I naively thought I had 100% naming rights, particularly for a girl.  Because my mother didn't teach me otherwise.  Obviously!  So much so, that in college I got a tattoo and justified it as for my future daughter if I had one.  And because my future husband, whom I hadn't met yet, would LOVE the name! Again Obviously!  I have no regrets, but I have a tattoo of a daisy and no daughter or even dog to date to call Daisy Sunshine.  My daughter is aware that I wanted to name her that, and I sometimes call her Daisy Sunshine, which she emphatically says "NO! that's not my name!" It will always be your name in a parallel yet alternative dimension or universe where your father agrees with my tattoo. 

Naming a child is such an awesome responsibility.  You can set them up for years of teasing with the wrong name or the wrong set of initials.  You could potentially set them up for prejudgment on an resume that might cause them to get weeded out from getting an interview.  You could inadvertently rub salt in a friend's fresh wounds by choosing a name they had chosen for their baby that didn't survive.  A word of advice for you young, immature, awkward types.  Even if they didn't offer the information, don't ever be afraid to ask your friend if they'd picked out a name after they suffer such loss.  It might better show you care, than delicately tiptoeing awkwardly around their pain and grief. 

Before we had confirmation we were having a girl, we started talking names, and it was then that my husband established unlimited veto power that either of us could exercise for any name for any reason.  We came up with two lists, one for boys and one for girls, simply because it's kind of fun to talk names.  You learn more about your spouse in these conversations too.  I'm pretty sure we settled on Colby Jack for a boy, however, I know my husband would tell you he vetoed the Jack part of the name because our son could not be named that intentionally for cheese.  However since we didn't have a boy, I can maintain whatever story I want, and I'm sticking to it!

When we got the news we were having a girl, the conversation blew up.  We went through so many names followed by an interrogation whenever either one of us would exercise a veto.  However neither of us were ever satisfied with each others explanations.  But a veto is a veto, and you either respect the rules or create unnecessary chaos before even bringing a child into the world.  And let me tell you, I kept trying to put Daisy back on the table over and over, and he never waivered.   I still don't understand it to this day, but you don't have to understand a veto.  To be clear there was no disagreement over passing along my middle name to her.  He was on board with that from the beginning. 

We narrowed it down to our top two names and didn't make a decision until we checked into the hospital and they wrote her name on the board.  While we liked both names, we thought one was more classic than our second choice and there was no further discussion.  We both knew by then which one we wanted.  Now if I'd had the privilege of hindsight, and bothered to be a good friend, her name would be Piper Sunshine.  Which let's be honest, is almost as cute as Daisy Sunshine, but not quite.  

The only other discussion we had to settle on was the spelling of her name since there so many ways to spell her name.  I let my husband's logic win out because in the end it was the pronunciation I cared about.  His rational was that Madelyn was the simplest and most obvious way to spell her name.  Well the joke is on him, because people still spell it Madeleine, Madelynn, Madeline first.   Even after I spell it correctly, many people will still misspell it back to me.   So that will never end and it is what it is.  That makes them awkward not me. 

All that to say it generally takes two to pick a name.  And it should never take more than two.  Just make sure to check the initials to avoid initials like FAT, MFR, BUT, PIS and others.  And make sure the full name isn't something like Ima Hogg or Richard Head.  The internet is full of information, you can always test it there to see what comes up to save your child from being the butt of jokes through out school, and good laughs in Human Resource offices through out adulthood. 

Out of the Darkness - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Some of you may be aware and have contributed to my community walk and fundraising efforts for this cause and organization in the past.   I'll start with how I got involved. 

I have a friend Beth, whom I worked with in Texas before we moved.  Beth and I worked together for awhile and bonded over our shared love for crack cookies (you know the kind you buy at the grocery store that are white with the thick colorful frosting on them).  On top of that she and her husband were married on my birthday (day not year), and our husbands shared a first name.  The icing on the cake was that we are both hilariously funny and found each other entertaining and a spot of joy to make our work life more enjoyable!  

A little over 5 years ago the unthinkable happened to her husband while she was returning home from a trip.  Since then she has focused some of her time and energy leading a valiant effort to get involved with this organization that has a goal to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by 2025.   She participates in and leads a team in the Austin walk every year in memory of her husband and his struggle.  Her team's name is The Jay Walkers, and this year's walk will be on October 23.  I still walk with and support her fundraising effort from afar.  If you are looking for a worthy cause, I'd like to encourage to to directly contribute to her effort and learn more about her story.  I admire her grit and the fact that she is making a difference in this world beyond her efforts for this organization!  If you are interested in getting more involved, you can use the below link to get to the organization including how to find events in your local community.  We both thank you for your thoughtful consideration and contributions!

Click here to Donate and help Beth double or triple her 2021 goal! 

Now the part of the post I really struggled with.  I personally don't and haven't struggled with suicidal thoughts, however I have had a former teacher and acquaintances from my past not survive theirs.  I have friends and acquaintances who have lost family members and friends to suicide.  The truth is, we've all have a family member, friend, teacher, or acquaintance that either struggled with various degrees of depression some to the point of ending their misery.  It's possible you just don't know it yet.  Some of those people will struggle their entire lives.  What I will say is that mental health has not been treated well in this country.  And while we've made progress in some ways, it's clear over my lifetime that mental health has become a much more common issue that we are almost indifferent or calloused when we hear or read news stories that result in the end of more lives and more beds being filled in prisons and mental health facilities. 

It's so easy to say it's because 'we've' become so inwardly focused as humanity vs thinking of ways we can be of service to others.  I could also add that we are so inwardly focused that 'we' don't care what our friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, or stranger in the next lane may be going through when they are not around us.  All that matters to us is what we are going through and they should give a damn about us.  We shake our fists, flip people off, or blurt out nonsense to them because they've said or done something to us that hurts us or makes us mad, and we must have the last word or action.  The reality is as medical science advances we are learning more and more about conditions, side effects of head trauma,  pharmaceutical side effects, or other things in the brain that can cause someone to logically get to suicide, being the only solution.  And we don't think twice that someone we interact with just might possibly be on the brink of getting there, or that our next words or actions to them could impact their next decision one way or the other. 

What if instead we approach everyone we cross paths with compassion, assuming that there is something in their life that they are struggling with that very day or moment, and that they could use a break from us in that very moment?  What if every time that devil on our shoulder tempts us to get irritated with the other party for not being considerate or compassionate to our personal struggles, we slapped it off our shoulder and instead offered to lend that person an ear or a hand?   What if we chose positivity when we feel most negative towards those around us?

I ran across a very interesting TEDx Talks video while looking for inspiring motivational videos to share with my team.  And it seemed relevant for this post.  "The Most Important Lesson From 83,000 Brain Scans"  Basically he says the field of psychiatry is the only medical profession that treats an organ without first taking and reviewing scans.  Essentially the lesson is that peoples brains can be changed, which can change their lives.  It's just under 15 minutes if you're interested. 

 In the event that someone comes across this searching, this is the link to their clinics. https://www.amenclinics.com/.  I am not a doctor, so I always recommend a medical professional in a time like this, so please find a doctor you trust, or at least one that someone you trust has trust in.

Additionally if you or someone you know needs help here are some additional resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255
• https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/