Writing Reality

 A Father of Five and a Psychologist Asked Me, How Do I Do What I Do... That was after he'd known me before I'd become a parent. And after I'd written a couple pieces for him in his book. As our daughters were nearing their fifth and seventh birthdays.  This has been my schedule the school year 2009 April thru June:   Mondays : Wake at 4:30am.Run 5-10 miles get back by 6:25am, Norm goes to work. 6:40am-8am Start Breakfast and make Sarah’s lunch and snacks for school.   Wake up both Sarah and Toby. Select clothing, help them get dressed and do Their hair. They make their beds and brush their teeth before coming down for Breakfast. After prayers and breakfast, we read a story from the children’s Bible, And then have a discussion.   If there’s time I read them a fun book, having Sarah read some and having Toby point out words I think she should begin to   recognize. 8am-11:40am Drive Sarah to school; then Toby at 8:45am Sarah is in school 8:15am-2:45pm an...

  Before getting to the office, I’d planned to run fifteen miles with strength advanced fartlek like so: first two miles was the warmup on the road which would be mostly uphill from three tenths of a mile to about a mile and four fifths, then flat to the first two miles—and that would be when I’d start the stopwatch on my wristwatch and run hard for five minutes, then I’d run easy for two minutes—next a hard three minute pick up, followed by a minute run rest easy and finally a hard one minute pick up followed by a thirty second run rest easy stint.  I proceeded to do five sets of this drill on the road covering 62 minutes and 30 seconds and then an easy two-mile jog back to the Haledon High School cinder track a half mile away from our Woodside apartment.  I was motivated when I got to the track. So, instead of an easy four laps to get an even fifteen miles in before work—I ran four quarter mile intervals, like so: 87, 85, 88, 91. I did a little jog of a minute in betwee...

Is what you may assume. As the saying goes... Ass-U-Me. As I write my Memoir which was suggested that I do so by writer, Mark Jacobs. Mark Jacobs has written for Blackbelt Magazine and has had recently published the 2nd edition of his book "The Principles of Unarmed Combat" with foreword by Gene LeBelle in 2010. Mark and I spoke in late May this year about his book and then he'd suggested I write my autobiography. He knew full well that even though I'd had several books published over the last 20 years that my background of formal study was in the human body, and business, not in writing. I'd gone back to school 2021-2023 for studies in music, screenplay writing, data analytics, advanced algebra, writing for law students, journalism, A.I. effecting law, Digital A.I., and five courses in Chinese language-speaking, writing and reading the language, a bear indeed of learning. All this along with my therapy CEUs that I needed in order to keep my license and malprac...

  Last night I was speaking with an old friend till near ten. We’d remained on the phone for about 90 minutes. I’m certain he will dispute me on that, when he reads this blog. It’s because he’s a numbers guy. I’m a numbers gal; however, my numbers come with weather stats from years past or current, birthdates, pulse rates, breathe rates, and such. I am more science oriented with my numbers. Too, I don’t think Tom has HSAM, but I know I do. Tom Allen is ten years my senior. We’d known each other since 1989 through long-distance running. He knew Tom Fleming (TF), my old long-distance coach from 1988-1995 and 1997-2000. Tom Allen and I met in Brookdale Park in Essex County, NJ. It was where TF would usually have us do our Tuesday night fartlek training. What struck me last night was how we realize very little about someone else’s life or happenings. Some of us seem to reveal much; however, there are times when our own lives are so enormous we most likely will not remember anything o...

  If you've ever seen the movie,  "The Green Mile". You'll know the line, "I'm tired boss." Its what this man says who i s wrongly convicted of murder(s) and is soon to be executed.  He's been done wrong by the color of his skin because of racism. A nurse, who's no longer alive, she would be about my age now. She had bought me the DVD of the said movie. I became a tad obsessed watching it over 15 years ago after she'd brought it to me as a gift for Christmas/Hanukkah. We celebrated both. I think I've watched it not quite ten times.  What drew me to do so years ago wasn't just the acting. It was deeper. It was what I knew, somewhat understood about humanity. Yet at the same time, couldn't wrap my mind around it. It? It, is bigotry, ergo: racism, bullying. Those things in life that not all experience. Many ignore it out of trauma or perhaps convenience. As I write my Memoir and am pushed to dig deep, be detailed, bringing the read...

 I've fired quite a few weapons. The last weapon was a M16A2, last time I fired a weapon, that was in 2006. First time was at age 15 with police officers in the summer of 1978.  I don't hate guns, but I'm not a gun enthusiast. I prefer other training and weaponry for myself, my family. I had this discussion about 10 weeks ago with someone who was still in the military and serves us. We chatted one night for a few hours. He said, "No one needs an AR-15" I replied, "No one needs an AR-15. I like handgrenades. I feel good with them, but its not for civilian life." We agreed. He reminded me, people who are serving are non-partisan.  So, I come to today, again its about separating ammunition keeping that locked up separately from a weapon like a handgun, a rifle, a shotgun and the like. Again, an adult who had a minor still at home doesn't seem to have done the correct thing and it cost innocent lives, mostly young lives once again. As the case in Bend Or...