How Many Lives Matter?

   How many lives does it take until it matters? Until the lives that were lost are worth grieving, worth remembering, worth empathizing with their loved ones? Are worth counting?

      The focus before the onset of a hurricane is to protect lives. Protect them from the hurricane force winds’ destruction. Protect from the heavy rains leading to flooding. Protection that needs to continue on past the first two or three days of weather damage that is done. What is not “done” are the ways in which death creeps in to steal more lives.

   Think of dominoes, with the first one knocked down being the winds itself, the rain and storm surge being second and continuing to knock down more dominoes. These other dominoes represent not only homes and buildings lost, but electricity cut off, water being tainted, life-saving equipment being halted, lack of generators or fuel, lack of food, inability to transport.

   Imagine the continual fall of the dominoes chain - until flattened.

   This could take days, weeks, and even months if no plans or efforts are brought up to deal with the heightened devastation. A major disaster. Many dead. Some may be from natural causes, but many are the results of the storm’s effects.

   How then does one know who counts? In Puerto Rico’s 2017 hurricane Maria there were varying reports on the death toll. The devastation went far into isolated regions which could not be reached for weeks. Of course there would be different reports.

   An independent study by George Washington University Milken Institute, School of Public Health provided a more recent reported total in August 2018:    2,975. *

   Yet our president denies it, saying it is a plot to undermine him. He made this about him. He said some of them were just old people dying of natural causes who were counted.

   As if their lives don’t matter? The president can disbelieve it all he wants. But why don’t their deaths matter to him? Why no acknowledgement of the horror, the pain, the difficulties Puerto Ricans went through in trying to survive the effects of this devastating hurricane?

   The president said the response to the hurricane was a “success.” Who praises something where lives were lost, regardless of the number agreed or not agreed to?

   When does one learn that mistakes do happen? That plans and procedures are just blueprints of ideas that may not match up to “what-if’s” that pop up out of nowhere?

      What happened with the lack of continuing response to assist those in need in Puerto Rico is a failure on all levels of government: a failure to acknowledge what went wrong, what could be done better, to act on it, and learn from this. Ignoring the facts won’t teach us anything. And it won’t make anything better.

   2,975 lives - give or take 1, 10, 100, or even 1,000.

   How many lives does it take for us to wake up to the reality that is right before us: the lies, the denial, the hatred, the gaslighting, the ignorance of truth - is destroying our nation? How many lives want to change that? Puerto Ricans are Americans, but they cannot vote.

   Remember this when you vote. Remember for those who are no longer with us. Remember for those who are still here as well.

   Lives matter. Votes matter.         Theresa M.

gianfrancodebei on pixabay.com

* https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-deaths.html research by George Washington University Milken Institute, School of Public Health, published August 2018: est deaths PR Hurricane Maria 2,975.

Remember all those who were killed or harmed by devastating hurricanes of past and recent (Katrina, Maria, Michael).
Support aide organizations such as Red Cross.

Pen Pal

  

The pen did it again.

It wanted to write

yes, even in spite

I needed a break

for Heaven’s sake!

The pen on a whirlwind

was spewing its ink

before I could think,

it took a wrong turn.

Now I adjourn.

see you next week!

Time, Move on By

   Ever wonder why time only moves forward? Actually does it even move at all?

   In our minds we remember things that happened in the past - maybe from childhood, teen years, or even just yesterday. At least we remember our own personal version of it.

   As for events we weren’t involved in, we remember what we read or heard about it - someone’s interpretation of the events.

   Time passed - we moved on.

   We consider time as always moving forward to the future. It can’t be stopped. Future is only an idea, a dream, a possibility. It is not a reality until it happens.

   So does this mean time actually moves? It advances, it progresses. It is active. It is in motion - or is it? Aren’t we the people, the animals, the plants, the weather what is in motion?

   Did nature invent the clock? No, humans did. Setting up seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years - in marking time. Humans try to own time: they set it, pay you for it or dock it from your pay (!), give it to you, make the time, structure time.

   Nature just moves at its own pace, recognizing what is within, without, interacting all around, to create anew. And when it no longer can sustain life, nature allows dissolution. Regardless of time.

   There is timeless wonder in God’s creation. Theresa M.

                                                  

                      "Time hurry by, carry me home

                       don't take too long

                       knowing I know the way better

                       this time, move on by..."

                            Paul Parrish, lyrics to "Time
                               (on Helen Reddy 1971 album)
                                

Simple Pleasures

   “I want to go home!” This was the frequent request of a mentally ill patient I worked with in the past on a locked psych unit. Actually many patients have said that frequently.

   What stands out about, I’ll call him Mr. E, was his almost child-like innocence when he said it. Almost - because at times he could be loud and demanding. Wait, that can be child-like too. He was in his 50’s.

   He was a bit slow mentally, and really didn’t understand his mental illness. I’m not sure what diagnosis they landed on him. Due to his mental limitations he was often involuntarily committed to psych inpatient because of odd behaviors and altercations with neighbors.

   There were stretches of time when he took his meds, with the guidance of his family (but he lived alone, cut grass and shoveled snow for neighbors). Then delusions took over, having him think he didn’t need the medications. He would spiral down.

   It is important to point out here sometimes there is a fine line of when a mentally ill person becomes “dangerous” to himself or others. And the danger is what hospitalizes them. That’s left up to the mental hygiene commissioner, other court officials, as well as psychiatrists/psychologists to determine.

   Being a mental health technician, I had no say in the matter - that’s fine. I was there to watch over the patients, keep them safe, help them attend to their ADL’s (activities of daily living) and offer support/encouragement.

geralt on pixabay

   Mr E was often anxious, restless. He obsessed about things. One in particular was about toothpaste. As his teeth had been rotting away, he would steal toothpaste from other patients, as if all of this could remedy his situation. He was sneaky and often tried to manipulate staff in various ways in order to “obtain” things (like a bottle of Coke at nurse’s station). He obsessed about cigarettes too.

   Relatively, Mr. E was harmless. He did need guidance and direction. But he wouldn’t go to a group home. He in some ways was able to maintain his independence. I actually admire that.

   I would often sit with him (as he would try to sit still) and talk with him. He often said “I just want to go home,” fidgeting, scratching his head, throwing up his arms. One time I asked him, “What would you be doing right now if you were home?” I was hoping to have him visualize a calmer situation. 

   “He smiled and said, “Right now? I’d be sitting on the front porch smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee.”

   I loved his response! Such simple little pleasures for him. I told him, “There’s nothing like the simple little pleasures in life is there?” He agreed, grinning. (Actually I would disagree with the smoking part, he already knew that. But I didn’t bring it up, that was his choice of pleasures.)  I reassured him he would get there in time.  For awhile he accepted that.

mohamed hassa on pixabay

   But yes, in their confinement and their illness, these patients want to go home. Home to them could be an abusive family, drug and alcohol users, poverty. Or it could be a better environment. But they all have their “picture” of home, being unconfined. Being somewhere searching for a simple pleasure of life. A freedom. Freedom doesn’t mean a life without problems, but it does mean a chance to really live.

   Some days sitting out on my porch, in the comfort of my home, I think of Mr. E. And I hope he is home enjoying the simple pleasures of life.               Theresa M.

bapreston on pixabay