HIGH AND LOW TIMES

 

    When we really think about it, there are moments in life when we feel sad or good.
These moments are not necessarily because of tragedy or excitement. Everyday activities can be boring or even pleasant. Sometimes, things seem so routine. But then something happens. It might be that you have struggled to open the cover of a jar and with just a little more effort it loosens. Wasn't that more than relief? Or, was it just a moment of feeling good? A moment that was a success or a sense of accomplishment? How about when you are trying to balance your checkbook and you can't find the error? After about ten minutes, you discover the correct answer. How does that feel? Isn't it just a little bit more than relief? Could it be a gentle sigh and a moment of comfort? What about when you are playing golf, no pars are being made and the ball falls into a trap? Don't you feel a little sad, almost ready to quit for the day? But then, you make a great shot? Now, that pleasant moment encourages you to continue to play.

    When you allow yourself to seek the pleasant moments and capitalize on them each day, you will be able to have a positive attitude. You don't have to linger with low times. You don't need to have a lavish and expensive dinner. Savoring each mouthful at mealtime can be a very rewarding experience. Remember, each moment is precious and deserves your undivided attention and respect.

    Sometimes, we get questions that are not easily answered because it takes patience to research information we need.  Maybe, it just takes a dictionary to look up a word to spell.  Sometimes, it may mean you will have to search several sources to find out the best recipe for your cake.  But don’t worry, as long as you are motivated and patient, you will get to bake your cake and eat it.

 

 

 

HANDEDNESS

    Have you ever watched the performance of a full concert orchestra? Did you happen to notice the violin section? If you did, then you didn’t see any player using the bow with the left hand.  If one did so it would bump into the other violinists. This observation is not to say that there were no left-handed violinists. It simply indicates that there might be left-handed players who restrung their instruments to play in synch with all the right-handed players.  So, it appears as another example of the dominance of the right-handed world.

    A few days ago, I was watching the surgeon stitching a dermatalogical wound on my right arm and I noticed she was left-handed.  So, we struck up a conversation as I shared that I was left- handed too. I happened to mention that historically, being left-handed was not well received, particularly in the middle ages or, even before that time.  As a matter fact, left-handed in French was derived from the word Gauche, referring to inappropriate or odd.  She agreed and mentioned that in Latin the derivation of the word left is sinister, referring to unfavorable or evil.  So, we shared something in common.  As “lefties” we are in the minority population.

    Interestingly enough, studies indicate 70-95 percent of the world’s population is right handed suggesting about 10 percent are left-handed. I was curious to see the genetic basis of handedness and discovered it is very complex.  Although, there has been research no evidence has been obtained to explain a genetic locus.

    I am confident you are aware that maybe you, your friends or relatives recall instances where a parent noticed a young child had a tendency to be left-handed, only to be influenced to learn to be right-handed which had dire effects on one’s development. There are however, individuals who are ambidextrous and manage very well to deal with life’s expectations.

    Undoubtedly, it is still a right-handed world which continues to be a challenge to those of us who are lefties.  Nevertheless, I have found my way comfortably and I am confident we can address the right-handed can-opener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

    I have often wondered what our heredity is and how much of it has made us like we are. There is no doubt that both heredity and environment play a great part in helping us become the person we are today.  There have been so many advances in science that much interest has grown with new information about heredity.  I’m sure you have noticed the publicity that has arisen regarding ancestry and the popularity of searching about our family background and our heritage.  Take for example, what has been advertised on the internet, “Ancestry.com” and other similar sources to assist you in finding out about your family background through DNA testing.

    Well, before we get to that testing, it’s important to understand the concept of heredity which provides us the value of the DNA.   First of all, heredity is the biological process responsible for passing on physical traits from one generation to the next.  It’s the reason why offspring look like their parents.  It’s the likelihood that you might have blue eyes if they do.   This biological process was first used in the 1530s.  The noun heredity comes from the Latin word hereditatem, meaning “condition of being an heir”.

    DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, sometimes called the “molecule of life” is what makes you uniquely you!   It is the genetic code that determines all the characteristics of a living thing.  You and I got our DNA from our parents, which we call our “hereditary material” (information that is passed on to the next generation). You may be interested to know a genome, a gene and a chromosome are all structures of DNA.  A genome is an entire set of genes.

    Given all this above information, you can appreciate the value of DNA as it relates to various aspects of life such as medicine, forensics, and our curiosity regarding our heritage.  It seems that maybe wanting to know more about our family history can sometimes be very enlightening as well as comforting.  Yet, the point to be made is that the DNA we have is not easily modified.  So, in life we learn to adapt to the characteristics we inherit.

 

 

HABITS

 

     If you have a yen or an urge for something sweet, you might go to the refrigerator and takeout a nice chocolate ice cream sandwich and then go back to the TV and finish watching the show. But, that yen was probably a one-shot deal. You probably won’t do that often.  Maybe, it happens occasionally, maybe, once or twice over a year. That behavior is not usually considered habitual. So, what is a habit?

    Its origin is from the English, French and Latin “habitus” condition, character, from habereh i.e. to have, or hold. Its first known use was in the 13^th century.  It has been referred to as characteristic of rank, as a nun’s or monk’s apparel, or even as the costume worn for horseback riding. However, it usually is referred to as an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. The vivid evidence of a habit is its frequently noted repetitive behavior which sometimes is innocent and perhaps beneficial. There are conditions where they may become irrational, extreme or neurotic and as such, become detrimental to one’s well-being.

    The formation of a habit can be analyzed in three parts which are a cue, the actual behavior and the reward.  For example, the cue could be seeing the toothbrush. The brushing is the actual behavior and the reward is the good feeling of cleanliness. It is a simple illustration that, in itself, is innocent and beneficial. If this behavior becomes compulsive and is carried out an excessive number of times each day, then it can be considered possibly a nervous condition. How to control such a condition requires one to try and determine what motivates such behavior.  Simply stopping the frequency of such behavior will not resolve the situation.  It takes a conscious effort to examine the underlying motivation for such behavior.  That isn’t always easy because it takes a willingness to understand and deal with what may be some underlying anxiety a person may have that is not directly related to the need for keeping one’s teeth clean. What the answer may be is not always that easy to identify.

    There are many habits one develops from a young age and some can be minimized or eliminated over time when there is a conscious effort to address their cause. It is a perennial challenge but one can reach a solution.  What becomes really critical is being able to understand and distinguish between a habit and addiction. Yes, will power can be a strong means for addressing those behaviors but if they become addictive then it is usually beyond the use of will power.  In such situations the need for psychotherapy and or medication is necessary. There are really two major challenges to address in such a situation.  One is the willingness for one to seek help and the other is to monitor the process of help.  No matter how old or young we are each one of us is endowed with the attribute of choice.  So, it’s not really fair to blame our culture, the times, or society for preventing or resolving our bad habits or addictions. Each of us can be our own worst problem or find  success.     

CHANGE

    It is interesting to me that as life goes along nothing really remains constant. So, no matter what happens we are not in a position to keep or have anything to be perfectly still.  I am reminded of the famous saying, “Time and tide wait for no man”. I have heard it for years and now that I’m older my curiosity is perked as to its origin. It is clear the phrase is ancient and pre-dates modern English. My research indicates that its earliest known record is about 1225.  The notion “tide” being beyond man’s control reveals images of the ancient Danish King Canute.  He demonstrated to his courtiers the limits of a king’s power by failing to make the sea obey his command before he conquered England.  When this phrase was coined it came to mean a season, or a time, or a while. The word is still with us in that sense in “good tidings”, which refers to a good event or occasion.  I guess we can say that good and bad times come and go.  It’s up to us not to be caught up and stuck with the unhappy events.  Given the holiday season with us lets be thankful for our blessings and enjoy our friendships.   

 PERSONALITY

    There may have been occasions where we communicated with someone and then said to yourself that the other person has no personality. You might have said to yourself, “He or she is a piece of work and a dull person with whom to try and have a conversation.”  First of all, you might like to know that to define personality has been a perennial puzzle for centuries.

    There is no generally agreed definition of personality.  There have been many theories in the field of psychology that have offered a variety of explanations to understand it.  The early Greek philosophers made attempts all the way from Plato and Aristotle and continuing with eminent theories of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Raymond Cattell. Their theories for personality included biological, cognitive, learning, trait, as well as humanistic and psychodynamic approaches.  Nevertheless, their efforts were noble but there is still no concise definition of personality.  However, one thing that seems to prevail is that one’s personality develops from the influence of both one’s heredity and environment.  Also, that it becomes stable and enduring.

     Many professionals in the field of Personality Psychology have developed tests to identify or measure attributes of personality.  Much of the data acquired has been derived by recruiting samples of college students or others who responded to tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory (MMPI), Rorschach Ink Blot Test, Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Test, or the Neurotic Personality Questionnaire. However, researchers at Northwestern University have recently, with the advent of the technology age, acquired very large samples on line that has allowed them to derive four personality types:  average, reserved, self-centered or role model.  Although their data is massive compared to the famous tests listed above, their research doesn’t define personality.  But, it does provide the potential for hiring managers and mental healthcare personnel.   

    Furthermore, the question arises as to whether personality can be modified or changed. There is some evidence to indicate that there are essentially three ways personality can change. They are by experiencing trauma, peak experiences, or just learning.  Trauma occurs as in such cases of tragedy (loss of a loved one, wounds of war).  A peak experience happens when (one marries, graduation from college).  Learning is, for example, when one accomplishes success from playing a musical instrument that opens one to a new career.

    It appears that learning is the most reasonable and rewarding way personality can change.  However, there are significant factors that enter into this type of change. First of all, one has to be motivated to want to learn.  Secondly, one must have the biological tools to utilize. That latter observation leads me to say that is why it’s quite a challenge and most difficult for those of us in our senior or twilight years to change much of our personality.  An example of what I mean is to recognize that it’s probably true that any one of us, 55 or older, could learn to play the piano, even highly motivated but, we wouldn’t accomplish playing as soon and maybe not as well well as a youngster in adolescence or younger. So, what does all I wrote lead me to conclude? Yes, we can change our personality but it takes motivation and patience to succeed in such an effort.

 

OUR SUBCULTURES

     It has been said that America is a melting pot. That is to suggest our country is made up of people who have migrated here from all over the world and, so to speak, become Americanized or melted into a single identity.  I prefer to say that America is more like a casserole.  In other words, a dish garnished with a flavoring sauce of respect, honesty, fairness, freedom, justice, loyalty, kindness, and openness to each other.  Each American has the right to pursue one’s own destiny and yet retain some the characteristics of a subculture from which one emigrated or emerged.  Having said that, it seems we are a unique society that embodies the morals and values of the U.S. Constitution our founding fathers developed to cherish democracy.   

    With the above ideas in mind, I decided to look at the subcultural panorama of our country from the 20^th to the 21^st century.  In the early part of the 20^th century subcultures were mostly informal groupings of like-minded people.  In the 1920s and 1930s America faced the Great Depression that caused widespread unemployment and poverty which found its expression in urban youth gangs. The Dust bowl disaster forced large numbers of rural Americans from Oklahoma (the “Oakies”) to move their families west. The 1940s brought our country into World War II. The subculture was still jazz and swing and the zoot suit craze diminished. The process of rationing and black marketing was taking place.  Post-war America saw the popularity of the radio bringing a wider subculture of rural jazz and blues as well as big bands.  Now, that was the first burst of mass media creating the spread of large subcultures.

    The 1950s brought on the American Beat scene that eventually emerged in the 1960s to the subcultures including radicals, rockers, bikers and hippies.  By the1970s the subcultural interest in computers brought on the derogatory word “geek” which grew as a term with pride.  Some followers of the punk- rock movement in the 1980s eventually took on the genre in American urban environments referred to as a street subculture combining athletic break dancing, developing as Hip hop and rap.

     I look at the primary generations of today, namely: Gen Z, I Gen, or Centennials:  born 1966 and later: Millennials or Gen Y:   Born 1977 to 1995: Generation X:  1965 to 1976; Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964; Traditionalists or Silent Generation: 1945 and before.

    Then, I look at what I have written in this article and I wonder what will the youth of today consider important to the well being of our American culture. I ask myself, in what direction are they going? I have confidence in them knowing that even with adolescent vicissitudes they have the intelligence and integrity to make great contributions to our country.  I would like to believe that those of our Silent Generation will leave them a positive legacy.