A Word of Advice, Play to Your Strength

 

Jeff—Saturday

With all that's transpired over the last ten days, I fell to reminiscing about advice I've taken (and given) on how to navigate difficult times. That led me to reflect on why so many of us think that what comes easily to us, must come easily to everyone else. 

The natural corollary to that sort of thinking is that what comes so effortlessly cannot possibly be as meaningful as what does not.  For example, some know precisely what colors and patterns work well together, while others can’t even match black shoes with black socks.  Some can whistle a complex tune with perfect pitch, while others can barely blow their noses. Two unique skills, each too often taken for granted by its possessor.

Then there are writers who breeze through complex narrative portrayals, all the while dreading the eventual paragraphs of dialog to come.  And the artist genius with pen and ink that shrinks at the thought of touching oil to canvas. They, as well as those tortured by the opposite dilemmas, all thinking that what comes so easily to them is not as valued by society as that which does not.

I’m not meaning to suggest that one should not work hard toward mastering the more difficult aspects of one one’s chosen craft, but in seeking to master a skill set you find difficult, do not do so to the neglect of enhancing your natural gifts.  In other words, play to your strengths. 

Yes, we all admire and respect those who persevere and succeed in mastering the most challenging aspects of their work, but what of the many who lose patience in the struggle, become frustrated, and simply give up, sacrificing the potential of their natural gifts in the process.

Each of us has gifts meant for us to develop, nurture, and exploit.  If we pursue what we think is more valued by society, to the neglect of what we’re blessed with, we’re playing into the strengths of those who possess the very gifts we lack.  Our energies should be directed toward successfully competing through our strengths.

It’s like a five-foot-tall natural born jockey who, instead of racing, chooses to compete against seven-foot giants in basketball.  The outcome will assuredly be as unsatisfying for the jockey, as it would be for a seven-footer who decides charging for the finish line astride thoroughbreds is a better choice than heading for the hoop in a pair of Air Jordans.

Bottom Line: “Play the cards you’re dealt.”  But play them well.

That’s all for this week’s sermon.

–—Jeff

Some patients need a little more patience.

There are some patients that require a little more patience. And here's a list that started off as a small paragraph on the internet and has gained some traction.....

Little Miss Its nothing to do with me;  Yes, I’m very overweight. I don’t do any exercise. I don’t take my medication. I won't follow any of your advice. Can you sort me out please?

Little Miss Rude; Those patients that treat the reception staff abominably but are charm personified towards the therapist. Never think that receptionists will go out their way to get them an appointment in a busy clinic. Receptionists are all powerful.

Mr Liar Liar pants on fire; So what’s your alcohol intake for the week? How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? So, you’re following a strict diet and your weight is going up. One lettuce leaf in a burger does not equate to salad. And you reek of tobacco. And you have a half eaten bar of chocolate in your pocket.

Mrs Anne Tibiotic; Can I have an anti biotic. No, you have a viral infection. Yeah but it needs an anti biotic...

The Columbo patient; Appointment is over, notes written up, patient has his hand on the doorhandle to leave the room and turns round and says, "just one more thing". Then announces something really significant like 'Does that explain why my foot has gone black?'

Mr Miracle Seeker; I’ve been in constant agony for 3 months but I’m going on holiday tomorrow.

                                                          

Hello darlin, how you doing sweetheart; To which the answer is 'I’m a healthcare professional and I have a very sharp pointy needle.'

Little Miss Pure Agony; "Can you just see me please, I’m desperate, I’m in pure agony."  "We can give you an emergency appointment at 3.30."   "I can’t make that, I’ve got my pole dancing class."

Mr Secretive;  "Are you sure that’s all the medication you’re on, you seem to be bleeding quite a lot." "Well the anti coagulants are nothing to do with my knee, are they?"

Little Miss Shower Dodger; She'll ask why I’m wearing a mask. Answer is always followed by the line "Your muscles are very tight. Why don’t you have a long hot shower before you come and see me the next time?"

                                             

Little Mr Sociable; "Oh that was great I feel a lot better. I’ve got 500 pictures of my cruise on my phone, do you want to see them."

Mr I Need a Referral patient:  This is every second patient with our NHS. They are closely followed by Miss Can I have a letter.

Mr Spreadsheet: "I’ve made a small spreadsheet of my pain, coloured coded with intensity, distribution, duration going up to 12 different factors."

Miss Phone Syndrome: Those patients who will happily answer the phone in the middle of the consultation just to have a chat with their pals despite visible signage to switch all phones to silent. Patients who say "can I leave my phone on as I’m expecting a call from the hospital/care home/ doctor" are perfectly welcome to do so.

                                                  

Mr I’ve looked it up on google: Congratulations but you still don’t get sciatica in your arm.

Mr Missing in Action; Constant repeat non attendee sometimes accompanied by his friend "too late to be seen". This begs a philosophical question. How can somebody constantly be 13 minutes late?  Surely after the first time being 13 minutes late you leave the house 13 minutes earlier.

Mr Two for the price of one: "Can you just have a look at the wife while I’m here?" Also followed by "Can I bring the whole family?" Using the reception as a creche facility. To be fair most patients phone up and say "I’m really sorry I’m going to have to bring the kids with me."

                                                 

Mr Chronic Complainer; Never ever dare to get these patients better. They really only exist to complain about their pain. However its usually ok to play golf but they are too sore to load the dishwasher.

Little Miss Vague; There’s a long story. It's  not really about anything and that can lead to the conversation. "So where does it hurt exactly?" To which they answer "At the bus stop."  Vagueness of pain can be part of the symptom picture, however there is precisely vague and then vaguely vague.

The Frequent Flyer: What is known in the trade as the Martini patient – anytime, anyplace anywhere.

After reading who has been selected for the position with responsibility for health in the US, I think the issues above are relatively mild. Maybe we’ll see in the upturn in the numbers of Little Miss Conspiracy Theorist attending we all know all doctors are trying to kill off the population or injecting them with brain controlling nanobots. If the patients above had their brain controlled by a nanobot, it might make the job easier. And as I live in close proximity to Glasgow Airport, I could be affected by the mind altering vapour trails from the jets so the madness is not mine.

                                        

Caro






 

Rock and Write

Wendall -- every other Thursday

When I was little, there were two things that I lived for—books and the radio. 

 

One of my early favorites with a great cover shot by Henry Diltz.

 

Stevie! Never lower than #2 on my annual "15 Reasons to Live" list.

Whenever we were in the car, I would beg my father to stay on any radio station that was playing Stevie Wonder, The Guess Who, or  “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” no matter how static-y it might get.

 

My most prized possession was the transistor radio I received in second grade. 

 

Remember these? Just small enough to hide under my pillow.

 

As a pre-teen and teenager, singles and albums were my currency. 

 

One of my first singles--Marvin Gaye's "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby."

A blouse worth four albums was usually a no. If it came down to the newest Linda Rondstadt or a pizza, the choice was easy. I often based my purchase of new artists like Valerie Carter or Warren Zevon on the session players listed on the back cover. 

 

Practically every artist I loved, from Earth Wind & Fire to Little Feat, to Linda Ronstadt appears on Valerie Carter's debut record.

 

This record was a who's who of 70s stars and session players, from Zevon's roommates Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham to Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, and J.D. Souther, etc.

 

During college I worked at The Record Bar (RIP!) in Chapel Hill, NC and bought three albums a week (they were five dollars then), adding significantly to my collection.

 

Bangles record signed during an "in store" at The Record Bar.

 

I schlepped all my albums to my first job in Massachusetts, to graduate school, cross country in my 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 to California, and to four of my five apartments in LA.

 

Five years ago, with a “media closet” full of not only almost 2000 albums, but just as many CDs and even more VHS tapes and DVDs, my husband requested a consolidation/cleanout. Fair enough, but it still killed me.

 

I had plenty of albums which, in perfect condition, were valuable. Mine were far from mint. I was one of those people who dropped the needle over and over on my favorite song and the constant moves had left the covers less than pristine.

 

 

 

At the time I was going through my albums, this wasn't available on CD and, in mint condition, was going for $195. I still have it.

I promised to donate at least a large stack of records as long as I had backups on CD and MP3. 

 

One of my donation stacks.

 

 

Another one.  Of course I have Randy Newman in all formats.

As I went through them, I kept seeing tracks that hadn’t necessarily been hits, but that I had loved. As a tribute, I posted one of them, Robert Palmer’s “Mean Old World” on Facebook. 

 

The next day I posted “Runs in the Family” by The Roches.

 

Five years later, I have posted a new “album cut of the day” pretty much every day on my Facebook page. So, for this anniversary, I offer up a few covers of albums I adore.

 

 

I’ll keep going with my "album cuts of the day," hoping music and books get us through, as they always have.

And if you want to hear me talk about how my love for music factors into the Cyd Redondo series, here’s an interview on the Aural Mess podcast about it.

 

The creation of Cyd Redondo’s musical taste: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9UhuV9uXJI/

 

Full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcZgSUGehcw

 --Wendall 

How a Writer’s Drafts Mirror US History: From Revolutionary Beginnings to the Present Chapter of Fear and Uncertainty

Kwei--Wed

Introduction:
The evolution of a writer’s drafts can be likened to critical periods in US history, capturing both aspirations and turbulence. From the raw vision of a revolutionary start to the unexpected, uncertain twists of the present day, each draft stage echoes a different era. This article examines how these stages of writing align with historic American moments, concluding with the current draft. In this ongoing process, the direction remains unclear as sycophantic and extreme influences shape new challenges.

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1. The First Draft: Revolutionary Beginnings

The first draft represents the nation’s founding—a period of raw ideas and unpolished ideals. Much like the colonists dreamed of independence, a writer begins with fresh concepts, even if rough around the edges. At this stage, creativity is boundless, and like the Revolution, this draft’s foundation is bold but incomplete. Much more lies ahead in shaping the final product.

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2. The Second Draft: Rebuilding Like the Reconstruction Era

The second draft is a time of reflection and structural change, similar to the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War. Writers revisit gaps and inconsistencies, reworking characters and plots for cohesion. Like America striving to unify and redefine itself, this stage is about careful refinement, bridging ideas for a cohesive narrative.

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3. The Third Draft: Growth and Progress in the Mid-20th Century

The third draft aligns with America’s mid-20th century, a time of prosperity and refinement. Here, the writer’s vision is mainly realized, with the narrative’s style, tone, and direction honed to reflect a strong voice. Like this historical period's economic boom and cultural richness, this stage is about final touches to create a balanced and structured work. However, all is not sweetness and light. Many inequities and injustices remain. The draft needs work.

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4. The Current Draft: Present-Day Uncertainty and Unexpected Revisions

The editorial board has given an unexpected directive in the current draft, paralleling the present political developments. As today’s political landscape reflects a shift toward sycophantic and extremist influences, the writer’s plot must incorporate new characters embodying these traits. The direction is unclear, the revisions vast, and the outcome uncertain. It’s a draft under construction, a stage that could still go in many ways depending on these evolving influences and choices.

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Conclusion:
The evolution of a writer’s draft mirrors American history's transformations, from groundbreaking beginnings to periods of refinement, growth, and current uncertainty. Just as today’s political landscape appears conflicted, complex, and, some might say, cataclysmic, this ongoing draft reflects a story in flux, yet to find its final form amidst diverse and challenging influences.

 

Putting Events in Perspective

Annamaria on Monday

The news of the past few days has been pretty gloomy for me and most of my friends.  Yesterday, I did physically what I think my country did politically last Tuesday.  You know what happened in the election.  For me, I acted it out on my way to get milk for my morning coffee. I tripped and fell down.  Suddenly, I found myself face down in the street.

Those of you who have read my post from last week will recall that I bragged about  my City of New York, referring - among other things - to the fact that if someone falls down, the people nearby immediately try to help.  The three people who were there bore me out.  Immediately, those strangers rushed to help, got me to my feet, and waited to make sure I was okay before they went about their own business.  

If you were going to categorize me in one word, it would be optimistic.  Some would say I'm a cockeyed optimist. The results of the US election last week have made millions of Americans profoundly unhappy.  I was disappointed in the result and spent a couple of days not wanting to think, much less talk about it.  Those New Yorkers, rushing to my aid, put my mind back on track.  For most of us, when it comes to day-to-day life, not much is going to change abruptly.  People are going to continue behaving as they have. 

Life will continue until the new administration takes office.  At least, given the result, we will not be subjected to endless claims of a rigged election.  The people who have been screaming about the cheating and  election fraud suddenly have faith in the process.  My worst fear, attempts at trying to take over the government by force (as happened on January 6, 2020) will not occur.

As far as the changes that Mr. MAGA has promised, I imagine he will try to enforce them.  But will that be easy?  And will the results produce what he told the voters to expect.

Here is what Harvard historian Heather Cox Richardson predicted in one of her "Letters from an American."

Social media has been flooded today with stories of Trump voters who are shocked to learn that tariffs will raise consumer prices as reporters are covering that information. Daniel Laguna of LevelUp warned that Trump’s proposed 60% tariff on Chinese imports could raise the costs of gaming consoles by 40%, so that a PS5 Pro gaming system would cost up to $1,000. One of the old justifications for tariffs was that they would bring factories home, but when the $3 billion shoe company Steve Madden announced yesterday it would reduce its imports from China by half to avoid Trump-promised tariffs, it said it will shift production not to the U.S., but to Cambodia, Vietnam, Mexico, and Brazil. 

There are also stories that voters who chose Trump to lower household expenses are unhappy to discover that their undocumented relatives are in danger of deportation. When CNN’s Dana Bash asked Indiana Republican senator-elect Jim Banks if undocumented immigrants who had been here for a long time and integrated into the community would be deported, Banks answered that deportation should include “every illegal in this country that we can find.” Yesterday a Trump-appointed federal judge struck down a policy established by the Biden administration that was designed to create an easier path to citizenship for about half a million undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. 

Let's look back at the results of similarly rightwing presidents of the recent (by my standards) presidents of the past.  Both Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were elected by even greater majorities of voters than Trump.  And with a greater percentage of elegible voters going to the polls.   

In 1972, Nixon won with 520 electoral votes, to George McGovern's 17!  That win propelled Tricky Dick to way overstep his bounds and eventually to resign in disgrace to avoid impeachment.

  

In 1984, Ronald Reagan got 525, compared to Walter Mondale's 49!.  But his "trickle down”economic approach led to an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, and many members of the middle class dropping into poverty.  As his second term ended, large swaths of the population became aware that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and the world had discovered the Iran-Contra scandal that smeared his reputation.

Those presidents, with their enormous wins, began to think they could do no wrong.  Truth, as we know, is the daughter of time.

If we look even further back in time, we see that progressive changes keep happing all over the planet regardless of the ups and downs of year by year politics.  Here is the truth about the trends in human experience:

Optimism for the world in general...

I think young people worldwide are growing up more tolerant than other generations have.  We can chalk this up to trends going on for a century or more.  Here is the good news about what the human race has been up to.

Far fewer people live in extreme poverty

Child mortality is also way down.

Illiteracy is waning around the globe.

 

Similar worldwide gains in education show that average education level of the citizens of the world improves enormously every single decade.

You won't hear about this progress on the nightly news.  Why?  Because, by its nature, the news concerns itself more with the unusual and negative than with positive trends.  But if you take the long-term view, the world is heading in a beautiful direction.  And, given what we know about the youth of the world, when people my age turn the reins over to the young, they will not try to push the world backwards.

World wide, women and people of color are more and more taking leadership roles in political life.  this will not go way.

In the year 2000, my husband David and I were in Rome on Election Day, watching the results on CNN in our hotel room.  When the station declared the winner to be Al Gore, we went to sleep happy.  By morning, though the result was changed.  We woke up to the news that G.H.W. Bush had won.  Out on the streets of the eternal city, we met many other American tourists who were down in the dumps.  David was very depressed, seeing his hopes dashed for an environmentally astute president.

"Look around us, David," I said.  "This beautiful city.  Vibrant. Full of energy.  it is gorgeous.  Populated with people leading very nice lives.  Taking their children to school.  Going to work.  Making great coffee in the cafes.  Falling love.  Careening up and down the hills in taxis.  This is a happy place. It was once ruled by Caligula!  And he had no checks and balances on him.  Yet, not even a ruler as miserable as Caligula can ruin human progress forever."

In the words of Mohandas Gandhi:

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall – think of it – always.”

LOVE ALWAYS WINS

 

How Could I Have Missed It, Again?

Jeff—Saturday

As you may have heard, something big happened in the US this week...on Tuesday to be precise.  It led me to see what I'd written about a similar occurrence in 2016. Below is what I wrote back then...with clarifying UPDATES marked as such and set off in [Brackets]:

I don’t know why I didn’t see it coming. I mean, I was in Greece for all three of the populist SYRIZA party’s successful elections, in Europe for the populist Brexit victory, and born and raised in western Pennsylvania amid the down-to-earth families making up the heart of America’s steel and coal country.  Think Michael Cimino’s “The Deer Hunter,” and you get the picture.  In fact, I played football against the high school team from the Monongahela River mill town of Clairton where much of the movie was filmed.

My father's friend owned the tractor featured in this opening scene of The Deer Hunter

I also realized from the moment I first set foot in New York City in 1969 that New York City—whoops make that Manhattan—thinks nothing like the rest of the country, until you hit LA, Washington D.C., or a few spots around Chicago.

Yet, the same as practically everyone else in NYC, I drank the media’s and odds-makers’ Kool-Aid and never saw it coming [UPDATE-This time the odds makers got it right].  

Yes, folks, the populist Cubs actually won the World Series! [UPDATE-In 2016 over Cleveland]  Who would have thunk it? 

[UPDATE-In 2024 the New York Yankees got whooped by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series--but Trump whipped both New York and California in the who gets to seriously govern the world competition.]

Cleveland rooters are understandably disheartened. So close, but yet so far.  At least there is solace to be taken in knowing that, “Better luck next year” is far more optimistic a rallying cry than say, “Better luck in four.” [UPDATE-though the latter form of rallying cry worked for Trump after losing in 2020]

And speaking of Pittsburgh (where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers meet to form the Ohio), I returned for a fundraiser Thursday night, and a book event Friday night at Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania (under new owners, Natalie Sacco and Trevor Thomas [UPDATE-Now owned by Kristy Bodnar and Tara Goldberg-DeLeo]—a town rather far up the Allegheny River from where I grew up.

Mystery Lovers second from left

And with its legendary Oakmont Country Club, known for hosting US Open Golf Championships, a much different community from The Deer Hunter’s Clairton.

Oakmont

Clairton

Both nights’ events were grand times packed with folks, food, and adult beverages, but I want to mention something about the first…the second is old news. 

Wynton Marsalis headlined the non-booksigning event

The event on Thursday night brought together 1100 supporters of The Pittsburgh Promise, a charitable organization offering all students of Pittsburgh Public High Schools, resident in Pittsburgh and in its schools since 9^th grade, who graduate with at least a 2.5 grade average and 90% attendance record, scholarships of $7,500 per year for four years toward accredited post secondary education, be it college or technical schools in Pennsylvania.

Since its creation a decade [UPDATE-and a half] ago, The Pittsburgh Promise has raised $194 million toward its funding goal of $250 million, awarded over 6800 scholarships [UPDATE 12,266] totaling more than $89 million [UPDATE $179 million], and seen college-going rates increase from 58% to 68% among graduates of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The motto of The Pittsburgh Promise is, “Dream Big, Work Hard, Give Back.”

I’d say that’s a solid motto for us all to grab onto in these times. [UPDATE-AMEN]

As for those Cleveland fans out there [UPDATE- and millions of others] still down in the dumps, allow me to pass along a bit of anecdotal advice.  Someone I hold very dear spent a solid two weeks at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center working twenty-hour days as one of those in charge of organizing the victory celebration for Hillary.

Trust me, it doesn’t get much harder on the soul than what happened that night. [UPDATE-though it did, for in 2024 that same soul was charged with organizing the victory celebration for Kamala]

Yet, by today, my friend is back on track, putting the disappointment behind, and doing what one must to go on. 

That’s consistent with what my pappy always said, “The only ones who lose in life are those who give up when they’re down.” 

So, listen up all you Chief Wahoo fans, hang in there for this, too, shall pass. “Go Indians”…unless, of course, you happen to be playing the Pirates in the Series. [UPDATE-There was a pitched battle between those who saw it offensive and those who saw it as tradition for the Cleveland (Ohio) baseball team to continue calling itself the Indians and use "Chief Wahoo" in its branding. In 2021, after one-hundred and six years as the Indians, the team renamed itself the Cleveland Guardians.]

Chins up. [UPDATE-the times are changin' whether we want them to or not.]

—Jeff