Bobbing Around

Have a hapy 2002! Belatedly, I wish everyone implements of the season and a preposterous new ear. About Bobbing Around Announcements Starts with mine of course, including a special offer. Bonnie Mercure: a book release and a contest. Shields McTavish announcing a new book release. Letters from Friends Everett Beal on drugs Susan Bodendorfer on health and illness Leo Doherty on depression as 'chemical imbalance'. NDK with a little quote on simplicity. Writing Point of View: why does it matter? Conservation Increasing profits by protecting the environment. Ethics Where does morality come from? Psychology Helping Survivors in the Wake of Disaster

Sorry I'm late, but...

   Andre, my friendly Internet Service Provider, has had enough of being mucked about by Telstra. Besides, he's been losing customers because of the slowness of the service. So, he spent up big and had a satellite disk installed.

   The disk didn't come alone but was accompanied by a whole army of gremlins and bugs and ghostly glitches. I think Sauron had a hand in it somewhere.

   As a result, I was offline for weeks. This helped me to do lots of writing, but put all my internet jobs way behind... things like this newsletter.

   I had planned to have Bobbing Around 4 out soon after the beginning of January, and therefore to start it with a suitable new year greeting. Just before things went blank, my friend Robert Simons sent me one:

Hi everyone. :)

   Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the summer solstice (or winter solstice, as the case may be) holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2002 , but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make this Country great, (not to imply that this great Country is necessarily greater than any other country nor is the only great Country in the world), and without regard to the race, creed,colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

   By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher. The wishee further agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the wisher, along with its heirs, assigns, officers, directors and shareholders.

News from me and my mates

Bob

   Farewell PayPal, g'day Paymate.

   PayPal seemed perfect when I first discovered it. The concept of the service is wonderful: I can accept or send any amount of money from next to nothing to a fortune, wherever the other person may live. The costs described in the contract were reasonable, far, far less than having my own 'secure gateway'. I discovered a problem the first time I withdrew money into my Australian bank account. At the time, an Aussie dollar was worth 49 US cents. Well, that was so for the rest of the world. As far as PayPal was concerned, the exchange rate was 52 cents. In a very real sense, I had some $40 stolen from me. More recently, I discoved through the EPIC email list that PayPal is being sued in a class action, that it claims to have lost a lot of money to fraud, and... things are not all that rosy.

   Fortunately -- I hope -- there is a newer service, based in Australia. So far, I have only heard good things about Paymate. Having registered with them, I can now collect payments in Australian dollars from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Germany. Other countries should be added in time.

Addendum, August 2002: Paymate was not what it was cracked up to be, and I have parted company with it. Back to Paypal for now.

   I am happy to announce that Zumaya Publications have released paperback copies of two of my books for the North American market. Other titles are on the way (when I can get the time to send Publisher Martine Jardin the relevant information. I'm too busy editing, partly for her).

   If you live in Canada, you can buy any Zumaya title from Instabook. In the USA, Zumaya titles are available in paperback from Booksurge. Their page for me is http://www.booksurge.com/author.php3?accountID=ZUMA00013. A click on this link will allow you to buy these books.

   Now here is a special offer to subscribers: if you have bought one of these books, I am happy to send you a uniquely personalised book plate, signed by me. You can stick this in the front, giving you an authographed copy. My total cost for sending a book plate is about $US2. You, as a Bobbing Around subscriber, can have one for $1. And if you have bought both books, you can have two book plates for that price (postage is a major component).

   Just send me $Au2 through Paymate. Then send me an email, in which you can specify the book(s), give your name, the name of the person the book is intended for if it's a gift, and enough information to allow me to personalise the message I write on the book plate.

Details of the books:

Anger and Anxiety: Be in charge of your emotions and control phobias.
ISBN 1-59109-064-4
RRP $10

   This book is the best selling of my titles outside Australia (where the Earth Garden Building Book is). It has helped many sufferers from emotional problems, and also people in a helping relationship.

The Start of Magic.
ISBN 1-894869-23-0
RRP $15

   The first volume of the series The Stories of the Ehvelen. It has had excellent reviews.

   Australians can also buy one of my books in paperback now. This is my second short story collection, Through Other Eyes. This anthology of 26 stories was one of three finalists in the Dream Realm Awards. You can have your own, uniquely autographed copy for $20 + GST + postage. Just send me $24 via Paymate, or send a cheque to LPO Box 214, Healesville, Vic. 3777. Either way, send me an email, in which you can give your name, the name of the person the book is intended for if it's a gift, and enough information to allow me to personalise the message I write on the book plate.

   The Donard Book of Laughs is available free from Donard Publishing. It contains four of my short stories: Fishing, HIG: The new energy source, The Hero of Knox and Shortcut to Love?.

   Mary Gibbs and I have co-produced a book entitled Links in the Chain, which contains the entries to a writing contest she had organised. Some of the stories are wonderful, I particularly liked the second place getter The Limits of Love by Dennis Nagle. Check with me or at Mary's site if you are interested; the book is almost ready for release.

   Richard Lee has produced a... book? periodical? Anyway, it's the second collection of short stories and poems he has assembled, with the title Faces of Fear. My short story Game Planet is included. You can inspect the offering at Richrd's site, and buy it for $US4.95.

   I now have so many editing jobs that I am looking for some help. Zumaya Publications has two editors: me and Jeff Mullen. They need a third. If you are a competent editor interested in some profit sharing work, send a query to Martine Jardin.

Bonnie Mercure

   Bonnie was one of the entrants in my 'Free Edit' contest. She didn't win, but came close. I edited her book The Curse of the Three-headed Circus. It has now been published by Double Dragon Publishing.

   "Before Little Mary came to The Three-Headed Circus, twenty-one-year old Harvey’s only worries were keeping his deceased father’s circus running and trying to get Tabs, the beautiful wire-walker, to notice him. Then Harvey meets Little Mary, a three-foot woman who impacts his circus in a way he could never imagine."

   Bonnie Mercure lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. She has had short stories published in many periodicals and e-zines, including Electric Wine, LC-39, Peridot Books and Challenging Destiny. Her speculative fiction story Mary's Shooting Star has been recommended for the Bram Stoker Award. Besides The Curse of the Three-Headed Circus, Bonnie has a children's book The Old Man and the Toads coming soon to Writer's Exchange E-Publishing. She also has a fantasy novel The Jacob Theory, published by Novel Books, Inc, tentative date May 2002. Bonnie is also an Eppie Finalist.

   Bonnie and Lynn Noel, another email friend, are running a contest. To enter you fill out a brief survey and the prizes are a download version of The Threshing Floor or The Curse of the Three-Headed Circus, or a gift certificate at Amazon.com.

   Bonnie also wrote this about my editing work on her book: "Before I hired Dr. Bob Rich to edit my manuscript I felt that the story had come to a halt and I didn't know how to make it better. Not only did Dr. Bob Rich give me an in-depth critique at a very affordable price, he got me interested in my manuscript again. He offered praise when it was warranted and useful suggestions when a change was needed."

   Obviously, she is a young lady of discernment. :)

Shields McTavish

   Ottawa, Ontario: Shields McTavish is excited to announce the release of his adventure novel VULTURES IN THE SKY.

   Lt.-Col. Douglas Mark White, a fighter squadron commander stationed on Vancouver Island, analyzes evidence surrounding the crash of a maritime patrol plane; he concludes that the aircraft was shot down by a hostile fighter. Doug attempts to solve the mystery despite the resistance of the Wing Commander, the seeming disinterest of authorities at higher HQ, and a lack of resources. Little does he know that his persistent quest will ultimately end in a vicious attack on his own life.

   Shields McTavish is a retired military officer who spent a varied career in many capacities, all of which were oriented towards the nebulous world of foreign intelligence operations and electronic warfare. His experiences included extensive exposure to the wide variety of threats facing the armed forces in the air, land and sea environments. Upon leaving the military, his interest in relating his experiences led him to writing.

   After completing a post graduate program which included him receiving a writing Award of Merit, Shields wrote several military-related magazine and journal articles based on the experience of both himself and others (see http://www.adventurestories.ca). These true stories of past military exploits naturally led to exploring the world of fiction.

   Shields and his wife Margaret, after having raised three sons, now divide their time between Ottawa, Ontario and St. Petersburg, Florida.

   Vultures In The Sky is published by Barclay Books, LLC, 6161 51st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715 (www.barclaybooks.com Drrsmcneel@aol.com)

Where Does Morality Come From?

   Recently, my book 'The Start of Magic' received an excellent review from John Crispin-Ripley. He was enthusiastic about all aspects of the story, except for one thing: 'The good gals (and guys), however, are good--overly so. One longs for an Ehvelen Iago or Falstaff.'

   This got me thinking about the source of our everyday behaviour: why is morality important to some people while others feel an obligation to cheat the sucker?

   Terrible bushfires devastated parts of New South Wales during December 2001. To me, the worst aspect was that some not-so-nice people looted evacuated homes. Even worse, the personal possessions of firefighters were stolen from their trucks. And I am sure that the human jackals responsible felt nothing but a glow of satisfaction at a successfully surmounted challenge.

   Where do our attitudes to morality come from? Old Sigmund Freud answered this question: from our early training. His mistake was that he studied a very small sample of humanity, the Viennese middle class of his day, and from this made pronouncements about all people.

   Little boys and girls in 19th Century Vienna had moral precepts drummed into them (through their posteriors). They were told to be GOOD, over and over, and punished for misbehaviour. The result was the Freudian Superego: an internalised version of the disciplining parent.

   What has replaced this influence in the lives of modern children? The media, and television in particular. Many kids spend more time watching TV than playing with other children, or interacting with adults. The result? Their internalised value systems are those you see on the square screen.

   The thought is frightening.

   The Ehvelen in my stories lacked the wonderful benefits of television. Nor were children punished for misbehaviour, lectured at, made to feel faulty if they did the wrong thing. This did not mean that kids could get away with disobeying rules. The disciplining technique was for an adult to say, 'Sweetface, listen to the Mother within. She'll tell you that what you did was wrong.'

   Five or six years of this brainwashing was guaranteed to generate the experience of feeling this Presence: the little child acquired a glow within, a Person who loves you whatever you do, but approves of actions in accord with the rules of society, disapproves of thoughts and behaviour that flout them.

   We enjoy convincing little kids that Santa Claus exists. Suppose we practised a similar deceit, and convinced our children that we, and many other people, had the Mother within? We could account for evil in the world by explaining that some poor people were sick, and lacked Her within their hearts.

   I can tell you with absolute certainty: these children would grow up to be morally good, with not a skerrick of evil within them. Their thoughts would lack any attitudes against the Mother's dictums. At the same time they would be strong, confident, self-reliant and not at all a pushover when confronted by predators.

   There is only one problem with creating such a world. How do we start?

From Grassroots To Boardrooms:
Slashing Raw Materials Use
To Increase Profits And Protect The Environment

From the Worldwatch Institute.

   Consumers, businesses, and governments around the world are finding ways to profit and prosper while simultaneously slashing their use of wood, metal, stone, plastic, and other materials, reports a new study from the Worldwatch Institute. Such reductions will remove many contributors to global warming, species loss, air and water pollution, lead poisoning, and a long list of other environmental and health problems.

   "Groups as different as neighborhood associations and corporations are discovering that economic well-being is not necessarily linked to using vast quantities of materials," notes Gary Gardner, senior researcher at Worldwatch and co-author with Payal Sampat of the report Mind Over Matter: Recasting the Role of Materials in Our Lives. "In fact, getting more of what we want through smarter use of materials is a winner for the bottom line and the environment."

   Some firms, including the Xerox Corporation and Interface Inc., a manufacturer of floor tiles, are now supplying customers with services, rather than making and selling goods. The companies lease their copiers and carpet tiles, taking the products back at the end of their useful lives for recycling or remanufacture. Their materials thus circulate much longer-requiring a minimum of virgin material and generating a minimum of waste.

   The environmental and economic savings are impressive. Xerox reports a doubling of the share of machines that are remanufactured-to 28 percent-between 1992 and 1997. It expects to increase this share to 84 percent once a new copier series, designed for easy disassembly, is placed into service. Xerox estimates that its remanufacturing program diverted 30,000 tons from landfills in 1997 alone. Interface reports that landfilled factory wastes have been cut by 60 percent since 1995, and expects even greater savings from additional changes. The company achieved a 20 percent jump in sales and posted record sales between 1995 and 1996 - with virtually no increase in materials use.

   Some companies minimize waste by selling it to other companies that use it for their own production. Whole clusters of industries are set up in this way, each linked by the waste flows of member firms. In Kalundborg, Denmark, a power plant, a cement factory, a farm, and several other industries share their wastes, an arrangement that diverts more than 1.3 million tons of waste from landfills or oceans each year. Similarly, in Fiji, a brewery, a mushroom farm, a chicken-raising farm, and a fish farm are tied together through flows of organic waste.

   A few far-sighted governments have promoted more intelligent use of materials. In Germany, an ordinance adopted in the early 1990s holds producers responsible for nearly all the packaging waste they generate. Since that time, producers have cut their use of packaging by 17 percent, and recycling of remaining packaging has climbed 12 percent. Several countries, including Austria, France and Belgium, have adopted similar legislation.

   Individuals have also pitched in to reduce their materials impact on the planet. A group called the Global Action Plan for the Earth has brought households together to discuss ways to reduce waste, to use less water and energy, and to buy "green" products. Participating in this Action Plan are 8,000 neighborhood teams in Europe and 3,000 teams in the United States. Successful teams send 42 percent less waste to landfills, use 25 percent less water, and generate 16 percent less carbon emissions, while saving $401 a year per household.

   "These efforts point in the direction we should be going," says Payal Sampat, co-author of the report, "but we need to accelerate these material-conserving initiatives and get government policy behind them."

   The sheer amount of material used today may astonish most people. "The average American uses at least 101 kilos (222 pounds) of materials every day, from the nitrogen and potash used to grow food, the wood in the daily paper, the chemicals in shampoo, and the gypsum in the office walls," adds Sampat. Heavy use of materials is a defining feature of the 20th century. Materials use has grown 18-fold in the United States since 1900. Substances such as aluminum and plastic were virtually unknown at the turn of the century. Since that time, aluminum production has climbed more than 3,000-fold, and synthetic chemicals production has increased 1,000 fold since 1930 in the United States alone.

   If developing countries continue to embrace the industrial-country model of materials-intensive growth, the human impact on the natural world will only become more severe and widespread. Sustaining the whole world at an American or Canadian level of resource use would require the land area of three Earths.

   The massive flows of materials this century already endanger human and environmental health at every step of the economic process, from extraction to production to waste disposal. Mining has contaminated more than 19,000 kilometers of rivers in the United States. The gold in a single wedding ring generates 3 tons of mining waste. Logging for wood products eliminates species habitat, contributing to what biologists agree is a mass extinction of species. Synthetic chemicals used in pesticides, solvents, and cleaning products are linked to health problems ranging from cancer to reproductive disorders in humans and animals. Metal emissions from factories have killed hundreds of thousands of hectares of Russian forests. China, with little capacity to process industrial wastes, has stockpiled 6 billion tons of it-5 tons for every Chinese man, woman, and child.

   Materials contribute to climate change. Their production adds to atmospheric carbon-cement-making alone accounts for 5 percent of human-caused carbon emissions. Their extraction eliminates forests that absorb carbon-logging for wood threatens 70 percent of the world's untouched forests. Their disposal generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas-landfills account for 10 percent of global methane emissions.

   "Governments can accelerate the trend toward reducing materials use by adopting policies that create incentives to diminish materials use," says Gardner. These policies include:

• Eliminating subsidies of virgin materials-such as giveaways of mining and logging land, and tax benefits or other subsidies to extractive industries;
• Taxing virgin materials and waste-taxes on virgin metals and wood, and on emissions and landfilled wastes, would signal businesses to find ways to minimize their materials impact;
• Making producers responsible for the material they use-when producers are liable for managing material they introduce into the economy, they quickly find ways to minimize the amount they use, and to recycle the rest;
• Ending discrimination against recycling-a series of policies, from taxation to land use, put recycling industries at an economic disadvantage in many countries;
• Promoting waste sharing-Cities can set up waste exchanges, as Canberra has done, to match suppliers of waste materials with those who need it.

Helping Survivors in the Wake of Disaster

   War and terrorism are a part of our lives. No-one in this world is protected from risk. With climate change, natural disasters are more likely, have become more powerful, and affect more people. On a smaller scale, crime or personal disaster may strike anyone.

   You could suddenly find yourself in the position of helper, when someone has been overwhelmed by trauma. Here is a guide on how to respond, whether you're a mental help professional or not.

A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet

What are Normal Stress Reactions in the Wake of Disaster?

   Most child and adult disaster survivors, as well as most disaster rescue or relief workers, experience normal stress reactions for several days or even a few weeks, which may include:

• Emotional reactions: shock, fears, grief, anger, guilt, shame, helplessness, hopelessness, feeling numb, feeling empty, diminished ability to feel interest, pleasure or love
• Cognitive reactions: confusion, disorientation, indecisiveness, worry, shortened attention span, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, unwanted memories, self-blame
• Physical reactions: tension, fatigue, edginess, insomnia, bodily aches or pain, being startled easily, racing heartbeat, nausea, change in appetite, change in sex drive
• Interpersonal reactions: distrust, conflict, withdrawal, work problems, school problems, irritability, loss of intimacy, being overcontrolling, feeling rejected or abandoned

What are More Severe Symptoms In Response to Disasters?

   Studies show that as many as one in three disaster survivors have severe stress symptoms that put them at risk for lasting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as:

• Dissociation (depersonalization, derealization, fugue, amnesia)
• Intrusive reexperiencing (terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks)
• Extreme emotional numbing or extreme attempts to avoid disturbing memories
• Hyperarousal (panic attacks; rage; extreme irritability; intense agitation)
• Severe anxiety (debilitating worry, extreme helplessness, compulsions or obsessions)
• Severe depression (loss of the ability to feel hope, pleasure, or interest; feeling worthless)

What Aspects of Disaster are Especially Traumatizing?

   Certain aspects of disaster are especially likely to be traumatic -- to put survivors at risk for severe stress symptoms and lasting PTSD -- either if directly experienced or witnessed by the survivor:

• Life threatening danger or physical harm (especially to children)
• Exposure to gruesome death, bodily injury, or bodies
• Extreme environmental or human violence or destruction
• Loss of home, valued possessions, neighborhood, or community
• Loss of communication with/support from close relationships
• Intense emotional demands (e.g., rescue personnel; caregivers)
• Extreme fatigue, weather exposure, hunger, sleep deprivation
• Extended exposure to danger, loss, emotional/physical strain
• Exposure to toxic contamination (e.g., gas or fumes, chemicals, radioactivity)

Which Individuals are at Risk for Severe Stress Responses?

   Studies also show that some individuals have a higher than typical risk for severe stress symptoms and lasting PTSD, including those with a history of:

   Exposure to other traumas (e.g., accidents, abuse, assault, combat, rescue work)

   Chronic medical illness or psychological disorders

   Chronic poverty, homelessness, unemployment, or discrimination

   Recent or subsequent major life stressors or emotional strain (e.g., single parenting)

   Disaster stress may revive memories of prior trauma, as well as possibly intensifying pre-existing social, economic, spiritual, psychological, or medical problems.

What are the Priorities for Helping Disaster Survivors?

   Helping disaster survivors, family members, and emergency rescue or disaster relief personnel requires preparation, sensitivity, assertiveness, flexibility, and common sense:

• First priority is being a team player, by respecting and working within the site chain of command, as well as pitching in to provide basic care and comfort to survivors and workers.
• A close second priority is to make personal contact on a down-to-earth basis with survivors and rescue workers -- listen, don't give advice; ask how they (or their children) are doing and what you can do to help; make them comfortable with food, beverages, practical supplies (e.g., clothes, blankets, sunscreen, magazines, writing implements, telephone), and a comfortable place to sit.
• A third priority is helping them to "defuse" by spontaneously "telling their story" -- ask "Have you ever been through anything like this before?" "How's it going getting a place to stay and the assistance you need?" "Is there anyone I can help you get in touch with?" "What do you find yourself remembering most since this all happened?" "Where were you when this started?" "What are your top three immediate priorities, for the next few hours or days?"
• A fourth priority is a careful assessment of the risk factors and symptomatic problems, to identify and set up referrals for the persons or families most likely to be in need of further care.

What are the Goals of Mental-Health Providers in the Wake of a Disaster?

   The goals of on-site mental health care in the wake of disaster are:

• PROTECT: help preserve survivors' and workers' safety, privacy, health and self-esteem
• DIRECT: get people where they belong, help them to organize, prioritize and plan
• CONNECT: help people communicate supportively with family, peers, and resources
• DETECT: screen, triage, and provide crisis care to persons at-risk for severe problems
• SELECT: refer people to health, spiritual, mental health, social, or financial services
• VALIDATE: use formal and informal educational opportunities to affirm the normalcy and value of each person's reactions, concerns, ways of coping, and goals for future.

What are the Recommended Interventions in the Wake of a Disaster?

   People have their own pace of processing trauma. It is important to convey to them that they should listen to and honor their own inner pace.

   People should be encouraged to use natural supports and to talk with those they are comfortable with - friends, family, co-workers - at their own pace. They should follow their natural inclination with regard to how much and to whom they talk.

   If someone wants to speak with a professional in this immediate aftermath period, a helpful response will be to:

• listen actively and supportively, but do not probe for details and emotional responses. Let the person say what they feel comfortable saying without pushing for more.
• validate normal, natural recovery.

   Outcome studies of Psychological Debriefing (PD) are mixed. Overall, they do not support the efficacy of a one-session intervention shortly after the trauma in decreasing psychological disturbances after a trauma beyond natural recovery. Some studies found that in the long run, a single-session of psychological debriefing may hinder natural recovery

   Accordingly, we do not recommend intervention in this initial aftermath period. If people do present to clinics or counselors requesting help, single-session contact should be avoided. In these instances people should be scheduled for 2-3 more visits over 2-6 weeks time.

   For those who have previously experienced traumatic events, current traumatic experiences may stir up memories and/or exacerbate symptoms related to previous traumatic events. Thus some people will feel like this is "opening old wounds". These symptoms should also be normalized and are likely to abate with time. It may be helpful to ask people what strategies they have successfully used in the past to deal with this, and to encourage them to continue to use them.

   Individuals who continue to experience severe distress that interferes with functioning after three months are at higher risk for continued problems. These individuals should be referred for appropriate treatment.

Letters From Friends

Everett Beal

   Everett Beal is the author of a book, Southern Winds. He has written over 400 articles for magazines and newspapers. Born and raised in Georgia, he is the past owner of two pharmacies, has lived in the mountains, on a house boat, on the coast and soon on Lake Jackson. Retired (he thinks), says wife Judy. The author lived and breathed every moment of Southern Winds.

   Everett wrote this to me:

   Good morning.

   Your site is a winner, know that you are proud of it. Bob, through all my years in the profession of pharmacy, I always said to others in the profession,"drugs are made to sell and not to take".

   Of course I was only joking, to a certain extent, but I did see so much abuse done by not only the patients but the physicians. The one thought that I learned was that, the ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. I am a firm believer of preventative medicine.

   Much success with your books, they sound wonderful. Your sites jumped up like a rabbit.

Susan Bodendorfer

   For years, the e-publisher Wordbeams has been a very respected leader in the field. It was the single-handed creation of its publisher Susan Bodendorfer. Sadly, Susan announced that she was closing Wordbeams. She didn't feel it right to sell it to someone else, and very severe health problems had struck her, partly the results of stress and overwork. Her planned web site will have the URL MerryOldSoul.com.

   I replied to Susan's email, drawing her attention to helpful ideas I had displayed at the anxiety and depression help site. Here is her response.

Hello Bob,

   I just read your lovely post to the EPPRO list and wanted to thank you for your kind words, suggestions, thoughtfulness and good wishes. I truly appreciate it--and you'll see that we have much in common!

   I visited the URL that you posted and had to smile. Believe me, Bob, there's no greater proponent of the information you posted, and of alternative medicine, than me! In fact, I spent many years teaching the same thing to people through classes on meditation, visualization/guided imagery, and the life altering benefits of positive/optimistic thinking. I've been making audio tapes with personalized visualizations for friends, family, and for doctors' offices for more than 20 years. So, trust me when I tell you that I believe in what you say completely. ;-) And I used to practice what I preached beautifully--the key words there are "used to." Regrettably, like so many people, I spend too much time looking after everyone else and putting my own needs last. It's certainly fulfilling in may ways, but certainly not a wise choice when it's not balanced. I have been out of balance for too long now and need to correct that.

   The biggest problem is that since beginning Wordbeams a couple of years ago (and the 6 months prior when I was doing the research and learning what I needed to know about the business), I stopped looking after myself and convinced myself that I never had time for meditation or visualization--or for my yoga exercises, or even for needed aerobic exercise. Kept telling myself that I'd get back to it as soon as I could--but never did. Big mistake.

   So, what's happened is the direct result of the choices I made. I have no one to blame but myself, and I don't feel negative or fall into the "poor me" sort of negative thinking. I've never bought into that. I honestly believe that everything happens for a reason and that we all must learn from each experience, whether positive or negative. The key is to pay attention to these important lessons and use them to improve our lives. That's what I'm doing now. This medical crisis message sort of hit me over the head like a baseball bat--and I obviously needed to "hear" it because I wasn't paying attention to more subtle nudges coming my way.

   While it's devastating in many ways to give up Wordbeams, my life and health are far more important. I'm 50 years old and plan to live to a ripe old age, healthy and happy. If I don't make the right choices, that's not going to happen and I know it. And I know that where one door closes, another opens.

   I'm really delighted that you posted a message about this, Bob. There are relatively few people who really understand the concepts of the mind-body connection and the importance of taking charge of our own lives rather than spend years placing blame here and there.

   It has always saddened me that more people don't/won't accept the realization that they can, indeed, change their lives. They don't understand that, while they may not be able to change what happens in their lives, they ALWAYS have the power to choose how to react to any given situation--and that's what makes the difference in our lives--those choices. Most people simply don't want to accept the responsibility for their lives because it's far easier to blame others or sink into a negative mindset. I know this firsthand because I came from a thoroughly dysfunctional family who destroyed themselves. My mother suffered from cancer and died at 57--and I saw it as a form of suicide. My younger sister did commit suicide in 1992 by shooting herself. My parents were divorced and my abusive father drank himself to death when he was in his mid 50's. I tried so hard to "save" them--but, of course, that wasn't possible. They had to save themselves from their deadly thought patterns, and couldn't or wouldn't. So, I've been on a quest for a long, long time. I'm a survivor and an addictive optimist and will remain that way. I do believe in miracles.

   I'd certainly love to read more of what you have to say on these subjects. I find it absolutely fascinating and healing to read such work. If you haven't written a couple of books regarding the mind-body connection, you really should. I believe you have an extremely important message for people to hear.

   Thanks again for your caring and thoughtfulness, Bob. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Wishing you continued success with your writing endeavors.

Leo Doherty

   I met Leo because a friend of his had a daughter who needed help. Leo was my 'co-therapist'. He has sent me an email about his experience with depression, and has agreed that I should publish it here.

Hi Bob,

   thanks for you interest in my experiences in recent years. I dont want to choke up your email inbox but....

   One additional area I wanted to make comment on, was the way depression takes on a life of its own, and the term "chemical imbalance" gets used to cover all manner of situations.

   My first wife Kaye, when she got overloaded at work trying to do everything for everyone, would retreat into the depression as an excuse for not coping. She would discuss out loud how she needed an escape to Pine Lodge or Albert Road clinic to allow her to cope with life. Well, escape from coping really!

   Once the label "clinical depression" was applied to her it became the excuse for any lack of success in life. She hung on to that label with a fervour! She wasn't just a person who occasionally could not cope with life's little or big pitfalls, she was "clinically depressed" because she had a "chemical imbalance" so had an excuse always at hand.

   While this was going on, in my own job I had to travel overseas and occasionally I would get overwhelmed by jetlag and pressure when I returned. I would wake in dread and be unable to face going to work, so would ring in sick. One of my earlier bosses was pretty understanding and would just tell me to stay away for a couple of days and come in when I was ready to face it all again.

   I would lounge around re reading favourite books, walk the dog, take my motorbike for a ride and gradually the urge to get back to work would rise up again in 2-3 days. This used to annoy Kaye immensely. She would say "you aren't truly depressed...you are just tired, jetlagged etc because you can just rest and get over it. Me, though I am clinically depressed as I have a chemical imbalance, you dont!"

   I wonder if she saw the irony in this. Had I succumbed to the occasional urge to drop by my friendly local doctor and talk him into a script for anti depressants, I wonder if I could have then then laid claim to being clinically depressed with a chemical imbalance!

   One collection of wise words I do remember the same family GP saying was "If one person in a family is depressed, treat the person; if both people are depressed, treat the relationship!" In fairness we both did do quite a bit of relationship counselling or else our marriage would never have gone 21 years, but we could not successfully do joint counselling for her depression, because it was caused by a "chemical imbalance" of course!!

   I hope this truly is of interest to a wider audience, it does help me to get over it by retelling it and examining my behaviour in hindsight.

ps writing the "Cynics guide to US Corporations" did allow me to blow off plenty of accumulated steam, though enough of my workmates read the drafts to confirm I had my ex employer nailed perfectly!

warm regards,
leo

'NDK'

   'NDK' is an artist and writer who refuses to publicly disclose his name, and why should he? He has been a regulr contributor to Bobbing Around. His latest is short, but a beautiful gem:

Point Of View
Why does it matter?

   A journalist tells a story, referring along the way to the opinions of people s/he has interviewed. Fiction writing has an entirely different convention. To be effective, the author must become invisible.

   When you watch a movie, you are a passive recipient. Someone, or more exactly, a team of people, has done the creative work for you and you merely need to sit there and take it in.

   Reading is different. A story provides you with raw materials, which you need to translate into imagined experience. The creator is the READER, not the author. The author's job is to provide all the necessary information to allow the reader to create a world that has a close relationship to what the author had intended.

   When I write a story, I translate my intentions into arbitrary symbols. Reading it, you go through a complex decyphering process. First, a series of funny little marks are transformed into experiences that could equally have come from listening to speech. You can probably 'hear' the words in your own voice. Almost instantly, but as a distinct second stage, these internal sounds are looked up in a dictionary, and assigned meaning. The resulting words are assembled into phrases: meaningful statements.

   That's the raw material you are working with when you create an imaginary world based on my writing.

   If I was successfull, you will soon imagine yourself to be one of my characters. If that is not possible, you will imagine yourself as seeing the action, as if you were an invisible spectator. Or at least, you might see it as if on a screen. And if my writing hasn't even achieved that, then you will probably put the book down unfinished.

   My aim as a writer must be to allow you to make your construction about my world as vivid and real as possible, to have you lost in it, so that while you are reading, it is more captivating than the actual world around you.

   Point Of View (POV) is a major tool in achieving this. In a well-written story, every word is from within a character. Want to read an example? Look up Beth Anderson's chapter, reproduced in Bobbing Around number 2. Beth has chosen to divide this chapter into sections, each from within the consistent POV of a person. And when I am reading a section, I can identify with that witness's experiences, and BE within the story.

   Now, what happens if the writer gives me some information, not from within the current witness's POV, but the way a journalist does?

   I get abruptly pulled out of the story. My illusion is momentarily broken, perhaps never to return. Read this passage from Chapter 1 of my SF novel Sleeper, Awake:

   Artif commanded, "Flora, move your legs and arms."

   Flora tried, and to her relief was able to move almost naturally. She sat up and looked around.

   Her cocoon for a millennium and a half seemed to have remained unchanged since that time, subjectively an instant ago, when she'd last closed her eyes. Cool pastel blue walls were glowing with indirect lighting. She knew that almost all the wall space consisted of doors hiding the equipment that had kept her alive without deterioration all this time: mechanical and electrical muscle stimulators, hygiene maintenance devices and the like. She had been fuzzy about the details even when Dr Martin had insisted on explaining them to her.

   There were no windows, only the closed, airtight sliding door that was almost indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. Her elevated bed was in the middle, with the tubing descending from the low cream-coloured ceiling.

   The only addition was a hovering ball that rose to be level with her eyes as she sat up. It was the size of a very large watermelon, Flora thought, only it was translucent, and filled with something resembling swirling white clouds.

   I could have given all this description in the way a playwright sets the stage. These however are instructions to the director and actors, not to the audience. The audience is expected to SEE the setup, not to be TOLD about it. So, instead, I have inserted a couple of little snippets: 'She knew that...' and '...Flora thought'. These keep the reader within POV -- and make all the difference.

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