Let's Synchronize our Watches

Self-destructing instructions and synchronized watches are standard operating procedure for the good-guy secret agents. Right? At least that's the way I remember it. Synchronized time-pieces were essential to the plan going - well - as planned.

So t was with great amusement this week that I followed the story of the Boeing Starliner's missed rendezvous with the International Space Station. Turns out the spacecraft's watch did not synchronize properly causing the craft to end up in the wrong orbit. Attempts to fix the problem remotely were unsuccessful because the spacecraft was between communication satellites and could not receive the signal. As if that were not embarrassing enough, some reports have informed that had their been a human on board they may have been able to correct the problem. 

Moral of the story? Technology is a wonderful thing .... when it works. Use it wise;y and let's be careful not to discount the value of the human touch and intervention. 

Keep Smiling Keep Moving. 

-Paula 

Do You Know ALGEE?

I spent the day on Saturday, December 7 at the Riddle Hospital Annex with 20 or so others learning about Mental Health First Aid. The 8 hour course helped us identify risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid is designed to assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.

Throughout the day we learned more about risk factors and symptoms of  depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorders. With each topics, we addressed an action plan for first aid. The mnemonic A-L-G-E-E helps to remember the steps in the plan.

I have a lot to learn still, but here are the three immediate takeaways for me.

1) We have to stop treating suicide as a taboo word. In order to support someone considering suicide we have to be able to ask "Are you thinking about killing yourself?" or "Are you thinking about suicide"? It's a common thought for people with treatable mental health disorder. We need to take the stigma out of our own minds if we have any chance of helping.

2) Mental Health First aid is not about curing or diagnosing a person's mental health. It is recognizing situations and confidently offering support and assistance to someone until professional help is available. In other words, we do not have to have all the answers. We need to be present and calm and reassuring.

3) Be kind. This one sounds really obvious, even easy, but it takes work. Being kind in this context means re-framing often instinctive thoughts and statements from negative to positive. This will become easier as we de-stigmatize and de-mystify mental health disorders.

There was a lot of information packed into 8 hours. We walked away with a 3 year certification, a reference textbook and links to other information and resources. And takeaway #4 is that I have a lot to learn yet. Will I actually be able to help if there is a need? I won't know unless and until faced with a situation. What I do know is that I am better prepared to help now than I was on December 6th. It was a day well spent and I'm going to keep reading and asking questions and engaging in conversations about mental health. This is how I will get the confidence to do make a difference.

I recommend this class to anyone who has time to take it. It's FREE. If you are local to me, the class is offered once a month at Riddle Hospital. Or you can click here and enter your town to find a course near you.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Horses and Chickens and Burros (I think)

New hiker Dave had the honor of carrying Perki. 

And deer and chipmunks and woodpeckers. These are the animals we saw on our hike today. The title of this post is not to suggest I doubt we saw these. It's that I'm not sure if the 'burros' were burros or mules or donkeys. But at least you get the idea.

Today, Dave, Maggi and Julius and I hiked 7 miles on the Horse Shoe Trail from Chantilly Lane to Charlestown Elementary School. This section of the HST is a mixture of urban, trail and pasture hiking. It was a beautiful sunny day. So beautiful that it's hard to believe that tomorrow will be more or less a wash out.

We gave Dave's new hiking shoes and trekking poles a good workout. I'm really proud of my husband for taking on this hike. It was a little ambitious for a newbie hiker on a second outing and he managed it just fine. AND he said that he'd had a good enough time that he would like to go out again.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

The One Where Balloons Can't Fly but The Parade Must go On.

Actually it's not the first time we were in the parade where balloons did not fly. In 2013 we were grounded but not before we were driven to Eakins Oval in an attempt to bring the balloons in just for the TV. Unfortunately, after arriving at the Oval the decision was made to keep the balloons down. We got to watch the parade until it was time for our balloon to enter the parade and then walk around the oval to the Art Museum and onto a bus. The 2013 parade was it's own kind of fun (they all are) but not the kind I wanted to repeat. Last night as I listened to the winds howl realizing before any official announcement that we would not see the Grinch today, I had thoughts that this would be my last parade.

This year, the decision to ground the balloons was made early on. Balloon handlers were given the option of walking the entire route 😀 without a balloon or going home. We stayed. As did almost all of Team GRINCH.

It was wonderful to see our friends, Teresa and Mary who have been with us for quite of few of our 13 years in the parade. Julius came back for a second time (having first walked in the 2010 parade) and Mike and Fitz  were here for their first time as balloon handlers. They will have to come back to experience walking with a balloon. I was thrilled to see all of them.

The entire GRINCH team was enthusiastic and energetic. We made the most of a balloon-less parade.

We entered the parade behind the Portage High School Marching Band from Portage Indiana. Near Gary, Indiana they told us. We learned later that this was their first parade and I have to say they are naturals.

Our view of the Portage High School Marching Band

These kids (I'm old I can call them kids and I also do so with the utmost respect) really got into the spirit of the day. They smiled when some of us pretended to be band members and marched along side them. The tuba players spun around a few times while we were spinning our imaginary balloon. And most fun of all (for them and the crowd) from time to time the ENTIRE band broke formation to spread out and high five the crowd.

If I had to pick one highlight of the parade, it was the Pride of Portage Marching Band. 

So will this be our last? Who stops at number 13 anything? Right? 

We'll see. Registration for 2020 won't open until March. 😎

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

Keep Moving Keep Smiling

-Paula 

National Take A Hike Day 2019

November 17 is designated as National Take a Hike day. Dave and I spent the morning at Glen Providence Park in Media. I love sharing my hikes with others. I especially loved sharing the time with my husband. 😀

His new (almost a year old) knee made this possible. He even commented that before the knee replacement the switch back downhill from Kirk Lane would have hurt way too much. (Yay for knee replacements)

I walked without my trekking poles today. However, the leaf cover on the trail had me second guessing that decision. It did however prompt a discussion between us about the value of poles when you can't see the rocks underneath the leaves.

And in case that wasn't enough, I demonstrated what happens when one catches a toe on a rock and has no choice but to do down hard, palms first to avoid hitting one's head or worse. I wish I could say I did it on purpose but we all know better. I have a small lump on my knee now and will feel the effects of the fall across my shoulders tomorrow I'm sure.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving (even when the ground comes up to meet you)
-Paula