The View From Here

It's hard to know where to start when it comes to Baltimore, Ferguson, etc. etc. All I can muster is sadness, not even anger. I'm truly wondering how much it will take for a real change in policing and those who are supposed to "serve and protect." Now, it is not an unknown fact that communities of color have not experienced such service or protection for generations as racism continues to infect institutions and individuals. There has been minimal progress in diversifying the police force across the US, which crops up in the news now and again when there is a discrimination lawsuit of some sort. I liken this to lynching in the US in that it took nearly ninety years and nearly 4,000 African-American victims before laws were changed in the US. It's disheartening to think it may take just as long before institutional change is made. And even when it does change we continue to struggle with the realities of racism that affect all of our lives and to the detriment ...

One of my favorite shows is The Mindy Project . I "discovered" the show a few months ago so it took me a couple of weeks to catch up on three seasons but it was definitely worth it! Now, there is one doctor, Jessica, that particularly intrigued me because she is a recovering hoarder. I googled to see if there was any commentary about this character played by Julia Stiles but surprisingly there wasn't anything to be found. So, I'll add my two cents... Hoarding is a serious disorder that continues to be misunderstood by the general public. These days people who have hoarding disorder is fodder for reality shows  or a show like The Mindy Project. In some ways I can imagine that these shows provide a level of normalization so people may have a better understanding and hopefully more empathy. On the other hand such shows can act to mock and  misrepresent the severity of the disorder. Regarding Dr. Jessica (she doesn't seem to have a last name) in The Mindy Projec...

Ah, it's a beautiful Spring day in Providence, Rhode Island! I think we may have turned a corner in having cold and chilly weather. Even if we did, it's not snow so hooray for even gloomy days in April. So I sit here with all the windows wide open with fresh air pouring into my abode. I'm also sitting here reflecting on life in general and one thing keeps popping up from last semester so here I go... Last semester in my classes I'm learning about theories...alot of them. Now, I'm not one who leans towards anything theoretical, philosophical or theological. I'm a senser ("S") based on my MBTI which means I rely on my senses to take in information. Thus it takes me a bit longer to "get" the big picture although I definitely keep it in mind when it comes to my life choices. In one class, we were learning about CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and the premise is that if you change what you think about something, emotions and behavior shou...

Ahh, conferences. In so many ways I love going to conferences. I learn so much from workshops, I get inspired by keynote speakers and I get to visit locales that I never would have, e.g. New Orleans, Minneapolis, and so on. In fact not too long ago I returned from a conference that was in Orlando, which is a wonderful respite from the LONG winter in New England. At the same time, conferences are difficult for someone like me who is an introvert. Of course what's always interesting to me is that people insist I'm not an introvert because I am sociable and a good conversationalist. This begs the question, "What do people think introverts are or do? A rock hiding under rocks?" Anyway, as an introvert I've come to accept that my energy stores will be somewhat depleted when I get home. Yet I've learned to navigate the very extroverted spaces at conferences by connecting with other attendees one on one, walking through the resource expos on my own, staying in a ...