For a variety of reasons, some personal…some “otheral” , I have had more than usual occasions to cry this year. It has been really strange because, as you know, men aren’t supposed to. However, William Frey, a biochemist who does double duty as a researcher and a professor has spent a good deal of his time asking why people cry and he gave me a rationale. His fascination with this subject led him to write a book entitled “Crying: The Mystery of Tears.” In this book he wanted to answer some basic questions such as why men cry less than women, how humans relieve themselves of stress, and what tears can teach us. One thing he learned was that people generally feel better after crying which may suggest a release of chemicals that build up during stress. Further work turned up an interesting mix of chemicals in human tears. Manganese, enkephalins, and prolactins somehow work together to promote feeling better, but there is no explanation of why men and women cry differently. Apparently men don’t seem to feel any better nor do they cry as often as women do. In fact, most men (me included) are ashamed to be seen crying. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the preponderance of tear ducts in the eyelids of women. Another may be societal pressures that are placed upon males in general to adopt and adhere to macho stereotypes. Whatever the reason, we must not, according to Frey, disallow this very important stress-reducing activity or minimize its effectiveness. I feel better already.(cf Go Ahead–Cry! by Micheal Ryan; William Frey, Crying: The Mystery of Tears, Winston Press, Texas, 1977. )
King of Pop dies today
Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson died? It is most likely that everyone–fan or not– will remember where they were or from whom they first heard it. I saw the news streaming on CNN when I came home that afternoon, but I first discussed it with someone I worked with on a Michael Jackson video shoot. May he finally rest in peace.
Oh, these troubled times we live in: Revisiting Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
In the short story “A Modest Proposal,” English author Jonathan Swift calls attention to the deplorable condition of the poor and the seeming lack of concern of most to come up with any real, workable solutions in dealing with the issue of poverty. He wants the people of his country as well as his readers to take their sociological heads out of the sand regarding this problem, and he uses very strong sarcasm, irony, hyperbole, satire and some incredible imagery to achieve his intentions. He attacks such “sacred cows” as motherhood, fatherhood, and the then dominant religious community. On a much broader scale, however, I believe this piece can be used as a vehicle by which we can look at ourselves and ask ourselves some very probing questions; questions that have to deal with our own contributions, whether actively or passively, to this problem. The poor, it is said, will always be among us…what will we do about it?
People Make Mistakes
It was as simple as that. Isn’t that the way it is most times though?
I was in Wal-Mart today buying a second gallon of paint in as many days. The man who mixed it the first time was also my mixer this time. I’ll call him Robert because that’s his name. I guess he felt confortable enough to tell me more about himself than I have told most of my family and close friends. [I am always amazed at people that can do that.] Anyway, he begins to tell me about some surgery that he had some time ago. The doctor who did the surgery made some mistake that almost cost him his life and he said almost offhandedly, “But he is still my doctor because …people make mistakes.” Then he went on with his story. The point being: I have heard that countless times, but never in the context of lifesaving–successful or otherwise. It hit me today like it never had. People make mistakes. I rarely gave myself that luxury. Or other people. Maybe those ubiquitous words of wisdom will “take” this time. I’m going to cut the people in my life some slack. And myself. Thanks, Robert.
10 minutes?! (from “Fast Food Forays–philosophy from unlikely sources”)
I spend a good deal of my time in fast food restaurants. I am not sure whether it is laziness or convenience, but I do. I went to one of my favorites once–KFC. I wanted 10 of their delicious Hot Wings. I went up to the clerk and informed him of this and he said it would be about 10 minutes. (10 minutes?! I thought to myself—but they sell chicken for a living! ) Then I remembered I had nowhere to go and nothing to do it being a day that can be described as both summer and lazy. I thanked him anyway and promptly left the restaurant. Then I got bothered. Where had my life or attitude gotten to when I couldn’t wait 10 minutes for something I really wanted? What did this say about me in particular and society in general? I decided to stay and have the Hot Wings I had driven 10 minutes to get.
