A Walk Down Irving Street

                        A Walk Down Irving Street

 I was reading Doctor Northrop’s book the other day, and left Jeremy’s hospital room to take a walk down Irving Street to get some coffee at Don Juan’s Turkish coffee and Market, better known as Big Bears Sandwich Shop.  I will explain later where I got the name of Mr. Smooth Talker of Turkish coffee.

 I was pondering an excerpt in the book that the doctor had spoken of, from a Doctor Marshall Rosenberg. “All human behavior is an attempt to get a need met. This begins by listening for our needs and the needs of others- and believing that it’s okay to have needs in the first place.” So in other words, take small steps outside our boxes, and initiate compassionate verbiage to others. Rosenberg continued to say that “In order to flourish, we need to learn how to be in compassionate dialogue with ourselves. Rosenberg continues to say that as you become more conscious of our own roles in this feedback loop, and then change your thoughts and behavior patterns, both your health as an individual, and our health as a society will improve”.

So, I go back and see the man at the market (where I got a previous sandwich from) who said, “Come back to me beautiful lady, and let me make love (with my hands) and make you the best Turkish coffee you have ever had.” As I was checking out, the man was seducing me with his eyes, and he asks me, “Why are you here?” I tell him about my son briefly, don’t want to get too close, but surprised at how good the connection felt.  He says to me, “Are you not going to ask me how my day is going? So I did…He says, “I just buried my 17 year old niece, she died in a car accident.  He says, Give me your hand. Now just touch these two small fingers (pinky finger) together. That is how much connection and control we have over other people’s lives.”

             It is so easy to make that meaningless conversation like, “How’s your day going…. good and how’s your day going? Good…and that is it! Nothing! We just continue to get out of life what we put into it.  I got so much out of Mr. Don Juan on Irving Street; his Turkish coffee and his seductive eyes made my entire week. It made me think a lot about myself and how much more I want to connect with others before I die. I shared this story with my daughter Cassie. She and I desire this approach with people just because it is out of the norm. Everyone desires connection, we all want to feel important, to feel needed, and want to be accepted.

 In conclusion, the last five years I have been trying to make sense of it all; dissecting my normality’s or lack thereof. I do not have any regrets, because I know that the past cannot be changed. I am not bitter towards anyone because of what they may have done, nor do I feel sorry for the mistakes that I have made; I cannot change what has happened in the past, but I can redirect the future. I see a pattern in the family, one of isolation (which I have), and laziness (which I am guilty), and excuses (which I make), for not stepping out more; it does not cost anything to give of yourself or share a story to another. My concern and desire at this time, is to break a cycle in hopes that my children will be more aware of ‘outward love. Big Bears Sandwich Shop gave me a shot in the heart, and Mr. Don Juan, the smooth talker, taught me a lot that day.  I suspect he has had a lot of practice with the ladies, and it takes that extra step to open your heart to another without judgment. Maybe, one day, my children can experience a walk like I had down Irving Street

With all my love

Suzanne

CAFO's Conscentrated Animal Feeding Operations

     I will never be past the fact that these operations are heart wretchedly inhumane, but worse than that is the living conditions the animals exist in. The unhealthy existence of disease in the animals, and over-medication post a real concern for our future health. Super-bugs, flesh eating bacterial infections, and antibiotic resistant viral infections are brewing up in these farms; They will  spread a future pandemic and it is just a matter of time. I understand that without these farms there would not be enough food for everyone, but looking at the negative global impact they are making makes it frightening. Even though the USDA is slow (to say the least) at responding. The question is, "Are we cutting off our nose despite our face"? Are we not looking hard enough into future preservation, but rather focusing on a quick profit now?
      The farming industry is attempting to iron out its communication problems, or lack there of  is stated by (Mundy & Thompson, 2010).  The recent egg recall where over a half a billion eggs were recalled, is a great example of how relaxed government regulations are. The conditions were labeled as "critical" by one USDA inspector, but this was not reported. Oh my gosh! What is an inspectors job and why are they there?
The real concern and question are how many CAFO's has this been taking place in? Who regulates all of the farms out of the United States? We get meat and dairy from them too!  This is ridiculous...
 I have been doing a lot of research on my project paper and recently purchase a book titled Inside the Outbreaks, The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service by Mark Pendergrast. Mr. Pendergrast has been so kind as to share some valuable information with me that can be found in my paper.

Mundy, A., & Tomson, B.,  Egg Inspectors Fail to Raise Alarms (2010)  Wallstreet Journal Article under Politics, September 10th. retrieved 9/26/2010 
http://www.anh-usa.org/factory-farming

It Is a Mad World

Of all the topics to choose from in my Composition class, I once again  am back on Factory Farming. I am not a vegetarian, but I am an animal lover. I am putting my feelings aside this time, rehearsing my Serenity Prayer, and focusing on the health concerns rather than the inhumane aspect if; I truly am empathetic about  the growing health concerns. So I ask myself one again, why am I back here? The hardening fact is that misinformation in very unsettling to me, and  I personally do not like the twisted truth.  Another maddening aspect is the amount of grocery stores in America. Within a 3 mile radius of my home in California, not only are there 20 different grocery store chains, there are numerous duplicates. Where is all this food coming from and what the heck is in it? When I say food I mean digestible consumable ingredient including chips, candy, mystery sandwiches, drinks.....oh my gosh...lets not forget all the fast food places! Now...do you get my drift?
What ever happen to home made, from the farm to the table?

Friendships Are Personal

It is ironic that I am going to write on friendship, yet I tend to be reclusive.
I have come to realize, based on past experiences that as a general rule people do not speak about there friends, but rather have a relationship with them. In observation, why is it then that people are offended when you mention God and Jesus? Are we programed to think of believers as desperadoes, or are we focused too much on what others think? What about this: A conversation takes place and Jose's name comes up, how is his name intertwined in the story? When we talk about Jesus or God' are there names presented the same way, or is His name presented with bias? If we read a Biography on a person's life then act the way that person did does that make him/her our friend? So then if you were to talk about ( the person in the biography) in a conversation, presenting him/her as your friend, wouldn't that seem a bit odd? Do you see where I am going with this? Perhaps then, Jesus would be a person/spirit others would want to get to know if our level of  presentation were different. Friendships are personal, and if we love the way someone has lived in the past, then walk the walk. We believers our blessed with gifts of glory when we do this, as I have many a testimony. I am not a person to brag but I am truly thankful!
Have a wonderful day!
Love Suzanne

Being Alone...A Choice or Are We Following?

I recently visited my mother and father who both are in their seventies now. Even though it was wonderful to see them a sadness came over me.  Four o'clock in the morning my mother makes coffee, sits in the recliner with her blanket and falls back asleep. She wakes back up when my father rustles to get his morning coffee, then proceeds to makes his breakfast. They both sit at the table in silence while my father watches his news. He gets up and goes back to his office while she cleans up; every morning. I was with them for 35 days and nothing about their routine changed.  They do not commingle with friends, go to the market together, walk together or anything. At least they didn't for the 35 days I was their.
   When I visited my grandmother over 25 years ago she was alone, in her recliner with the television remote control. She lived alone in a Florida community with plenty of other seniors and even a shuttle service. Still she sat at home alone, no friends, repeating the same routine everyday.
      I sit alone at home reading, writing and doing housework while my teenage son is in school. One of my daughters is living on her own now, the other is almost eighteen. My husband works either on his computer or away from home every week. Although I push myself to meet people in this new location I surrender to being alone in my home. I got up early this morning, made coffee and am fighting falling back to sleep again before I have to make breakfast for my men. This is clearly a cycle that I am going to break, but is there a gene I am missing here or will my children be lonely too?