tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60470145863494959182024-03-14T13:25:08.530-07:00Bill Williams' BlogA blog on creativity, in our schools and in the workplace. Also devoted to fighting addiction in every way possible. Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-92038891300221778282024-03-14T13:24:00.000-07:002024-03-14T13:24:15.426-07:00Eve's Big Vision<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Over eleven years ago, my son William went to a New York City hospital and asked to be admitted for inpatient detox.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">He was using heroin, benzodiazepines, cannabis, and alcohol. Within a few short hours, he was turned away, his insurers' deeming detox “not medically necessary”.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Four days later he accidentally overdosed on heroin. Six weeks of hospitalization followed before it became clear William was consigned to a permanent vegetative state. We removed him from life support and made an anatomical donation of his body to Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">My reaction to losing William was to write both about the trauma our family experienced and the failures of our treatment system. It was my way of coping with catastrophe and doing my best to ensure William’s death was not in vain. I was fortunate enough to have two essays published in the <i>New York Times</i>. Writing had its desired effect. I was contacted by several treatment programs in New York and asked if I might contribute some writing toward their work. My wife, Margot, and I were offered the opportunity to testify about the lack of parity for substance use disorder and mental health treatment before several congressional committees. This advocacy was and is exciting and rewarding. The best part, however, is not the exposure to large numbers of people. It is meeting and discovering common cause with committed, exceptional, inspiring, individuals who share the experience of losing a child to addiction. Such a person is my now friend Eve Goldberg.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> Close to a decade back, Eve and I were seated next to one another at a formal event as a “You two should meet,” introduction. When we really met, however, was when we agreed to share our experiences at the BigVision office <a href="https://www.bigvision.nyc/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.bigvision.nyc</a>. As I recall, BigVision was in its infancy then, maybe toddlerhood. Eve was its founder and “mother”. The midtown office was on the small side, certainly not large enough for on-site group activities. The size of the office did not prohibit our discussion from being expansive. I told Eve our story. Eve told me about her son, Isaac. We discovered how much these young men had in common. Eve explained Isaac’s frustration and isolation with no safe and engaging activities available to him while trying to stay sober. And yes, I learned about Eve’s dream of where she wanted BigVision to go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Since that meeting, I’ve played basketball (poorly) and showed off my dance moves (a little less poorly) at BigVision fundraisers. I’ve been ice skating with BigVision participants and even taught a quick study young fellow how to ice skate on a chilly night at Bryant Park. I’ve led some improvisational physical theater workshops. I’ve seen the organization and the space(s) it inhabits grow. More space, more staff, more participants, more activities. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Within the last year or so Eve has brought another vision to fruition. She leads a monthly group meeting for parents who have lost a child to addiction. It is an opportunity for people to share and to listen, whether our grief is longstanding or freshly tormenting. It is a comforting reminder we are not alone and an opportunity to share strategies for coping. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">BigVision continues to grow. It has acquired a ground-floor space on midtown Manhattan’s East Side which includes room outdoors. Prior to BigVision’s bold acquisition the space belonged to a psychoanalytic institute and was largely comprised of many small-sized offices for therapists. It was, ironically, dark and closed in; not the sort of place a person might choose to go to brighten up their life. I wouldn’t want to have worked there. BigVision is renovating the space, opening it up, letting in the light both literally and figuratively. There will be room for large group meetings and activities, room for meditation, office space, and a pleasant outdoor garden spot where one can even shoot some hoops (something Isaac in particular would love). In short, a vibrant space to be filled with activity. A midtown clubhouse for young people in recovery. Something unique in New York City and a potential model for other cities and towns. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Before we formally began our most recent Grief Group meeting, I asked Eve how the renovation was proceeding. Construction is on or ahead of schedule. The only issue is figuring out what changes may be desirable to open up the space even more than initially anticipated. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">When our group discussion commenced, Eve uncharacteristically began by sharing something about herself. Eve is our leader and usually prompts discussion, taking care to draw out those who are still having the most difficulty grappling with their grief. The meetings are far from, allow me, All About Eve. This time, however, Eve explained how she has recently begun to explore somatic therapy, a body-centric approach that focuses on relieving the stress and tension we store in our bodies after traumatic events. She was particular about where and how she may well have retained pain and stress in her body ever since, or perhaps due to, the loss of Isaac. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Much of our group’s ensuing hour was given over to shared thoughts on the physical experience of grief, the positive benefits of activity in helping to relieve grief, and some recognition of the importance of physicality in addition to more traditional talk therapy. I contributed little, other than the fact that my acting training, while not therapy, may well have been therapeutic in discovering stress and emotional life stored in my body. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">As our time concluded, a thought resonated with me. Eve’s initial response to me about progress on the new space was about opening the space even more, letting in more light, to facilitate as many different activities as possible. The space will have changed from a dark and somewhat dismal mind-centric space to a holistic, inviting recovery community.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Not unlike the larger project, Eve is engaging in the prospect of perhaps opening up some more personal space, pulling back some curtains, and letting in some light. Grief can be tricky. It likes to hide and hang out in us, reluctant to move on. Eve is looking for its hiding places. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">It does not seem to me to be a coincidence that a renovation and an investigation, both involving Eve, are occurring simultaneously. Each is a manifestation of her imagination, courage, and willingness to bring light to darkness, whether personal or public. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I have no idea where all those psychoanalysts have moved on to. I hope for their sake the lighting is better. Perhaps brighter enough to provide them with some big vision! <span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN" style="color: #202124; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-7129104868353393402024-02-14T16:20:00.000-08:002024-02-21T07:34:59.700-08:00From WJFF - Radio Catskill 90.5 FM<p><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(122, 122, 122); color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 16px;">My NPR broadcast is now also a podcast. </span><a href="https://wjffradio.org/thekingfisherproject/">https://wjffradio.org/thekingfisherproject/</a><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(122, 122, 122); color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 16px;"> From the station Programming notes: "In 2012, Bill Williams tragically lost his son, William, to a heroin overdose at age 24. At William’s memorial, Bill, alongside his wife Margot and daughter Elizabeth Hope, pledged to combat drug abuse by educating others, improving treatment, and reducing stigma. Since then, they’ve spoken at various forums and published in notable outlets, including the New York Times and Harvard Health Blog. Bill also hosts a radio show, The Kingfisher Project, as part of their ongoing commitment to honor William’s memory." </span><a class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/Weobenax6x" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d9bf0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: unset; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><span aria-hidden="true" class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-hiw28u r-qvk6io" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space: inherit;">roject/</span></a><span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 20, 25); color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-overflow: unset; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My first guest is Carol McDaid, former principal of Capitol Decisions, a powerhouse in the realm of policy consulting and co-founder of the McShin Foundation in Richmond, VA. </span><a href="https://mcshin.org/">https://mcshin.org/</a></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-35912186619090956422023-09-24T08:33:00.001-07:002023-09-24T08:33:18.877-07:00Pulling the Trigger<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjb6haWRBB0HkvQr4fNSt09Jr3c4123kqhRkQ1wwpNlinh-dC79PFay5QAhyvcAowlnP_Sr7un9jsw0ErHO7E7MicvATMDcexxpQCqo7uD5pcMX8uf0_WijFRcThYKmxjarCEfplmTK0NEd_ixhA6LbAA8jtXLiumPlyX1ykgramCnS4SdtFGpCo9XDlSc/s284/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjb6haWRBB0HkvQr4fNSt09Jr3c4123kqhRkQ1wwpNlinh-dC79PFay5QAhyvcAowlnP_Sr7un9jsw0ErHO7E7MicvATMDcexxpQCqo7uD5pcMX8uf0_WijFRcThYKmxjarCEfplmTK0NEd_ixhA6LbAA8jtXLiumPlyX1ykgramCnS4SdtFGpCo9XDlSc/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">I had an experience in an Emergency Room recently that revived memories of my dead son, his heroin addiction, and the “treatment” he received in that same ER upon numerous visits.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">When I mentioned this to both an addiction activist and health professional friends, they each sympathetically used the word “trigger” to describe my response.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I’ve thought about the word, “trigger”. Why do we employ a word from our violent gun culture to describe our reaction to a particular unpleasant, stimulus? Or our anticipation of how we might react to a particular stimulus? The word may be sensational but is it necessary? Could my response just as easily have been precipitated, prompted, set in motion, occasioned, caused by, generated, or begun by where I was and what I saw? Triggers on guns and bombs cause trauma. Are we so accepting of our past trauma and hurt that we fail to pay attention to the language we use when we unexpectedly revisit them. When we say “trigger” are we unnecessarily adding salt to a wound? Does “trigger” up the ante? Do we really need to ride a horse named Trigger? <o:p></o:p></span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-15475824896850638982023-08-20T07:52:00.001-07:002023-08-20T07:52:24.085-07:00TRAIL OF TRUTH - Binghamton, NY. 8/19/23<p> I was invited to speak at this event. Here are my remarks:</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">August 19<sup>th</sup>, here in Binghamton. We must never underestimate the significance of this day in our ongoing struggle with drug deaths and the despair and mayhem that follow in their wake. Why do I find this event so notable?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In early December of 2012 my son, William, entered Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons at the age of 24. His arrival there was off the beaten track, beginning with visits to a psychotherapist. Stops on the way included an addiction psychiatrist, out-patient treatment, treatment with Suboxone, in-patient detox, in-patient treatment, out-patient treatment, out-patient detox, treatment with Vivitrol, more out-patient treatment, another in-patient treatment, more out-patient treatment, a revolving door of well over a dozen trips to and from the emergency rooms of at least four different hospitals, an attempt to work with another addiction psychiatrist, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and a home life fraught with tension and despair, sometimes hopeful during intermittent periods of sobriety, but always filled with the apprehension of misfortune.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">William’s credentials for Columbia were unorthodox, “acute and chronic substance abuse” which caused “complications of acute heroin intoxication”. William was admitted, not as a medical student, but as an anatomical donation. A cadaver. His credentials came from his death certificate, not any academic transcript. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Apprehension became fact when William accidentally overdosed in our living room. I discovered him there and frantically called 911. As a result of his acute intoxication, when his heart stopped beating for too long, despite extraordinary work by emergency personnel, William was placed on a protocol called therapeutic hypothermia to cool his body down in an attempt to prevent brain damage. Six weeks of comatose and/or heavily medicated hospitalization followed – six weeks of a family bedside vigil - before a neurologist used the analogy of cut flowers in a vase to explain the state of William’s brain. The cut alone is damaging. Yet, initially, the freshly cut flowers look fine. As time passes, they shrivel, wither, and dry up. We had to comprehend and accept that William was consigned to a persistent vegetative state. There would be no miracle. William would blossom no more. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">We made the agonizing decision to remove William from life support and contacted the New York Organ Donor Network. Our admiration for their dedication, compassion, and professionalism knows no bounds. Organ donation for someone in a vegetative state requires an expedient demise once removed from life support. William did not expire within the necessary one-hour time frame, though his mother, sister, and I were with him in the operating room, singing to him talking to him, and telling him what he could not comprehend, that he could let go. Rather, he lasted another 21 hours before drawing his last breath in our arms. Determined that his death not be in vain, his mother, sister, and I made the gift of his body, an anatomical donation, to the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. In another time, in a better era, William might have entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, not as a cadaver, but as the gifted and talented young man he was.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Perhaps the most difficult moment of my life was offering William’s eulogy. I ended with a pledge from his mother, Margot, his sister, Elizabeth Hope, and me, a pledge that brings me here with you today. “</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">We promise to do everything in our power to educate and inform people about drug abuse and its prevention, to provide ever more enlightened treatment for addicts, to help make treatment options for addicts more readily available, and to remove the stain of shame surrounding this disease.” My final words were a quote from Shakespeare, “Action is eloquence.” </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">As we approach the eleventh anniversary of William’s death, I’ve come to realize that taking action to effect change presents a formidable challenge. We </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">face the difficult process of changing hearts and minds. That means engaging with minds that have no heart, engaging with hearts that have no mind, and engaging with those who have neither but believe they have the best of both. It can be daunting. We must not back off.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In 2014, on the second anniversary of William’s death, Margot and I spoke at a U.S. Senate Forum on Addiction to help advance CARA, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. It should, however, come as no surprise that progress through the work of our elected officials is glacial. It would be another two and a half years before that act was passed. In my talk that day I quoted a lyric from the musical “1776” when John Adams says of Congress, “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;">We piddle, twiddle, and resolve</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> -<span style="background: white;">Not one damn thing do we solve”. Waiting for presidents, governors, mayors, legislators, town councils, and government large and small to take effective action is frustrating and maddening. While politicians debate endlessly, people meet their end in staggering numbers daily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Cambria, serif;">In the two years before we spoke that day, we’d met other parents whose lives, like ours, were scarred by the collateral consequences of addiction. They bravely moved ahead, establishing scholarships, endowing lectures, raising money for research, raising money with softball tournaments and golf tournaments, and sharing their wisdom and strength with other families currently battling substance use disorder. By the time we spoke, William’s sister, Elizabeth Hope, had just completed a half marathon and raised nearly $11,000 for the Where There’s A Will Fund, which we established at the time of William’s death. Families weren’t negotiating and debating about what to do. They were taking action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">It is my fervent belief that the real hope in our fight against addiction in this country lies with the individuals, the families, and the community groups leading the way. Groups like Hope Not Handcuffs, BIGVISION, Drug Crisis in Our Back Yard, The Harris Project, Safe Stations, The Kingfisher Project, Community in Crisis, and of course, Truth Pharm – to name but a few. I mention these groups because I happen to have had personal interactions with each of them. How many hundreds, even thousands of such organizations are spread across our nation doing good work in relative obscurity? Read <i>The Least of Us</i> by Sam Quinones, <i>Raising Lazarus</i> by Beth Macy, and</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"> </span><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction Is Changing the Future of Drugs and Addiction</span></i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> by Maia Szalavitz and you’ll get a broader understanding of what is being accomplished at the grassroots level all across our nation.<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Allow me to provide three quick examples. Eve Goldberg’s son Isaac battled addiction. During a period of sobriety, Isaac told his mother about the frustration he felt in not being able to connect socially with other sober peers. Why, he lamented, did sobriety have to be so socially restraining? At age 23 Isaac accidentally overdosed. </span><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;">One year later, in January 2015, Eve founded BIGVISION in New York City with a nationwide mission. Eve is committed to helping young adults in recovery learn to live fun, meaningful, sober lives by providing entertaining, engaging events and building a community where the BIGVISION “family” can hang out in a cool, hip, substance-free environment. When I first met Eve, BIGVISION operated out of a tiny Manhattan office. Today they occupy a 4000 square foot clubhouse space, conveniently located on East 49<sup>th</sup> Street in midtown Manhattan. Young people in recovery get to participate in yoga, knitting classes, trapeze, kayaking on the Hudson, ice skating, and improvisation workshops, to name just a few of the sober activities they enjoy together. BIGVISION is an inspiration and a model for replication elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;">Julie Pisall’s daughter, Rebecca, was shot and killed due to her heroin addiction. Rebecca’s organs were donated to help save other lives. When she was in high school Rebecca found and saved an injured bird, a Kingfisher. When no one else thought it could be saved, Rebecca found a way to rescue it and save it. For a high school writing assignment, Rebecca produced an essay about the value of all life and the importance of perseverance. That essay became the inspiration for The Kingfisher Project in 2014, a monthly radio show on Radio Catskill, an NPR station devoted to raising awareness about the drug crisis, both locally and around the country. I’m fortunate to host the show. This past March Alexis Pleus was my guest. <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;">In 2019 Claire Miller lost her younger brother, Ethan, to fentanyl poisoning just nine days before his 22nd birthday. Ethan thought he was simply using Xanax. The loss of Ethan pushed Claire to study architecture at Boston Architectural College. This spring she completed her master’s degree as an interior architecture design student. In her final semester, she started 6<sup>th</sup> Sense Design, which focuses on the design of substance use disorder recovery environments. She is currently working with a South Florida-based nonprofit to develop a recovery residence for women. Her firm belief is that well-designed spaces should be accessible to all populations and align with recovery programming to yield the best possible outcomes. <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;">All the initiatives I’ve described have two things in common. They are splendid examples that action is indeed eloquence. They were all initiated by and are now led by women. It’s time for we men (yes, there are some here) to step up and do better.<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Why did I begin my remarks by declaring this day significant and notable?</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">A trail, any trail demands regular and continuous use. In other words, traffic. Maintenance. Left untended it will deteriorate and ultimately disappear. <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">On the other hand, with enough use, a trail becomes firmer, broader, better marked, and easier to navigate. It becomes a route, a road. Easier to traverse, it comes upon other trails, eventually forming a network. Ultimately, it can become a highway. In our case it is truth that clears the underbrush to cut a trail, truth that firms the path, truth that travels the trail and broadens it, truth that discovers connecting trails to form a network, and truth that paves the highway to success. Today again, we join to reinforce the trail with truth. We must never underestimate the importance of truth in strengthening our mission.<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Where does this truth come from? We can’t all have the inspiration of an Eve Goldberg, the dedication of a Julie Pisall, the creativity of a Claire Miller, or the tenacity, passion, and leadership of an Alexis Pleus. What we can all do is to share our stories. Our stories are the truth that creates change. As actress Emma Thompson said,<b> </b></span><i><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;">…sometimes, human beings need story and narrative more than they need nourishment and food.” </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;">Today is important because we gather together to remind ourselves of the value and importance of our stories. We don’t always know who we will help, or how. Sometimes we share our stories stuffing envelopes, cutting carrots in a soup kitchen, or providing transportation to those in need. Truth and action might sometime feel unheard and unseen, pedestrian and unremarkable. Yet with patience, persistence, and perseverance- they can reveal themselves at the most unexpected moments in the most surprising of ways. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;">I conclude with a surprise in our family story. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In the late winter of 2018, four years after William’s death, we were contacted by a writer working on a piece for <i>Columbia Medicine Magazine</i>. She wanted to incorporate our family’s story into an article she was working on about opioids. I wrote her to respond that we had no idea how William’s body had been used. We knew it had been used somehow, as his ashes were presented to us at a 2014 memorial service offered by Columbia medical students. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">She wrote back. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">"Will's body was used to augment/improve the images and instructions in the iPad "manual" used by Physicians & Surgeons students throughout their anatomy training. My sense is that the manual is constantly being augmented and improved (what with its being digital and so inexpensively revised). The instructor specifically mentioned how valuable it was to include images of Will's anatomy, because being young and healthy, the images give a clear contrast with the various disease states students will encounter with their patients.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">About the time William died, several Columbia medical students, dissatisfied with the classic print manual <i>Grant’s Dissector</i>, first published more than 60 years ago, heavily reliant on drawings and still in wide use, initiated a project to compile thousands of photographs to create a digital anatomy manual. As Dustin Tetzl, the medical student who had the idea for the manual stated, “The manuals have step-by-step instructions that show you what you’re supposed to do in lab, but the manual we used had lots of drawings and no photos. Your cadaver never looked like the idealized drawing. It was frustrating.” The <i>Columbia Medicine Newsletter</i> reported Tetzl and other students, ironically contemporaries of William, were “Soon… in the anatomy lab 12 hours a day, every day, dissecting a cadaver and taking tens of thousands of photos.” Their work was edited by the course director and immediately put to use. “First-year medical students used it as their primary in-lab dissection manual throughout the fall semester, with an iPad at each cadaver table as they did dissections.” Now, the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/paulette-bernd-ph.d./id845282527?mt=13" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria, serif;">Columbia University Clinical Gross Anatomy Dissection Manual</span></i></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">is available to anyone on iBooks, titled <i>A Gross Anatomy Dissection Manual for the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. </i>The fully interactive multi-touch book contains simple step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos of actual dissections, a complete glossary for every bold term, and quizzes throughout. It is used by all of Columbia’s first-year medical and dental students.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Already, over six thousand medical and dental students have encountered William profoundly in a way we never imagined. A friend of mine suggested that all those students had seen more square inches of William in a semester than I had in his 24 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">We must never forget the stories each of today’s tombstones have to tell us. They guide us and sustain us on the Trail of Truth. As writer and speaker Andrew Solomon tells us: <span style="background: white;">“…we all have our darkness, and the trick is making something exalted of it.” Once again, we set out on the Trail Of Truth toward the exalted. We WILL prevail.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"> <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #242424; font-family: Cambria, serif; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #242424; font-family: Cambria, serif; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 48px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: whitesmoke; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.6pt; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-81604208972231871532023-04-17T10:50:00.002-07:002023-04-17T13:16:13.181-07:00Spring Chicken<p> <span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Spring in the Catskills has warmed up sufficiently to begin translating vegetable garden plans into vegetable garden reality. I asked my nine-year-old granddaughter, Josephine Hope, to join me on a trip to Agway, our nearest farm and garden store, while I picked up some seed potatoes and onion sets.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Part of my request was self-serving; Josephine is old enough to count out and bag potatoes and onions, thereby saving me time and making the trip more efficient.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">What I was aware of but paid little attention to is the fact that the next-door neighbors to the Tuber and Allium families on the Agway display floor were baby chicks, yellow and fluffy under heat lamps. There were only a few, as they were mostly sold out. But there are more on order, which led to the inevitable question, “Granddad, can we get one? They’re so cute.” Or the question behind the question…some more?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">I was quick to remind Josephine that the family dog, Archie, had dispatched two of her uncle Harrison’s full-grown chickens upon a family visit to Harrison’s rural home. Harrison maintains a flock of chickens, along with his vegetable garden, making maple syrup, harvesting honey from his bee hives, and in some years raising pigs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">His is an admirable display of self-sufficiency. All the more reason to be upset when Archie sprang from the family van immediately upon arrival, exercised her canine instinct, and instantly killed two birds. No stone involved. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">While not alone among our family in this trait, Josephine exhibits a persistence that can range from irritating to admirable depending upon one’s point of view and the occasion. Upon our arrival back home, Josephine sprang Archie-like from the car and dashed inside to persuade her mother of the benefits of a feathered family flock. There was no need for my rendition of our store trip by the time I walked into the house. Her mother, Elizabeth, already knew, as Josephine wasted no time in her bid to convince her mother about the charm of the chicks and the urgent imperative to move on to the acquisition of one/some at the next available opportunity. Agway would continue to restock until sometime in early May. I reiterated to Elizabeth my concern that Archie and the young birds might not be the best match. More to the point, a match that would end badly for the chickens and yield a flood of juvenile human tears. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Somewhat to my surprise Josephine’s father, Johnny, informed me that after a discussion during the family’s dinner, Josephine had been given the green light for chicken adoption. This would be no single-chick operation. Agway sells a minimum of six birds. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: medium; color: black; font-variant-caps: normal;"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p></td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentcolor; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">I began to catalog problems. Where on the family property sloping down to the Beaverkill River could they locate a henhouse? Would a moveable henhouse be a good idea? What would Archie’s role in all this be? Guard dog or predator? There is no lack of natural predators in the neighborhood: </span><span style="color: #040c28; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">coyotes, foxes, bobcats, weasels, mink, raccoons, opossums, skunks, rodents, and snakes</span><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">. Not to mention aerial attacks from hawks, owls, and the bald eagles that patrol up and down the river. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Josephine had given consideration to these issues and promptly called her Uncle Harrison for his advice. Her father also had some questions for Harrison. I continued to worry and used the internet to seek answers to some of my questions about housing in particular.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Later in the evening, still concerned about the quick demise of cute, fluffy, yellow birds or later on if they managed to reach something approximating adulthood, I called my brother to solicit his thoughts. He informed me that Josephine had already contacted him, full of thoughtful questions. Johnny, too, wanted to hear what Harrison had to say.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Harrison appreciated my concerns about chicken welfare and the potential for upset girls. He was, after all, none too happy when Archie murdered two of his flock. Those killings had both emotional and financial ramifications, as two egg-producing hens were now lost for good.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Harrison is also a teacher and a coach. He reminded me of potential lessons that could be learned in this venture. Some good, some perhaps painful. Raising chickens, like the vegetable gardens we have in common comes with a mix of success, frustration, and failure. He suggested to me that the potential for learning was far more important than trying to protect Josephine from emotional upset. The value of experience over being sheltered. It made me think of the young farmers at the annual Delaware County Fair. Each year they exhibit animals they’ve raised, are proud of, and I daresay emotionally engaged to at some level. Soon after the fair in August those animals will be sold for slaughter. Life goes on. There will be more piglets, chicks, bunnies, lambs, and calves to nurture and learn from.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #202124; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">In the end, there may be just one chicken in this story…an over-protective grandfather forgetting what his granddaughter might learn, even at the potential expense of some pain. I take comfort in knowing someone cares about this old bird. It was earlier in the same day when Josephine’s five-year-old sister, Willa, asked me, “Granddad, when are you going to die?”</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-16769173660442100002023-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:002023-03-02T10:29:12.581-08:00Inheriting The War On Drugs<p> <span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The New York Times published some important Letters to the Editor today about two recent opinion pieces about the War On Drugs.</span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/opinion/letters/drug-overdose-crisis.html?fbclid=IwAR2bznWWmIMc4JvSNQFwM3GyRHeSlR9xWxo46nt_8PF3lvLs7yAzZ3prdi0" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--blue-link); cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="">https://www.nytimes.com/.../let.../drug-overdose-crisis.html</a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I wrote one that did not get published. Allow me to be bold enough to believe it deserves your attention.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"The <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Times has recently published two excellent opinion pieces: America Has Lost the War On Drugs. Here’s What Needs to Happen Next by </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Editorial Board and One Year Inside a Radical New Approach to America’s Overdose Crises by Jeneen Interlandi.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"I wonder whether these pieces will become available in our nation’s classrooms where they belong for close reading and serious discussion. Many of our high school and college students are, or are about to become, of voting age. They will soon be voting on drug policy and not long after helping to create drug policy. Will opinion essays such as these join ever-lengthening lists of books banned from classrooms or will they help begin a new era of intellectual harm reduction where rather than telling our children to “Just Say No” to drugs we ask them to “Please Think Critically” when it comes to the ever-changing landscape of drugs and drug policy they will soon inherit?"</div></div>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-23421055415527513822022-12-14T07:58:00.000-08:002022-12-14T07:58:00.162-08:00Let’s Talk WITH Kids, Not TO Kids About Drugs and Addiction.<p> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Let’s Talk WITH Kids, Not TO Kids About Drugs and Addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">In the last several days I’ve read some important articles and editorials about our drug pandemic and addiction. How many of them have reached adolescents? How many have been clipped, copied, or otherwise shared by teachers with their students? If not, why not? If we think about that question, we’ll have to delve into the fear that keeps us from addressing substance use and other forms of addiction head-on. It’s too easy to just say addiction feeds on silence. If we don’t share information and ideas with young people, we only strengthen the fabric of the cloak of silence. If they are not already, in a few short years adolescents will be voting and helping to make policy on these issues. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">There are plenty of other pieces in the news that deserve to be shared. If we hesitate to share at all, we must ask ourselves what we’re frightened of. Our fear will only come back to haunt us. Silence = Death rings as true today as it always has. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here’s a starter kit: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">What Comes Next for the War on Drugs? The Beginning of the End.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/12/opinion/drug-crisis-addiction.html" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/12/opinion/drug-crisis-addiction.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><h1 align="center" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">How to Talk to Kids About Drugs in the Age of Fentanyl<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/opinion/fentanyl-teens.html" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/opinion/fentanyl-teens.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">How Do We Save Teens From Fentanyl?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/fentanyl-ad-education-harm-reduction-rainbow-1234612956/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/fentanyl-ad-education-harm-reduction-rainbow-1234612956/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><h1 align="center" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">It’s Not Just About Pot. Our Entire Drug Policy Needs an Overhaul.<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/opinion/marijuana-drugs-us-policy.html?searchResultPosition=1" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/opinion/marijuana-drugs-us-policy.html?searchResultPosition=1</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-5781037442626476242022-06-26T12:03:00.000-07:002024-02-21T07:36:13.908-08:00Candide's Garden<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QW5iME6jmOpGfjtRKrN0J8urPro1CG5bpk9ZS-GiF1e_VUXuV5Sc6XFr24BAtBOOtIZBk18NvxXuPfch7WYq4E8-EvR4MHL7lZB8spn6xtoWxQ4wdEZs7tDahlbC3ze_mZDuYhLBlNnTHHkdrmFKiXLFTHOg8-NphAWc9pItkv-jSBKqu_q-ecbwlg/s1747/Bill%20In%20Garden%20by%20Margot%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1747" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QW5iME6jmOpGfjtRKrN0J8urPro1CG5bpk9ZS-GiF1e_VUXuV5Sc6XFr24BAtBOOtIZBk18NvxXuPfch7WYq4E8-EvR4MHL7lZB8spn6xtoWxQ4wdEZs7tDahlbC3ze_mZDuYhLBlNnTHHkdrmFKiXLFTHOg8-NphAWc9pItkv-jSBKqu_q-ecbwlg/w506-h340/Bill%20In%20Garden%20by%20Margot%20copy.jpg" width="506" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">Spring in the Catskills arrives late, then lush.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">Vegetable beds in the garden, a bank too steep where meadow meets lawn, spots unreachable by garden tractor in the meadow itself, edging about the house, space between the stones in the walk to the house, all sprout tall grass and weeds almost overnight.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">Keeping things under control, indeed from being overgrown and overtaken requires my attention, my time, and my weed whip. Some call it a string trimmer, others a weed whacker. By any name, it is one of the most important pieces of equipment in this country homeowner’s maintenance arsenal. For years mine was a heavy-duty “pro” model, a tool to make my engagement with intrusive vegetation a fairer, if not fair fight.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">While renewing the struggle this spring my machine began making funny noises, then overheating enough to scorch the housing, and finally an alarming rattle. It was a Stihl FS 80R, described on the internet as the “best old school string trimmer.” Worrying the weeds would overtake my vegetable beds, I made a beeline to my Stihl dealer. An old-time gentleman, he patiently explained that the alarming rattle was my FS 80R’s death rattle. The screws and the socket holding the muffler in place were worn beyond repair or replacement. “How long had I had it.?” “A long time.” The dealer speculated Stihl hadn’t made them much after 2000. I guessed I’d had mine before then. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Time for a new one. A quick calculation suggested that if a new machine lasted as long as my now-defunct model, I’d be able to manicure my property until I was somewhere between 95 – 100 years old. The clear question became what would give out first, man or machine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">I left with a new machine and set right to work once back home. Weed whipping is a chore that allows plenty of time to meditate, dream, contemplate life, and reflect on where I’ve been and where I might like to go. Working with my much more efficient new machine it didn’t take long before my thoughts drifted back to the day before last Thanksgiving when I’d been given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. My immediate response was, “Am I doomed?” My regular doctor and a neurologist assured me I was not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">A couple of years ago I noticed some shaking in my left hand when I rested my arm on a desk to type. Or when I had to grasp a piece of paper. Or, a lack of facility with my fingers when trying to clean my hard contact lenses. Or, more frequent keystroke errors and loss of speed when typing. Left side only.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">I kept these annoyances to myself, passing them off as a consequence of age. I confess to musing about them while working in the garden, or mowing our meadow, and Yes, weed whipping.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">My wife, Margot, eventually picked up on some of the shakiness and insisted I mention it to my doctor at my next physical. I did. Upon examination, he believed my affliction to be something called Essential Tremor and prescribed a drug, Primadone, to alleviate the symptoms. I took it faithfully, as prescribed, for a year. It did nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Ever so slowly my symptoms worsened. Ever so quickly my imagination, like my garden, sprang into action and bore fruit.. My father died of a brain tumor. I’d outlived his three score and ten…but still? My mother died of a massive stroke, having apparently had some smaller, unrecognized events along her path to age 94. Would I fall more than a full score short of her? Did I have a benign brain tumor, a small lime inside my skull to match the one Margot herself had had successfully removed a decade ago? Was my insomnia due to anxiety over having any of these conditions? Or was it Parkinson’s Disease? Worry beat a path to Google. Parkinson’s can result in insomnia. Hadn’t my doctor ruled that out? ALS? That can keep a fella awake for a while. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">In the year between physicals, I lost sleep, wondered why my handwriting was smaller (micrographia), noticed facial tremors, felt my voice sometimes weaken, seemed to tire more easily, denied anything was wrong, only to plant my besieged head on a pillow nightly for more worry. Was that twinge I felt normal? Nothing? Essentially a tremor? Or death come knocking at my door? My faithful servant Denial couldn’t hear the banging.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Primidone may work well for Essential Tremor. I couldn’t tell you from my experience. It does nothing for Parkinson’s. My next annual physical arrived. I was as healthy as can be. Except for those symptoms I couldn’t wish away. My doctor offered no diagnosis…yet. Within a week I spent a day getting a DaTscan brain scan to share with my doctor and a neurologist to “rule out” Parkinson’s. A week later, after a thorough examination, I left the neurologist’s office with a new prescription in hand. By mid-afternoon, I’d taken my first dose of Carbidopa/Levodopa to treat Parkinson’s Disease. That medication works. My symptoms are much relieved and I appear, by and large, normal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Still, underneath the jocular comments over whether the weed whip or I will expire first lies fear. The fear of death. Fear over a financially secure future. Fear over capabilities lost to time. Every time the fix engine light in the car goes on, a faucet drips, a board on the porch loosens, a tree blows down in a windstorm and needs to be cut up and removed, something as simple as removing the cover on a fixture to replace a light bulb calls, fear pushes forward. As the world around me breaks down and requires routine maintenance, it triggers fear over how I might break down. When does that maintenance become anything but routine? Something more than just a simple daily regimen of medication to hold back what is undeniably a neurodegenerative disorder. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">I’m reminded of a lyric from “Non-Stop” in the musical <i>Hamilton</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">“</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">How do you write like you're running out of time? (Running out of time?)<br />Write day and night like you're running out of time? (Running out of time?)<br />Every day you fight, like you're running out of time<br />Like you're running out of time<br />Are you running out of time?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">In fact, I am writing something I want to get out into the world. This December will mark the tenth anniversary of my son, William’s, death from an accidental heroin overdose. I’m creating a memoir that can be presented as a solo dramatic performance. That means writing and memorizing. Memorizing something approximately 80 minutes long seems daunting, a task that feels like it will require the life of several weed whips. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">I remain vigorous and productive. Pleasingly so. To date, only my mind races ahead to other dates, or THE date. I have three extraordinary granddaughters who live nearby. Josephine Hope – 8, Willa Joy – 4, and Julia Love – 3. I take great joy in watching them develop: swimming, riding bikes, becoming literate, expressing themselves as artists, dancing, cartwheeling, and somersaulting through childhood. Often while doing meditative chores, I speculate on what they will become, and what their lives will be like. And, how much and for how long will I continue to be a participant/observer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Approaching twenty years ago, I found myself taken by an opinion piece in <i>The New York Times</i> by Verlyn Klinkenborg. He began:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">“The most famous line in Voltaire's ''Candide'' is the final one: 'We must cultivate our garden.' That is Candide's response to the philosopher Pangloss, who tries again and again to prove that we live in the best of all possible worlds, no matter what disasters befall us. Ever since ''Candide'' was published in February 1759, that line has seemed to express a reluctance to get involved, an almost quietist refusal to be distracted by the grand chaos of earthly events. And that reading might make sense, if Candide hadn't already lived through a lifetime of woe. In fact, that line is the summation of Candide's wisdom, his recognition that no matter how you choose to explain the world, the garden still needs cultivating.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">I return to Candide’s response every time the check engine light goes on when I need to replace a light bulb when the light of our democracy flickers. Beans need to be replanted when something sneaks in and helps itself to young sprouts. Little girls need bedtime stories. Letters to the Editor still need writing. Things will always need repair. As I contemplate life’s disasters, threats, and challenges while weed whipping, mowing, and cutting wood, I eventually return to Klinkenborg and Candide. I must cultivate my garden. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="font-family: Times; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-11591752428565792572022-02-17T05:31:00.000-08:002022-02-17T05:31:21.578-08:00Mourning David Poses<p> <span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was honored a few months ago when David Poses @davidthekick asked me to write a blurb about his book, The Weight Of Air. Here are several offerings I sent him. They may not have worked for the publisher, I don't know. David appreciated them. That I do know.</span></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"As a parent who lost a son to heroin, I am unfortunately all too familiar with the failings of a primitive, stagnant, often inaccessible treatment system. David Poses tells his story of a lengthy and tangled recovery that ultimately, blessedly, points us forward toward evidence-based treatment, the use of medicine in treatment, and harm reduction – none of which were available to David at the outset of his recovery journey. We are lucky to have a writer who is so gifted and giving, easy to understand, and full of common sense thinking on the epidemic that persists in our midst. David, I am sure, would agree he is lucky to have survived to tell a story both harrowing and illuminating. A story set free by truth. A story that will save lives. "</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“An antidote to our still too primitive, stagnant, often inaccessible, sometimes corrupt treatment system. A story set free by telling the truth. A story that will save lives.”</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“David Poses is a writer gifted and giving, easy to understand, and full of common sense thinking on the drug epidemic that persists in our midst. If we pay attention, this story will save lives.”</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“David Poses tells his story of a sometimes harsh, lengthy, and tangled recovery. Also, blessedly, he points us forward toward employing harm reduction, medically assisted treatment, and evidence-based treatment. Above all, compassionate treatment that will save lives.” </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, grievously, there is more to David's story. It points more than ever to the hard work still ahead of us. It must be done, in David's name, and the name of so many others.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Celebrate David by reading his book.</div></div>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-30352749386172786362021-09-08T10:07:00.001-07:002021-09-08T11:09:42.482-07:00Letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Honorable Kathy Hochul<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Governor of New York State<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> NYS State Capitol Building<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Albany, NY 12224</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Dear Governor Hochul:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #041e26; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">There are four crucial bills sitting on your desk right now that will ensure that ALL New Yorkers, regardless of their insurance provider or involvement with the criminal legal system, can access the life-saving addiction treatment they need.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">In particular, I write to urge you to sign A.533(Rosenthal)/S.1795(Bailey) to <b>mandate the use provision of medication for the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) in all New York State’s jails and prisons. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Why do I write? Addiction treatment in New York’s correction facilities is sadly lacking and/or misguided. Passing this bill will be a small step toward larger remedy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">In July of 2016, I attended the sentencing of a young upstate New York neighbor who had committed a burglary in thrall to his drug addiction. As a friend of his family, as the father of a son who died from a heroin overdose, and in my role as an activist, I’d written a lengthy letter to the judge requesting the young man be provided every opportunity to receive the most up-to-date addiction rehabilitation services the State of New York </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">corrections system could provide, both immediately and throughout the duration of his sentence.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I asked the court to direct that his file demonstrate that it was imperative he receive the best drug treatment available.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I went into some detail to demonstrate that “afflicted with the disease of addiction, [he] had been ill-served by a lack of proper treatment providers and by insufficient or ill-informed treatment when any was available. A case that should have been a public health problem with reliable public health solutions fell instead to an overburdened criminal justice system.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Lest one think I was proposing some wildly radical idea, consider what Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, wrote in <i>Scientific American</i> in March of 2018. “Informed Americans no longer view addiction as a moral failing, and more and more policymakers are recognizing that punishment is an ineffective and inappropriate tool for addressing a person’s drug problems. Treatment is what is needed.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am not suggesting treatment instead of prison for a crime. I am saying effective treatment could have averted the need to commit a crime in the first place; that effective treatment while incarcerated can prepare someone for a responsible, productive life upon release; or at the least will help prevent a return to prison following a repeat offense related to drug use. Or substantially reduce the chance of death soon after release.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Little did I know then, indeed only until I stumbled upon this information most recently, that our nation’s jails and prisons operate under the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5296706/" style="color: #954f72;">"inmate exception"</a>. When Congress established Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, it specifically prohibited either plan from paying for health care in the nation’s jails and prisons. “T<span style="background-color: white;">his explicit exclusion…has contributed to a significantly under-resourced correctional health care system that is isolated from mainstream medicine and shielded from critical accreditation and external quality oversight mandates.”</span><a href="applewebdata://FA3CF626-3BBB-49FD-9B49-5423C62FD513#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="color: #954f72;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align: super;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align: super;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: white;">Was the judge aware of the “inmate exception” when he handed down his sentence? How familiar was he with drug and alcohol treatment in New York’s prisons? How naïve was I to ask the court to recommend the best treatment available thinking that there were real options?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">What has happened to the young man in question? From January 2016, when first arrested until the current time, he has been locked up in one county jail and SEVEN different state correctional facilities. Following the county jail, he has bounced from Downstate, to Great Meadow, Eastern, Coxsackie, Mohawk, Woodbourne, and Fishkill. In his estimation, the best treatment he got anywhere was as an outpatient while in the county jail. He did enter one six-month treatment program (ASAT – Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment). As he has advised me, ASAT is “a standard program for anyone who mentions any drug or alcohol use when entering DOCS in reception or is convicted of either as a part of their crime.” He participated in ASAT at Great Meadow at the beginning of his sentence for three months before being transferred to Eastern. “I tried to get into ASAT to complete it for the Family Reunion Program and to have it out of the way. [Instead]…I was transferred in a quick fashion to Coxsackie due to the counselor knowing me from the Recovery Center and outside AA/NA groups.” Now he will have to start the program all over again, most likely at the end of his sentence, which is typically how the system operates. Once in ASAT, a prisoner is segregated and only able to avail themselves of job programs or study opportunities on a part-time basis. ASAT can be as <a href="https://www.thefix.com/content/my-experience-drug-treatment-prison?page=all" style="color: #954f72;">corrupt and corrupting</a> as it is beneficial, oftentimes conducted by inmates under the supervision of counselors. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">The young man I write about has spoken intermittently with overworked counselors at each facility. He’s had little access to AA meetings, and no group work at all during the Covid pandemic. Complaints or outside interference are of no use, as they may well bring on retribution. It appears he will have to wait things out for at least three years still ahead of him. A tough row to hoe for anyone, much less someone who may still need to resist the call of a substance, without a strong support network. In the meantime, he works at welding in an Industry program where he recently earned a 26 cent pay increase, is described as a “great welder” by his supervisor, “a pleasure to have in Industry.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">One can only hope he can weld himself a drug-free future so that he can enjoy the pleasure of freedom in society once he obtains his release. In August 2016, I wrote the judge to thank him for his consideration. “Mr. [Doe] is but one thread in the connection that ties us in the fight against drugs and addiction. As I sat in court and those about to be sentenced shuffled in, I could not help but notice how close they all were in age. You, of course, see this scenario over and over. For me, it was a refreshing and disturbing reminder of work that needs to be done.” How long will it take for New York State to build a truly comprehensive drug treatment program, both in and out of our prisons and jails? <o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page;" /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">The state needs your leadership to start the building of a comprehensive program. Signing A.533(Rosenthal)/S.1795(Bailey) will be an important first step.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Respectfully yours –<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Bill Williams<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">102 High Meadow Road<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Livingston Manor, NY. 12758<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">E-mail: <a href="mailto:briobrio33@gmail.com" style="color: #954f72;">briobrio33@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 22.5pt 0in 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><h1 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 16.2pt; margin: 12pt 0in 6pt;"><a href="applewebdata://FA3CF626-3BBB-49FD-9B49-5423C62FD513#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="color: #954f72;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align: super;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="vertical-align: super;"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">[1]</span></b></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 9pt;">The Inmate Exception and Reform of Correctional Health Care<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Fiscella%20K%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=28177816" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #642a8f; font-size: 9pt;">Kevin Fiscella</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 9pt;">, MD</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">, MPH,</span><sup><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 8.5pt;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="corresponding author" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 9pt; visibility: visible; width: 7pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="file:////var/folders/bc/dp8bynfd1j3b199y__0s4f5m0000gn/T/com.microsoft.Word/WebArchiveCopyPasteTempFiles/corrauth.gif" src="file:////Users/billwilliams/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/TemporaryItems/msohtmlclip/clip_image001.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape></span></sup><span class="apple-converted-space"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Beletsky%20L%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=28177816" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #642a8f; font-size: 10pt;">Leo Beletsky</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">, JD, MPH, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Wakeman%20SE%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=28177816" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #642a8f; font-size: 10pt;">Sarah E. Wakeman</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">, MD<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-56604766399315071912021-08-14T11:49:00.000-07:002021-08-14T11:49:34.117-07:00Kratom and Harm Reduction<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><u><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Kratom and Harm Reduction<o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Cambria, serif;">“More than a decade in the making, America's opioid crisis has morphed from being driven by prescription drugs to one fueled by heroin and, increasingly, fentanyl. Drawing on historical lessons of the era of National Alcohol Prohibition highlights the unintended, but the predictable impact of supply-side interventions on the dynamics of illicit drug markets. Under the Iron Law of Prohibition, efforts to interrupt and suppress the illicit drug supply produce economic and logistical pressures favoring ever-more compact substitutes. This iatrogenic progression towards increasingly potent illicit drugs can be curtailed only through evidence-based harm reduction and demand reduction policies that acknowledge the structural determinants of health.” Leo Beletsky</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 22.5pt 0in 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #323232; font-family: Cambria, serif;">“Regardless of the specific facts about particular drugs, however, for more than 100 years, the main strategy America has used to deal with drug problems is prohibition. With the exception of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, nearly every substance that has publicly been associated with recreational use has either been banned entirely or strictly confined to medical use. Prohibition policy—such as the war on drugs—assumes that restricting drug sales and possession will solve the problem, period.” – Maia Szalavitz<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-fda-shouldn-rsquo-t-support-a-ban-on-kratom/?fbclid=IwAR3dJOKZpTIjj-bdJ9Yc82xs7x9X7Yg98T0zjXTiasaFecSD1mkbttwK2bg" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-fda-shouldn-rsquo-t-support-a-ban-on-kratom/?fbclid=IwAR3dJOKZpTIjj-bdJ9Yc82xs7x9X7Yg98T0zjXTiasaFecSD1mkbttwK2bg</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-11778734938029980002021-07-12T10:48:00.001-07:002021-07-12T10:51:25.961-07:00Well Done CC Sabathia<p> <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">Reading this about CC Sabathia reminded me of something I wrote about him just after he entered rehab to confront his relationship with alcohol.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/05/cc-sabathia-on-battling-addiction-while-finding-success.html" style="color: #954f72; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/05/cc-sabathia-on-battling-addiction-while-finding-success.html</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">Thanks and well-done CC!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">“On Labor Day of 1955, my family moved to New Jersey. That October, as I walked to the school bus a neighbor stopped his truck, leaned out the window, and asked whom I was rooting for in the World Series, the Yankees or the Dodgers. Nine years old, I tried to guess what answer would please Mr. Miller the most. I guessed right. Yankees! Thus began a relationship that continues to this day, momentarily melancholy as it may be as I write after a playoff loss to the Astros. As a boy growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, there were Octobers of great excitement and happiness as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi, and all my other heroes walloped “Ballantine Blasts” out of Yankee Stadium, the House That Ruth Built – after beer baron Jacob Ruppert purchased the team. Knickerbocker was the beer of the New York Giants and Schaefer a sponsor of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Schaefer sign on the Ebbets Field scoreboard would light up with an “H” or an “E” to help those scoring at the ballpark or at home. Later the Mets arrived with Rheingold as their official beer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">October was always a time to follow ballplayers in their joy and despair. At least until October despair became trivial three years ago when our son and brother, William, succumbed to what proved to a fatal heroin overdose. That loss brought my wife and me to the Mall in Washington DC this October 4th. We joined 30,000 other people from all across the country to participate in the Unite To Face Addiction rally. The rally made history in part by declaring the event “The Day the Silence Ends.” No more will any of us tolerate or accept secrecy, shame, and silence about the disease of addiction. Celebrities from all walks of life were there to share their stories of recovery, to reinforce the message that recovery is possible, and to speak out against the stigma of the disease. We were reminded again and again that there are 23 million Americans in long-term recovery from alcoholism and substance use disorder. Among those speaking was former Yankee (and yes, Dodger, Giant, and Met) Darryl Strawberry. His struggles have been well documented, but there was Darryl looking fit and trim, speaking persuasively from the heart about his recovery and proud of the two recovery centers he has established. A ballplayer offering a different kind of hope in October. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">Later, the rally included a photomontage of celebrities who lost their battle with addiction. There was my boyhood hero, Mickey Mantle, bigger than life, again, taking one more swing on a giant screen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">The following day was Advocacy Day. Nearly 700 people from all over the country went to Capitol Hill to talk with Congressmen and Senators in the interest of making elected officials more aware and proactive in the fight against addiction in all its ghastly guises. We were part of the New York delegation that spent time being well received in Senator Chuck Schumer’s office.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">As we gathered outside the office for a quick “team photo” and goodbyes, I checked my e-mail. There was a message from my friend Mark, also a Yankee fan and a bit of a baseball historian, letting me know that CC Sabathia had just entered an alcohol treatment program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">My mind went back to Mickey Mantle. Then to Billy Martin. The more I thought about it, the more Yankee names came up: Dwight Gooden, Whitey Ford, Steve Howe, Jim Bouton, the Sultan of Swat himself, Babe Ruth, and once again, Darryl. Men whose lives may have even been celebrated as real men who could drink hard and play hard at a time when there was less discrimination over a swing and a swig. Men whose substance use was denied or protected, sometimes even by the sportswriters who sat at the bar with them. How many more Yankees are there I don’t even know about? How many ballplayers all across the game?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">Now there was one more. But there is something different this time. CC Sabathia is to be commended. He’s not hiding. To me, he’s a hero for saying, “It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right.” No silence. No shame. Just honesty in the first important step on what one hopes will be his road to recovery. Honesty in making that first step more important than anything else in his life. We owe him the same understanding and compassion we would offer him if he were dealing with any other life-threatening disease. Not everyone believes that, of course. Our culture remains primitive and judgmental when it comes to alcohol and substance use disorder. Someday soon one hopes we see he is the kind of role model our kids need, a new kind of October champion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;">CC is helping spread the message we heard on the Mall. The silence needs to end. The silence will end. 30,000 people were there to change the attitude of America about a dread disease. We will spread our message. We WILL prevail. If we build it they will come. Thanks for your help CC. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #303030; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-402051268487034912021-07-06T15:47:00.000-07:002021-07-06T15:47:08.050-07:00Fighting Stigma<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">I’ve had two interviews with TRT World Now, a Turkish media outlet. <a href="https://www.trtworld.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.trtworld.com</a></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">One in March of 2018 and one in June of 2021. Both were arranged on relatively short notice. Take a look at each. NOT because of what I have to say, but because of the stock images they employ during each interview. They recycle the same stereotypes; in fact, employ some of the same visuals in each segment. If we are to have any constructive discussion about drug use and addiction, we need to climb through and beyond the bog of stigma that inhibits a broader, more compassionate understanding of how we deal with drugs in our society. My issue is not with TRT World Now in particular, though I don’t dismiss the idea that they may have an agenda. Rather, they happen to be a striking example of what we still see far too often across all media. Use these links to see what I mean. 2018 - </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2GL2NIA" style="color: #954f72;">http://bit.ly/2GL2NIA</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">2021 - </span></span><a href="https://bit.ly/3x15JtL" style="color: #954f72;">https://bit.ly/3x15JtL</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-37660982473588220482021-07-04T10:08:00.001-07:002021-07-04T10:15:28.974-07:00From The Episcopal New Yorker - 2017<p>I was invited to write about our story and our son, William's, death due to heroin. Here's what I wrote:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a;">It’s easy for me to think of prayer as a request for guidance or help or perhaps prayer offered as thanks. I speak as one who does not exercise prayer in my day-to-day life, indeed as one who questions the power of prayer. When I was a boy my godmother gave me a plaque, Albrecht Durer’s “Praying Hands”. I still have it. Though it has been safely stored out of sight for decades now, I’ve not forgotten it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> </span><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">Four years ago, our son and brother, William, suffered an accidental heroin overdose. That was followed by six weeks of hospitalization, either heavily sedated or comatose, before it was clear he would never recover. We arranged organ donation (indeed were even with him in the operating room, watching as the tube that supported his breathing was removed). Unfortunately, once removed from life support, he did not expire within the short time frame necessary to harvest serviceable organs. Rather he lasted another 21 hours before he died in our arms. Determined that his death not be in vain we donated his body to Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. To a person, the doctors that we asked about doing so commented on how important anatomy class was in their own development as physicians. The head of the program that "accepted" William (Getting a deceased 24-year-old into medical school, even as a cadaver, isn't as easy as you might think.) was emphatic that an anatomical donation could ultimately be even more important than an organ donation. Our donation was balm and comfort, as well as encouragement to follow my son when the time comes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">Every year the first-year anatomy students at Columbia organize an Anatomy Memorial Service to express their gratitude for the donations that become the foundation of their medical education and to convey a sense of the impact donors’ gifts have on their education and their lives. It is a beautiful service with student offerings of music, written and spoken tributes, observations offered by their faculty, and a chance for donor families to respond and offer their reflections and thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">So it was that in early April of 2014 we had the opportunity to remember and celebrate William along with all the other donors recognized. Both at the time and as I’ve reflected since I’ve been struck by how often these budding doctors mentioned hands. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">One student wrote: “It was not at all a rare thing for me to overhear a classmate accidentally bumping against a cadaver and saying without thinking, ‘Oh! I’m sorry!’ Nor was there a day when I didn’t see a classmate’s hand resting – comfortingly, automatically – on the shoulder of a cadaver as we stood by their sides. And on the day when we dissected the hand, I feel sure I cannot have been the only one who – before we began our work – furtively held our donor’s hand in a brief clasp of reassurance, squeezing it as if to say, ‘It’ll be alright,’ despite the fact that he was dead, in honor of the fact that he had once been alive. I say all this to emphasize that the donors, although we didn’t know them, they were people nonetheless, and there was no way for us not to feel that. The lab was a place of respect, and the donors taught us that. In the presence of their generosity, there was no way not to feel awed.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">Cadavers were honored donors. The students, who worked in teams of four referred to them as their first patients. “…my second encounter with the donor’s body left me feeling an array of confusing emotions. For the first time, I saw his hands. Hands that still had fingernails and hair on them. Hands that reminded me of the hands I love to hold. And I thought to myself, ‘This person had someone who loved him, and who held his hands.’ This simple and seemingly insignificant thought truly left me feeling quite inspired. It also emphasized the reality that this body was a living breathing person. That realization serves for me as my first difficult moment in treating my very first patient.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> “The first day wasn’t as rough as I was anticipating. It wasn’t until the second dissection when I saw her pink and chipping nail polish that it really hit home. The benefit of having such a personal experience in the lab is the sense of pure respect and admiration I feel for our donor.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">From another, “On the first day we met, as I held your hand and noticed the faded pink nail polish you wore, I wondered if, as you applied that once-shining coat, you knew it would be the last time you would do so. And if so, were you afraid? Or had you found peace in the limitations of our profession and the natural course of life and death? I’d like to think that you received some solace in the knowledge that you would go on to guide my colleagues and me in our pursuit of medicine. And for that reason, I want to say thank you. I have met you without us having ever exchanged a word. As you have paid tribute to my scientific profession by the donation of who you once were, may I pay tribute to your life and death by reaching my fullest potential as a caregiver to others.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">These words strike me like a prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving, a prayer of hope, a devotion. A statement of devotion. A prayer offered with the prayer giver’s full intention to make the prayer manifest. I like to think that our hands need not always be clasped to pray, as beautiful as Durer’s rendition is, but that the spirit of prayer enters the flesh of our hands as we attempt to mold hope and thanksgiving into reality, as we devote ourselves to that cause. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">The students’ memorial comments were also prayers of thanksgiving, though perhaps not directly intended as such. “I didn’t have a nameless, faceless empty vessel to examine every week; I was in the presence of a work of art, shaped by decades of experience and work. The hands I explored looked nothing like the textbook because, unlike that picture, these hands had made music, done work, caressed loved ones….Years from now, if I am fortunate enough to donate my own body I hope another medical student is asked the same question. And I hope she thinks the same thoughts. What have these hands done? And even though she may never know, the hands she explores, my hands will have (hopefully) eased the suffering of others: all thanks to the hands, heart, and presence of another. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">One thing we’ll never know is how many times the hands these students studied were themselves clasped in prayer. What guidance did they ask for? What thanks did they offer? Certainly, the very fact that those hands were in an anatomy lab made them an act of devotion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">“Being a student in Anatomy and working with the bodies of real people, has inspired me to always remember that the gift of trust that patients place in their physicians is too precious to ever be expected or earned; it is simply a gift, always.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">With all my doubts, sparing as I am with prayer, I did send the doctors and nurses who cared for my boy William over those six long weeks a prayer I composed for my father’s memorial service. A prayer thanking them for their devotion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> Dear God,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> We give thee thanks for all those who tend to the sick.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> We thank thee for those who heal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> We thank thee for those who nurse.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> We thank thee for those who counsel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> We thank thee for those who pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> Inspire their minds when they seek new answers firm their hands when their strength falters, lift up their hearts when hope seems faint, hear their prayers when they call to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> Grant that in their time of need they may receive as generously as they give, remembering always that through their time, their talent, and their tenderness do we see your love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> Amen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;">Prayer, for me, may be like that Durer plaque, tucked away but not completely forgotten. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #121318; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-15756872402907948542021-07-03T09:24:00.000-07:002021-07-03T09:24:31.743-07:00Bill Williams on TRT World Now<div style="color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At 9:00 on a late June/21 Monday night, I noticed a text on my cellphone. From a producer for TRT World, a Turkish version of BBC news that broadcasts here in the states. Based in DC. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.trtworld.com%252F%253Ffbclid%253DIwAR0FAeOInWEcfJXy7Dd7zgBPz55UF9Dcz_sPcdQhuVpA16mCpWpVUmvsetI%26h%3DAT2v2ej8OvbqwD5md9_ud54PtOo0oPd9EVwIQHc8OgajkHWtUoLo_6NzlbblR-I4tNjP0NUI5VMPhQ6yRuoHDHkGj4F-X82iOCtD98drtve1YqS6KINPp8HBpdRYv9KC_JZL2lwrqw%26__tn__%3D-UK-R%26c%5B0%5D%3DAT3-h35Nynqj9pJ2pT8Ex5nFD2SFe3VgqIYtaHYeSkFlX18y_0c7zx-86jP3dDWGXhkWpdewdb0Ex00sPl4nQ1H-10KaBfDjUocOAn_wPYv-m7PlqQwLVIDSNd9fmw1g_IC8xo3SQMbeATB_r7BoxQNrIw&source=gmail&ust=1625415622142000&usg=AFQjCNHMClx1hC7_D-Txs0rHDsuMAFzfbw" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trtworld.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0FAeOInWEcfJXy7Dd7zgBPz55UF9Dcz_sPcdQhuVpA16mCpWpVUmvsetI&h=AT2v2ej8OvbqwD5md9_ud54PtOo0oPd9EVwIQHc8OgajkHWtUoLo_6NzlbblR-I4tNjP0NUI5VMPhQ6yRuoHDHkGj4F-X82iOCtD98drtve1YqS6KINPp8HBpdRYv9KC_JZL2lwrqw&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT3-h35Nynqj9pJ2pT8Ex5nFD2SFe3VgqIYtaHYeSkFlX18y_0c7zx-86jP3dDWGXhkWpdewdb0Ex00sPl4nQ1H-10KaBfDjUocOAn_wPYv-m7PlqQwLVIDSNd9fmw1g_IC8xo3SQMbeATB_r7BoxQNrIw" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1155cc; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.trtworld.com</a></span> Would I be able to comment on NYS AG James' suit against pharma companies?</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">After re-downloading and updating Skype, which is all they use, getting a new password, arranging the "set" at home, and getting the camera angle set up via Istanbul, I went live at 10:22 last night. Sunburned, unshaven. Here's the link to my four minutes of Turkish fame.</div></div><div style="color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DZLwU8IiuQdU%26t%3D3s%26fbclid%3DIwAR2FkInS4vS-5nInaM1c3PuvhctHUpMq1Fx8BbLlfAwItegR69KC9qiGYvE&source=gmail&ust=1625415622142000&usg=AFQjCNGu_MP6lBrx_E40veTZ1b0i-FzPLA" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLwU8IiuQdU&t=3s&fbclid=IwAR2FkInS4vS-5nInaM1c3PuvhctHUpMq1Fx8BbLlfAwItegR69KC9qiGYvE" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1155cc; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=ZLwU8IiuQdU&t=3s</a></span></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><p> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-88419506162685328392021-07-03T08:51:00.006-07:002021-07-03T09:26:51.440-07:00A Father's Grief: Shaken From Silence When Pandemic Diverts Attention From Addiction<p>In December of 2020 I had the following essay published in <b><i>Addiction and Drug Abuse Weekly</i></b>. I share the text below </p><p class="ChapterTitle"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="ChapterAuthor">By Bill Williams<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para"><i>Eight years ago Dec. 2, William, Williams’ son, died from an overdose. What follows is his story, beautifully told for </i>ADAW<i>. But it’s much more than his story. It’s the story of how one bereaved parent has moved on to advocacy for public health.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="Para">In early March, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives everywhere, but especially in New York City, my wife, Margot, and I fled our Manhattan apartment to our house in the rural Catskills. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">Spring dawdled and teased while we acclimated to seven lives — our children and grandchildren — covering a 75-year span under the same roof — eight lives counting Archie, the dog, who also made the trip from Chicago. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">Leaves finally budded. Archie patrolled the outdoors chasing after squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, even treeing a mama bear while her cubs hid nearby. We dug potatoes in my garden, picked berries, cartwheeled, raced, and kicked balls on the lawn. We summered as a family, not always devoid of tension in close quarters, but safe, secure and often able to relish our time together. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">Out there, beyond us, COVID-19 continued to increase its toll, infecting victims and headlines in a world Zooms away. Blessedly, we all remained healthy.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"><p class="H1">COVID amnesia<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="Para">For me, at least, caution and prudence stealthily seeded an unanticipated manifestation of the virus. Focusing heavily on COVID-19 invited a kind of amnesia, an intellectual and emotional disconnect from other important issues. Chief among them: the long-term drug epidemic besetting our nation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">My detachment began innocently enough with a cluster of precautions in early spring. A planned presentation to a group of doctors specializing in addiction medicine at a New York City hospital was sensibly changed from an in-person meeting to one online. An in-studio radio interview with a local Catskill station was postponed (no rescheduling as of this writing). Finally, the monthly program on addiction I hosted on a local public radio program was suspended in an effort (still continuing) to limit access to the station facility to a skeleton crew of paid staff. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">While on the surface sensible and benign, each adjustment resulted in less engagement with addiction issues: the exchange of ideas while not “on the air,” informal illuminating discussions and introductions to other valuable resources. There was no need to line up guests for a program that wasn’t airing. Practical, reasonable behavior centered on COVID-19 became a malaise of inattention when it came to addiction. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"><p class="H1">Addiction’s presence<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="Para">While my attention drifted away, addiction in America did not. Indeed, it persisted and found its way to my doorstep midsummer. It began with an online introduction to a man using theater to help spur on people in recovery — a man after my own heart. Even so, I was slow to follow up. Not being able to “find the right time” was a convenient excuse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">It took more direct contact to spur me on, to reinvigorate my spirit as an advocate. A friend asked if I’d be willing to talk to another father, a man grief-stricken that his son’s drug use might lead to imminent death. We talked on the phone several times. Mostly, I listened to a father terrified of losing his son — feeling helpless, feeling like he’d exhausted his resources both financially and emotionally, weeping unabashedly, seeking what comfort he might from a father who’d already lost his son. I told him how much I understood how he felt, what he was going through. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">What went unsaid, though we both knew it — my story had no happy ending to offer as consolation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">An email late in September from a friend who is a long-standing, forceful advocate shook me. It shared the sudden loss of a family member who’d struggled with substance use for a long time. The circumstances were familiar: relapse after a period of sobriety, discovered at home but too late for Narcan or EMS to save. This was someone who gave the outward appearance of recovery but was sadly unable to resist the siren call of cravings. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"><p class="H1">My son<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="Para">Mid-October arrived, the annual reminder of the sequence of events that led to my son, William’s, fatal heroin use eight years ago. On a crisp, sunny fall morning, knowing his drug compulsion was endangering his life following numerous overdoses and hospitalizations, William packed a bag and went to the detox unit of a Manhattan hospital seeking admittance for inpatient detox. He detailed his injection of heroin, along with his use of benzodiazepines, marijuana and alcohol. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">Not much more than an hour after walking in the door, he was denied his request, his insurers determining that inpatient detox was “not medically necessary.” Four days later, William overdosed for the last time, lingering for six weeks, his brain irrevocably damaged before we removed him from life support. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"><p class="H1">The media<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="Para">Exactly on the anniversary of William’s denial, <i>The</i> <i>Washington Post</i> ran a headline — “The opioid crisis didn’t disappear amid the pandemic. It still calls for urgent action.” The article that followed was all too similar to articles I discovered before and after in <i>The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today</i>, and<i> The Daily Beast. </i>They all chronicled dire circumstances, including the following in no particular order:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpFirst"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->diversion of personnel and resources from addiction services;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->a reduction in services and service capacity;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->increased drug use in the population at large;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->an increase in deaths from overdose;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->trends in the number of drug deaths heading upward again;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->isolation and quarantine making it hard for people to have important person-to-person contact, or even to venture from home to obtain services they need;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->an increase in homelessness and people living on the streets; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class="ListBulletedCxSpLast"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->people of color continuing to bear a particular burden.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">There are surely more stark details to be added to this list. Clearly, however, there is sad irony in the fact that the closeness and connection that aid harm reduction and recovery run counter to the separation and distancing necessary to combat COVID-19.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"><p class="H1">No more silence<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="Para">At least in some states, laws have changed. Change and progress have been such that were William to go to a hospital these days, he would not immediately be denied treatment and turned away. Under ordinary circumstances. But COVID-19 has disrupted progress and at least temporarily set us back to a time when obtaining effective treatment is again a daunting task.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">My advocacy and my attention to the addiction epidemic lapsed as I responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, in response to the pandemic, we’ve suffered a relapse in our ability to reach, treat and support people, wherever they may be on the road to recovery. My fear is that we might suffer a collapse of that road, that we’ll need to go back to rebuild infrastructure, to replenish resources, to reinforce personnel. I fear the road to recovery will become a toll road, a toll paid in the deaths of those unable or not allowed to even set foot on that road.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para">When I write, I often do so in the quiet at the beginning of my day — alone and removed from distraction, with hours sometimes passing before I speak to anyone. When interrupted by a phone call or a late riser in the house, I often find I have to clear my throat before I speak. Too much time has passed saying nothing. When it comes to the drug epidemic, it is time for me to clear my throat and speak up again — louder, and more often if need be. Time to get back in action. Time to find new ways to start a conversation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Para"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">Bill Williams is a teacher and freelance writer. Since the heroin overdose death of his son, William, Bill has written and spoken frequently about addiction. Reach him at </span><a href="mailto:briobrio33@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">briobrio33@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.800000190734863px;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.333332061767578px;"> </span></p><p class="Para"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-15742435290246332752021-03-18T09:19:00.000-07:002021-03-18T09:19:55.220-07:00The Leprechaun Trap<p> <span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">I try hard to be a wise, loving, and accommodating grandfather to three sisters, 7,3, & 2.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">I’ve been climbed on, read and told endless stories, helped girls splash and “swim” in the summer, skate and go sledding in the winter, dressed and undressed numerous dolls as instructed, diapered real babies, talked on the phone, danced, sung, and snuggled.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">All grandfatherly moments many have shared before me and many more will do so in the future.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">St. Patrick’s Day Eve (not an occasion I think I’ve ever celebrated before) brought a new challenge to this grandfather, building a Leprechaun Trap. Seven-year-old Josephine was intent on capturing one of these little fellows. I was enlisted as chief engineer. Josephine was the Steve Jobs of the project, laying out a plan for me to follow. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">I quickly learned a few things, or rather, I was instructed on Leprechaun habits. They’re greedy, especially as they fervently hunt for gold coins at the end of rainbows. We had no rainbows at hand in the house, but we did have access to gold(ish) coins. My suggestion that seventeen coins were appropriate in this instance was accepted. The first concept was to lay a trail of coins through the house to the trap, a la Hansel & Gretel. The plan was abandoned when we considered the little fellow would likely satisfy himself with the coins from the trail and give a wide berth to a trap. But, AHA, they are greedy little guys and they seldom have much luck at the end of rainbows. What if we put an entire pot in the trap to entice our prospect? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">We located a bowl with two handles (resembling as best we could a gold pot). We put the loot in the bowl/pot and went to fetch a stick to attach to the bowl. The stick was outside the front door, in a bundle of kindling for the fireplace. It attracted more attention than we needed. Preparing a Leprechaun trap requires a stealthy, whispered silence. What we got was two little sisters clamoring over who got to hold the stick. Why, I cannot tell you. Then Archie, the dog, wanted to play a game of indoor fetch. Finally, the stick was tugged from muzzle and grips respectively and affixed with a hairband to the bowl. The stick propped up a large cardboard box. When the avaricious imp tugged at the bowl to snag all the loot, the stick would fall away and the leprechaun would spend the night trapped in the box. Certainly not what he’d planned to celebrate the day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">We tried a substitute trail of caramel candy leading up to the box but again juveniles and canine intervened. Only Josephine liked the caramel. The two little ones spat theirs in the trash. Knowing that Leprechauns have a keen sense of smell and are potentially gluttonous, we put the candy wrappers in with the coins as an additional attractant. We situated the trap under the dining room table behind chairs so that the Leprechaun might feel safe and unsuspecting in a forest of furniture legs. This location had the added advantage of being relatively secure from younger sisters Willa and Julia and ever- inquisitive Archie. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Josephine took the additional precaution of wiping down the entire dining room floor and the hallway so as not to leave human scent that might scare our visitor from the trap.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">The upshot. Partial success. The Leprechaun seems to have been trapped, at least initially. Then, it appears he broke open the top of the cardboard box and escaped. Insolent, as so many of his kind are, he left graffiti on the side of the box he ruined, the words “Nice Try” and a poor replica of a four-leaf clover. To flaunt his escape, he made it painfully clear he’d found at least one pot of gold by leaving three five-dollar bills. No St. Patrick’s Day payday for Archie. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">He’ll be back. Wait ‘til next year little guy! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-72829255451966811142021-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:002021-01-21T13:51:34.504-08:00Storytelling - Walla & Barky<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">With three granddaughters closing in on seven, three, and two come February when they all have birthdays, I have, over the course of their young lives, often put them down for naps or to bed for the night. My success rate is such that I’ve titled myself “The Baby Whisperer”, able to shepherd even the most resistant child into a gentle slumber. My resources are familiar: cuddling, singing, rocking - both standing and sitting, back rubs, playing music, and a patient, stubborn determination to outlast even the most strong-willed and stubborn sleep defying child. And my ace in the hole, storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">One of the last things I did in 2020 was to put almost three-year-old <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Willa down for the night. She’d napped in the late afternoon, so bedtime was postponed well past the normal hour. We went upstairs to put her down so her grandmother and I could enjoy an uninterrupted late New Year’s Eve meal together. Willa, who defies with a disarming smile and the most beautiful blue eyes, has her own bag of tricks come bedtime: suddenly needing something to eat or drink, locating the single most important doll or toy to bring to bed, arranging the pillows and covers, instructing me on where and how to lie down, adjusting the lighting, are a few that come to mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Each maneuver may have multiple attempts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Willa’s clever tactics gobbled up waning 2020 time while my dinner cooled off in the kitchen below us. I knew we’d reached the turning point, however, when Willa finally asked for a “Walla & Barky” story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Walla and Barky are thinly disguised versions of Willa and her family dog, Archie. They share adventures together. Willa gets to experience trouble, apprehension, mystery, conflict, magic, and more. These stories may be unique in detail, but not in structure. This storyteller sticks to a simple and ancient structure, structure that may indeed be hard-wired into us as a species. Certainly, stories and storytelling are intrinsic to us as a species, as Jonathan Gottschall makes clear in his book, <i>The Storytelling Animal – How Stories Make Us Human</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“One day…”, “Once upon a time…” Walla and Barky go into the woods, or cross a river, or follow a trail, or get left behind. No matter how the story begins they enter an imaginary world, a Greenworld, a Neverland. The basic structure is predictable, as John Woods tells us in his “journey into story” – <i>Into the Woods</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">I state a proposition. For example, what happens when Barky chases a deer too far into the woods and Walla follows?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">The proposition gets explored. A problem has been created. Who or what has the resources to solve it? Are there lessons to be learned?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">The story has a conclusion. A rescue, a safe return home. A revelation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">By the conclusion of the story, Walla and Barky have emerged from the imaginary world, from the woods, from Neverland. If I’ve done my job well, sprinkling in details, Willa has had the opportunity to enhance the story I’ve told with her imagination. I’ve written the melody. She gets to imagine the harmony, the enriching orchestration. Perhaps she even incorporates it into her upcoming dreamworld. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">As I tell the story, we lie next to each other, her soft curls spilling onto my pillow. I usually keep a calming, comforting hand on her throughout the story. We are safe with each other. Every so often she turns to look at me. She calms down as she listens, nearing sleep, or at least ready for soothing music. Her breathing becomes softer and relaxed. A deep sigh tells the Baby Whisperer his task is almost done.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Storytelling stirs our imagination. I sometimes ask Willa to suggest a story component. Barky crossed the river and ran into the woods.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“Why did he go into the woods?”, I ask. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“To chase an animal.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“What kind of an animal?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“A pig.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">And so, we explore how it came to be that a pig was roaming the woods. Not some feral boar in this case. Just an escapee from Farmer Adams’ pigpen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">As you’ve read along you’ve doubtless used your imagination. Think back. What was New Year’s Eve dinner? What does Willa’s bedroom look like? What sort of dog is Barky? How wide is the river? What became of the pig? We are immersed in the story whether we’re always aware of it or not. Stories draw us closer to one another. They make us human. Imagination connects us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">2021 began with Willa climbing into our bed first thing in the morning. “Granddad, tell a Walla & Barky story.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“What about?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“Getting lost in the woods.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">“One day, Walla and Barky…”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">A new year, a new decade, a new story. An old story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span> </p>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-73601185065381900762020-04-19T13:48:00.000-07:002020-04-19T13:48:48.141-07:00Andrew Solomon on the COVID-19 Pandemic<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Writing for the <i>New York Times </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Sunday Review</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">, Andrew Solomon provided this essay for the April 12<sup>th</sup> edition.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opinion/coronavirus-depression-anxiety.html" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opinion/coronavirus-depression-anxiety.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">To my surprise, the <i>Times </i>printed no letters in response to Mr. Solomon’s piece. To my frustration, that excluded a submission I offered. I offer it again, herewith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">RE: Andrew Solomon’s </span><i><span style="color: #121212; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">When the Pandemic Leaves Us Alone, Anxious and Depressed<o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
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<span style="color: #121212; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Mr. Solomon prudently stresses the unequal treatment of physical and mental health in our society, adding “Insurance does not offer real parity of coverage…”<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">The federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act passed in 2008 was intended to prevent group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those benefits than on medical/surgical benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Alas, enforcement has been weak and limited at best. Insurers still continue to dodge, deny, delay and dissemble to avoid compliance. Until the government acts responsibly and seriously to actually <b><i>enforce</i></b> the act so that citizens can receive treatment desperately needed, we can only anticipate the psychological tragedies Mr. Solomon fears will become reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-5760323532049178752020-03-27T16:11:00.002-07:002020-03-27T16:11:19.676-07:00<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's a sample from my effort to curate online activities for kids. <a href="https://on.mktw.net/2QLiN3p">https://on.mktw.net/2QLiN3p</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u><br /></u></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://on.mktw.net/2QLiN3p"></a></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH2gqxMA2avzI9TiT2u1KXK2KbDmH6i27KetcD2wb2dmm9tsHlbq3IAPZJdd13MX-jjkKU05ERaX7mLKPRYfCJtR9H8uXJXiDWanpXMAfO9PXEkh7ItC13nDU4lJm4MRcH-xlefAUoJf1/s1600/Brown+Bag+Lunch+3%253A24%253A20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH2gqxMA2avzI9TiT2u1KXK2KbDmH6i27KetcD2wb2dmm9tsHlbq3IAPZJdd13MX-jjkKU05ERaX7mLKPRYfCJtR9H8uXJXiDWanpXMAfO9PXEkh7ItC13nDU4lJm4MRcH-xlefAUoJf1/s320/Brown+Bag+Lunch+3%253A24%253A20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-50103303559901643152020-03-08T14:31:00.002-07:002020-04-11T11:07:14.018-07:00Epidemic Panic - ME/them<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I recently read two articles in Vox by senior correspondent German Lopez. One, co-authored with Julia Belluz, titled “Wash You Damn Hands, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2x5DDmX" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">http://bit.ly/2x5DDmX</span></a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">, is a measured, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">sensible, and practical guide for individuals on responding to the Covid-19 virus outbreak. The other is one of an important series Lopez is working on - “The Rehab Racket: Investigating the high cost of addiction care”. </span><a href="http://bit.ly/3345ct3" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">http://bit.ly/3345ct3</span></a><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Each an article on an epidemic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Hand washing is prompted by a response to the most recent health scare, the Covid-19 virus. Since December the news has abounded with stories about the Covid-19 virus. Just as Zika, MERS, SARS, and Ebola – to name a few – have clamored for our attention in years past via all media available. The collective anxiety over the threat of catching one of these headline grabbing diseases, much less dying from one, is palpable. The stock market stumbles and tumbles. Congress quickly approves billions of dollars for research and prevention measures. Yet, counter to the panic surrounding these diseases, a March NBC News report lists the combined death toll for Covid-19, SARS, and MERS at just under 5,000 deaths. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Meanwhile, German Lopez continues to write regularly about a far more devastating epidemic, Substance Use Disorder, SUD. There are few headlines, unless a celebrity dies. As I write, today like every day, 185 Americans will die from drug overdoses. In four weeks’ time overdose deaths will surpass the 5,000 viral deaths. Annual death rates for SUD have climbed from 47,000 in 2014 to 72,000 in 2017. The first step backward came in 2018 at 68,000. Given the stigma around SUD those deaths are most likely significantly underreported. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Why the disparity in our collective consciousness and reporting in the media between the two epidemics? I believe the answer is simple. When we learn about a virus, we immediately don a mask, literally or figuratively or both, out of fear that the disease could strike us. The thought is, “I could catch this. It could kill ME!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">SUD, on the other hand, while far more prevalent, is something that strikes “the other”, THEM. People we accuse of making bad choices. People we think of as bad people. People we isolate in a sort of permanent quarantine, to be shunned and blamed for their misfortune. Viral killers like Covid-19 fall under our control when we talk about them and actively confront them. SUD’s stalk us in the dark of willful ignorance, while we wash our hands of the plight of those suffering the disease. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-64347866300333141342020-02-27T12:08:00.000-08:002020-02-27T12:08:47.146-08:00Sometimes Letters to the Editor Don't Get Published - Part 2<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/addiction-memoirs-are-a-genre-in-recovery.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/addiction-memoirs-are-a-genre-in-recovery.html</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Addiction, One Book at a Time</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> by Alex Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Alex Williams serves us all by sharing information about books on addiction. Unfortunately, he employs outdated memes that perpetuate the stigma around Substance Use Disorder (SUD).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Discussions about SUD in its various guises often include conviction about “Rock Bottom”. The notion being that sooner or later the afflicted have to experience a life-altering event that shocks them into lasting change. Our family, too, heard this notion from multiple sources while our son, William, struggled with his use of heroin and we struggled to cope and understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">The problem is this. The rocks at the bottom are strewn with dead bodies, including that of my son. Death is rock bottom. Anything else is just a serendipitous, albeit uncomfortable, landing on an outcropping on the way down. It may be a tough climb back. There may be other falls. But it’s not death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">People climbing back were never “dirty”. The use of the antonym “clean” suggests otherwise and cheats these authors among a legion of others of the value of their hard work and ultimate success in achieving sobriety and sustained recovery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-81188430452639408162020-01-19T12:56:00.001-08:002020-01-19T12:58:10.802-08:00Sometimes Letters to the Editor Don't Get Published<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2pidq" data-offset-key="draro-0-0" style="caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="draro-0-0"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The New York Times offered readers the opportunity to write a letter about a book that changed their life in 200 words or less. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/opinion/letters/influential-books.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/opinion/letters/influential-books.html</a> I submitted a letter that wasn't published. I offer it here:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Our son and brother, William, died at age 24 following an accidental heroin overdose. At his memorial service, we made the following pledge to him: “We promise to do everything in our power to educate and inform people about drug abuse and its prevention, to provide ever more enlightened treatment for addicts, to help make treatment options for addicts more readily available, and to remove the stain of shame surrounding this disease.” So began a sustained advocacy for substance use disorder (SUD) sufferers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Shortly thereafter I read Andrew Solomon’s </span><i style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Far From The Tree.</i><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> For me, the brilliance of his writing is distilled in these few words: “…we all have our darkness, and the trick is making something exalted of it.” Words that inspired me at first encounter and guide me as I seek to listen, learn, write and speak about SUD; as I labor to honor my pledge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Unlike the conditions Solomon writes about, SUD is often not far from the tree. Rather, it lurks persistently in the roots and branches of many family trees. Solomon’s book doesn’t address SUD directly, but he writes eloquently about shame and stigma. His wisdom thereon motivates and shepherds my quest toward the exalted. </span></div>
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Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-48599062879312463572020-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:002020-01-12T19:01:18.609-08:00Courtney Hunter on "First Mondays With Bill Williams"<span style="background-color: #eeeecc; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.609999656677246px;">Take half an hour to listen to my interview with Courtney Hunter of The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. It aired January 6th on Radio Catskill, WJFF 90.5 on my show "First Mondays With Bill Williams." You can catch the show on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 on 90.5 or via the internet at </span><a href="http://wjffradio.org/" style="color: #223344; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.609999656677246px;">wjffradio.org</a><span style="background-color: #eeeecc; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.609999656677246px;">. Go here to listen to my conversation with Courtney: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2scXs9U">http://bit.ly/2scXs9U</a>Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6047014586349495918.post-84367782630989019082019-12-09T22:45:00.001-08:002019-12-09T22:51:12.507-08:00Congressman Antonio Delgado InterviewTake half an hour to listen to my interview with Congressman Antonio Delgado (D - NY 19th). It aired December 2nd on Radio Catskill, WJFF 90.5 on my show "First Mondays With Bill Williams." You can catch the show on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 on 90.5 or via the internet at <a href="http://wjffradio.org/">wjffradio.org</a>. Go here to listen to my conversation with the Congressman: <a href="http://bit.ly/355qKp3">http://bit.ly/355qKp3</a><br />
My thanks to the Congressman for being generous with his time and his thoughtful participation. Let me know your reaction. Thanks.Bill Williams' Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754101062097343610noreply@blogger.com0