A Day in May

On a bright and sunny May Day, Linda and I headed for the trail. She was riding her Mustang Patch and I was on foot with our Border Collie, Sherry. We took a familiar trail that we actually had done a day or two earlier and one of her favorites. It was a beautiful clear day and not too cold. After some 4 miles or so, we headed down an extremely steep hill. Sherry and I were in front, followed by Linda and Patch. All of a sudden I heard Linda cry out, and quickly turned around. To my horror, I saw a bucking and rearing Patch with all fours off the ground and Linda leaning forward. Gravity took over as she hurled to the ground. She screamed in pain. I asked her to move all her extremities and she did. However, Linda had trouble breathing and couldn’t catch her breath. With her cell phone. I called 911. They said they knew our location and would arrive shortly. In the meantime, Patch took off with his reins hanging down. I attended to Linda and thought about retrieving Patch sometime later. After what seemed like a long time, I heard the familiar sound of a siren, going past, and our location. I did not want to leave her while she was in pain, but I traversed the hill going to the road. When I got to the top of that hill, I began yelling, attempting to signal the driver. At first I was whistling in the wind, but then I saw the truck heading toward me. It was one truck with two paramedics. Two other trucks with paramedics followed. Linda was evaluated and was in excruciating pain during the process. They determined that they could drive her to the trauma center at Sutter Health in Roseville. Lo and behold, I looked down the trail and saw a neighbor leading Patch behind. He said he was taking our equine to his barn and I could retrieve him when able. That was super as I didn’t have to retrieve Linda’s runaway horse. Six paramedics then carried Linda on a stretcher up that steep grade and then placed her in one of the trucks of the paramedics. Sherry and I rode home in another truck as Patch walked to the neighbor’s barn. Once home, I took care and fed Sherry and our Wired Hair Terrier and then left for the hospital. The next time I saw Linda. She was in a bed in the Trauma/Neuro ICU with her nurse standing by. Eventually, I received her diagnosis. She fractured five ribs, her clavicle, punctured her lung and had a fractured hip. Luckily, at this point, she didn’t require surgery. She had a tube to drain fluid from her lungs, was given medication along with physical and, occupational therapy. After eight painful hospital days, she was discharged. Linda, at this juncture, has decided to quit her trail activities. She’s heartbroken and struggling with that decision. It’s too difficult to predict the future, let alone the next day. Time will tell, as she has months of recovery time ahead. I quit competing in Ride and Tie events in 2009 as a result of my horse related injury. I know how difficult these decisions are, and hopefully Linda will stay firm with her thinking. PS Patch’s trail behavior performance was baffling as he had never bucked and reared before with Linda on his back.

It's Character Part 3

More than likely, non-college degree males from the Rust Belt states didn’t require a college degree after high school graduation for employment in the 1960s. For this working-class group, white-collar employment and working with one’s hands in blue-collar skilled positions were plentiful. There were a plethora of job opportunities, lack of female and foreign competition, and limited technology without contending robots. Their education was adequate for the times. Then came the changing job market, monopolistic capital, stagnant wages, worldwide competition, closing of factories, etc. Do not forget debt, divorce, drug, and alcohol abuse as other 20 and 21st century socioeconomic factors. Then came 2015 with its presidential primaries. One candidate was rude, spoke in platitudes and presented an authortarian masculine character image using strong ,spiteful and aggressive words {implying strength} like “make America great [prior ,there were liberal immigration laws and Protestant America was a white majority]; coupled with television promotion as in WWF wrestling “I will be the best by far in fighting terror.” He talked about his achievement, and his special social status” “I’m a billionaire, I am the best builder, just look at what I have built. ” He spoke about his terrific, dominant and skillful negotiating skills “We are going to build a wall [keep out the undesirables] and Mexico’s going to pay for it.” Further, words and tweets implying strength, aggressiveness, assertiveness and power regarding restricting media disdain, etc. with comments like “lock her up,” “you’re fired ““ NAFTA is the worst economic deal in US history,” “Mitt Romney doesn’t have a clue,” “ Charles Krauthammer, one of the worst, most boring political pundits on television … totally overrated clown” were repeated. Then there were examples of hegemonic masculinity expression with inappropriate sexual contact and verbal flippant trash talk on a taped TV segment interview. Thus, we had this image of a Machismo, a disregarding sexual intimacy character “big as life” on a huge platform with electronic media giving so much attention. Along with this candidate’s masculine, authoritarian character configuration image, the older non degree white voters were bitter, with feelings of insignificance, resentfulness and powerlessness. They likely experienced loss, shame, guilt, had low self-esteem, with worry, depression, fear about the changing demographic future of our country and a weakened sense of masculinity. Then came the candidate’s projection of strength, dominance and control. The timing was perfect as the voters also had feelings of resignation and distrust in the traditional political system. This was capped by a spirit of obedience to and hatred against racial minorities. This craving for a submissive identification process resulted in their looking for a male, authoritarian leader in which their imagination, inadequacies and uncertainties would be magically addressed. And of course, a masculinity model supersedes any female leader. Patriarchy remains King and is supreme .Just ask him. Sources: Erik H Erickson“Childhood and Society ;” James Hillman, “The Force of Character And the Lasting Life;” Vince Giulliano “Reputation of Aging In ancient And Current Mythology;” Dr. Ronald Klatz and Dr. Robert Goldman “Stopping the Clock.”

It's Character, Part 2

Old Proverbs also speak to ideas regarding aging. For example, “all people can dye their hair, but can’t change their backs;” “age is poverty;”” age is sickness from which everyone must die;” and “if the devil can’t come himself, he sends an old woman.” Another Greek myth had Tithonus being granted immortality by the God’s. He was, however, not given youth. Unfortunately for him, that was his curse as he remained in grief forever. Psychosocially, masculinity, in boys, is valued from a young age. In our culture, playing soldiers, shooting guns, engaging in sports, and participating in aggressive video games is applauded. Major traits associated with masculinity include power, disregarding fear, having courage, independence, and exhibiting assertiveness. Other significant characteristics of masculinity include avoidance of femininity characteristics, restricted emotion, and sex, removed from intimacy are also valued. Psychologically, Eric Erikson hypothesized, that in the final stage of the lifecycle, the individual’s or egos task has to deal with all of lives various triumphs and disappointments. The Individual has to and find meaning and be able to develop integrity and dignity within one’s own life, despite all the various past and current physical and economic threats to that individual. If not successful, then the psychological disability of despair and disgust rear its head and play a significant part in the remaining years. It becomes apparent that it is much too late for a do over, regardless of all the rethinking, manipulating or worrying one can do. James Hillman argued, in part, employing ideas and stories from mythology that although mental and physical vitality may decline in the lifespan, the force of character development does not. In other words, irritability and grumpy old men, are not just a function of aging, but are of character. Character traits during longevity, whether good or bad, such as helpless, useless, or sadistic cruelty become even more pronounced as the individual can become more tyrannical. These individuals more than likely exhibited impulsive, argumentative, controlling, irritable, frustrated and unhappy behaviors for many years prior. The quarreling and anxiety about the future continues as their character development becomes more clear and more dominant To Be Continued

It's Character

We have learned that the most recent presidential election was decided by roughly 80,000 votes in three rust belt states; and by a 67 to 28 percentage vote over all by white males 65 years of age and older. Most might argue that age or gender were the more important factors. However, let’s argue that character or personality of the voting individual to be the more significant. Yes, there are many physical and chemical-hormonal changes that take place during lifespan. Briefly, Human growth hormone production, DHEA production, and testosterone production for instance, all peak near 20 years of age, and then steadily decline by the time one reaches 60 years of age. These necessary hormones help and expand bone structure; promote growth; create muscles; build thicker skin; fight bacterial and viral infection; assist against arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stress reduction; promote libido, aggressiveness and sexual desire; stimulate sperm production and nourish all tissues of the male urinary reproductive system. Yes, these hormonal changes are detrimental and play a major part in one’s health during the process of aging. Not to be left out, the Greeks, although not the first people, thought, wrote, and employed mythology about the idea of age and aging. In fact, the Greeks personified the figure of old age with a God called Geras. He was seen at the entrance to the underworld, which was associated with grief, anxiety and disease. In the underworld, we further find fear, hunger, death, agony, along with the clinging to false dreams. And the mythological struggle was depicted on a Greek vase between Hercules, the slayer of monsters, and his meeting with Geras drawn as a tiny, shriveled up old man, bent over and supporting himself upon a staff. The Classic mythological confrontation was between youthful physical prowesses against the harsh reality of the failing body during the process of aging. To Be Continued

Dwindling Sleep Part 2

As of 2012, this sleep disorder business was a $32 billion industry. This brought numerous entrepreneurs into the playing field. The quest was to find the Holy Grail. A few illustrations of more recent techniques and sleep aids are as follows: 1. Weighted blankets to induce a swaddling sensation 2. Direct current stimulation. 3. Polycarbonate globe that measures are quality 4. Soundwaves 5. A gadget that uses sound to startle the sleeper every three minutes for an hour, just before going to sleep. 6. An online sleep coach 7. A soft spoken word album 8. A podcast 9. The ghost pillow 10. A good night light LED sleep bulb 11. A meditation class in Manhattan. 12 Arianne Huffington’s book “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time.” For a much more detailed account of ideas pertaining to sleep and dreams in ancient times, consult, James Hillman’s “the Force of Character and the Lasting Life”; and the latest apps, gadgets classes, can be found in the Penelope Green’s article in the April 9, 2017 edition of the New York Times. PS Nyx for me, along with my dreams protects my sleep. After a morning trail run with Chris, Tony and Sherry or Tony and Sherry or just Sherry, I have lunch. Then I have a brief weight work out and then take a wonderful and refreshing nap. I look forward to acknowledging the creative dream distortions of my demons. Remember, repressed demons are found in our dreams. In the evening, I can’t wait to discover more of the demons as I look forward to revealing the next figures of the night.

Dwindling Sleep

For many centuries, there have been inquiry and interest about dreams and sleep. Some believed, like pious Christian monks, that pagan powers invaded their dreams. If they banished sleep, that process would somehow protect their souls from temptation. In Revelation, it was stated “there shall be no night there.” Found in the Bible was Lilith the night monster “roaming with her retinue in the darkest hours of night.” The Greeks had their NYX, which was the night Goddess. They believed that the night allows the invisible world to appear in man. This is a world in which we find spirits, fatalistic foreboding, faultfinding, punishers and avengers, angry persecutors, miserable, distressed and lustful longings. Today, our thinking acknowledges that small children sleeping through the night can wet their beds. Parents are not too happy about bed wetter’s, but maybe, just maybe the child sleeps to protect his sleep from waking in the night, with its fearful intruders. However, for older folks, have prostate issues, with the frequent urge to urinate. They also have a disruption of circadian rhythms that interfere with sleep. The aging to not have sleep protection because of their interrupted sleep patterns. As a consequence of lost sleep, they purchase earplugs, temperature control devices, melatonin supplements and warm their milk. These are a few of the old school sleep protectors or remedies. Because of this significant sleep disorder issue, we have research centers on both coasts. We have MIT on the East Coast and the University of California, Berkeley on the West Coast, offering their latest insights into this complex problem. This problem-disorder is associated with the Army and its concern for impaired fighting man performance; Jeff Bezos too is worried about worker performance and the fear that it will lower Amazon stock; weakened immune systems; impaired learning and depression; diabetes; cancer, and early death are concerns. In a more recent research study with Danish and Japanese males, these researchers found that older males are retaining too much salt and water during the night. In fact, they were excreting more sodium at night and as a result voided more frequently. To be continued

17,000 Steps

“Heart of the Amazon” was the title of an article found in the April 9, 2017 edition of the New York Times. According to the article, anthropologists have studied over 15 years, a group of subsistence farmers and hunters called the Tsimane. These people reside in Bolivia along a tributary of the Amazon River. These men spend about seven hours a day hunting, fishing, and transporting by canoe to various towns to sell and purchase food. Women on the other hand, gather nuts and farm rice, corn, and plantains. Their work translates by walking, or covering about 8 miles per day or 17,000 steps. Their diet is about 72% carbohydrates-processed starches, 14% from saturated and unsaturated fats and 14% protein. They do have frequent infections and have chronically elevated levels of inflammation. These anthropologist teamed up with cardiologists. Then, these doctors drew blood from 705 men and women between the ages of 40 and 94. Their scans enabled the researchers to score the presence of atherosclerosis which is disease characterized by the buildup of plaque inside one’s cardiac arteries. Employing a zero score meant essentially no detectable disease; 1 to 99, low levels and 400 or greater were classified as being a lot. The findings: 85% scored zero; 3% exceeded 99; and a single person scored higher than 399. By comparison, this group of 705 scored less than 1/5 of the people in the United States and Europe. What can we generalize from this data? Can we conclude that diet had something to do with their healthy arteries? Can we conclude that daily activity had something to do with their healthy arteries? It would seem to me, that genetics, how the subject sample was obtained, the character or personality , BMI index, mortality rate of the subjects were just a few variables not addressed. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time might be another variable to consider. For instance, a young man in his mid-60s, exercises, physically active and eats healthy. However, he served our country in Vietnam. Because of that mistake, in which our military used Agent Orange, our government will pay him in dollars, because he had a diagnosis of cancer. In other words, employing a healthy lifestyle was no contest against being exposed to a lethal dose of a vegetation killer. In essence, because we are mortal beings, I believe it matters more how one lives compared to the length one lives. Quality and well-being is more important than quantity. And, more importantly, do not allow you your thinking to get in your way. Per James Hillman, “the main pathology of later years is our idea of later years.” That idea can be applied over and over again in different ways. PS I don’t know about you, Dr. Hillman, but my Border Collie, Sherry and I are going on an 8 mile trail run today.

Aging Outcomes Part 2

Perhaps, many aging individuals in industrial states like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are neither as fortunate, nor as blessed as I am. We heard much about job loss, frustration, poor health, opiate use and anger among the blue-collar working individuals. Certainly, losing lifelong employment has devastating social-economic consequences. Let’s face it, job insecurity; work becoming more technological; global workforce competition; political unrest and advanced health compound that reality. Not having a positive future outlook has devastating psychological implications. Significant frustration and constant stress leads to aggression, depression, and poor physical and mental health. To make matters worse, today’s workers do not have the skills to compete in current tech jobs. An article titled “Plenty of Tech Jobs, but…. Few Workers Who Have the Chops” in the March 31, 2017, USA Today gave a number of startling statistics. For example, The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted there’ll be a 1.4 million more software development jobs than applicants who can fill them by 2020. Further, according to research by The Career Advisory Board, only 11% of employers believed that today’s higher education was very effective in preparing graduates to have the necessary skills needed for their organizations. In a survey of 501 US hiring managers. 62% of them said the students were simply unprepared. Jobs are there, but there are not enough qualified individuals to fill them. If college graduates are not totally competent, then it is, safe to say that a blue-collar workers losing a past or current job, are also not likely to have the necessary skill requirements in the tech world of today. It’s no wonder that we have a culture of grumpy old men. Moreover, these people do not present good character models for the young as they are displaying psychological characteristics of doom, gloom and despair. Yes, the potential for positive and terrific, later years is possible. However, one has to be smart and make proper decisions and take advantage of opportunities presented. One has to be able to seek them, and as the saying goes, “strike while the iron is hot.” For instance, in “It Has Nothing To Do with Age” each individual was 65 years of age and older. Each overcame or worked through some obstacle or personal tragedy and then made good life decisions, persevered and bettered their state of being. They are terrific role models.

Aging Outcomes

Employing a Jungian viewpoint, James Hillman’s book “The Force of Character” addressed aging within a positive perspective. Per Hillman, “the older we become, the more our true nature emerges.” In other words, wisdom is embraced during the aging process. in fact, when we reach 60 or so we know so much more and have so much more to offer others, as opposed when we were in our” know it all “ invincible teens. This means that life actually can get better, even though there is a transformation that affects our body, strength, short and long-term memory, sleep patterns, etc. I agree with Hillman. My story significantly changed for the better when I was reaching 60 years of age. I terminated an unsatisfactory union; I was professionally retiring; and I discovered a true passion in a horseback and running event called Ride and Tie. As a result of this competitive team event, I enhanced, trained, met models and that set the stage for three goals, which allowed me to compete in three different 100 mile one day events. These events were “The Tevis Cup”, an equine race in the mountains; “Western States” an ultra-run in the mountains; and the “Swanton Pacific” a Ride and Tie in the mountains. Since I was competing in running ultras, endurance riding and in ride and tie, I was exercising, evolving and was becoming more mentally and physically healthy. I then wrote two books, one “It Has Nothing To Do with Age” dealt with stories of driven athletes who competed in extraordinary sports. The second book, “Bo’s Warriors” addressed and told the story of Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football. In researching these books. I met a number of accomplished individuals and as a result, this search enhanced my life. Furthermore, my associates are currently interviewing with ESPN regarding making a documentary based on Bo and his warriors. To Be Continued

Aggression Part 2

Believing that aggression was learned, gives rise to the notion that aggression is commonplace and normal within our culture. Blockbuster or popular TV and films such as Mission Impossible, Wolverine, and Game of Thrones demonstrate the public’s interest. We loudly cheer when the good guy wins or slaughters his antagonist. Video games also depict destructiveness as well. Aggressive sporting events such as football, boxing, and car racing are also big revenue industries with plenty of fans witnessing brutality and death. The media over and over shows the gory details of death and destruction. Aggression is a major component in our society with plenty of rewards. There is no shortage of killing or incarceration. We lead the world in both. What is the ratio of aggression versus love as seen on our screens? Don’t forget the amount of verbal nastiness on today’s social media. Another explanation regarding aggression was that it was a response to anxiety; and that it often happened when an individual’s goal seeking behavior was blocked by some barrier. When man is threatened or afraid he becomes anxious as well. He can either fight or flee. Man is striving, seeking, desiring, willing, and has numerous goal driven behaviors. On man’s locomotion to complete the goals, he encounters various obstacles that can interfere and get in the way and block goal attainment. One emotional response to non-goal attainment is frustration. And when frustrated, man often acts out aggressively either verbally, physically or both. I remembered watching Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight, yelling and throwing chairs on the court during a basketball game. His inappropriate behavior was pretty consistent when things didn’t go his way. Superego, conscience, ethics, moral code and guilt are few of the internal mechanisms that can influence control over our impulses. Religion, laws, police, despots and the military are a few of the external devices devised by society in an effort to control behavior. Even though we have more “jails” and spend outrageous amounts of money on our criminal justice system, and have many weapons of mass destruction, we are like Sisyphus in that the problems of human aggression and atrocities just continue as we repeat the same old, not so effective, solutions. In essence, we are threatened by a world in which we created. If there is a God, now’s a good time to intervene. Depending on one’s theoretical framework and belief regarding the origin of aggression and anger, influences man’s attempt to deal with this component in our society. Better and more psychotherapy; a buildup of more police and laws actually following the various religious teachings are some strategies. “Thou shall not kill” etc. etc. would be a prudent start. In any event, we need to make better choices for change. The mood toward violence, malignant aggression, inhumanity towards man is toxic and contrary to the love of life. Man must make better decisions and choices if things are to change.

Aggression

The expression of aggression, at times, seems very commonplace especially within our news cycle. For example, there has been a recent incident-car and bridge killing in London; bomb threats against Jewish community centers; stabbing in New York; kidnapping, political rhetoric regarding building walls, expelling nonresidents, limiting immigrants, a significant addition to the military budget, North Korea’s missile threat, NBA’s Matt Barnes “I want to kill the King’s”, along with comments last year like “lock her up etc. etc. Thus we have verbal and physical aggression. The following are a few viewpoints regarding aggression, anger, hostility and destruction. Darwin’s theory of evolution pointed to “survival of the fittest.” Thus, he suggested that man was hardwired. Prehistoric man had to be competitive, in order to live and survive. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory built on that idea and it evolved when he later postulated the notion of a destructive instinct-drive in order to better and more fully explain man’s cruelty toward himself and toward others. Henry Murray postulated the idea that a need was hypothetical process .He believed that man’s aggression was a need and physiological. He then labeled aggression as a human need. He briefly described aggression as: “to overcome opposition forcefully; to fight; to revenge; to injure; to attack, injure or kill another; to oppose forcefully or to punish another. The above ideas viewed aggression as built-in within man’s nature. Employing his hypothesis, we find that it is a human characteristic with motivational and emotional qualities which described interpersonal interactions. Another view of aggression was presented by American psychologists with a behavioristic orientation. They discounted the biological aspect in understanding aggression. They believed that aggression was learned and the behavior was the result of the ratio of positive and negative consequences of rewards and punishments. Newborn infants cry as they do not have another way of communicating with the caregiver. The caregiver can respond to crying behavior by ignoring, constantly attempting to comfort, yelling, or even spanking. Often, sleepless caregivers have difficulty using sound judgment. And there is no sure manual for the correct caregiver response. Thus, rewards and punishments begin early. Later on, the young child misbehaves, according to some caretaker notion. Does that caretaker ignore the behavior; yell or say unkind words to the child; or, does the caretaker use physical techniques such as spanking or pinching some body part of the child? Once again, positive and negative consequences are employed by the adult along with modeling and/or imitating aggressive or nonaggressive behavior. In an attempt to stop aggressive behavior, some caretakers employed aggressive behavior. As a consequence, aggressive behavior can be learned by the child. To Be Continued

Jobs Part 2

A recent study by Ball State University found that 9 out of 10 jobs that had disappeared since the year 2000 were lost to automation and not to workers from other countries. Further, a 2015 report from the Manufacturing Institute found that seven in ten manufacturing executives said they faced a shortage of workers with adequate tech skills. To confront this problem, the Department of Labor, listed, 21,000 programs with about 500,000 apprentices. However, this represented only 1.5% of 18 to 24-year-olds. In the last two years, our government has allocated $265 million that enlarged these programs. Thomas Perez, President Obama’s Secretary of Labor established partnerships between registered community colleges and sponsors. Mr. Perez hoped there would be a doubling of the number of apprenticeships by the year 2018. At another level, a grant, created a creative experimental program in downtown Manhattan for youths with a high aptitude for math. This program was called Beam 6. In fact 76 students were drawn from the New York City public schools from low income populations. This program was founded in 2011, with the help from Sandor Lehoczky a senior trader at Jane Street. One can even look overseas to find a significantly different educational model than ours. Switzerland, for one, has compulsory education up through the ninth grade. Then their students choose either an academic or vocational curriculum. Beginning in the 10th grade, the vocational student pathway rotated among employers, industry organizations and school academics for the next 3 to 4 years of training and mentoring. For these students, learning is hands-on. In fact Switzerland’s unemployment rate for the youngest is the lowest in Europe and about a quarter that of the United States. it’s clear that federal and local government, major business , corporations, labor unions , interested citizens, and the educational school systems have worked together to establish creative pathways into the world of work. It’s significantly important that parents play a major part in the solution because there continue to be negative attitudes in some quarters about blue-collar work. It’s obvious there are models to solve this significant problem. It’s also true that conditions change, so solutions need to be fluid as well. Change is difficult, as well, as some are not willing to relinquish power and control. Remember, it’s about the young teens and young adults. When they succeed, we all succeed. And we need them to succeed.

Jobs

Back in the 1950s, I remembered that Aunt Eva and Aunt Sarah talked about college in the context of “they can’t take that away from you.” As both sets of grandparents came from Russia and World War II completed, their statement made complete sense. It was expected that I attend the University and so I did even though I did not, at that time, have a clear sense of a career choice. Later on I read that college graduates earned, over a life time, more than high school graduates. That’s still generally true today. Dave, one of my high school buddies, took a white-collar job at General Motors. He married, reared a family, purchased a house and, now comfortably retired in Florida. The big three automobile companies were doing well, and so did he. Attending college, at that time, was reasonable as well. In fact, in the 1950s, employment was booming, the standard of living was comfortable, so it didn’t matter if one attended college or not. Today, things have changed dramatically for employment opportunities for high school graduates. It’s clear that many do not have skills to compete in this information driven economy. On the other hand, attending the University has become extremely expensive and many students and their families have gone into massive school debt. A recent article in the February 5, 2017 edition of the New York Times addressed the issue confronting today’s high school graduates. For example, there was a job fair, in North Carolina. 10,000 people, or so showed up for 800 job positions. Siemens Energy opened a gas turbine production plant there and administered a reading, writing and math screening test geared for a ninth grade level of education for their job openings. Unfortunately fewer than 15% of those job applicants were able to pass their test. For this employer as well as John Deere, a high school diploma was no longer sufficient for these entry level jobs. These employers relied heavily on computers. These factory floor workers were expected to have advanced math comprehension skills with ability to solve problems when confronted. A typical high school diploma was insufficient for their jobs. Solution, these two companies became partners with the local community college and set up an appropriate curriculum. They also offered internships that allowed the students to be employed with these companies. To Be Continued

Masculinity Gone Sour Part 2

Moreover, testosterone levels after rapid production increased reaching its peak around the age of 20, then also significantly declined. Changes in libido, aggressiveness, sexual desire, muscle building, bone and urinary issues came into play. In essence, prescriptions for prostate related issues and sexual function becomes a pharmaceutical delight for that industry. Men became cognizant of the fact that they had shorter lifespans than women. That translated into more female centenarians as well as more feminine in nature assisted-living facilities. And of course, aging men’s top fears seemed to be and rightly so with physical weakness, loss of purpose, impotence, dependence on others, and developing dementia as brain atrophy becomes more pronounced in men. Men also experienced more heart attacks earlier than women as well. Many men became what Alfred Adler called the masculine protest. According to Adler, man was motivated more by his expectations of the future than he is by the experiences of his past. These strivings are ideals that affected and influenced present behavior. Masculine protest becomes the desire for superiority or competence, which arises out of feeling a sense of inferiority and/or incompetence. This makes sense when we take a look at the typical older, overweight, muscle less, fragile, impotent and lack of purpose and control freak male. It’s not surprising that these aged men overcompensated when they felt inadequate and inferior. One clear example is related to their verbal expression. Words and language becomes more aggressive with sadistic putdowns, coupled with other mental games, doubletalk and mixed messages. Another example of a sense of weakness is when they attempted to control and dominate others with passive aggressive interactions. According to Adler, the final goal of man was to be aggressive, to be powerful and to be superior. He called this a striving for superiority. However, biology might be saying something otherwise. Biology equals destiny.

Masculinity Gone Sour

It started, in the beginning, by playing soldiers, cowboys and Indians and other roughhousing games and activities. In school, they were bigger, faster, stronger, louder, and aggressive, kicked and threw the ball harder, and had more difficulty staying in their seats. They noticed that the other sex read better, had an easier time with math, and seemed more prim and proper. Then came adolescence. Some demonstrated more highly masculine interests like playing sports, getting into verbal and physical fights, being more rebellious, engaging in sexual promiscuity, being independent, smoking, drinking, and even engaging in drug use. Fitting in with that boisterous peer group was rewarding. Some even developed a rural frontier mentality. Unfortunately, having a masculine identification did necessarily guarantee a stable sense of well-being for their future. Cliché’s like “being king of the castle,” “the one with the biggest toys wins,” “driving muscle cars,” “being a big wheel,” “men don’t cry,” “ real men don’t eat quiche” etc. did not necessarily translate well , during their later years. By the time these men reached their midlife crisis, their masculine identity, or sex specific social behaviors were well-established. Divorce, economic hardship, loss of employment showed its ugly head. Unfortunately, these crises became more pronounced and had a more significant impact as they aged. On a biological level, various changes, without exception, occurred through the passage of time. For example, human GH [h GH] or human growth hormone production peaked before the age of 20, then declined steadily. Its primary function helped bones lengthen and expand. Its amino acids were found in proteins that were used in their body and created more muscle mass. When young, they were able to eat a high-protein diet without terrible consequences. But as they aged, their body produced fats. They were building flabby bodies, not muscles. They even lost flexibility and became more rigid. Their bones became brittle. Further, D H E A produced by their adrenaline glands is called the mother of all hormones. This important and necessary hormone also declined during aging. Unfortunately, fallen DHEA levels are associated with the number of age related diseases and disabilities. Infection, cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc. along with a decrease in muscle mass come to mind. To Be Continued

Ultrarunning

Congratulations for 20 years of serious running. Back in 1997, when 57, I was introduced, firsthand, to a Ride and Tie event, when I competed in a limited distance endurance ride of 25 miles at Mount Hamilton in San Jose, California. Parked next to me, at the campsite, were partners Tony Brickel and Jeff Windenhausen. They had just completed the Mustang Classic Ride and Tie event. One thing led to another and I too soon started competing in the Ride and Tie events. For those of you that do not know what is a Ride and Tie, I’ll tell you. Ride and tie is composed of a team. The team consisted of two individuals, and a horse. One person rode while the teammate runs. They take turns alternately running and riding. The team began the race together and then completed the race together over distances that ranged from 25 to 100 miles of mountain trails. Thus, serious running began. Since that momentous time, I completed over 1800 trail miles of ride and tie. Within the 1800 miles, I also completed a 75 mile event and was victorious in a 100 mile event with partner Jonathan Jordan and with my equine Gypsy. Further, I began competing and running in trail events that ranged from 5K’s to 100 miles. However, many of those events have been 50 K’s. In fact, this coming Saturday, the 25th, Tony, Jonathan and I are running the Salmon Falls 50 K. Jonathan, Georgia born, is a defense attorney practicing in the San Diego area. He has been running 50 K’s in my neck of the woods for the past 12 years or so. Tony, assisted me on my first Tevis endurance ride. This was also a 100 mile one day event. Tony and his wife, Debbie, were there at the vet check in Forest Hill, on that day, some 60 miles into the ride and again at the finish in Auburn, California. Tony, also met me at Robie Point some 97 miles, give or take, when I completed the Western States 100 mile endurance run. Since his retirement, we’ve been running together roughly 3 times a week and have competed in many events together. Tony my technical support friend; a co-producer on our TV show; had created a video that accompanied book signings and presentations for my first book “It Has Nothing To Do with Age.” He has also provided a multitude of assistance in many numerous venues. Many things have been stated on the trail that stay on the trail. Some might question compulsive running, averaging 50 miles per week since 2001. I am simply running away from illness, and running toward health. If you doubt my simplicity, take a good look at me, view pictures of others my age, consult with Dan Merck my physician, read “It Has Nothing To Do with Age,” or accompany me on a trail run. Then we can seriously talk. Those that still have doubts, about running toward health, consider reading the article, “Keep It Moving, in the 12-11-16 edition of the New York Times. This article evaluated male volunteers. They were active four days in a row and then had four sedentary days in a row. When active, these individuals walked as often as they could. In contrast, when sedentary, they sat for about 14 hours a day. On the evening of the fourth day, the men ran for an hour. The next morning they ate a high-fat sugary breakfast. The men were then evaluated for the amount of triglycerides, which are the fats associated with heart disease that enter the bloodstream after meals. In summary, the researchers found that the men who sat for 14 hours a day and even though they ran the next morning, their triglycerides level in their blood remained high. Too much sitting seemed to have made their bodies resistant to the benefits of exercise. In essence, keep moving, so that you can have more of an opportunity for healthy triglyceride reduction in your bloodstream. PS In writing this post, I wrote this brief testimonial with my computer, which lies raised on a platform so that I stand. I continue to talk the talk and walk the walk. No one, to my knowledge, said doing what’s good for your mind and body was easy, because it’s not.

Brady's Drive Part 3

Brady has accomplished, in his football career, what others dream about. He’s mastered his position as a quarterback. He was once 6th string and a sixth round NFL draft choice. Now he’s being talked about as being the greatest. He has overcome obstacles, attained a high standard and surpassed others playing at his position. His Achievement is unsurpassed at the moment. Tom Is currently playing at the highest standard possible. Brady’s competitiveness {Aggression} was also expressed by his strong desire to win. For him, the opposition was like the enemy that one has to oppose. He used all his skills in a forceful manner. When he threw the ball for a completion, he did it with high velocity. In that overtime victory in the Super Bowl, Brady was on the attack and was played aggressively. Although in control, his passes hit their target repeatedly. Briefly, I have inferred the existence of a few of Tom Brady’s secondary needs .This was based on his overt behavior, which typically expressed itself in motor activity. I have linked these needs primarily to his current employment. However, Tom’s secondary needs are not limited to playing football. His need structure was largely determined and came from within, as opposed to being a reaction from the environment. Brady’s needs lead to a desired state in which there was gratification or the fulfillment of feelings or emotions. These need structures drove his behavior and those strivings gave his life meaning. Being a Patriot quarterback, is Tom’s identity. That’s Tom Brady! Some speculated that with that Super Bowl LI victory, he could retire because now he has nothing more to prove. Setting records was not his primary motivational drive. Instead, he has to meet needs of abasement, achievement, affiliation, and aggression through game performance. If so, he shall continue to compete in this brutal game of professional football. If these secondary needs can’t be met through outstanding play as a result of injury or a significant decrease in skill set, then he is likely to retire. Reality is not always possible as in our dreams .Tom Brady is mortal and although his mind with its defense mechanisms may say yes, his body may say no. Our body doesn’t lie. It will speak to him and tell him when it’s the end. Go Blue!

Brady's Drive Part 2

It’s believed that the preceding 10 facts regarding Tom Brady suggest the following. We know that he possessed mental and physical toughness {Abasement}. Tom Brady knew that he has put his brain and body in harm’s way every time he received the ball from center. Something hurtful can happen like being stepped on by his own player; having a finger jammed or dislocated like Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders; or being thrown to the ground by some 300 pound giant. Further, an overused injury can be sustained while working out or conditioning himself. And, he maintained a strict diet with a personal trainer in order to further his career in the brutal game called football. Being the quarterback, Tom accepted the criticism or blame of the press when plays don’t go as planned. He was accused and punished by the NFL for being associated with deflating of footballs in order to win a playoff game two years ago. He fought the charges in court, but did not wine about the situation. Asked, by the press, if revenge played a part in his motivation to succeed this year. Coach Belichick, to his defense, called that question nonsense and insulting. Did Brady accept all the praise and glory in his team’s Super Bowl victories? No, he praised his teammates, coaches and the organization {Affiliation} for their success. He reciprocated, remained loyal and applied it to the concept that this was a team game. He learned about the importance of the team playing for the Wolverines. Coach Carr was part of Michigan legend Schembechler’s coaching tree. Beginning in 1969, Scembechler’s players incorporated the concept that players win as a team and lose as a team. It’s nothing more, nothing less. Records and victories can’t be accomplished if everyone doesn’t do their part or do their job. To Be Continued

Brady's Drive

With the historic New England Patriot’s comeback win in Super Bowl LI, many called quarterback Tom Brady the greatest quarterback ever. If the criteria was based on number of Super Bowl victories, the number of Super Bowl MVPs, Tom Brady would be the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. If other criteria were used, then we are not measuring apples to apples. One cannot fairly compare a player from one era to a player from another era. For example, Ed Budde was a number one draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, and played in the first Super Bowl. He played for 14 seasons with the Chiefs. He also had two sons that played football. His oldest was also the number one draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. His youngest son had a tryout with the Chicago Bears, but didn’t make the team. In private conversation, Ed told me that his youngest son was bigger, faster and stronger than him. The physical characteristics of players, and the skill level then and now are significantly different. Let’s asses Brady’s behavior, football related statistics, TV interviews , personal communication with a former University of Michigan Wolverine and current radio announcer for both the Wolverines and the Detroit Lions. These components provided insight into Tom Brady’s motivational dynamics. Ideas employed are based on Henry A. Murray’s personology theory. 1. Tom started out as a 6th string quarterback for the University of Michigan. He was also a sixth round draft pick by the New England Patriots. 2. Tom, in TV interviews, talked about his teammates Mental Toughness. 3. Even though Tom was awarded the MVP in Super Bowl LI, he said the award should’ve gone to teammate James White. 4. Tom didn’t play in the Patriots first four games this season because of a league suspension. With very limited team practice time, he started as quarterback in the Patriots fifth season game .In that victory, he attained over 300 passing yards. 5. Tom talked about his teammates favorably after games and stressed their importance in their victories. He also talked about himself playing better. 6. After a New England Patriot and Detroit Lions exhibition game, he warmly greeted the Detroit Lions radio announcer, Jim Brandstatter a former Wolverine. Fellow Wolverines are bonded 7. At the start of the past Michigan Wolverine football season, Tom attended the game, was made honorary captain and was seen throwing a football to his son on the Big House field as well as playing catch with football head Coach Jim Harbaugh. 8. Jim Harbaugh called Tom Brady, the greatest football player ever; said Brady could coach his Wolverines; and Jim would be his quarterback coach. 9. Patriot head coach Bill Belichick said that the season was difficult for Tom. He didn’t believe that Brady’s four-game suspension, motivated him. In fact, Belichick said. “I think it’s really inappropriate to suggest that in Tom’s career, he’s been anything other than a great teammate, a great worker and he has given us every single ounce of effort, blood, sweat and tears that he has in him. To insinuate that somehow this year was different, that this season, he competed harder or did anything to higher degree than he did in the past is insulting. I think to the tremendous effort and leadership and competitiveness that he’s shown for the 17 years that I’ve coached him. ….Tom Brady gives us his best every time he steps onto the field.” 10. At the University of Michigan and with the New England Patriots, Brady employed a personal trainer. To Be Continued