Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

If we are not our brother’s keeper continue to house most of the mentally ill in jails. After all, who cares if they get put in isolation wards when they misbehave there. So that is a form of torture. They usually are put on the cheapest medications not always the proper ones. Families are being destroyed not to say anything of the individuals there. I am sure the suicide rate is high.

I saw this coming decades ago when the states started closing down their state hospitals. The money did not follow into community services but just “evaporated”. Hospitalizations are very expensive. Partials are very cost effective. There is no way a person can be stabilized in a few days. At least in a partial you can be monitored over a long period of time. The therapeutic level of a psychotropic medication is often one to two weeks.

Are we our brother’s keeper? Yes! Yes! We are commanded to take care of the weak, the infirm, those in poverty and the mentally ill. We can not turn our heads to them. Each individual must do his/her part to alleviate their suffering. Our society has become so far away from that. So do your part no matter the role you take. It is never too late to start.

Tags: alleviate suffering, brother's keeper, closing state hospitals, community services, do your part, God, mental illness and jails, never too late to start, partials, psychotropic medication, society, take care of the infirm, take care of the mentally ill, take care of the weak, take care of those in poverty, therapeutic level of medications
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, relationships, wisdom | 1 Comment »

‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’  I think these were words uttered by Thomas Jefferson.  A check and balance system is necessary for government.  That means a free press.  Open dissent is always important.  It forces you to consider another point of view.  Someone is always going to try to take your freedom away.  That is a fact.  That is why eternal vigilance is so important.  I never forgot the ‘Pogo’ cartoon which said ‘I have met the enemy and it is me.’  Everyone has to do their part.  Each person has a role in a democracy.  You can’t ignore your role.  One of the most important ones is your vote.  It matters.  Sometimes an election is won or lost by mere votes so never forget that.  Exercise your freedom to vote.  We have to make our politicians responsive to our needs and not let big money dictate their votes in the legislatures-state and federal.  A politician fears the wrath of the public and the last thing he/she wants to lose is your vote. And they do read the letters you send them.  ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’

Tags: big money, check and balance system, democracy, do your part, election, eternal vigilance, federal, free press, freedom, freedom to vote, government, legislature, open dissent, Pogo cartoon, politicians, politics, price of freedom, state, Thomas Jefferson, your vote
Posted in balance, health, knowledge&learning, life, money, politics, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Relax, you do not have to do it alone!  The whole weight of the world is not on your shoulders.  That is not the way the universe is designed.

Every person has responsibilities and you have to do your part, whatever it is but no one is totally independent.

It is all relative.  Each person is dependent on the other.  The whole world is interdependent on each other for supplying each others’ needs.  You need people to maintain your electricity, your road.

You need farmers to raise your crops, some of which ends up in your local supermarket.  The material for your cell phone had to come from somewhere.  There has to be towers built to transfer the signal.  And that is just the start.  Are you getting the idea?

And some of the people are so disconnected with this.  I had a customer complain once because there were flecks of dirt on her bunch of celery.  Like it was revolutionary for a person to discoverer that food is usually grown in dirt.

We take so many things for granted.  The person who thinks he/she is independent of others is nursing an illusion.  You depend on others for all kinds of services.

There is an upside to this:  you do not have to do it alone.  And that realization can be freeing.  Just do the part you are called to.  Others will do their part in the scheme of things.  And you can relax as a result.

Tags: celery, cell phone, crops, do not have to do it alone, do your part, electricity, farmers, food, freeing, God, illusion, independent, interdependent, our needs, relax, responsibilities, roads, services, supermarket, take for granted, the universe, we are dependent on one another, weight of the world, your shoulders
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, nature, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

I do not have to know everything.  Of course, no one can.  There are few Renaissance people any more.  Yet it is so easy to feel shame if you can not do simple things and envy the knowledge others possess.  It is so hard to know what you know and know what you do not.  This knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.  Ignorance is bliss.  You can relax in the fact this world is interdependent.  We all need one another.

Money can provide the illusion this is not so.  It is truly an illusion.  All you have to do is think of all the services provided for you.  Someone keeps the roads paved.  Someone is raising the crops that provide the food you buy in supermarkets.  The Army and the police assure your safety.  There are scientists, engineers working on solutions to improve your life further.  There are hospitals, doctors, teachers, the list is endless of people out there providing for you and your children.  Are you beginning to get the point?  We are dependent on one another.

In fact the bad economic state we are in even more so forces us to rely on each other.  That is really a good thing.  One does not have to do it alone and can relax.  Still you have to do your part.  Nevertheless, we are interdependent with one another.  We can rely on each other.  That is really the way the world is designed.  In the words of John Donne, ‘No man is an island.’  If we can hold on to that idea, the world becomes a much smaller place and we can relax further.  No one has to do it alone.  We are in this world together.  It is okay to ask for help when you need it and certainly it is okay to reach out to the needs of people around you.  All that can be very comforting.

Tags: balance, comforting, do not have to do it alone, do your part, doctors, economic state, God, hospitals, interdependence, John Donne, knowledge, learning, money, no man is an island, okay to ask for help, raising crops, reach out to others, relationships, rely on each other, Renaissance people, roads paved, services provided, teachers, we all need one another, we can relax, wisdom, world is interdependent
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »