I had to start this post by thanking everyone who lives to help others. Isn’t that what this world is about? Every day we have an opportunity to impact another person’s life. Take a moment to look at the pictures above. Each person is impacting another life. We can choose any profession we want, so why not choose something you are passionate about? Passionate people in their professions impact thousands (and maybe even more) people.
Archive for the ‘Informational Stuff’ Category
Good Things Still Exist: It’s Summer Concert Time!
Folks, I’m happy to remind you that the Racine Concert Band free summer concert series starts tonight at the Racine Zoo, and will continue every Sunday night until August 12. We’re playing patriotic music tonight, in honor of the upcoming July 4th holiday, and we will have as guest artists the Milwaukee North Division drum line assisting us with a brief pre-concert show plus an appearance with us during John Philip Sousa’s “Semper Fidelis.”
As there’s nothing better than a free summer band concert, I figured I’d remind you all about this, in the hopes that you’d be able to see that good things still exist in this world.
We’ve had a whole lot of turmoil, much strife, too much ignorance, and more despair than I could shake a stick at. We’ve heard about so many horrible things, including the five people, most of them writers and editors, murdered at the Annapolis Capital Gazette newspaper (something I hope to blog about in greater detail in a few days), not to mention the overnight stabbings in Boise, Idaho seemingly because someone did not like the fact that refugees were staying in an apartment complex. And these things are horrible to contemplate.
Still, good things exist. Like tonight’s band concert. Which is absolutely free.
Other good things I try to remember: The affectionate nature of my Mom’s dogs. Sunrises. Sunsets. Nature and all its wonders. Good books. Funny movies. (And yes, of course SF movies!) Baseball games. Art. And so many, many more…(add your favorite good things in the comments, if you would. I’d love to see ’em!)
So when you are frustrated, angry, upset, or really wonder what the point is, you need to remember that good things do continue to exist.
Keep fighting the good fight, yes. (In a nonviolent way, peacefully. That should go without saying, but in this day and age, you can never be too sure.) Keep striving for what you know is right.
But don’t let fear, anger, despair, or loneliness overwhelm you, if you can help it.
Instead, try — and try hard — to hold a positive thought.
That’s the best way to live that I know, and ultimately, it’s what drives the darkness back. (Well, that and creativity in all its myriad forms. But that, too, is a separate post…)
So, take in the band concert tonight — again, it’s absolutely, positively free — down at the Racine Zoo. Enter at the Augusta Street gate (that’s on the side, near the Zoological Gardens, close to Lake Michigan) starting at 7:15 p.m.; showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Hope to see you there!
We Must Do Better and Insist on Better Health Care (A Collaboration with a Purpose Post)
Sorry ’bout the lengthy title there, folks…on with the show, er, I mean blog.
I am especially cognizant this year of World Health Day due to the myriad of health problems my family has suffered over the past year. Because of all the times we’ve been to the doctor, or in the hospital, or in the rehab center, I am more aware than ever about how we need better quality health care in the United States. (I can’t speak for the rest of the world, though my fellow bloggers have done so brilliantly. Links will follow at the end of this post.)
What I’ve seen shocks me. (And I thought I was unshockable.) A woman who needs hearing aids was in one of the rehab centers my family member dealt with this year, and can’t get them because she can’t afford them. She is over sixty-five, is retired, has Medicare–meaning, she does have state-sponsored insurance that’s subsidized by the federal government–and she still can’t afford hearing aids.
This affects her quality of life.
This affects how she can interact with her family, her grandchildren, and those working with her to help her heal up so she can go home.
There’s something wrong with a country that doesn’t find a way to help someone who needs hearing aids find a way to get them. (She is willing to pay, mind. Her daughter told me that. But it’s a matter of making it affordable so she can, and still eat, pay her bills, and afford her medications.)
Or how about this? I, myself, have dealt with a problem trying to get any help with my vision. I have Obamacare. I am eligible to be seen and get glasses, which would be subsidized (but not free)…yet every time I try to set up an appointment, and I’ve been trying now for over two years, I am told there are none.
So, I continue to wear glasses that are over two years old. My backup pair is over ten years old. My vision hasn’t changed much in all that time, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have a checkup or get another pair of glasses that is perhaps a little bit more up-to-date than my backup pair.
How many other people are out there who can’t afford to pay full price for glasses, thus wait to be seen, and then never get an appointment because it’s supposedly always full?
Then, there’s the problem of paying for medication. My family members have radically different insurance. One has no help at all to pay for her prescriptions. Another has some help. But when your medicines can cost over $300 per month — yes, one of the cardiac meds my mother takes is at least that expensive — the co-pay is still plenty high. And when you’re on a fixed income, in retirement, coming up with that high co-pay is damned difficult.
Why is this considered acceptable?
Then, there’s the problem of getting doctor’s appointments when you’re sick. (I know first-hand about that one, too.) Getting your doctor’s office to even call you back is a pain in the buttinsky. And then, if you do get to talk with a nurse, they just send you to urgent care anyway, so why did you waste your time?
In short, there are major problems with health care.
Right now, we have a proliferation of forms, a proliferation of HMOs, PPOs, and all sorts of other alphabet-type agencies, that basically boil down to, “No, we’re not going to help you.” And that is utterly unacceptable.
Mind, there are wonderful people in health care. I’ve met more great nurses and doctors (much less PAs and CNAs) than I can shake a stick at. These people genuinely want to help, but they are overwhelmed by paperwork and there aren’t enough slots to see everyone who needs to be seen. And nothing at all seems to get done whatsoever about fixing these systemic problems.
The World Health Organization has done this World Health Day since 1948, to call attention to the need for better health care for as many people as possible. (Preferably, it would be for every single last one of us, and that is indeed their goal.) And this year, their slogan is called #HealthForAll.
I think we badly need to be reminded that health must be cultivated. We have to have enough resources to help people get hearing aids when they are on fixed incomes. Or afford expensive cardiac medicines when they are on fixed incomes. Or have access to doctors, nurses, and appropriate care, while being treated as the human beings we are rather than an inconvenience or worse, someone to be brushed off and ignored.
So I’m pleased that the Collaboration with a Purpose group wanted to talk about World Health Day this year. It is something that is close to my heart. And it is something we desperately need — better health care, for as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible, so we all can live better and happier lives.
Because if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.
Period.
Now, please go check out my fellow Collaboration with a Purpose group members, as they all have interesting takes on the subject. (Links will be added as their posts go up.)
- Jothish Joseph — “Are You Healthy?”
- Mylene Orillo — “The Truth About Getting Sick in the Philippines“
- Ipuna Black — “Health is a State of Balance: Mind, Body, Spirit“
- Sonyo Estavillo — “#WorldHealthDay & Why #MentalHealthMatters“
- Tajwarr Fatma — “World Health Day” (about mental illness/mental health)
- Nicolle K. — Intro post about World Health Day
- Nicolle’s regular post is up! — “Health for All — Self-Care“
- Jane Love — “Three Vital Components of a Healthy and Balanced Life“
- Gelyka Ruth Dumaraos — “How My Father’s Health Condition Made Me Shift to a Healthier Lifestyle“
- Divyang Shah — “World Health Day!“
- Sadaf Siddiqi — “Health is Wealth“
Do All You Can…
…even when it doesn’t feel like it’ll be enough.
That is my motto, right now.
As I continue to struggle with my health, I have to remind myself that sometimes, doing all I can means to rest. Recover. Eat as much as I can (with a raw throat, that’s not easy, but it is again possible), and in as balanced a way as I can…take probiotics, to keep the antibiotics I’m on from destroying my gut bacteria…laugh, because it’s better than crying. (Or pulling my hair out.)
I continue to work on my plotting exercise (I talked about this yesterday), and will hope this will keep me from going stir-crazy.
I did write a thousand words today, though it was a different sort of exercise entirely, and was prompted by home internet problems. (I hate that, but it’s a very minor woe, all things considered. At least I can get out and use the internet elsewhere. So it adds a step when I am not at my best. So what?)
And I looked at the two edits in progress, figured out where I am, and have a good idea where I need to be starting tomorrow to finish them both up.
So, I’m staying on top of it as best I can. And am doing whatever I can, even though as I said above, it truly doesn’t feel like enough.
Thinking, Writing, and Illness
Most of us have to deal with illness, and somehow get things done. But when you’re sick (as I am right now), and you are an independent writer and editor, what are you supposed to do about it?
That sounds ridiculous to say, doesn’t it? Because we all struggle with illness. Very few people have charmed lives, and even they have to deal with the illnesses of beloved family and friends (or, sometimes, four-footed companions).
Still, when you’re in my position, and need your mind to do your work, but your mind isn’t at its best, and your body definitely isn’t either…what’s to do?
I’ve been trying to plot a book. This isn’t normally what I do, as I take an idea and run with it; I’m a pantser, not a plotter (that is, I sit down and write whatever it is, and then fix it on the fly). But plotting can’t hurt me, and thus, I’m trying to do that now and see where I get.
This is an exercise given to me by my friend Chris Nuttall (and if you don’t know Chris’s work already, go to Amazon and put his name in there; that’ll give you an idea). I often edit Chris’s work (my latest for him include THE ZERO EQUATION and THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, co-written by Leo Champion; I intend to talk more about both books in upcoming days, once I’ve regained a bit of my energy), and I know how he tends to work; he comes up with plots first, then writes, then tweaks (sometimes, if warranted), then sends to me (or another editor), then fixes, then I (or another editor) may see it one last time if the changes warrant it — otherwise, it goes up for sale. (This is for Chris’s independent work. The work he does through Twilight Times Books, Elsewhen Press, and 47North is a different story.)
I think his thought is interesting. And what I’m trying to do now is figure out who my characters are, what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and just what’s going to happen along the way. (I also know, me being me, that some of this is subject to change. But it gives me a starting point, and it makes me feel a whole lot better to have work to do along with my editing. Which, by the way, I can still do — I just need a bit more time to do it right now, that’s all.)**
So, there’s thought behind this. Reasoning, purpose, function, and my hope is that it’ll flow into a form that is sensible, logical, and yet feels lifelike and real, like my “pantser” (seat of the pants, natch) novels do. (Or at least I hope they do.)
I’m glad to be able to continue to edit, though a bit slower than usual. I’m also glad that my friends, including Chris, came up with something for me to do of a writing nature so I wouldn’t feel stir-crazy while I’m not at my best. (Writing takes more out of me than editing, just as playing music takes more out of me, physically, than composing it. Though all of them require a goodly amount of mental and physical energy, some are easier to do while ill than others. I hope this makes some sense.)
Now for the big question: What do you do when you feel lousy, but are a creative person and need to express yourself? I’d appreciate hearing any tips you might have in the comments.
———-
**I suppose this is a good time to explain what I’m dealing with: exacerbation of asthma/bronchitis, an ear infection, plus a particularly wicked sinus infection. (I have two antibiotics, a steroid, and have to use my rescue inhaler four times a day until this is gone. When I get sick, I guess it’s go big, or go home. Except I am home…)
Quick Update
Folks, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive.
(Yeah. Really.)
The last week or two has been challenging, and I haven’t enjoyed my time much. While I have managed to read a number of good books (including Deborah Harkness’ A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, a book I had wanted to read for over a year, and Audrey Sharpe’s two fine space opera books, the latter being THE CHAINS OF FREEDOM), and I’ve written a little bit, I’ve mostly had to rest.
And I find rest boring.
So, I read and re-read favorite books, including a number of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Liaden series, the three Allie books of Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, and the two Zero books by Chris Nuttall. I thought a lot about the stories I was working on, and talked with other writers about their stories. And I did just a little editing here and there, to keep my hand in…as I truly do hate doing nothing.
Of course, I haven’t been doing nothing. I’ve been recovering. But it feels like nothing, and I won’t pretend it doesn’t.
Granted, I have the philosophy that “work does a body good.” But sometimes, when your body is worn-down, all you can do is rest and prepare your next assault on the “work fortress.” And that’s where I’ve been, the past two weeks.
I look forward to getting back up to speed soon, though. So keep watching this space…as you never do know what I’m about to say next. (Is that part of my charm? I’d like to think so.)
Dare to Risk (Even When it Hurts)
Folks, it’s been a while since I’ve written a post like this, but here goes:
The most important thing in life is this: You need to remember to dare to risk. Even when it hurts. And even when it doesn’t seem like the risk is worth the reward…do it anyway.
Why am I writing this?
Well, as a writer, every time I sit down to do something with a story, I’m risking the chance of failure.
But as a person, every time I open myself up and am vulnerable to someone, I’m risking the chance of being completely and totally misunderstood. Or unappreciated. Or just…nothing.
I know that. I am not a fool. And I choose to dare that risk, at least in part because it’s the only way, sometimes, to learn something…even if it’s something I’d rather not.
And there are other reasons to dare that risk, too.
Daring to risk is possibly the most important thing I can do, or any writer can do, or any creative person of any possible permutation can do, because it is the only way to express what needs to be expressed. And feeling the pain, sometimes, of risks that don’t work out is necessary, because none of us get through this life unscathed.
I’ve written before about the apocryphal Buddha story–the “search all around the world, daughter, and see if you can find anyone who does not suffer, then report back to me.” Buddha knew, in that story, that every single person had faced suffering of some sort or another, and that it was impossible to live a human life without it.
Now, being married to a Buddhist, I know that suffering is not to be avoided. It’s part of life, as obnoxious as it is to us, and yet thrusting it away causes bigger problems.
Why am I saying all this?
Simply this: I believe, very strongly in fact, that sometimes we have to be prepared to take our lumps. Daring to risk does not mean you’ll always succeed…and it certainly doesn’t mean at all that you will ever succeed, for that matter. But the risk is worth it for its own reward, that of knowing you did everything you possibly could, and then some, to make your dreams come true.
That sometimes there’s nothing you can do? Well, feeling that pain allows you to better inform the stories you write, and make them feel real.
(At least, so I’m telling myself right now. There has to be a reason for it, and that one is as good as any.)
Anyway, don’t let the bad days stop you from daring to risk it all for art, for love, for friendship, or for anything else you feel is worthwhile.
Because the moment you stop risking, that’s the moment you stop living. (Got it?)
———
By the way, folks…later today, I’ll be writing about two books I think you should keep an eye out for, Jason Cordova’s DEVASTATOR (out next week) and Kayelle Allen’s BRINGER OF CHAOS: FORGED IN FIRE. Both are second books in two very good series; both feature believable science and speculation, some darkness, some light, some romance, and are generally cracking good reads. So if you haven’t read Jason’s CORRUPTOR yet or Kayelle’s BRINGER OF CHAOS: THE ORIGINS OF PIETAS either, you really are missing out…can’t wait to tell you more about these two interesting stories. (No, I’m not always doom and gloom, or reminding you to take risks. But yes, do take that risk.)
More Professions to be Thanked, via Collaboration with a Purpose
Folks, my Collaboration with a Purpose buddies came up with some great blogs this time, and I wanted to make sure you knew about them. (My blog, of course, thanked teachers, but there are all sorts of other professions to thank…) So, without further ado, here’s a bit about each blog, and why I found it interesting!
Addison D’Marko’s blog post thanks neuro-science, and she has a great reason why. When she was in sixth grade, she read a book about the brain that so impressed her, to the point that when she became paralyzed years later, she remembered it in her hour of need. (That book was The Brain That Changes Itself, by the way.)
Nicolle K. at her blog Stories of Ahsi thanks unsung heroes, and her reasoning behind that is fascinating. She says unsung heroes are the most interesting of all, and she has very good reasoning as to why this is the case. And she has a great demonstration from a story she read years ago, too… (In short, go read this blog immediately! You’ll thank yourself afterward.)
And Nicolle, you didn’t need to thank your fellow bloggers, but bless you for doing so. (Embarrassed blush.) Moving on…
The amazing and talented Tajwar Fatma wrote a post thanking doctors, which again makes wonderful sense as she’s currently studying to become a doctor. (And she’s nearly done, too, yay!) Read all about why she loves becoming a doctor, and why she’s very thankful for doctors overall.
But it’s almost insane that she had to point out that attacking doctors on call is a crime. (Apparently that has happened in her neck of the woods, and that is horrible. Leave those doctors alone.)
The always-inspiring Ipuna Black has a post thanking police officers, and her reasoning is quite intriguing. She points out that police officers have a tough job, and it’s just gotten worse since the horrible shooting in Las Vegas. And yet, without them, what kind of lives would most people have?
She also has a great paragraph that I’m going to quote in its entirety:
Absolutely. Right on, Ipuna!
The inspiring Jane Love wrote about the need to be thankful for parents. She also discusses thankfulness, specifically from a Christian perspective. There’s a lot of good to be found here, and I hope my readers who are not specifically Christian in their beliefs will be able to see the good in Jane’s post and apply whatever they can to their own lives.
And writer and teacher Sadaf Siddiqi’s take on the subject is quite intriguing; she talks about thankfulness, and the need to thank people regardless of their professions. She discusses a few specific professions, mind, including her own of teacher…but her main impetus is that we need to be thankful for everyone who does a meaningful job.
(I completely agree with her.)
Jothish Joseph also has a take on thanking all professions that I enjoyed quite a bit. (Jothish is a fun-loving, kind-hearted, good guy. I always enjoy reading his posts.) And to my mind, Jothish is right when he discusses how the people who clean up behind us need to be much better-respected overall. He first discusses how many others of his acquaintance do not understand this very important tenet (that all deserve respect, and that no one should look down on anyone), and then discusses this story:
One day I visited the Dhobi to give my laundry. As always there was a fairly long line. I stood in the queue and waited for my chance. The person just ahead of me rudely handed over his clothes and seemed to be very annoying. As a result the lady collecting the laundry was annoyed and visible change in her mood was seen. That’s when my turn came. I gave my laundry and said a thank you when I was done. I got a smile in return.
Since that day every time that I go there, I am greeted with a smile and sometimes also enquired about how I’ve been!
I loved this story.
Divyang Shah also thanks all professions, and discusses three in particular. The one I found the most intriguing is about software engineers; Divyang is one, so he knows exactly what they do, and how much of what we need for daily living depends on them.
Well done, Divyang!
Mylene Orillo’s post is wonderful, too. She thanks soldiers, along with military spouses and families, and has excellent reasons as to why:
Some of you don’t know that soldiery is one of the closest professions in my heart as I was once a military cadet and a frustrated Army soldier. Yes, I would have joined the Army ‘coz I’m not a good swimmer if I join the Navy and I’m also afraid of heights if I join the Air Force. I was an incoming senior in college when I entered a military school in 2001 and trained there for two years.
…
Since I also worked for the Philippine Army as a civilian employee for eight years, I knew (although I didn’t experience it first-hand) what’s it’s like to be in the service from the stories of my office-mates, bosses, and closest friends and their families.
That’s why I have high respects for people who are in the military or uniformed service in general because I know their sacrifices and I know how they are living their lives away from their families. So whenever I hear stories about soldiers, especially my classmates, upperclassmen, or underclassmen who were wounded or dead in battle, it never fails to break me into pieces and make me really emotional.
Mylene’s right about soldiers, their families, and most especially their spouses. (This former military wife thanks you for remembering us, Mylene! Almost no one does.)
Finally, the incredible Sonyo Estavillo wrote a post specifically thanking those in Las Vegas who responded to the horrific shooting, most especially the police officers. Sonyo points out that she used to live in Las Vegas, and that this shooting was absolutely horrific for many, many reasons; that the shooter had no record is one of those, but that he did something like this at an event that’s generally considered to be family-friendly is even worse. She has some country music fans in her family who still live in the area, and she’s grateful they weren’t there…but as she knows that “there but for the grace of God” goes her family, she felt the need to write a post thanking the policemen (and other first responders).
I completely agree with her reasoning, and I hope people will read this post and think, profoundly, about how much police officers do every day that is never celebrated, nor even noted; we normally only think about the “bad apples,” not the others, and that gives most of us a distorted view of the profession at hand. (No wonder no one thinks about thanking police officers, when all we ever hear is bad…and yet, the vast majority of police officers are good, kind, and decent people who do a very difficult job so others can live in safety and peace.)
Anyway, all the various posts were great, in their respective ways, and I truly hope you will check them out forthwith. (You’ll enjoy them. And they may make you think, too…which is a win/win, in my book.)
Thank a Teacher Today, via Collaboration with a Purpose
Folks, this is the latest in a series of blogs done under the aegis of Collaboration with a Purpose. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Today, I want to thank teachers. All of them, in all of their various permutations.
Why? Well, without people willing to teach, we’d not be able to learn…and without people putting themselves out there selflessly, maybe no one would learn anything at all.
Some of you have to be saying, “Barb, why are you saying this so strongly? What’s the point? Yeah, teachers are great and all, but why glorify them above other professions?”
(Which, by the way, is the point of this whole post. The Collaboration with a Purpose topic this time, as you see from the lovely picture Nicolle K. put together, was “Thank a profession.” But I digress.)
I know that one of the reasons I have the thirst for knowledge and learning is because of how I was taught, from the time I was very young, by many people in my life. Not just my elementary and secondary school teachers, but by my parents, my grandparents, my Aunt Laurice (who taught me a few chords on the piano when I asked, though I promptly forgot them when I went away from her and the piano)…without my mother and grandmother teaching me to read, spell, and do simple sums, I would’ve been at a grave disadvantage when I turned up in kindergarten.
And then, along the way, I discovered more about music. My first music teacher helped me learn how to play the oboe, and then there was a huge teacher’s strike that lasted months.
But by that time, I was hooked. I played for my grandmother, who watched me and my sibs as we waited out the teacher’s strike. I played for my parents, when they came home from work. And I worked my way through three different books, learning more notes and fingerings and songs, to the point I nearly made my teacher cry — with happiness, mind — when we finally resumed school.
And I was sent to a private teacher, who taught me more…and another teacher, who taught me even more…
You get my drift, yes?
Anyway, without teachers, especially in childhood when our minds are malleable, it would be much harder to get into a habit of lifelong learning. And that is vitally important, especially in this day and age when technology seemingly changes on a dime and there are constant and inevitable changes to deal with, just different ones at different times.
And I also want to thank the librarians, teachers in their own right, who helped point me in the right direction after I realized I wanted to learn even more after school was over.
Without all of them, I think I would’ve turned out to be a much different, and far lesser, person.
So, thank you, teachers! Thanks for the help, and the guidance, and the learning, and for passing it along.
And bless you for all you do.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 