A Perfect Day For Banana Fish

J.D. Salinger, dead at 91.

I never read Salinger until I was 19. But from that first read of "Catcher in the Rye", I was hooked. On to "Nine Stories" and "Frannie and Zooey" and on and on again. Such a fantastic writer, such complex themes, such an ability to make me think I'm not as crazy as I think.

One of my fav stories of Salinger's is "A Perfect Day For Banana Fish", a story about a wonderful day at the beach, a man showing a little girl the uninhibited joy of the ocean and telling her tall tales along the way. In typical Salinger style, it ends with a tragedy...and that tragedy comes back to haunt the reader in "Frannie and Zooey."

I hope wherever Mr. Salinger is now, he's enjoying a perfect day...even if there are no banana fish.

The Drop

Special for those who read Engel's Ensights is a bit of exciting info!

Several months ago, my sister-in-law, Martha Munizzi, read "After This..." She loved the concept, especially the scene where I was at rehab school in Denver and did the drop.

An opprotunity came up to enter a film contest and, lo and behold, we're doing it! The last several weeks of inactivity on Engel's Ensights blog have been due to casting calls, screenwriting sessions, rehersals, filming, editing, soundtracks and everything that goes into creating a short film.

It's a heck of an undertaking to condense nearly two years of experiences down into a seven minute short film...but we've done it! The editing and final touches should be completed within a week and shipped off to the contest! When the film is available for public viewing, bet your fur it'll be up on Engel's Ensights!

For now? Just hold on tight...when this film is done, we're hoping to turn it into a full length presentation. Who knows? Your friendly neighborhood blogger could be hitting the big screen soon!

You:

Unless you simply don't watch TV, there's every chance you know Dr. Oz. Oprah first started bringing Dr. Oz around on her show to help inform viewers about different medical issues. His true gift is being able to communicate health matters in a down to earth way. After all, how many of us know our poop should be S-shaped thanks to Dr. Oz?

I just started reading Dr. Oz's "You: On A Diet." I found the title kinda intriguing since, as we've learned for years, diets don't work long term. It has to be a lifestyle change to really have lasting effects. Nonetheless, I enjoyed "You: The Owner's Manual" a few years back, so I dove into "Diet" a night or two ago.

And again, I'm so impressed by the way information is communicated. And since we're in the final stages of finishing up "Stethoscope #2", it just reinforces how vital patient/provider communication is to keeping patients informed and healthy.

My B.S. from Missouri State is in sociology. Most typically, I call sociology "The most useless science on earth." But, that's so not true. Unless you are seeking a Ph.D., no one will ever give you a job as a sociologist, but sociology will help whatever job you do; sales, education, whatever. Same with a degree in communications.

Being able to send and receive information is more key now than ever before. "You" does just that.

What the Missionaries?

Okay, I don't know the full story on this, but I thought it was pretty disturbing...

A missionary group from a church in NJ was in Haiti before the earthquake. The members of the church were having no luck getting in touch with the missionaries, so they all gathered at their church to pray and support one another. The local media came to the church to cover the story.

At one point, a hurried press conference and meeting was called with the gathered members. A female parisoner took the mic and said they'd just received word...all their missionaries were okay and were waiting to get on their first flight out of Haiti.

Beg pardon?

Isn't that precisely WHEN missionaries are most needed? I'm not there and all I can really know about the disaster comes from the tube and the net. And yet? How many of us feel totally helpless? If we COULD be in Haiti, what would we do? First aid, digging through the rubble, corralling children away from dangerous areas? Pass out water? Yes...to all. We all have the ability to do something. I just cannot figure out why a group with a mission to help would, in the face of a golden opprotunity to help, try to leave. Anyone?

Dirt Cookies and Prayer

In the wake of the recent devastation in Haiti from the 7.0 earthquake, I'm reminded of a blog post from Engel's Ensights a couple years back. The article was titled, "Dirt Cookies."

Haiti, being the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has poverty that makes inner city ghettos and Appalachia look like the Ritz-Carlton. Seriously, folks, we cannot even comprehend poverty this bad. Hence why the entire country fell down when the earthquake hit-no money, no jobs equals no quality infrastructure.

Back to dirt cookies...the article I'd read and later blogged about, concerned one of the foods of Haiti. The poorest of the poor in Haiti had begun to make dirt cookies...for consumption. Dirt, lard, salt mixed together and left in the sun to bake. Awful to think any human beings must eat dirt to survive.

Now, in Haiti, we're hearing that there may be as many as 100,000 people dead. In all actuality, with as poor as the country is, they'll likely not be able to properly identify all the quake victims. Thus, may never have an accurate account of the total loss of life.

Here in America, our minds have been on ourselves. Our economy sucks, our unemployment keeps moving up, things don't look real great. But ya know what? We have the ability to help the Haitians. True, we may have to give up a couple of cups of cofffee a week, but those dollars spent on java can easily go to help the relief efforts.

And if this economy has truly hit you too hard to spare any financial donations, do something that doesn't cost money: pray. Or send good energy. Guided meditation-whatever you can do to help, even if it's just staying up on the Haitian news to be able to share that news with others...remember: we Americans live in the richest country on earth. We CAN do something to help...

No Angel

When I was about eight years old, there was big drama in small town Missouri. The Hell's Angels were moving through Missouri on their way to a rally in Washington, D.C. The Mexico Ledger, the only paper covering that part of the world, showed bearded, burly guys on gigantic motorcycles riding two abreast down the road, trails of bikes as far as the camera could shoot.
All my kid-self knew of the Hell's Angels was that they were big, bad and scary. And they had really loud motorcycles. The skulls and death images scared me enough that I spent a couple nights wondering if motorcycle men in their cuts would be breaking into my house.

That image of the Hell's Angels has always stuck with me. I met several of them while working at a Texaco service station along I-70 when I was a teenager. No real impression-they were kind of an improvement on some of the townspeople.

So, just started reading "No Angel" by Jay Dobyns. Dobyns was an ATF agent who went undercover and infiltrated the Hell's Angels circa 2004. The crime, gun smuggling, drug use, culture and rituals of the Hell's Angels are painted so, so well in "No Angel."

Before their first ride with the Angels, Dobyns and the other undercover agents are nervous. Wouldn't you be? They met in a parking lot and tried to put on their game faces; tough, rough and gutsy. Yet, that true fear was hard to shake.

Finally, one of the agents repeated a phrase that stuck: JHAP.

This acronym was tattooed on their bodies, on their patches, bikes-everywhere. What's it stand for? I'm not repeating it here, but suffice to say it's a phrase that basically says: man up.

I totally dig this. Not the phrase, per sey, but just the idea they have a rallying quote that they say outloud and silently when they need to get a job done. I've adopted this phrase into my own internal repotoire.

Whatever your phrase is, internal or something you share, it's really powerful to have a saying that helps you move forward. Your own personalized slogan...what is yours?

Learning Something For A Different Purpose

Have you ever done something to prepare for an event, a situation, etc.? Of course, everyone has.

Now, did that prep only benefit that single event? Probably not.

Let's look at an example or two...

Your class reunion is coming up. Three months before it happens, you get a gym membership, start hitting the treadmill, pumping iron, getting buff. The reunion rolls around and you look awesome! But was there also another benefit besides asthetics? Absolutely!

If you've read "After This...", you may remember tales of my workouts at college before the crash that took my sight. I was truly at the best physical shape I'd ever been in. Bench pressing 350 lbs., eating healthy, tons of strength training-literally. Why was I doing this? Again, asthetics. There were way too many hotties around campus to be as heavy as I was. I wanted to drop the weight and get fit so I could attract the attention of said hotties.

But was there a higher purpose for my working out? That depends on how much you believe in a force that is greater than mere humanity. One physician in the E.R. told my parents, "Your son is strong as a bull and he's going to be okay." Was I strong as a bull? Yes. And why? B/C I wanted to get me some chicks...but that desire ultimately saved my life.

Flash forward to present day:

Last night, we burned the midnight oil working on a new project. Not sayying too much about this until it comes to fruition, but think short film.

Several years ago, my wife, Marvelyne, was going through some tough times. She wanted to create more positive, creative energy in her life, have good connections and work on something she loves. So, she joined a screenwriter's group. They studied the different ways scripts for screenplays are written, the various formats, dialogue, wrapping up character development into a short time span, etc. In the back of her mind, she's had an idea for a screenplay for years. In addition to the creativity generated by the group, Marvelyne also wanted to see her idea become a reality.

Well, we spent all day yesterday cranking through the script of a short screenplay we hope to get produced in the next couple months. And why could we do this task in a single day? B/c Marvelyne's knowledge of how to do a script.

All those meetings in the bookstore with other screenwriters, all the research of watching movies to see how they're structured, all the hours spent in collaboration on different screenplay projects-those were what made this project move so smoothly.

When you're preparing for something, keep in mind there may be benefits you aren't even thinking about!

Man, I love Buddhists!

Part of my overall desire to continually improve myself and my life is kicking into high gear as of late. Maybe it's the new year, or maybe it's just time for it, but I've been working a lot more on my eastern philosophy. Not that I'm really doing that much besides reading and trying to meditate a few minutes per day, but, as the proverb says: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Last night, ran across a Buddhist proverb about happiness. Any really deep philosophical stuff can get weighed down in verbage...which is why I love these little one liners. Here's last night's that I'm trying to incorporate into life:

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

So, I am! And if this is helpful to you, thank a Buddhist!

They Truly Believe It

Caught an NPR interview yesterday with John Oliver, a correspondent for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

Up front disclaimer: "The Daily Show" is something I'll watch for a few minutes if it's on, but I don't go seek it out. Some may assume I'm not an avid fan due to the left leaning philosophy of the show. Negative. I just rarely turn on Comedy Central unless I'm watching "South Park." Simple as that.

Anyway, John Oliver was being interviewed about some of the correspondent duties he's performed "in the field." Keep in mind this is comedy and satire and shouldn't be taken too seriously-but it's always pretty entertaining.

As with most everything in comedy, the truest moments of hilarity are found in the extremes. And extremes and politics just go hand in hand. Sad, but true.

Oliver was commenting on his days spent covering the Tea Parties that have popped up in the last couple years. And, it was funny-and a bit disturbing.

Back in my sociology classes at Missouri State University (specifically, Social Movements taught by Dr. Gary Brock), we discussed how a group of moderately like minded individuals get together and the common set of beliefs becomes more fundamental. For example, if you go to a gathering of religious folks, the common tiemelds the people together. When they meld, they also become more staunch in their beliefs. At some point, you may actually see people trying to outdo one another by proving their beliefs are so strong. Like two Trekkies trying to prove their pedigree by seeing who knows more Captain Kirk trivia.

Olivver commented on this phenomenon by sharing his experiences at the Tea Parties. Paraphrasing here, but he talked about one person dressed in Colonial garb who kept spewing venom about President Obama and how he's a Muslim and welcoming terrorists into America. An extreme belief? Certainly...but this Paul Revere wannabe truly believes it.

Oliver gave different belief systems he's witnessed. Both liberal AND conservative, he talked about how interesting it is to see the fervor and fundamentalism of others' beliefs.

Some aspects of the Tea Parties I totally agree with. Some aspects of the events held by America's liberals I agree with. However, I don't ever want to attend any such rally because I WANT to keep perspective. I want to stay moderate. I want to always be open to the ideas and viewpoints of others. As soon as one steps into one of these rallies, my belief is that they lose perspective. Not unlike getting caught up in the excitement of a big party, I want my political and social leanings to always be able to have the ability to take a step back, take a good look at all aspects, THEN determine which elements fit within my belief system.

Do What You Do Best

If you've been keeping up with me on Facebook, you might recall I'm in the process of finishing up the writing of "The Other End Of The Stethoscope #2: 33 More Insights For Excellent Patient Care."

If you've never written a book, it may be hard to understand what a colossal pain in the butt it is to write a book. Every author and writer has their own way of doing things. Here's mine:

First, crank through the rough draft as quick as possible. Typeos, incorrect grammar, incomplete sentences, who cares? I just get it out of my head and onto my hard drive.

Second step: self editing. I go back through every line, trying to clean it up, make it flow more smoothly and to re-read it with a different pair of eyes (or, in my case, ears.)

Then, I pass it off to a professional. Third step? My lovely wife, Marvelyne. We fell in love sometime while she was editing "After This..." and my first "Stetho" book, and even though we now share an address, she's not afraid to tell me, "Marc, this sucks." To which I usually give a big groan and tell her to have her way with it. THAT, faithful reader, is key...

I'm now in stage #2, self editing. And what do I know? I'm no editor. Not even close. This is why, in 2010, I want to continue to live a truth I already know: Do what you do best...and let others do what THEY do best.

No one can write my chapters, books, Ensights and blogs for me. But, I can't write a book by myself. There's just too many aspects of creating a book that are too important to trust to me alone. Hence, this is where an editor (or, in my case, wife) comes in.

Writers must, MUST trust their editors. The editor's whole job is to edit. That is often thought of as proofreading. And that's part of it, but a pretty small part of it. In actuality, a spellcheck program is probably better than the human eye for proofing. The editor, however, helps massage the words to have the correct impact on the reader. By the time my editor/wife starts to do this, I'm pretty well burnt out on the book in general. So, I need her fresh eyes to create something better out of something (hopefully) good.

This year, make a committment to do what you do best...and to let others take on the tasks where they excel. Everyone ends up much happier this way!

Happy New Years!

Well, it's three days into 2010 and I'm already behind on one of this year's resolutions. Shocking, I know.

As with the last several years, I've always had the goal to blog daily. To hit that 365 blogs posted by Dec. 31 is always what I'm shooting for...and over the four plus years of blogging, it's a goal I've only hit once. But this year, I'm going to give it the ol' college try once again, so here goes!

My stepson, Jordan, is a notoriously bad texter. Half the time he and I chit chat by text, I have to write back: "What?" Either he's just bad at spelling or trying to type too fast or doing it under his desk while the professor lectures, it usually comes through as some garbeldy gook I need a magic decoder ring to translate.

So, a few minutes after midnight on Jan. 1, a text popped up from Jordan. It read: Happy New Years!

While there's nothing in here to make spellcheck get all whacked out, I'm pretty sure he meant to repeat the new year greeting as it's intended. That is, in the singular form: Happy new year.

But, why not plural? Why can't we wish one another multiple years of happiness?

The old addage: Today is the first day of the rest of your life...any different than happy new years?

Both look forward to the future. Both are showing a desire for others to celebrate in the joy and happiness of life. And, whether it's from Jordan's text message, or just because we've got only one chance to go around on this big blue sphere in the heavens, I'm taking advantage of it.

So, happy new years to you, faithful blog reader...I promise more reading pleasure in 2010!