With the arrival of Opening Day, baseball fans have their eyes focused on the upcoming season. A number of outlets from ESPN to talk radio to print media have commented on the fact that it’s nice to be able to finally talk about baseball instead of steroids. Both of these are true for me. I’m looking forward to my beloved Red Sox trying to defend their World Series title. And I’m glad to no longer listen to debates about whether or not we should trust Roger Clemens or Brian McNamee. But just because it’s out of the headlines, doesn’t mean the problem has been resolved. It only means that it has burned out its freshness in our 24-hour news cycle.
It has been my experience that families work much the same way. A problem like an addiction will come into focus and will drain all of the family’s attention for a period of time. During this period, discussions will take place, plans will be put into motion and - most importantly - promises will be made. During the crisis period we are at our best. Eventually, the family trauma exhausts everyone and fades into the background. They try to move on and hope that the problems have been solved.
We do have to move on. And we do have to keep from dwelling on a single problem at the expense of all other considerations. But, just as Baseball will only truly heal if the powers that be do the tough work and revisit the problem without the headlines in order to check on progress, our families will only heal if we go to the trouble of checking in on hard to talk about issues and make sure that everyone is following up on those promises.
Just because something is out of the spotlight, doesn’t mean that it’s no longer there.
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You know, when I hear that all these children are on drugs of some kind or another I get sick. When I was growing up I had a very rough life. I had to come to United States when I was so very young because my father became very ill and he was working for the United States Army helping to build the Canal. I lost everything and when we came here they did not want us at all but they opened their arms to the Cubans and gave them everything they wanted and more.
We were Americans and they did not take care of us at all and mind you my father had a stroke because he worked so hard for the USA. I was ten at the time and lost everything. Then we couldn’t find a place to live for a year and ended up living in a hotel. Finally we found an apartment and when we needed help from the government they turned us down. The Cubans got food but it was the wrong food so they threw it in the street - the very food we wanted but couldn’t get because we were American.
Then shortly after that we finally got a home because my mom got a job at a church and they “gave” us the home where the priest lived.
Not long after that my sister brought home this man that she was going to marry. I was about eleven years old. After they got married and I was now twelve he raped me for nine years and he did not stop until I got married and then he ran into the priesthood.
I never even thought of doing drugs ever because God gave me this body to take care of. In those days you knew better because you would have to answer to your parents and that is something you would never want to do.
I am sick and tired of these brats destroying their bodies because they don’t get their ways. They get whatever they want whenever they want it no matter what. All of these children have to understand they do not have a right to destroy their bodies and that is a fact. The parents today are too busy being their children’s bodies and not parents and this why we have so many brats and that is a fact.
They do not get enough tough love all they get is what ever they want, whenever they want it, and that is a fact.
http://brainblogger.com/2008/04/10/in-deed-indeed/
Carol,
Wow…You have really persevered. I applaud you for your ability to process the struggles you have encountered in your life with such an empowering result. But you know what, Carol? Not everyone is as innately fortunate as you are in that ability. Now THAT, my dear, is a fact.
I encourage you to take the time to educate yourself on the facts, and realities of drug addiction and depressive disease. Your first lesson: Addiction and depression often exist in tandem. That wasn’t so hard now was it? In educating yourself, you will then have a respected platform with which to voice your thoughts and opinions as to the reason children and others self medicate in self-destructive ways.
The really cool part of this for you, Carol, as well as the rest of society, is that it will present to you an opportunity to implement pro-active investments that will help ease the effects of this devastating DISEASE. Pretty powerful stuff… huh, Carol?
You seem like someone who, as a result of your own personal challenges, would be an incredibly effective advocate for someone in need. Certainly, you’d want to help another in need…Help the society that you live in…Right, Carol? My assumption that you would desire to help another in need is based on what I read above in your post, specifically regarding your valid anger stemming from what you experienced as a result of other people’s lack of action-oriented compassion. You suffered because no one seemed to care about whether you had a place to live or enough food to eat. You suffered emotionally and physically at the hands of someone you should have been able to trust. Your suffering likely helped you develop into the strong person that you are today. But looking back, you would have been better served in those moments by people reaching out to understand and help with your “need”. Isn’t that right, Carol?
You have an opportunity to do, exactly, what was NOT done for you. Or, of course, you can always choose to invest your energies in unproductive judgments based solely on your …let’s just call it what it is: Monumental lack of fact-based knowledge. Ya know, Carol? There are alternate words I could use that would bring a negative connotation, or energy, in the place of those that I “chose” to use above in description of your obvious need to expand and correct your inaccurate perceptions as to what drug use is a product of. Instead of the words, “Lack of fact based knowledge”, I could have used a word “stupidity”. I don’t use words like that, in general. But I especially would not use them in regard to you. I don’t have fact-based evidence that you are “stupid”. Plus it’s just not a nice thing to say, is it? Or, hey? Here’s a good example of what I’m pointing out. You “chose” to use the word “brat” instead of some other “fact-based” descriptive verbalization, like kid or child. That word “brat” that you “chose” reveals a lot about you, personally. It gives those reading your post insights to your heart.
Honestly, Carol? It seems to me like you have a very troubled heart. A very strong one, nonetheless. The kind of heart that is armed with the predisposition to inspire others. You inspired me to respond to you, afterall. Carol…I encourage you to use your strong heart in service to and in inspiring others to “helpful” actions. You were born for this purpose. You have faith in that purpose. You just need a little encouragement and guidance to channel your strengths into positive action-oriented energy. Energy and action that can and will serve you and those around you in profound ways. God’s continued blessings to you…
Your name means “melody”, Carol. I encourage you to sing out a sweet, powerful, knowledge-filled song of hope and heart to your community instead of an uniformed, careless, off-key chorus of judgment. You have that ability. What are going to “choose” to do, Carol?
… wasn’t this article about steroids?
I truly wish people would stop trying to assume they always know best for other people. All things are a matter of perception– ESPECIALLY good and evil. And easily tainted by the inclusion or exclusion of information.
Plus, informed, knowledgeable texts are always more reasonable, well-accepted, and SANE than ones based on “personal opinion”.
Jessica,
Your personal opinion is valid. So is everyone else’s…