Tag Archives: mental-health

Talk To Me….

Well kids,I have come to the conclusion that the whole world is nuts. Many of you have already gotten there but I always hold out hope. A couple of great friends, who used to be Army brass, have told me many times that hope is not a strategy. Tragic flaw on my part. 

I keep looking for a middle ground on anything. Israel seems to be starving Gazans but Hamas and friends brought this on themselves. They are living in underground tunnels and so you have to bomb the crap out of them but everything is already back to the stone age. Where is the solution?

Ukraine blows my mind. We supply them with arms but only so much. We don’t want to get Putin mad. Putin is certifiably stark raving mad already! His Hairness says he and Vladimir are on good speaking terms. I would love to know what language they are speaking.

And young people on both sides are being wasted in a war of attrition. Haven’t we made any progress since the Huns and the Tatars?

The stock market has always been risky, but it is now the world’s’ largest casino. You can bet long,short, buy, sell and the wizards of Wall Street come up with a different wrinkle every day to figure out how to make money out of you and me. Meme stocks are the rage and the only thing good about them is that they confound the big shorts. Crypto,Sports gambling? What is the harm? Samo,samo.

I read an interview this morning with Yuval Harari, a very heavy duty thinker about AI. I have gotten through a good portion of his book, Nexus,and I am still as lost as ever. We have Generative AI which digests enormous amounts of data and spits out some translation or analysis. Like reading mammograms or analyzing an impending pandemic. Now we have Agent AI. This little beauty can create its own thought process, edit and correct itself and make decisions without any human interaction. It is said it can read your emails, respond to them and then give you a list of ones you should review. Not trying to be an old fart but isn’t this bordering on mega(not MAGA) dangerous? Maybe that too. 

It seems to me a whole lot of things are about to go TILT. We mess with tariffs, DOGE and going back over Russiagate, impeachments, stolen elections and Hunter Biden. Yet the looming imperatives of immigraton, Social Security, Medicare and unfunded pensions go wanting for lack of interest. Congress is taking six weeks off. The Trumpster is playing golf in Scotland and NYC is going to elect a socialist or pervert, depending on the results. Is it just me? 

Kabul is out of water. Nada, zilch! Who cares about Afghanistan? I really don’t, but is this the canary in the coal mine? Wildfires everywhere from the vast wilderness of Canada to the Western slope of Colorado to the Greel isles. Coincidence? Our oceans are now chock a block with microplastics, which are ingested by fish, that  healthy people are supposed to eat to live longer. Makes perfect sense. 

Now, if you are the average earthling, you probably have three responses. First is, I really don’t give a shit. Your little corner of the world has no effect on mine. Secondly, I have my own worries to think about. Food, rent, entertainment and travel are in my wheelhouse, so get out. Lastly, these problems are so complex that I can’t possibly have any effect on them. I am going to go with one side or the other and just roll the dice. 

Why don’t people speak up? I have thought about this quite a bit. With what I do, I spend a lot of time talking to people. Some special friends say I can talk to a tree. Thank you so very little. But it is true, I love to engage people. I revel in a good deep conversation. Someone’s wife told me once that her husband never talks to anyone…but me.  How does that happen? 

I could take you through the difference between monologues and dialogues, but I think you get it. I ask questions. Look for common ground or hot buttons. I want to be interested in what they have to say. Of utmost importance is that they know, It Ain’t going anywhere! 

People don’t like to look bad. They don’t like to buck the party line. There is a big air of vulnerability that happens in good conversation. Are my ideas stupid? What will the other person think of me? It is so sad, what you really want to say, never comes out. We put people down. Bury them with criticism. Bully them and bowl them over. That is the surest way to success. 

I have a couple of good friends I can go down and dirty with. We have talked at times for hours and I treasure it. I have patients and families in hospice that are beyond kind and trusting to let me into their world and their hearts. No matter what they say or feel is incredibly valid.They are more than worthy. They are so important. 

Bottom line is that we really run the risk of losing that. We have sacrificed our point of view to pundits and politicians.Bottom line is that we really run the risk of losing that. We have sacrificed our point of view to pundits and politicians. I don’t think we remain silent because of shyness or embarrassment. We all have very valid viewpoints and philosophies. We just have no one who will truly listen. We are all too busy or just not interested. You know when you are at a cocktail party and meet someone who, while talking to you, is scanning the room for someone more important to talk to. Hey, good to see you. Let’s get together soon. They never do. 

I am going to go out and look for a tree to talk to. Maybe I will just send you a note because it has been so long. I have no special talent. We all can do it. Maybe I will just get out of myself. Who knows? It might work.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

A lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings, damaged relationships, and increased stress, particularly in personal and professional settings. Emotional distance with family and friends. Damaged morale and missed opportunities at work. 

The line “What we have here is failure to communicate” is a famous quote from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke.

“Talk To Me” is a creepy horror movie about kids with an embalmed hand. which I have not seen. Maybe Ted’s Head is a horror flick in its own right. 

We think faster than someone else can speak. On average words are spoken at the rate of about 125 words per minute. However, our mental capacity to comprehend what was spoken is much higher; around 400 words per minute. As we are using only 25% of our mental capacity, this leaves ample room for our minds to wander. It takes work and practice. 

People have many sides to themselves. A person can be a Teddy Bear at one time and an Orca the other. Not a Jekyll and Hyde but just something that makes life interesting . 

Seize The Narrative….

A narrative is simply an account of a series of events. To almost everything in life, there is a way of looking at an occurrence or occurrences and developing a feeling pro or con. You adopt the theorem or you fight it. There are a bunch of variables. 

If you look at your personal belief system over time, you have watched the movie or read the book many times over. These viewings could range from family to world affairs to morality or even something as simple as what floats your boat.  You come to a conclusion that is yours and yours alone.  

Religion or morality is a great example. You have somehow developed a theory that starts off with some sort of belief and it is related or taught to you by parents or some sort of organization. They are telling you a story that has been passed down to them over years and centuries. Depending on their gravitas and authenticity, you accept it as gospel(no play on words). 

Maybe somewhere down the line, someone else enters the picture with an alternate set of rules. It could be the same story but just told by a different author, looking at things through a different prism. Hmm… Now what do I do? You feel unease, because you are petrified of giving up on what you have known for all those years. Yet something deep down says they may be right. Aha. This is the critical moment. It is when you really start to think for yourself. 

To me, it is like a kid in a candy store. Dark allies and rabbit holes get me going, if nothing more than just feeling alive. It is probably because I have been out on a limb so many times that I am used to it. The counter to that is, I am so stupid that I don’t realize how perilous this is. Tragic flaw. 

If I am going to listen, I have to be wary of the author. Do they really know what they are talking about and are they being straight with me? Do they have their facts straight or are they playing fast and loose. Are they thoughtful and eloquent or are they bombastic with little regard for the truth? Do hyperbole and vagueness pervade their delivery or perhaps it is just an intended deceit? 

Sorry to be so unforgiving, but today’s discourse leaves me wanting. I have found myself casting a wary eye in all sorts of arenas. Google or Bing, deliver answers to my search. They are creating a narrative but sadly, it is skewed. Over numerous inquiries, they have figured me out.  That’s great because I haven’t figured me out. But I digress. I only hear one side, be it left or right. That is all I see. Are they telling me the truth? Sorta,maybe, kinda. But most of us will never know. 

I love to listen to pundits expound on this or that. I also like to listen to cold, hard facts and develop my own conclusions. Unfortunately, the lines have become blurred beyond distinction. People watch the news and will take it once again as gospel truth. It had to be right because I watched it on FOX, CNN or MSNBC. And they all play to their fan base and sing to the choir. 

So what, you say? Just ask Francis. The now-gone Pope was a treasure to some and a curse to others. During his papacy, the reformers were jubilant and the conservatives despondent. But he had the upper hand. Infalible or not, he was doing the driving for a billion plus Catholics. There were murmurs of discontent but for the most part, the faithful got behind him. 

Where am I going with all of this? Think about all the narratives of your own world. Who are you listening to? A variety of people or the same old hacks. Is their agenda in sync with yours or one you are not terribly comfortable with? Are you overcome with the blare or are you able to discern what you are comfortable with and able to defend?

Most of all is the sheer number of inputs to our psyche. Each one tells a story. Interestingly, the core elements of a narrative include: plot, characters, setting, theme, conflict, and point of view. They meld but each part is distinct and subject to scrutiny. How far we go is probably a combination of how important it is and how hard do we want to work? 

Right now, there is a section of our society that feels lost. They have no coherent story, and even worse, they have no lead singer. On the other side, there is one faction that is dominating the airwaves. I am not saying one is right or wrong, but I would like to hear an alternative thought process. I feel that when one or the other dominates, the message can be flawed. No discussion. No original thought. Boring to a degree and at the same time scary. What do you think? What’s your narrative?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

A narrative starts with a fact. JFK was shot in Dallas on November 22,1963. You can only imagine the plot line or lines that ensue. People can twist and turn and play with facts. 

Controlling the narrative refers to what is being told, by whom, and what outlets one employs. Totalitarian governments don’t let anything get out without careful review and squash any contrary opinions. 

Spin doctors” refer to individuals, often public relations advisors or media consultants, who develop or manipulate messages to influence public opinion or portray a situation in a favorable light. Politics and corporate image creation are fertile fields that are there for the taking. 

Life can be broken down into several key narrative threads: the journey of self-discovery, relationships with others, and the pursuit of purpose and meaning. These narratives weave together to create a unique and evolving story for each individual…..This was from AI. Not bad

Scrambled Eggs….

I was making breakfast for myself this chilly but beautiful morning in Flalaland. A couple of eggs, cheese, bacon and anything else that was lying around looking for a home. It occurred to me that this was a wonderful simile for my brain right now. Contra indicators galore. A little right. A little left. What is a guy to do? 

Reflective as always, I have been reading this and that before I venture outside. One article depicted the plight of a DACA person in Georgia. He came to this beautiful country at 10 months of age. He had no say in the matter. He then just did something stupid like growing up as a normal kid in a small Southern town. 

He went on to get a good job, be involved at the local church, and participate in helping young kids find their way. In his twenties, he has a wife and two kids. In a few weeks, his whole life could get turned upside down. He is illegal by definition, and under the new administration, he is a target for removal. I have a problem with that. 

Under the law, he is wrong to be here. In my poor little brain, I wonder how we can be so stupid but even more inhumane.

Should we round up the criminals and ne’er do wells? Of course, but what is the percentage out of 11 million that have that scarlet letter? I told you last time of our Christmas celebration that The Hope Rural School. I am sure there were illegals there. Should I back throwing them out even though they provide some valuable services to our little Playland?  If I am a Christian doesn’t that go against my beliefs? TTG, you just don’t understand. I guess I don’t. 

I was giving platelets a while back. It is a two hour procedure which is really pretty simple. As I sat there twiddling my thumbs I took a chance. The phlebotomist was black. Stupid Ted said, “Can we talk about the black thing?” Holy Shiite, I am not supposed to ask that. She was more than gracious by saying yes. Her story was beyond revealing. 

She had worked as a phlebotomist for seven years, and her husband was a boat mechanic. Their combined income was above $100,000. They had paid rent on their apartment and never missed a payment for eight years. They wanted to buy a house west of I95 in Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale. They could not get a mortgage. I figured it was because it was way beyond her means. Rashly, I asked how much the price of the house was. $250,000 was her reply. WTF? Is that equality? 

She went on to relate what her life was like. She was not bitter. She simply said if you are in a crap neighborhood, you got crap doctors. If it was a school in a black or Hispanic neighborhood, you got shitty teachers. Tragically, it all made sense. Garbage in. Garbage out. I asked how we could change that? She replied, “by talking to more people like you.” Yikes !

I will probably lose my elite card for thinking about these things. I am an old fart. Who cares if I am troubled? This is not hand-wringing or woe is me. It is things over my life that I have believed in and sometimes cherished. I have now seen them cast aside and minimalized. Please forgive me. 

I hope I am a moral person. This does not mean I am without sin. It just clearly states to me what is wrong and right. If you do something that is wrong you should not get a pass whether you are Hunter Biden or Donald Trump. I have listened to the cognoscenti try to explain away this or that. It just doesn’t hold water. 

In some ways, it comes down to what you think your place is on this big blue marble.

If you feel the world is out there to serve you and meet your every want, then we don’t have a lot to talk about. That is not blowing you off, but just saying we are on different wavelengths. My quandary is wondering if you are right or am I? Better yet is their some sort of common ground? A starting point. Those are kind of rare these days. 

The word that comes to mind is humanity. Humanity can refer to all people in the world, both past and present. It can also refer to the shared values, experiences, and aspirations of all humans. Kind of why are we all here? We see violence in Nola and Vegas. Mass shootings to make a name for oneself. Manifestos that scream about intangibles. Psychological problems and PTSD are the villains. That makes sense, and now let’s get on with life. Sorry for your loss. 

I wonder if this makes any sense at all? I can’t solve the world’s problems. Why even try? Do I just give up and crawl back under my comfortable golf cart or make merry at the club bar. All that outside world is so far away. And that to me kids, is just scrambled eggs. It’s tough to swallow. 

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Perfect Storm. By different estimates we are short 3-5 million homes. Interest rates are stubbornly high. Investors bought 15% of housing stock in 2023. Rents increase by 1 1/2 to 2 time annually. 700,000 homeless are not just mentally ill or on drugs. 

In an oft-cited study, as many as 66.5% of people who file for bankruptcy blame medical bills as the primary cause. As many as 550,000 people file for bankruptcy each year for this reason. This data has been known for many years and has continued even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

There are approximately 1,000,000 illegals that would qualify for DACA. They were brought into our country by their parents. Their average age is 31. Their average length of stay is 25 years. 83% are in the labor force. 96% have high school diplomas. 49% have some sort of higher education. We have not revised our immigration laws in 37 years.