Attention There are many factors that figure into the calculation of attention in a family. All other things being equal (which is probably a rare occasion), in families with more than one child, birth order plays a big role. When children are not separated by many years, sibling rivalry sets up a dynamic among the […]
I’m not very big on looking for signs to guide me, being an existentialist. However, I do stop at stop signs and stop lights when I’m driving; when it’s cloudy, I say, “Looks like rain,” just like everyone else; I don’t touch the stove if the red light indicates that the element is still hot. […]
In looking to improve my writing skills I am thumbing through some of my books about writing. Chapter I of Brenda Ueland’s ’If You Want to Write’ [1] is entitled: ‘Everybody is talented, original and has something important to say.’ It struck me that this is equivalent to the statement in the Declaration of Independence, […]
Semi-conscious writing For a time I used to write down all my dreams. I would wake up in the middle of the night and write them down in my journal. Writing upside down was a problem. The ink would flow away from the ballpoint tip, and no ink would come out. Then I discovered the […]
The art of waiting As I said the other day, waiting is an art form at which I excel. In fact, I was thinking of publishing a book of the drawings I did while waiting for my wife. I’ve gotten pretty good at drawing scenes through the windshield of the car. The dashboard and sun […]
Importance of importance Early in my career, I was in charge of a nascent computer department at a city medical center. Paper records ruled at that time and there was a natural reluctance among the older established docs, to implement computerization of their operations. There happened to be enough work in laying the groundwork of […]
Shortly after I started blogging, I wondered how faithful my memory was to actual events of my past. Not that it matters. I am practically the only one left who still remembers anything about those times, so there is no one to contradict me. It was important to me just the same. I lamented that […]
I’ve always tried to be a doer. This might have resulted from my attempts to help my mother with my nonverbal older brother, diagnosed with autism and profound retardation, I don’t know. Since the focus of my blog is to address my problems and attitudes from the perspective of a sibling of an autistic brother, […]
It’s funny how words can change meanings over the years. During my childhood, most of the attention went to my older brother, who was diagnosed with autism and profound retardation in addition to being nonverbal. Mom would take us into New York City every day and drop me off with a family friend while she […]
My Dad was a theoretical physicist, and was always open to answering any questions that I had. I owe my father a great debt of gratitude for his voracious appetite for life. Some of that rubbed off. I am reminded of him because I just found something interesting in one of my journals from 1993. […]
