Shakespeare Time

It is said that that the fundamental vices of the mind of man are  Kama (lust, desire), Krodha (anger, hatred), Lobha (greed, narrow mindedness), Mada (pride), Moha (delusion, emotional attachment) and Matsarya (envy, jealously). These are universal ideas present since time immemorial, irrespective of theology and philosophy. This makes Shakespeare relevant even today, as he explores these very values in man and the duality that exists in man, such as love and betrayal, jealously and friendship, bravery and cowardice, indecision and ambition, dishonor and morality.

Shakespearean characters have also become synonymous with certain characteristics eg: a couple in love on a tragic path are Romeo and Juliet. The current world around us and even our history is filled with such themes and such flaws. For example, we witness unscrupulous real-life dictators just like Macbeth (eg: Gadaffi, Sadaam). 

In addition to the universality of themes and characters, his works have provided a rich addition to the modern English vocabulary eg: words like assassination, outbreak, upstairs, bloodstained etc.  All these aspects make Shakespeare's plays timeless and relevant even for the modern reader.

This year we got to do Macbeth - filled with cauldron-stirring witches,  Scottish Generals, runaway ambition and a veritable blood-bath. Whew!

The Making of a Research Paper - Dopamine

Your teacher springs a research paper on you. What do you do? This is the Language course but the research topic was to be science-related. I could hear the virtual sighs of my classmates. Not everyone is a fan of science!!!

Choosing a research topic is probably the hardest thing in starting a research paper. There are just so many topics - the environment, the medical sciences, space.... Where do you start and where do you end? Your paper demands a tight thesis statement, especially if it is limited to 2400 words.

The process was interesting though. Lessons on plagiarism, and correct formatting of cited works. Putting citations in the correct MLA format just got a lot easier with sites like easybib.com. Put in all the information about your source and voila, out comes the nicely formatted output with all the italics and commas in place. It is not just a case of citing sources at the end but correcting referencing them during the course of your paper.

There were lessons on our interests and motivations, writing the thesis statement and outline. Our initial draft had to be turned into turnitin.com (checks for plagiarism) before it was submitted to the teacher for grading. And the best part was that if you got above 90 % in the first draft, you did not have to do a final draft and got full credit. 

So here's my research paper on the neurotransmitter Dopamine

Link to Paper

- Hari Srinivasan

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Recovered Memory - True or False?

We got to study Memory this time in our High School Psychology Elective

How do we remember?  

Is everything we remember really true?  

Are our memories subject to modification due to external sources?  

It was an interesting topic. For a long time the Freudian lead School of Psychoanalysis held sway. But of late, there has been a paradigm shift that raises some serious questions.

Recovered Memory - True or False?

Becoming Addicted to Behaviors

 Becoming Addicted to Behaviors

There exists a great deal of comfort in the human mind when definitions are laid out within well-defined boundaries. The definition of "Addiction" illustrates this dilemma. Traditionally the term was used primarily in conjunction with ingested substance addiction. But what of behavioral addictions built up due to repetitive uses and habits. It is as devastating in terms of its psychological, biological and social effects. Limiting a definition is really blinding oneself to the existence of other problems in the same vein. (Having said that, too broad a definition, as is the case with autism; which has become a catch-all bucket; really dilutes the possibility of quickly attaining meaningful solutions). 

The challenge is that understanding behaviors continues to be an enigma for scientists and sociologists alike, as we have not still fully understand the workings of the human mind. It is rational and irrational all at the same time. The human consciousness is a very complex process. So the debate continues as to whether we can group pyschoactive physical addictions (eg: drugs) and say, the pathological need to gamble, which is a process or activity addiction. Nevertheless I believe that both substance abuse and behavioral addictions are “additions” – both lead to neuroadaptation. Only if both are recognized as such, will efforts be made to find solutions. 

Behaviors in our society have changed in its nature and scope over the last few decades. The internet for example was non-existent 2 decades ago, as was the concept of internet-addiction. Expectations have also changed - life has become confusing and complex. Behaviors that arise almost as coping mechanisms soon become obsessive compulsive addictions. Why are there so many obese people (due to eating disorders) in a society outwardly obsessed with the unrealistic model-thin beauty. Have our societal expectations changed so much that a percentage of the population can no longer keep up and resorts to "quick-fix" behaviors. 

These behavioral patterns are quick-fixes to begin with, but their effect is intense in the pleasure derived. It acts as a powerful emotional operand and appears an inviting outlet in which to lose oneself from all the stresses of societal reality. The step from craving to compulsion blurs. The internet for instance offers the chance of becoming another virtual persona. You can be everything you are not in real life. 

The consequences don't seem bad either. After all you are not abusing drugs or drinking and driving. Ergo, there can be no perceived risks! Activity additions are not even viewed as potential addictions by its victim (denial). But when the repeated activity has significantly changed behavioral patterns (quantitatively) such that it dominates to the detriment of other behaviors, it has truly become an addiction. The strength of the addition and the subjective change in experience it brings can cause significant shifts in neurochemistry, just like in substance addiction. Ironically, substance addiction is easier to identify and therefore, easier to treat as there is a tangible object of addiction.       

Even from a purely behavioral viewpoint (BF Skinner), a person will engage in more of the behavior that is positively reinforced. A feel-good behavior is therefore likely to be repeated. If this cause –effect relationship resulting in a repeated behavior crosses a threshold where it becomes detrimental, it has then become an addiction. This can apply to all kinds of things – be it gambling, internet use, or over-eating. Indeed, people can become addicted to behaviors.

So you want to be a Wolf Biologist!!

A Wolf Biologist!! When my classmate expressed this as a career goal, I thought they must be joking. Perhaps the sudden craze over fictional werewolves and vampires brought this on. Owww..

Turns out it is a real bonafide job - a specialty of wildlife biology, requiring a graduate degree at the least. Wolf Biologists work in places like Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone's Wolf Project for instance is trying to reintroduce wolves back into the wild - a missing link in that ecosystem for over 60 years - due to human misconceptions about the wolf. As with all other wildlife biology, the fundamental task is to study and understand our wonderful fauna and help preserve its habitat. 

To the future Wolf Biologist in my class - Good Luck. And what a nice career goal.

Accidental Misfit

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly 

My image of the creature in Frankenstein, prior to reading, had been far from positive. In fact I thought the creature’s name was Frankenstein, given the title of the book. I did not realize that his creator was Victor Frankenstein and that the creature himself is unnamed in the story.  I imagined a huge, grotesque, green, human-like figure that went around murdering innocents, for no rhyme or reason. Why green? – I don’t know, maybe I was confusing him with the Incredible Hulk who is a perpetual state of rage. Or perhaps since he was made of dead body parts, the green color represented the decayed body. The creature was in my mind just pure evil, a one-man slaughterhouse for any human that crossed his path. Perhaps he even tortured his victims before killing them. Maybe he even ate them. 

I felt that the creation itself was possibly an act of accident on the part of a wayward scientist -  Victor Frankenstein, which resulted in this intensely furious monster, bent on destruction, much like that depicted in many monster movies. Such a monster would logically chase and try to wipe out his creator and kin. For me, the two figures were on either side of black and white. The creator was the innocent victim; the creature was this evil black-hearted aggressor to be destroyed. A number of humans were bound to be killed over the course of the story to justify this. The happy ending would have been the creator destroying this evil creature and saving the girl.   

Reading the story put a different perspective on the characters of both Victor Frankenstein and the creature. It brought out the humanness of the creature and contrasted it with the duplicity of Frankenstein. It told the story of an accidental grotesque misfit, who desperately sought societal approval and of a scientist who did not want to take responsibility for his actions.  

Rest of Commentary continued on my Academic Blog. 

http://hariatwork.blogspot.com/2011/03/frankenstein-by-mary-shelley.html

Advent Into Year Sixteen

Advent into Year Sixteen

Advent into year sixteen. 

Has it been that long already?

I was a mere three yesterday

Burdened with a diagnosis 

Mind in thick fog and haze

The way, an intricate maze

Floundering and circling

Blinding darkness all around

Puzzled and perplexed

A stream of therapists 

Who am I, who are they?

What is this endless craze

Sunbeams, a thinning fog

Reach out to the hand of God.

Mind begins to contemplate

Body (unfortunately) continues it's own way

Thoughts continue to weave and fabricate

The keyboard unlocks communication

Education, now a reality

Though not all solutions are in place

I cross the threshold of year sixteen

Nervous anticipation writ large on my face

But the steps are lighter and surer

The road has sunnier shades of hue

Prof Stephen Hawking

On a person who represents the theme “Life is a Challenge, Meet it”

Prof Stephen Hawking

Prof Stephen Hawking is one of the world’s brilliant theoretical physicists. Like other great scientific minds, he has worked on the basic scientific laws that govern the Universe. His work on black holes has especially been path-breaking.  His work has resulted in the unification of Einstein’s General Relativity and Quantum Theory, which is a significant development in that field. Some of the conjectures from his work are that black holes are not really black and that the universe has no boundaries.

Sound familiar?  Swami is Kalathithaya – beyond space and time and limitless. How then can the universe have boundaries? Science is just the ‘explainable’ component of spirituality.

Stephen Hawking was born in Jan 8, 1942 in Oxford England. You could say the first two decades of his life was fairly uneventful compared to the latter half. In a nutshell

-    His first choice, math, was not available, so he took up physics in college.

-    He was not a great student, with borderline marks – he needed a makeup oral exam at one point to pass.  

-    He did not read much and did not take notes either in college. 

He started to develop atypical ALS at around age 19. He started off by being increasingly clumsy. ALS is a degenerative motor-neuron disease, where the patient progressively loses neuro-muscular control. Most patients don’t last more than 10 years. He did not know if he would live to finish his PhD.

After an initial bout with depression, he decided “if I was going to die anyway, it might as well do some good”. He went on to finish his PhD in Cosmology, married and got a fellowship at Cambridge. 

In a way he says he was fortunate to be in the field of theoretical physics because “ that is all in the mind. No physical ability is required”

It’s been a good 40 years since he was diagnosed!!

Some of his notable achievements in the scientific field

-    From 1979- 2009, he has held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. This is a position held by Isaac Newton.

-    He has authored several popular books and TV shows, to make the subject accessible to the layman- A Brief History of time, The Universe in a Nutshell, Black Holes and Baby Universes, Into the Universe etc. 

-    He has won numerous distinctions and awards all across the world. 

In his personal life, his first wife divorced him due to the pressures of his care. He then married his nurse but they too divorced a few years later. He has children and grandchildren. 

His condition has affected his physical ability unevenly. Till around 1974, he could take care of himself, after which he needed help from a live in graduate research student. From 1980 he had a system of nurses. In 1985 he had to undergo a tracheotomy operation, after catching pneumonia at the CERN facility in Switzerland. He has needed 24 hr nursing care since, which has been funded by grants.

Even prior to the operation his voice had started slurring. In many of his public speeches prior to 1985, his graduate assistants were interpreting for him. 

But after his operation, he lost his voice completely. He had to find a way to communicate. Walt Woltosz offered him a software program called the Equalizer. Words could be selected from menus on screen by pressing a switch. And a sentence was slowly built up. He typed at approximately 4 words a minute this way. 

David Mason of Cambridge Adaptive Communication adapted the system to his wheelchair and used the 1980s telephone answering system to convert text to speech. The voice was robotic, with an American accent, but it’s the voice, that Stephen Hawking identifies with, and still uses.  

In his words: "A cursor moves across the upper part of the screen. I can stop it by pressing a switch in my hand. This switch is my only interface with the computer. In this way I can select words, which are printed on the lower part of the screen. When I have built up a sentence, I can send it to a speech synthesizer. 

I can write equations in words, and the program translates them into symbols. 

I can also give lectures. I write the lecture beforehand, and save it on disk. I can then send it to the speech synthesizer, a sentence at a time.” 

   

On TV shows, his voice output appears to be smooth and fluent only because it has been pre-prepared. At live conferences, it can take him up to 7 minutes to answer a question. 

Hawking lost the fine motor control of his hand as well and could no longer press the switch. Again the software had to be adapted. A small infrared sensor was attached to his glasses. The sensor detects intentional cheek twitches and triggers the switch. 

Using this he selects words, one letter at a time and slowly builds it into a sentence. 

Just imagine it - This is the system he has used to write his books, TV shows, give speeches, attend conferences and do his scientific work. 

This computer system also allows him access to remote controlling things like music, TV, lights, voice over IP, and opening doors in his house to allow him more independence.

His computer system has to be pretty much be replaced every year and he is fortunate to have the support of tech companies like Intel who are willing to invest in helping him. It has also helped that the onset of his illness came about slowly so he had time to establish his brilliance and intellect instead of trying to prove his cognitive abilities in addition to the struggles to communicate. 

Stephen Hawking essentially went beyond the bodily human limitations and reached out into the infinity of space. He even went on a space flight recently and experienced weightlessness. What a relief that must have been – not to be weighed down by the physical body. 

What if Stephen Hawking had been born 40 years earlier, when such technology was not available?  His mind would be lost to the world - what an incredible loss that would have been. Technology really has been a blessing in disguise for him and many who have no other avenue of communication.

His life was and is still a challenge. Yet he continues to face it and has overcome it in many areas. 

Efforts are being made to develop systems that will help him communicate should his face become paralyzed as well. Perhaps one of us will be in this field where we will develop new and affordable technologies that will benefit many people all over the world. 

Does not Swami keep telling us that we need not be trapped in the illusion of the insignificant physical body? Seems to me that Stephen Hawking has kind of done that.  

I like the answer Stephen Hawking gave on his site: “The human race is so puny compared to the universe that being disabled is not of much cosmic significance.” 

Lessons learnt. 

Stephen Hawking’s life has been a great source of inspiration to me.  Especially the fact that he’s done most of his work at the rate of 4 words per minute. That is the epitome of perseverance and dedication. 

I’m sure there is some element of frustration too – I can relate – it’s faster to talk that to type out a thought letter by letter, word by word, sentence by sentence.  A mind like his must be churning out thoughts faster than the physical movement of his cheek muscle. 

Life is going to be challenging whether or not your physical body imposes limitations. But you can still move beyond and make it less of a limitation. And you have to move others with you and take all to greater heights of human consciousness.

When challenges come your way, hold fast onto Swami’s hand and walk with Him. 

Sources: 

Official website of Prof Stephen Hawking. 

http://www.hawking.org.uk

Saenz, Aaron “How does Stephen Hawking Talk” (5/3/10)

http://singularityhub.com/2010/05/03/how-does-stephen-hawking-talk-video/

Volunteerism

Volunteerism

Why do people volunteer? Is it because it brings about a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction – that someone has benefited from their act of service?   It is because it has enriched their lives? For some, it is a way of life and for others it may bring some form of recognition and help in their career or life.  There are many intrinsic and extrinsic benefits to volunteering. Why then are more people not volunteering?

Many people may have the intrinsic desire to volunteer but don't quite know how to start or what to do. How does one go about this process? Do they have the time to do it? Is it a lot of work? Would they have to travel great distances?  Then there are factors such as whether it will be in line with their personal beliefs. There may even be skepticism on whether the needs of the target population (the recipients of the volunteerism) been identified properly. Volunteerism should also be done in a way, that the target population does not feel beholden or under some sort of obligation.

Therefore for volunteer participation to increase, there needs to be dissemination of information that answer some, if not all these questions. These questions need to be answered in layman's terms, so it is not just the “educated” who can understand it. In today's world, there are many ways to disseminate this information – through the media, social networking sites, the Internet etc. And there is actually a lot of information available on volunteer activities online that one can take part in. 

However the overriding factor that limits volunteering, is the lack of concrete examples to follow in one’s own local community. Volunteering is an abstract concept for many. One sees examples on TV of people in places like Africa handing out supplies. Such scenarios make volunteerism seem impossible for the common person. Many don't realize that volunteering can start in one’s own community.  All is takes is but one local example for others to follow. 

An example of a program that can greatly benefit by increased volunteer participation is the Special Olympics. Most associate it with the Para Olympics held every four years. It’s a very abstract event for most.  But Special Olympics in fact offers free sports training camps throughout the year in most areas, for all ages. Each training period, which runs for around 3 months, covers a specific sport. This way they can offer access to many different sports. Some of these are basketball, baseball, bowling, running, bocce etc. It also serves as a supportive environment and opportunities for the differently-abled to socialize and make friends. These camps are run in most part by volunteers. It stands to follow that the number of volunteers will determine the number and frequency of camps and the variety of sports that can be offered. 

This is actually a wonderful volunteer opportunity for high-schoolers and college goers, especially those who are sports inclined.  In essence, a program designed to encourage volunteer participation in this would involve for instance, presentations at local high schools. These would cover the issues discussed earlier.

• Information about the hows, whats and whys of the program 
• Tangible benefits (increased physical ability, access to sport programs) and intangible benefits (socialization, self-confidence) to the differently-abled.
• The specific tasks involved during the course of volunteering, including training for the volunteers.  
• Skills sets that high schoolers as volunteers, can bring to the program eg: fresh ideas, energy
• Time commitment (once a week for 3-4 months of a year is a short enough time commitment for most students)
• Distances involved for volunteers (usually within the same county or area)
• Tangible benefits to volunteers (volunteer credit hours, looks good on college apps and on resumes) Intangible benefits to volunteers. Existing volunteers can talk about what they felt about doing this activity. If there are existing high school volunteers, they too can talk about their experiences; thus lead by example. 
• The benefit for the school administrators is that such opportunities offer positive influences and experiences for their students.  

The youth of our country is primed to take part in volunteerism. Incentives such as volunteer credit hours in high school help instill such values in young adolescent minds. There is even presidential recognition for outstanding volunteerism by high school students. These impressions will carry over in their adult lives.  If one high-school student participates in a volunteer activity, and talks or texts about it to his friends, his friends will follow and then their friends etc. That is human mentality. 

Volunteering in effect is a win-win scenario for humans as a race. Its spread will greatly increase positive thinking and increase our level of consciousness, which in turn will reduce the negatives of human thought and behaviors such as crime and violence. 

What's Wrong with the News?

I had to write a persuasive essay for school, just before the winter break. Just got it back after it was graded by my teacher. Score 100/100 - cool! 

We first had to pick a topic, then write a plan then then write a draft. . The our teacher had us submit the essay to a site called turnitin.com which checks the essay for plagarism. Then we had to submit our essays to her

What’s Wrong with the News?
(Violence, a consequence of  TV News!)

We were in the airport departure lounge for a mere 40 minutes. The same news channel was on all of the half-dozen TV screens all around. Two rapes, a murder and a teacher's affair with a minor student! All in rapid succession -one after the other!  The graphic images of these violent acts carried on in the viewer's mind, long after the news program was done. I now get why my family does not watch much TV news anymore!

When did news morph from "information" to "all that's violent in the world"? Why not just call them crime reports or sensational reports.

One may well argue that "crimes" and other such "news", needs to be reported, just so that people are aware of the injustices of the world. That it is, in fact, a moral obligation. Indeed, many efforts to rectify problems arise from our awareness of their existence in the world. Would the rest of the world been aware of the Tiananmen Square massacre of student protestors (instances of human rights abuse), if they had not been seen it on the news? Freedom struggles throughout the world have benefited from the exposure of their issues on TV. In that sense, such exposure is noteworthy. 

However, since when did positives stop being newsworthy? Surely, the entire human population (or even a subset of your city) is not engaged in heinous acts 24x7. Does a "positive" have to cross the threshold of "sensational" to become newsworthy?  Man, a social animal, is constantly shaped and conditioned by what he sees, hears and is exposed to. Can this constant and focused bombardment of crime and negativity be   positive for the psyche of our society? Have we thought through its implications?  And we wonder why crime and violence is on the rise in our cities. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee Report, 1999, "Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence."

Truth be told, this constant diet of violent images is desensitizing our minds to the act of violence itself. As each mental threshold to violent images is crossed, the networks seek out and display, even greater violent images. Violence has acquired lighter shades of gray, where it's "acceptable" or even "ok".

There has been much talk of legislative regulation of media violence with regards to its effect on children. This has been the result of studies focused on children’s entertainment programs – movies, games, cartoons etc. Such initiatives are indeed commendable. Shockingly, such statistics and guidelines on TV violence do not include the “news." Parents are given guidelines (PG 13 etc) for “fictional” programming. However, the V-chip on newer TVs (which blocks transmission of violent programs into homes), does not take into consideration news and sports programs. Are we sending confusing signals, when it comes to the news programs? Is this violence "ok," because its “real-life,” compared to violence in other programming? 

Invariably, children do end up seeing a lot of violence via news programming. Even if it's limited at home, it's on the TV monitors at the gym (even places like the family friendly YMCA), at restaurants, and yes, even the airport. And one does come across the news inadvertently, when looking for other programs on TV. According to Dr Juliette H. Walma van der Molen(1)  , “children depend heavily on television news to stay informed.” 

Just this month, a fifteen year old held his classmates hostage, and finally killed himself. It was widely reported and analyzed on the news. Are you surprised? Such incidents no longer seem like random acts of violence. Indeed, it could well be that the continual influence of violent images psychologically leads to more mental disturbances and aggression. Studies have indeed confirmed these effects.  For instance, Huesmann et al (2)  observed “short-term aggressive behavior” (due to heightened arousal processes) and long-term learning of violent-scripts” (after repeated exposure to violence on the news)”. Since the “real-world” is presented as constantly violent on the news, children feel justified in being aggressive themselves, as a means of conflict-resolution.

What about it's effects on adults? The human life span extends a good 8-9 decades. A good portion of the human life is spent in adulthood. Can the human mind sustain such incessant bombardment? Just as we are told about the power of positive thinking, it is possible that the reverse (negative behaviors) may be the effect of negative thinking brought on by incessant negative images. A study done by Tamyra Pierce(3)  , showed that repeated use of words like, “shoot, kill, gun etc. by the media, triggered aggressive thoughts in insecure individuals.” 

Crime, violence and negativity make for a "Good News Day!" News programs seem to relish dissecting and analyzing every gory detail of each crime and spend an inordinate number of hours on doing so. Newscasters seem more to try to influence viewers by interjecting their views, or those of "agreeing" experts, than give facts, which is what "news" was supposed to be about.

Sadly, violence has now become an addiction of sorts for our society. We have lost empathy and have become insensitive to acts of violence. We crave to see more and hear more of it. Its influence pervades all aspects of our life. And as with all addicts, we are in a state of denial about our addiction.

In recent times, the only real positive news that took up significant news airtime was the Miners rescue in South America. It was indeed a fine example of the Humanity of Mankind at its best. As a society, we need to re-look and re-examine what “news” really means. If it is a show about trying to influence people’s views and filled with “expert” opinions, it should not be called “news” at all, and should be subject to the same regulations as any entertainment programming. 

Furthermore, news itself need not be negative-centric and need not be extreme. Above all, it should not be sensational-oriented.  Awareness of issues can be brought about without excessive rhetoric and excessive use graphic images, which have such severe negative psychological effects on society.  We also need a good dose of the “positives” to balance the psychological load.   If TV news were more representative of a fair balance, inclusive of the positives of society, and less sensational, would there not be less violence in our society?

How can we bring about this change? Simple action by individuals cumulates into compound results on society. There are the traditional forms such as letters to the editor and letters to your congressman. With the power of the today’s Internet, one can take a single opinion or issue out to millions and help bring about change fairly rapidly.  It takes but a single drop of snow to start an avalanche.

Man as a race, has overcome many an obstacle that has come in the way in the past. There have been periods in our civilization when we have wandered off the main path, but we have always found a way back and have managed to correct some of the wrongs. Man as a race, will continue to do so in the future. That is the power of the Homo-Sapien mind! We can find solutions if we put our mind to it.

- Hari Srinivasan 

Sources
1. Walma van der Molen PhD, Juliette H; “Violence and Suffering in Television News: Towards a Broader Conception of Harmful Television Content for Children” (Department of Communication, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/6/1771

2. Huesmann LR, Moise-Titus J, Podolski CL, Eron LD. Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977–1992. Dev Psychol.2003; 39 :201 –221

3. Violent News Coverage is Triggering Additional Violence
http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/1102/blvoilence1102.htm

4. National Crime Prevention Council “ Violence in the News”
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/by-audience/parents/media-literacy/violence-in-the-news

5. KidsHealth.org, School Violence and the News
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/school_violence.html

6. Violence of TV: The Desensitizing of America
http://www.ridgenet.org/szaflik/tvrating.htm

Interactions with Planet X

Interactions with Planet X
(So you want to help, but have no clue) 

My fellow Teens, 

You all probably know some people with disabilities. After all, it's fairly commonplace now. Words like Autism, Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy abound in the news. You probably even feel sorry for them. But honestly, even a truckload of pity is not much use. 

You probably are also "initially freaked out" at meeting people with disabilities. (This is a direct quote from a high school volunteer I know.) Maybe you want to help, but have no idea how and what. 

Consider:- Once upon a time, we were all babies. Our life track was defined - preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, job etc. 

A UCSD  sophomore was speaking of his college experiences to our class last week. Many of his friends from Cupertino schools are with him in college, so his social circle remained somewhat homogeneous.  That had greatly aided his transition from the small school setting to life on an enormous college campus. I imagine it will be the same for most of you. Most of you probably have friends you've known all your life and who will be with you in college. 

Some of those babies however, ended up on a path that wandered off into the wilderness of disability. Years of therapy helped some get back onto a more typical path, especially if the right therapy was done at the right time with the right set of people who knew what to do. But there is no set formula and not everyone made a full or even partial turnaround. But biologically, the bodies kept growing and voila, they became Teens with Disabilities!

I speak not just for myself, but for all the others I've observed over the years. 

The therapy years are behind most teens, parents are exhausted and most therapists are giving up. Not an attractive picture! 

Many are headed into Homes and "residential facilities" after high school. Some are already in Homes. I had 3 classmates in 5th grade who came from a Home. The only time they got to go out, was if the school did outings, as the Home did not do that. All that my classmate Johnny ate at every meal, was cheese pizza - how healthy is that? Others, I know - post 18 and Indian - live at home with their parents. 

A few may make it to community college or even a university. A fortunate few may even end up doing a job they like and lead independent lives. But there are always additional hurdles at every step. 

Expectations are not high at this point.  Job training programs, at most, target low level jobs. How exciting will it be to toss burgers, especially if intellectually you are capable of so much more? Frustration rides high, and this translates into more behavioral issues. As it is, being a Teen is an emotional roller-coaster for most of you. Just add on a whole suitcase of emotional and physical struggles! 

Your world will open out as you go into college and beyond, while those of individuals with disabilities, may well narrow down. More doors shut with age. Ironically after age 22, govt. assistance and programs reduce significantly - just when we need it most. 

We're surrounded by adults a lot; but most are paid therapists who last just 1-2 years. There is a high turnover of people, which is very emotionally distressing. Working and assisting teens or adults is not considered a desirable profession, so one cannot expect any intelligent company either, going forward. 

Quality of Life however, goes beyond just basic care. It becomes a  'Lonely Planet X.’

So what was the point of telling you these depressing scenarios?

It is said that friends influence your character?  This is the area that individuals with disabilities really fall short on. It's going to be a bigger problem going forward, as more of this growing population of children with disabilities become adults. 

It is less your money that is needed, and more your humanity. 

And it is not just about playing board games once a month at a center. That gets real boring by the 3rd month. And irritating by the 6th month, because by then the same games start to feel like therapy. And teens (disabled or not) don't want to be subjected to preschool activities like circle-time! Oh the sheer indignity of having preschool circle-time in some of the Special Ed classrooms, years after our typical peers had stopped doing them. Are you surprised that many adults with disabilities still listen to Barney and Sesame Street?

It is about getting involved in their lives. Being involved does not mean being physically there all the time either. In today's Internet World, there are many avenues of communication - Facebook, email, text, a phone call etc...

Tell them about your own lives so that through you, they can learn and experience more. You will be surprised at the insights you get into your lives when viewed through their eyes.  Most are surprisingly sensitive and intelligent despite their outward body mannerisms.  A person may have cerebral palsy and be dependent on a wheelchair. They may not even be able to respond. But their minds will eagerly lap up information and conversation.  Don't expect responses, especially if the person has limited verbal skills - just be there.  They will never cease to amaze you or surprise you.

Get to know a few individuals and continue to be in their lives. The key is to be a constant presence over many years.  Don't be a therapist who moves onto another client in 1-2 years. 

Check in during your school vacations, and during your college vacations. Visit if you can. 

Include them in some of your physical activities. Are you or your friends in a musical performance, band, team or play? Invite them to these - you will find no better cheerleaders. Do you belong to a group of some sort – you could find ways to include them at least some of the time. What do you do with your typical friends - do you just "hang out and chill.”? You'd be amazed at how many teens with disabilities long to do this but don't have the opportunity. 

Don't assume they don't know academics just because they haven't been formally taught it. Academic subjects are just a matter of perspective sometimes. In light of other challenges, it just seems a lot more straightforward. Tell them about what you do - why you find certain subjects difficult or which teacher is really lousy or good. 

It’s pretty hard to abuse drugs, smoke or drink if you are disabled. So you will in fact, be keeping very good company. 

Be an advocate for them and watch out for them in their lives. Friends of this disabled adult I know on Facebook, keep tabs on her online activity to watch for online predators and the like. Most individuals will outlast their parents, so friends are important in their lives. As you become an adult, there will be many such opportunities for advocacy. Dealing with bureaucracy is tough for most; imagine the disabled adult who has to face it 24x7. 

Do you want to be inspired in your life to achieve and do great things? Look no further that the challenges they face. 

Consider - Pity is condescending, while Empathy and Friendship is Humanity. 

In the end, it's a win-win scenario for both. You will fulfill a real need and make a difference - you have done great Service. Your own character blossoms as well. Man is defined by his character, not by his wealth or his social status. You will be amazed at how these interactions will shape your life. 

Bring the Forgotten People on Lonely Planet X, back to the Humane Planet Earth. 

You may or may not choose to do something about this issue, or not be able to do so now. But perhaps you will later in your life. All this is Food for Thought.

Pros and Cons of Optimism

For this unit in Literature, we had to pick between "Sense and Sensibility" (by Jane Austen) and Night (by Elie Wiesel.) Turns out most of the class picked Sense and Sensibility. Only three of us picked Night. I wonder why?? Isn't it always better to pick a true story over a fictional piece? Don't we learn real life lessons from the experiences of others?

Our class discussions run for a whole week and our responses are  "graded" too! And it was just three people this time. One of the other boys posted his responses first in German. Google Translator to the rescue. Then I pointed out that Elie Wiesel had first written his book in Yiddish. His posts changed to Hebrew after that.  Again Google Translator to the rescue. But really, it was fun in a way.

On some fronts, optimism is dangerous such as those experienced by the Jews living in Signet during World War II. Elie Wiesel (holocaust survivor) portrays the Jews of Sighet, somewhat like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand, who think they are somehow safe - all the way to Auschwitz. Yet, in a way, optimism is what kept Eliezer alive. The human will to survive ceases, if optimism dies. 

Optimism is all the more essential in today’s world. Look at the case of the Chilean Miners, who were trapped so long underground. Should they have given up all hopes of rescue? Should the rescuers have given up hopes of finding them alive either? The power of positive thinking often gives an impetus toward finding solutions. It also lends itself to other positive qualities like creativity, patience and forbearance in man. This allows him more mental clarity in which to carry out his tasks.   

This discussion of Optimism inspired a poem titled "Optimism Sans Realism" 

Inner Journeys - Balancing the Dreamer and Realist

Star Food is a short story by Ethan Caine. The protagonist Dade is torn between the differing expectations of his mother and father. As a result, Dade is often unsure how to act. What appealed to me about this story is that its a journey of discovery - as he struggles to balance the dreamer vs the realist. 

A Journey of Discovery

The entire story is one of “self-discovery.” Dade is at a stage in his life where he does not know where he is headed. His mother is an idealist, a dreamer  (illustrated by constant references to the Sky in the story). His father is more practical, hard-working and earth-bound.  (The story highlights this difference with "sky + dreamers = slums" while "hardwork + practical =good home"). Though Dade uses his mother’s ideals as a pretext to get out of work, he is still not sure where his place is in  scheme of life. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. The way Dade handled her was necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. His actions were necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist.