Jude Stringfellow's Blog, page 76

Defamation of Character Suit A La Carte Please

 With the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trials for both defamation of character and what Heard is calling a "smear campaign" for her side of it, the two of them have racked up more than $10,000,000.oo in legal fees thus far and the thing is, the jury could come back and slap both of them on the wrists with "Don't do that again" verdicts, and they'd owe another $1,000,000.00 or so in clean up issues no doubt.  If one or the other of them comes out smelling less than a wet dog in this whole mess, I'll be surprised. I won't say "I'll eat my hat" because court cases going to a jury can end up topsy-turvy! More jurors than not probably favor Johnny over Amber; it would be difficult to name more than one film she's been in, and the only reason we know she was in it is that they mentioned it a few times in the trial.  It's just a hot mess.

    Before someone can even BEGIN to think about bringing a movement of the Court such as a lawsuit for defamation of character, there will always be the initial interviews of the one(s) bringing the case, and that can take weeks. Weeks as in billable hours, and the average lawyer in the United States working that sort of law would be upward of $400 per hour. The average in the UK (just in case anyone in the UK is thinking of bringing a suit) would be the equivalent to that amount, but if you expect to bring an international suit, well, that's another penny or two. The average international lawyer would charge upward of $1000 per hour if they had a case to bring.

    In order for there to be an actual reason to move the Court, there would have to be an established ground(s) for the motion or initial Petition.  Before there could be a Petition filed, the side of the bringing party would no doubt check the evidence that was being presented to the office; maybe blogs, emails, correspondence, or recordings in which another party was defaming the party bringing the suit. There would need to be definite detail and sufficient damages from said evidence. You can't bring a proper suit with hearsay, innuendo, opinion, questions to someone, maybe statements that were not posted publicly, but perhaps asked in private chats or direct messages. You see, there is no damage when someone is merely asking a question even if the question seems ugly or unwarranted. Lets says someone thinks you may have a different lifestyle, or they ask you or someone else if you are dating someone else other than your spouse. You can't call that defamation. They asked a question.

    The defaming part must be PROVEN and it must be MALICE before it can be considered for suit. I mean, no lawyer would accept a case he/she couldn't receive payment for, and if the person you're trying to sue is just as poor as you are, and you're not even able to pay for 10 initial hours of work, then you may not have a pot to piss in, as they say. You may not stand, you may not be granted your day in court. You may just have to realize that defamation literally means you lost fame over the matter, and you lost money or work, or maybe you were running for president and you lost votes.  You could sue because you were mentally "damaged" or hurt (stressed) by the words of some "cheeky toxic" person. You can't expect to get punitive damages if there were no actual damages to begin with.

    Let's say you manage to get the lawsuit off the ground, you paid the initial 10 hours of initial work, and you're off to the races! You're going to sue someone! Congratulations, you just got yourself a one-way ticket to a deposition where you have to prove you weren't crazy or in need of mental healthcare PRIOR to the suit. If you spent say even one week in a mental ward for stress related illness PRIOR to the defamation suit, you will not be able to prove the difference between your diagnosis before and your current diagnosis. God forbid the other side asks the Court for another evaluation, and they drag up all the many times and months (years) someone has actually sought help for stress, drugs, drink, anger, abuse, and/or suicide. Did what they say REALLY cause MORE damage? How do you prove that?

    Before your side of the aisle can even depose the other side you'll be deposed by their side. Your friends, family, doctors, arresting officers (if you've been arrested for public intoxication or violence) will be deposed. Can you imagine if you wrote or responded to someone and said something opposing the claim or question they asked, but it was PROVEN in COURT or in depo that you are in fact exactly as they questioned or posed? Perjury is a real thing. Sworn testimony is a real oath. The penalty for perjury is severe and it often comes with not only a fine, but imprisonment. I know I would always tell the truth. I won't go to jail for anyone; I won't lie and say I'm this or that to save face. I will willingly and voluntarily speak the full truth under oath. Some of the first questions would certainly be about your history in order to establish their innocence of your claim. Something to think about. It is then PUBLIC RECORD at that point.

    Depp and Heard have money. I don't have money to spend on silly suits. I would never bring a suit against another person who didn't own $$$$ in stocks, houses, real estate, royalty equity, or maybe had a hidden stash of gold somewhere. An attorney worth his/her salt won't file a suit if they can't retrieve a great reward for it - - you're spinning your wheels. They'll take your first 10 hours and tell you how sorry they are for not bringing the case.  You're stuck. You're mad. You're just as UNDEFAMED as you were to begin with, and now you've got less money. Yeah, it's not a good thing, but hey, people think they've been slandered and they want something for it - - here's a thought. Don't fly your kite without knowing if you can handle the wind! It can take a nasty turn at any second and come crashing all around you. Best to know who and what you are so no one calling you names or asking questions can insult you or upset you - - you know the Truth and that Truth is all you need.

    Law is my first love. When I graduated college at Oklahoma City University, home of one of the best premier Law Schools in the Southwest of America, I had a full ride to the school.  My grades were 3.75 GPA, I was an honors member in Alpha Sigma Lambda, I graduated Cum Laude, and was really excited to start the whole process. I was a paralegal for an investigatory attorney's office. I'd been there 100 years I think, it was my turn to take over when the lead attorney retired.  The problem with the plan was that the judge in my divorce case decided I could have the kids or enroll in Law School. She can't do that, but she did. I chose the kids.  I've remained an investigator and an educator. I work both ends of the candle and have recently been interviewed for a position at at top notice legal firm as a Securities Investment Paralegal where I'll use my keen skills of tracing and tracking to find fraudulent sellers and buyers on the FOREX and the Stock Exchange. Oh...I am too excited about that.

    I think my point to this blog is simple.  We all get upset when we're called names, or if questions are asked about our personal character. However, it doesn't meet the standard or rise to the level of needing to be remedied by the Court. Somethings you just walk away from, you discuss civilly, or you choose to ignore them altogether. Let it go - - it isn't worth the stress and if you're trying to say you want to be less stressed - - remember that causing stress is just as real as having it handed to you. You decide.

Photo Credit:  UT.EDU  Alpha Sigma Lambda 

Mom Mode.

 Once a mom, always a mom. I guess you can say the same about a dad, but there are just so many more cases when a child is made fatherless by the choice of a parent than the other way around. At least that is the experience I have both as a person who has been through a extreme divorce, and a person who taught many hundreds of children who have been through the divorce and separation of family as well.  When I was divorced and going through a child custody Battle Royale, my ex was able to convince the judge that I was a manic and that I had mental illness.  I think he used my raging hate and distain for him as a backdrop for his evidence. Could have been the fact that I not only threatened him with the business end of my Remington, but I learned to box as a younger sister and I let the man have it to the point of finding himself face down a few times either on the carpet or the concrete.  You just don't piss off a Southern mama. (FYI, I still box, and I'm just as good with my left as I am my right.)

    Whatever the reason, the stupid and inexperienced judge took my custodial rights away from me, claiming I was a potential hazard to my kids. Asshat! The thing is, as a Southern mama, I was protecting my kids to the point of death, and that's something that the Yankee-born judge wasn't familiar with. I suppose there are more subtle and gentle ways for a woman to show her methods of protection, but for me it was "come near here again, and you'll face Jesus!"  Looking back, I don't regret a thing I said, nor a thing I did. The kids ended up with me in due time, and having suffered at the hands of a truly mentally ill parent, they were grateful to be in the capable hands of a mad old wet hen!

    The judge decided that day, the day she took away my rights, to have both myself and my ex tested on a very professional clinical level so she could make a permanent decision for the custody of said children. She had us both subjected to a $1500.00 (fifteen hundred dollar) test, that took over four (4) hours to complete. By the time I got to through 10 minutes I was already bitching about the fact that the test seemed to be asking me the same questions over and over again and they weren't even clever enough to dress up the way they asked the question. It was quite literally the same question verbatim! I think it was designed to see how we would react after the 11th time to be asked. Bottom line, the results of the test proved that I am an E.N.T.J. (Myers Briggs) and he is something else, I can't remember, and I really don't care. My E.N.T.J. attitude and personality was all she needed to see to make a determination that I wasn't necessarily crazy, but I was blunt, forceful, honest, truthful, determined, dedicated, committed, and commanding. I was argumentative, I was demanding, I was insistent and I was expectant!  She gave me the kids with an official apology from the Court.

    Today, my 33 year old daughter was at the local Tag Agency getting her license renewed. Mind you it was to expire on Tuesday and this is the Friday before that. She had to be wrangled to go, and I had to literally driver her there to be sure she did it. That one can procrastinate and  it ends up costing her fees and penalties. I didn't want her to have to go to the DMV to wait in line and prove she is an American if she didn't get the damn thing renewed today!  

    We get to the agency and she's being questioned by two men who were fighting to speak to her. (She's cute, and she' looks 18.) Both men were in their early to late 20's and they were going over her application and checking out her address and noticing that she didn't have an apartment number but the records show she did.  She confirmed she did, and one wanted to know if she lived alone! WHAT THE HELL?  She was about to answer, Laura's like that, she just answers, but before she could get a word out of her mouth Mama clicked! I click. I use my tongue and I make a clicking noise. It's how I train horses, and for over 36 years now, it's how I get the attention of my kids.

    When Laura looked back I ran my hand across my throat to gesture not to answer the question. She smiled and said "I live with my brother. He's in the Army."  What an answer!  I would have said, "I live with Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson", but OK, that works. The next guy wanted to know if she had horses since she had a horse on her phone case. She answered. He wanted to know more. She answered. He asked if he could come ride with her. I laughed. She laughed. We both just laughed. Why do people think it's OK to ride someone else's horse?  NO...you can not ride my horse, he'll throw your ass before you sit down on him. He's a bit of a brat!  She smiled politely and asked him if he had ever ridden. The answer is always the same. They rode in camp when they were 10.

    Anyway, the flirting went on and on, with Laura being far too sweet to stop either of them, but I could tell she wanted to be saved.  I looked up and said something like "Are you almost finished sweetheart we need to get you back to the center for treatment."  She turned and looked them in the eyes and in her best A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) voice began her goodbyes.  Laura is a talented voice actor as well as a gifted horse trainer.  It was just hilarious to see them back away from the counter at the same time as she took her new license (papers, they don't really give you a license now, they mail that.)  She looked at me as we walked away and said "Thanks, Mom. I don't like to be rude."  Well, I have never really had a problem with it.  

Photo Credit: Presbymom

Unraveling the Tapestry

 It's going to take me a minute to actually eat the Everything bagel with both lemon curd and butter. I made it for myself, along with cheesy eggs and a load of bacon. The thing is, it's well after 1:00 p.m. and this is the third day in a row that I haven't eaten anything for breakfast, nor have I felt even the least bit hungry enough to make myself consume a lunch.   I've been rather preoccupied with thoughts the past few days and it's been difficult to focus on my personal health. I think I'm OK. Adrenaline is kicking in, and when it wanes I do fill up with carbs for fuel. Not a good diet plan really, but it's working for now. It will stabilize, I will be OK. 

    One of the great things about the friends I have is that I can call one or two of them up and make a suggestion such as "Hey, wanna go to Vegas?" and at least one will agree to take off work on an instant notice to oblige me. It's really been wonderful being able to surround myself with spontaneous people who think like I do. We need a break. Take a break! We need beaches! Go to Hawaii. We need handsome men without the obligation - - Vegas. You pay to watch, you walk away.  

    I'm in the middle of purposely loosening the strings of a woven time, and it's not easy to do. I was there one minute saying a simple prayer, then the next I was being led by God to pray more, and to pray deeper. Over time that prayer life led to knowledge and information about the person I as praying for, and naturally because I did care, I wanted to help. They say it all the time, "No good deed goes unpunished" and that is exactly how I feel today. It's just going to take a minute to pull out the golden threads that hold the tapestry together -- it will take a minute to disengage my soul and my spirit from what I was accustomed to doing on a daily basis; prayer for a would-be, could-be friend.  Time heals and I know I'll be OK. I actually wondered if he would be OK then I remembered to pull that string too, and let it fall. I can't concern myself with it. It hurts.

    Maybe we won't go to Vegas or Hawaii.  Maybe we girls need to think outside the box.  One friend is German, the next is Greekian (our word) I'm of Scottish blood, maybe something neutral like the cliffs of Eastern Spain! Maybe that would settle our souls -- I hear it's lovely this time of year.  Probably not. We'll probably settle for North Carolina if we want mountains and beaches. We can go to one in particular that has wild Mustangs roaming the beaches. Humans are forbidden to approach, but if the animals approach, that's another story. I think there's a lesson in that actually. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to approach this particular wild animal -- maybe just observing and praying would have been a better way to reach his trust. I learned. I got kicked. I will survive. 

    Knowing what I know about taming and training Mustangs, I can actually put a few of the more reasonable thoughts together now, and I can see where I overstepped. I understand that my voice and my commanding nature would have been taken as a threat rather than a means of trying to rescue from the inevitable harm that I could see was encroaching on this man. Whatever the vision I saw and knew, he was still wild and untamed, unwilling to participate in his own recovery where I was concerned. I wasn't the flower he needed in his garden, and he was not mine to rescue. Observation and prayer would have been a better method in deed. He's tangled himself in the thicket again, and he's become caught in the rattle of life -- I can't do more now than hope.

    I once watched a video of how the 12th and 13th Century tapestries were made. When I was in my young 20's I had a friend whose family was incredibly rich, and come to think of it, she too was from another country. She was Italian.  Her grandfather had purchased a 13th Century tapestry at an estate sale in the 1930s and he had had it cleaned and then shipped to America.  It hung in my friend's house for decades. When a fire broke out in the kitchen of the house and spread to the hall, the family was asleep and barely escaped being killed by smoke.  The end result was the tapestry was caught on fire, but only a corner of it really - - it took over two years and $225,000.00 to restore it. In order to do that, the master craftsman that was literally flown in by the family, had to unravel the weave and reweave. He needed to restore it to the original status or try even to leave it in a better condition.

    Naturally, the original status of the dosser was compromised; it would never be the same. I learned so much one afternoon as the craftsman allowed me to watch as he unraveled it. I never saw him restore it. I just remember the care and the delicate means by which he removed each thread.  As he removed the threads he considered their damage. He considered which ones he could use again, and he made decisions about the way it was affected by the fire. Isn't Christ a little like that? He doesn't destroy the person we were before we accepted Him, but he unravels the bad and restores our lives with His good, and His grace, and  His mercy. We are new. We are not the same. We are changed forever, but we still have enough of what makes us "us" to be who we are.

    Bottom line? I can let go. I've been asked to step back. I've been bitten by the pony I wanted to save. It's OK, I will be fine, and the pony will eventually find his way either to a better place or to a place he can call his own. Some flowers are meant to be seen and some are meant to be appreciated at a distance.

    

 Photo Credit: Quality Tapestries. (This is not the one hanging in my friend's hallway)

    

    

America vs. UK in Marriage and Divorce

 I watch a great deal of vloggers from YouTube; people who are from the UK mostly.  I think my three favorites are Shaun Alexander in Edinburgh, Wee Scottish Lass (Tammy Mosco) in Scotland as well, and a friend-couple called Joel & Lia, who are from England.  All of the these people are trying to make a good living online as vloggers and for the most part are achieving that goal quite nicely.  I have been following each of them for a while, I've learned so much not only about the cultural differences between the United States and the UK, but just exactly how it is that I am received from my UK acquaintances when I email, text, or speak to them. It's finally sinking into my head now, that I'm rather abrupt. (Who knew?)

    If there are many differences in the things we say, how we say it, or why we say it, that seems to be a staple for these vloggers to use as a means to entertain and inform us from their point(s) of view. One of the more recent videos I watched was a video about how hard it is to both marry and divorce in the UK as opposed to how very easy it is to marry and divorce in America. They're not wrong.  Though there are still some states that have "waiting periods" between the time you buy a license and get married, the waiting period is about 3 days.  In Oklahoma, where I live, there is no waiting period whatsoever. You can literally go to the courthouse, pay for your license, and in Oklahoma City, you just walk across the street to the little cute chapel where my friend Jerry Freeland is a minister, and he'll marry you. Quite the income generator too! Jerry used to sell insurance with me. Yeah, there's that. 

    In the UK, and I know particularly in Scotland, in order to get married one (or both) have to apply for a marriage license, and it has to be approved, which in most cases, according to my sources on the internet and personal friends, can be upward of 19-40 days.  I laugh.  You also either need to have your venue picked out or registered when you apply if you choose to have venue. I'm not going to get into those details, I just think it's funny that you need to have something locked in before you apply. What if you just wanted to do something on the fly in the moors? Not happening - - of course, you could always be hand-fasted and that's also another story. It's the equivalent to turning around three times proclaiming "we are married, we are married, we are married" and it's just about as legal and binding. OK, that was an opinion, I don't need a bunch of Scots complaining - - if you do, please do so in Gaelic so at least I'm interested in reading the complaint.

    Getting divorced is an entirely laughable matter in the UK when it comes to how it is done. You can ONLY divorce if there is PROVEN adultery and you have to name the 3rd wheel; said person will be asked to give testimony, as if that would happen.  You can also divorce if your spouse is behaving so badly as to cause you mental or physical abuse, and again, only the physical can really be proven, so I am quite sure the verbal is exaggerated in households where they wish they could do what we do and run down to the courthouse and file with a literal one week turn around in most cases, and the reason it takes a week is to be able to get a court date before a judge to untie the knots! Nowadays, due to C19 I bet a person can email the request and get an automated response for dissolution. That is both incredibly sad and efficient.  If there are kids involved it could take two weeks to set a court date. In my case I was able to divorce very quickly, but like a dumbass I remarried the same man and the second divorce took much longer as he was keen to try and drag it through the system in hopes of getting out of paying any child support - - I really should have laughed when he asked me back. I was too nice. NOT ANY MORE.  Others can attest to that fact. I'm not always nice. (A man in Edinburgh would agree. He paints me "toxic" when I think what I am is Southern.)

    I know of a woman in Scotland who is ready to file for divorce but she has to wait until October to do so because that is when her less-than-an-adult husband checked himself into rehab for the 3rd or 4th time during their marriage.  She can't just go to the courthouse and file, or get an attorney, even though he is considered mentally unstable. She has to wait a full year from the time he abandoned them. She may have to wait two years if he protests.  He has not abused her to the point of being eligible for a divorce.  This is to his credit;  he's not a bad man, he's just immature and probably should have gone to work at least part of their 15 year marriage.   He's a musician and it didn't work out the way he thought it would. She is the one who suffers in this, her and the kids of course, and it is not easily resolved due to their laws. Makes me wonder if he or she were to start "dating" or hanging out  exclusively with or traveling with someone during the mandatory separation/abandonment, whether or not she could get the divorce expedited. I don't think so. So, in some ways it's good because it may give them time to reunite, but in other ways if she's ready to close that door and lock him out of it, she should have that right. We have that right here. That's my point. It's both sad and effective.  We fly different flags outside our doors.

    There is a really cool website in Scotland (I don't know about the rest of the UK) called Scotlands People where you can go and look up all sorts of public records including marriages, divorces, baptisms, arrests, etc., it's public, and it's very informative. I wonder how many people in the UK realize that anyone and everyone who chooses to can go and look up information and even BUY the information if they choose to.  We have that too here, but on a local level. I can go to Oklahoma County in Oklahoma and find my own records. Anyone who wants to purchase my divorce case would be in for a shock - - it's over eight inches thick if you printed out the paper and stacked up all the he said/she said evidence. Not a fun five years of my life, but at least I was divorced from the man in just under two weeks. The rest of the file was the aftermath, the flood of court hearings and whatnot. All public, and I am not the least bit ashamed of any of it. I'm ashamed of myself for not thinking before leaping over the broomstick. (We didn't really do that)

    Traditions and customs, laws and regulations are all so very interesting really. We have a law here in Oklahoma stating we can't bathe our mules in our bathtubs. It's literally illegal to do that. You can't eat a hamburger and walk on the sidewalk in a particular county. I'm not kidding you, that's a law. The vloggers I mentioned would have a field day with that one!  Come to think of it, the words "Field Day" mean something completely different there than it means here. You can't say "fanny" there or "spunky" but they can't say "c*nt" here -- look, I didn't even write it out. They call cigarettes "fags" you can't say that here.  Just another reason to step back and know how I must have come across a few times when I did TOXICALLY damage my ... whatever he is.  I guess I may need to apologize for the abruptness, but then again, I could just say "Boomer Sooner" and expect him to get over it.

    The world does not revolve around me, and it does not revolve around anyone. Not even a Queen. Another UK thing - - no thank you.  Wave Old Glory higher today I think...just a bit higher.

Photo Credit: The Orlando Sentinel

Non-Fiction or Fantasy?

 OH...the possibilities. When I woke up this morning I was just doing what I always do, I was minding my own business, I was walking the dog and I was giving the cats their treats. Then, just after being fully ridiculed by said cats, for not giving them the attention they thought they deserved, I was lamb blasted into space by a would be could be friend.  I had checked my email and WOW...it blew up like Mount Whatever; whichever volcano is about to explode without warning.  I was genuinely struck head on by what could have been the disaster of a lifetime should I have decided to post the man's rantings online! I have that right! There is NOTHING saying that I can't post an email sent to me by a public figure from his public email even if the matter is quite private. Good thing I don't see things the way others see them. I was raised better - - instead, I think I'll incorporate his email into my next murder mystery. 

    I say my "next" murder mystery as if I've finished the one I'm writing. I have not.  I am stuck in the middle of one and I'm debating about using more non-fiction material to be more relatable. I could use a good email that smacks an unsuspecting person upside the head by the possible victim of the story. I could add the email to the discovery that the defendant's lawyer needs to use to get the killer off the hook for a harsher sentence. I could use the language, the rudeness, the blunt and utter preposterous accusations to prove that the killer (alleged) was within her rights to shove the man off the cliffside; sparing his guitar!

    The new murder novel is more about passion rather than innuendo, so maybe I'll hold off on the insertion of the email for that book - - the murderer could be the wife who finds out that the man has had an affair, or perhaps it will be something more subtle such as a photo she found online when the victim believed it was taken down.  The victim in the second book is rather naive. I say "naive" but really he's just really base.  He forgets that he puts out social media posts with bits and drabs of personal information, then when others pull the facts up a year later he can't for the life of him know how they knew! He complains openly that he was always careful not to disclose personal information, up and until one of his followers shares a screenshot -- oh...there's that. OOPS. At least the wife had a reason to plead insanity!

    Back to the first book for a second. Should I add more background for the victim? Should I include his homelessness, his wanton disrespect for others, the many times he committed theft to pay for smack or get him just a little higher than he was currently feeling? Should I add that he has a good heart, a redeemable soul, even that he has begged for help through the Church, hoping not only for a few meals but salvation for his soul? Should I include that he was daft enough to think that he could turn his back on God and receive the help he needed on a permanent basis? Could be that the victim would be the center of the focus of the book rather than the murder. I've always said it's not the act of murder, but the coverup, the disposal, that makes the book intriguing. Where do you think we'll find the body? Madrid? Madagascar?  Rosslyn Chapel beside the Holy Grail? Whose head will they find?

    I wrote a story called "The Blanket"  I'll put a link here.  It's another spin on a homeless rescue. I can't seem to break away from that motif.  It's a good base for a murder because homelessness is so rampant and people become blurs in the sight of society when they are not known, seen, heard, or cared for. When a person chooses to be on the street rather than in the care of someone, they are vulnerable and the stories are endless which include the deaths of such unfortunates. I'm not saying it's a good kettle to stir, but it is a full kettle to be sure. In reality, not fantasy, my heart breaks for those who are addicts, alcoholics, mentally unstable, and the homeless.  A very good friend of mine survived being homeless for three years, but was murdered by a homeless man he tried to assist.  In some ways when I write about the weary homeless I am trying to honor my friend's memory by bringing awareness not only to homelessness but to mental illness - which is different in my opinion than Mental Health.

    In fantasy I can conjure such an imaginable man in deed. Oh, he's strong, handsome, stout-legged, and bullish in figure. He has a beard softened by oil, and he has the smell of rustic oaks and honeysuckle on his bare chest from the exposure to the woods where he hides; he prefers sleeping away from the city life both to hide his homelessness and to give him a bit of protection from the mocking eyes and mouths of the City Centre. In reality, most homeless would never think they would be as gallant and as broadly attractive as my forged imagined friend.  Perhaps the victim's last words will be scrawled on a torn and dirty piece of paper he's found near the courthouse, one he's meticulously cleaned rubbing it against his clothes in order to leave a space for him to write a short note of love to someone he believes will help him if he can just get the courage to deliver the note to her. Words that pull at anyone's soul if they had one; will she reject his love?

    I am, as a writer, always looking for a good place to murder someone, but I am also looking for an even better way to dispose of them -- in writing of course. I've never been one to ask for assistance when it came to writing, mainly because I don't share my words with anyone until they are finished. I won't collaborate with others to make a song. I won't forge and/or contribute to a poem or prose. If all of the words are not mine, I will not claim it. These are my words; I will own them. I am the writer, and my pen (in this case the keyboard) is both my judge and my jury, but will the keys also be my detective? I guess we'll find out. I'm off to the woods to find a Gaelic speaking rugged hero who all but convinces me that killing him won't be the better story - - saving him may save my spirit as well. 

' Photo Credit: D.C. Christopher (Beautiful Faces)

    

Legal Action.

 Let's talk about Legal Action for a minute. People like to throw out threats about pursuing "legal action" when they feel threatened, stepped on, or maybe just guilty about whatever it is that they were caught doing and they don't want the world to know.  Wouldn't it be best to just have a chat with the person who has upset you and ask them to stop rather than to threaten something you have NO IDEA what you would be getting yourself into? Not to mention cost.  The cost of a lawsuit (especially an international lawsuit) would all but devastate a person's savings - - if they had a savings. When people are literally living off the pennies given to them they really need to consider using language less offensive than "I'll be pursuing legal action".  It may just be a bit of wholesome and healthy advice, but worthy of taking.

    Legal action involves so many things; cause is the main thing necessary. There must be cause or grounds for such movement of the Court.  In Johnny Depp's case he had reason to believe he was being defamed by his then longstanding girlfriend, but then again, Depp has deep deep pockets, and the fame that the trial has brought him over the past six weeks is enormous! You can't really buy that type of publicity!  It works out for people like Johnny Depp; but that's such an anomaly!  We, the average, who don't really have much to gain or lose by moving the Court one way or the other should probably stick to something simply like, oh, I don't know, music, writing, blogging, singing, soaking in the sun with our friends. Let bygones be just that -- gone.

    Three of my favorite "legal" words are: Discovery, Deposition, and Interrogatories.  I remember the first time I had to type the word "interrogatory" on a pleading.  Geez, has it really be nearly 30 years since I've been in the investigatory and/or legal fields of both insurance and corporate law? I guess it has been. Who knew? Years fly by when you're digging up things and learning what you can either for personal knowledge or because you're paid to do it.  The word "Discovery" is just that; it discovers literally EVERY LITTLE THING about a person, a place, a thing, the nature of, the underlying cause for the bringing of the cause. How do we discover? We use my 2nd and 3rd favorite words "Deposition" and "Interrogatories".  

    First, a deposition is something charged with questions and follow up questions, questions that may or may not have something to do with the case in genuine. A lawyer can literally ask anything whatsoever as long as he/she can justify to the Court the reasoning behind the asking, and that reasoning can be as flimsy as paper! It can be something like "I thought it may lead to discovery" or it could be "we think it is relevant to the case" (even if it may not be so relevant, it can stop a case in its tracks when the right buttons are pushed and the one being deposed chooses not to continue in the mandated discovery.) Interrogatories are questions too, but they are written out, asked and expected to be answered in a certain amount of time. If they are answered they may trigger the need for a deposition and that/those deposition(s) could be very very interesting in deed. A lawyer may choose to depose the one bringing the case, and he/she may decide to depose one's family members, former spouses, ex-lovers, mothers, fathers, you just never know. At least being married would save a man from having his wife give testimony -- that is, in America. I don't know about the rest of the world.

    Legal Action is not something to be taken lightly by either side. Best to settle before attempting the first movement or motion. Best to mediate if possible.  Best to get on with one's walk than to trip over the rocks he/she has set out in front of their own path. PUBLIC POSTING is just that, PUBLIC. Anything written or said (or sang) on the internet is for the WORLD WIDE WEB and subject to being seen, heard, used, criticized, speculated about, and shared - - often shared without permission. Oh, and that's another thing; permission isn't as cut and dry as one may think. There are local laws, state laws, national laws, international laws. Geez....best to just play it safe and accept that when you put something out there it is in fact out there. You can't get all huffy about it when it slaps you in the face or if you weren't expecting it to be exposed.  That's called "life" - - it's not always pretty.

    One of the best things about Legal Action is that it is a two edged sword. The sword cuts both ways, and exposes both ways. If there is a suit, there can be a counter suit in order to pay the fees, but in doing that of course there are in fact more fees.  Best to just live your life in such a way that no one can say anything about you that you haven't posted yourself. That way, if someone REALLY defames you, you have a leg to stand on  and you can move the Court through Legal Action. Best you realize that biting off more than you can chew is not always wise - - keep it simple. Maybe take guitar lessons or take a dip in the rustic waters of a foreign country! Live a little, and stop worrying so much about what others think.  We're not on this Earth long enough to really form an opinion that matters anyway.

    This has been a public service announcement for anyone who is silly enough to think that Legal Action is the equivalent to "Please stop, thank you".  Civility is king and it can be queen too.

in·ter·rog·a·to·ry/ˌin(t)əˈräɡəˌtôrē/

adjective

1.conveying the force of a question; questioning:"the guard moves away with an interrogatory stare"

noun

1.a written question which is formally put to one party in a case by another party and which must be answered.

Photo Credit:  www.stuff.co.nz

In The Days of Noah.

 Preachers preach about it, teachers teach about it, folk talk about it, but what does it mean in the Bible when God says it will be as it was in the days of Noah when Jesus returns?  Are we talking about the Rapture, or the Second Coming because they are two very distinct events?  The Rapture of the Church is the first event (chronologically and NO you don't need to write me and try to argue that point). The Rapture of the Church is NOT something non-believers will be a part of, but they will undoubtedly be forever impacted by the event in many ways.  The Rapture of the Church is when Jesus is given the "Go" by His Father in Heaven, to come back to redeem or take (snatch away) His Bride, the Church. It is to take place any time and at any moment. The phrase "No man knows the day or hour" is NOT a referring to the Rapture, but it could be described in a similar way; we really don't know exactly when that will be. We are instructed (commanded) to LOOK UP and be ready at all times. Luke 21 even tells us what will be happening near that time. (Think Noah)

    Noah was an anomaly in his day for sure.  He was a Believer. He was a man of God. He wasn't a CHRISTIAN as Christ had not yet come. He was a Believer in the things to come and he preached about the dangers of NOT being a Believer. He preached in fact, for over 125 years that there would be destruction. He preached about the coming rains but the problem is, it had never rained before, so the people were not sure what to expect other than what this seemingly crazy old man was telling others. Rain? They knew about it. They heard Noah teach. They heard Noah preach about it. If they had Google they could have looked up what the world was saying RAIN was; no doubt it would have been debunked by Snopes!  That Noah, always harping on about something! So boring. 

    In the days when Noah lived there were things that remarkably resemble our times now in that there were those who woke up thinking of how they could cause trouble for others. There was lawlessness, and in fact, the laws were so broken that the new laws incorporated tolerance for behavior that the old laws repelled and rebuked. Does that sound familiar? Think abortion. Think gay marriage. Think I'm crazy? No, I'm not, I'm literate and I can read the Holy Word about what it was like in Noah's day.  The fact is, I'm rather excited that we are living in these times as bad as they are, because it means the Rapture of the Church is imminent!  My preacher in Hawaii, J.D. Farag likes to say "Imminent, as in any-minute".  I like that too. We all say "Maranatha" in response when anyone says Jesus is coming. Maranatha is another way of agreeing, and saying NOW would be GREAT!

    The Word says that in the last days (these days) even the ELITE (not the political or rich) who are God's people, will be deceived by the crafty and deceptive liar Satan.  Satan's lies about "my body my choice" and "It's 2022 and it's been legal for years, so yeah, it's OK, be proud" these are lies! Mental illness starts with genetics perhaps, but you can't say that you were born gay. You can say you were born with mental deficiency and through training, environmental circumstances, and choices you've made along the way you have DECIDED to be gay, but you can't continue to blame God for your continued decision to be flat wrong and disobedient. I'm talking about all types of adultery too, I'm not talking about just man on man, woman on woman, I'm talking about all sexual immorality, all choices we make as people, usually adults, when we decide to be "human" as some would say, and "sinful" as it really is.  Sin is sin. We don't need to dress it up in a party dress to call it anything else. If God said NO 67 times about one issue the answer is NO for the rest of eternity.    

    Sometimes I think folks who are genuinely saved, or "have their fire insurance" as Pastor Pete McGuire used to say, will choose to be dependent on someone whose morals are lax simply because that believer needs a place to live, a roof, 3-squares a day, and you know, a little loving. They sacrifice and disrespect God's will for them just because they can't "deal with it" or they "can't make it on their own".  These are excuses too. I know I'm being harsh, I understand that, and I'm also being damned honest about it too. We're not on this Earth long enough to bring about the judgement we bring upon ourselves when we choose, I said CHOOSE to be disrespectful and CHOOSE to be dishonoring, and CHOOSE to throw our witness right out the window because we think we're fitting in with the new age or the people of today. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THAT? Look at the people of today and the very shame they are living in and raising their children within. It's disgusting to humans, can you even imagine how God feels about it?

    In the days of Noah men were constantly coming up with new ways to beat out each other for land, for possessions, for anything and everything. Men were evil in the sight of God, human sacrifices were rampant, abortion through sacrifice after the birth of a child to their idols was also predominant. Thank God every last baby went straight back to Heaven! In the days of Noah demons known as Nephilim were roaming the Earth, appearing as man, and mating with woman, creating evil beings that were not human in nature. How often do we hear of people today referring to someone (usually a rich and powerful person) as being a reptilian? Maybe not so much reptile, but demon? Could it be (yes) that we are living in the days that are VERY MUCH like they were in Noah's time? Evil people, evil lies, evil deception, corruption among the good let alone the very bad.  

    Look at our school systems! Look how the teachers are treated. More than half of the world's educators have chosen another field due to the treatment they receive and the lack of discipline imposed on children (and parents) by those who swore to protect the educator. THIS IS RELATIVELY NEW. Let me tell you, in 1979 if I had spat on a teacher my mother would have walked her happy ass to my school and drug me into the hall by my hair and beat the living tar out of me - - thank you Mom! In 2005 if my son had done that I would have stood on a chair if I needed to to whoop his ass! You're welcome son!  Some time after 2005 we truly went downhill in our educational programs and districts. They allowed parents to rule the room, and teachers to bring in crap about their personal lifestyles in the guise of acceptance and inclusion. We don't need that in our classrooms, we need EDUCATION!

    Noah was spared the wrath. Noah was saved by God. Noah still had to endure the boat ride, and he had to do it with a BOAT LOAD of animals to boot!  He and his family worked around the clock for over a year feeding and caring for those animals. MY GOSH, the smell had to be unbearable. God saw to it that Noah was safe, He didn't see to it that Noah was clean, tidy, or protected from Elephant dung! We will, as Believers, see and endure "crap" too.  We'll live through these times, but we will be saved and our boat is a lot better - - it's a FLIGHT straight outta here!  Maranatha!  If you think what this world is doing is OK or cool - - you are deceived and possibly part of the problem. IF YOU are a CHRISTIAN, a BELIEVER in Jesus and can "testify to the life, death and resurrection" of our Lord, and you are CAUGHT IN THE RATTLE of the lifestyle that lies and carries both disease and disorder with it, you need to stop now and get on the boat. Grab a shovel, you're gonna need it. You have work to do.

    God and GOD alone is able to forgive when we ask. God and GOD ALONE is the one for DELIVERANCE. God and GOD ALONE is the way to the real and true peace. You think you have depression and anxiety now? Wait until you are no longer protected by His Grace due to your CHOICE to leave His will for you. Rainbows? No...GOD MADE THAT RAINBOW FRIEND.  If I could say one thing about the days of Noah and the days we live  in now, it is that they are so close and they are so equaled that the best news ever is about to come out of it -- count yourself sealed if you are saved, but pray and pray hard to be counted among those who will not suffer the agony of His wrath if you are not saved. PLEASE know the difference. Your choice is yours not His. He would that no one perish, but He's also not going to remove your free will - - you must make a choice. OK, I wasn't going to do it, but in the words of  Getty Lee "To choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."  It's true. You have.

If you're going to COME OUT - - turn around. Faith over fear, and certainly faith over lies.  How does that saying go? "PRIDE comes before a fall"?  In this case, pride came and then there was a flood. 

    

Photo Credit:  YouTube 

PARTY!! Party in MY ROOM!!

 People can brag all they want to about all the hard core partying they did as a kid, or maybe they're still doin' it now, whatever!  I don't even need a milkshake to bring all the action to my bedroom, nope; all I have to do is leave the damn door open and it's a full house friend, it's a FULL HOUSE and it's EVERY damn day.   We have three cats and two dogs living with my daughter and I, and let me tell you, once that door opens after Laura's woken up to get ready to go to work, all of the animals who were once nestled quietly and rather lazily in her room and laying on top of her, all come over to my room where the real action is. PETTING!

    Once Laura wakes up and all of the critters are stirring about, hoping to be loved on, they soon (very soon) realize that she has absolutely no time whatsoever to give them the time of day. They don't even huff or puff about it anymore, they just mosey the few steps from her room to mine, and they invade my sleeping quarters. Ginger and I have been the victims of petting parties for literally seven years! One dog comes and goes, another one takes its place. A cat up and dies on us, well, not to worry, Laura is fast about getting right back into the swing of things to be sure I am covered in fur from the moment I think about waking up until the moment she decides to go to bed. 

    When she enters her room (and this is quite hilarious really) Laura does a little high pitched siren song that draws out nearly every nerve in my body to the point of plugging my ears with my two index fingers. The cats, however, think this is their call for lounging about, and for the next few seconds they try and resist her calling - - only to surrender, but not nearly soon enough for me. I can deal with squeaking bagpipes all day long, but that cat call is amazingly annoying!  It's a wonder her nearly 15 year old dog can still hear the calling, but he does and wherever he is at the time, he also finds his way to her room for the night. There, in the reptile-lined walls of Laura's bedroom (6 geckos, a bearded dragon, and a skink live in enclosures around her room) the animals thump their tails and demand attention -- which they are obviously satisfied with night after night, but in the morning - - the party is moved to my room.

    You'd think we would be able to change up the routine a bit, maybe, Oh, I don't know, live in separate houses and I could enjoy my peace with just one dog and maybe a cat if I decided to break up the herd? Do cats come in herds? What's it called when you have  too many damn cats? I know a lot of dogs is a pack, a lot of owls is a Parliament; cats should be herds. I'm calling it that because you can't really herd cats, but Laura can! It's supernatural the things she can do with animals, but she can actually herd cats with that song - - I have one talent when it comes to these vile and nasty creatures I love so dearly; I love them and that's the only thing I can do. I wish I could hurl them into the other room when they pounce and begin their insisting -- even covering up my head with my blankets isn't a good defense. We must dance the dance of flapping arms, rubbing heads and bellies, and the cooing of kissing is seemingly endless with these three!  When the dogs join in there is no hope for returning to the land of slumber; we party!

    Once my body is risen there is another ritual that must take place; the walking of the hound! Party time is limited to when and where the dog decides to take control of my day. Lately I've been able to squeeze in just enough time in the morning to go to the bathroom before the demands begin -- thank you for letting me be a human every now and then!  I deserve a bit of ME TIME and I am so very grateful when it happens. Walking, treat giving, feeding, petting, loving, opening the back door and closing it 50 times a day, there is no end to what we do for these foul task masters with furry bodies. I am reminded of my youth when it was my chore to take the hounds to the pond to get their daily running out of their systems -- nothing changes; only addresses. Hounds still hound. Cats still CAT and they CAT all damn day and night! 

    One day we will all go to Heaven and it will be so very glorious to have the right to say it's MY TURN to relax and be at peace -- all dogs go to Heaven, we know this, but there really nothing guaranteeing us that the cats will be there! Who am I trying to kid on that one? Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when he gave us the cat -- He was making us aware of our ever flaw, our every insufficiency and our pride. Cats don't have owners they have staff, peasants, and we gleefully surrender while the dogs pity us and become jesters to keep us sane enough to live another day to keep them fed. It's a cycle; and not one I would care to change really - - maybe just a little bit; OK, a little tiny bit, but don't tell them I said that, they already bite my toes when it pleases them to do so. I don't need more affliction!

Photo Credit: Me (Fat Sammy and Bilbo)

If Dreams Were Real.

 So, there I am again, you know me, minding my own business. This time, like all the other times, I was just sleeping and like I said, minding my own business, when my mind decided to divide itself into reality and the imaginary.  I could see myself walking down a path, I remember waving at people, probably people I knew, and then I saw the strangest thing.  I saw a man and his son lowering a wild boar from the back of a pick up truck and onto the ground just beneath them. They were using a strap of cloth for a girdle type hoisty thing that would be used to lower the boar without hurting it. The material spread out rather evenly under the belly of the boar. WHAT in Heaven's good name could that possibly mean?

    I decided to look up the meaning of what it means when you dream about wild boars because looking up what it means to see yourself walking down a street waving at friends isn't all that challenging now, is it?  When you dream of a boar you can be dreaming about so many things, but believe it or not, as assertive and aggressive as boars are, dreaming about them is a very positive thing, and not a negative one. OK...let's dig into this...or should I have said "let's root into this"?  I crack me up sometimes.

    According to one source, dreaming of a wild boar could mean that you are facing your confrontations head on, you are willing to deal with any conflict, and it could also mean that you are willing to be the one to do the dirty work if need be. I can see that. I make things happen. I rarely wait on someone else to do their job before I do mine. If I waited on most people these days I'd still be waiting. No thank you. The boar in me says I need to be aware, alert, lowered to the ground so I can do my work as I see fit. I'm OK with that. I lead and I make sure those I'm leading are taken care of before I take care of most other things including myself. That being said, I am also a proponent of loving oneself so that they are capable to being a good and solid trustworthy leader.  You need self awareness to help others who are trying their best.

    There is one more part of that same dream that was a bit weird and/or odd. There was a house or building I needed to get to and I was about to enter it, but to do so I had to hoist myself up and over a small body of water. The water wasn't deep, I could have just walked through it but I didn't want to. I swung myself up and over and landed perfectly inside the front door.  Again, the stranger the better for me when it comes to looking up the meaning of a dream (if there is one to be found). I don't do Tarot, readings of any type really, and I don't believe one should seek advice from those who are not followers of Christ.  Dreaming is not a bad thing, nor is it a sin obviously. We have accounts of dreaming in our Bible and we have accounts of those who were righteously able to interpret the dreams as well. There are good sources if you look.

    Avoiding water in a dream can be as simple as that, avoiding something that is good or avoiding something that is potentially bad. I was recently mistreated at work and I think maybe the dream is telling me that I did the right thing by avoiding the confrontation I could have, but taking the situation to the HR was a good choice. Let them do their job to settle the matter. Yes, as the boar is willing to confront, the boar was being lowered or assisted. Perhaps the entire dream is one letting me know that all will be fine. My abilities and my capabilities are not in question, just perhaps the easiest thing to do was to mistreat me hoping I would leave so the friend of another employee could have my position. I could have fought, stood my ground, made a scene or even collected evidence and made a legal matter of it. Instead, I decided to write to HR and ask for help. I avoided the water, it could have been shallow and it could have been deep. I don't know.

    I'll tell you this, I want the dream about Jesus coming back to actually happen!! That's the one that really doesn't need any interpretation whatsoever...we flew off of this Earth and into Heaven! Let's go!! That's one dream I could have over and over again and never get tired of it. At least I had my clothes on when I jumped over the water into the building - - nothing is more inconvenient than to be standing in the office or a crowded room without your trousers or your panties! Tell me I'm wrong.

Photo Credit: AG FAX

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH - MAY.

 The month of May is the month to be aware of the very very important need to be help others who are not able to cope with life the way many others do. For some "coping" means to push through the pain, just put it in gear and keep moving!  That can work for  awhile, but then things can start to really feel the pressure of it all, and walls begin to crack.  For some it's more about hiding the truth from everyone because they feel ashamed, embarrassed, overwhelmed, or defeated. No matter what they do they just can't seem to find the good in a situation long enough to sustain something worthy for themselves. "Why bother anymore?" becomes a tiny question starting out, but then that grows into a thought, then a plan to maybe bring it all to an end. They say "No one will even notice I'm gone" or maybe they know someone will notice but they don't seem to think it really matters much.  I hate that. I really do.

    I say it all the time, and I really mean it when I say it, there really is another way. There really is a better way. I know, I know, it all sounds so churchy and over the top religious but in the end isn't it something bigger than you that you're looking for? Why not let that something be God? Why not let that something that can help be the help? Why not give in to the one thing that can actually do what He says He can do? After all, what do you have to lose by trying something a little churchy? 

    Mental Health is not something to keep quiet about and it's not something to hide or be ashamed of either. When we fall and break a bone we don't try to repair it ourselves do we? If we treated our emotions like bones it may make a bit of a difference when they became broken or injured. There are places we can go to seek help, but as the old saying goes, you gotta wanna before it really works. Believe it or not, there really really are people like me who do give a damn about how another person feels but some of us aren't that good at expressing that we care; you have to help us help you. There are others who pick up on the clues and the signs of depression and/or anxiety immediately, and they can offer assistance; you have to know there are others who will and can be depended on in most cases. 

    Stress and anxiety from change can happen even if that change is good change - - it's change! It hurts to be new, it hurts to try, it hurts to take a leap of faith - - but you don't have to do it by yourself when you realize that the month of May is also there for those who are willing and hoping to help. Maybe if we all sort of put in a bit more effort to seek help and serve others who need help, we'd all find a way to meet in the middle somewhere and make a greater effort to (at the very least) put some of the bad feelings and destroyed emotions on the better path(s) to being restored - - or reborn into NEW beginnings and with open-arm acceptance for both the healers and the healees -  is that a word?

    A good friend from a previous employer told me tonight she just didn't feel like going on anymore because she's never felt that she had any say in how her life was going to go -- her parents commanded her in the beginning, she was in a rather abusive long relationship, once she broke free from that the man caused her to lose her long-standing job because he worked there too and had pull.  These events led to depression, personal abuse, hateful thoughts about herself, and more.  I hadn't spoken to her in about a year, and that's my fault. Things can spiral pretty quickly if events happen one right after another! Throw in a few lockdowns, deaths of friends and family, job loss and debt, children, or you name it, and you're looking at a heap of trouble for more than just the one person seemingly being affected by all of the mayhem! Suffering is never an isolated situation, and the chaos grows and spreads so quickly! We need many more May Days!!  We need 24/7/365 awareness not only of our surroundings, but of our extended friends and family - - community!  

    I saw a poster in a doctor's office that read something like this:  You feel good. Tell your friend you feel good. Encourage them to tell their friend too.  We can do this over and over again and soon our entire community will feel good. Multiply that by another few communities and you've got a state feeling good - - take it another step further, get more states feeling good, you've got a good feeling nation. Dare we make it happen?   YES....Let's dare!

    Recognizing the problem is only part of the solution. Understanding the problems is just as important. Talking, sharing, caring, giving, being there, and just being willing to listen can be the greatest gift you can give sometimes. Being aware is not always giving or throwing money at the issue, but holding hands and really trying to understand where the other person is coming from, what is hurting them, and asking ourselves what if anything we can do to make that pain less or eliminated all together. No, it is NOT easy and YES, it will take time, effort, and actual self surrendering in order to be the change someone needs from you.  When it all comes down to the wire - - why not try prayer?

    Some people will say that it feels hypocritical to pray since they don't really believe in God in the first place, and that makes a whole lot of sense really - - but you put your faith in the chair you're about to sit in; why would you do that? You see it, you've been around chairs, you get the concept of them having a purpose. God has hands and He's never far away from you - - just waiting to hold you at the first request from your lips and heart. He is literally waiting to do that; He knew there would be times like this and that's why so many years ago He gave us the solution. ASK.  Ask Him for His help. It's not the least bit hypocritical if you start believing by testing the waters to see if God really does care.

    I wish every day was Mental Health Awareness Day. I wish everyone would stop what they are doing and say to someone in need "Hey, how are you today? Is there anything I can do to make your day better or help you find a way to smile again and really feel it?"  We can't just sweep depression under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. We can't expect people to snap out of it, or buck up and make things happen - - it's not within them to do that; not on a sustainable basis. Everyone can fake it for a little while, but we need real change and real care.  We need real help and real social reform when it comes to accepting and understanding that there are so many levels of understanding and accepting. Compassion is the answer - - but so is action. Be willing to be there; it's not as hard as some make it out to be. Giving up a sitcom or a drama show to make a connection is a start - - so is texting an invitation for a conversation to start; be there for someone. There are a great deal of someones needing a good pair of ears to talk to.

    I guess what I'm saying is May shouldn't be the only month we pay a bit more attention, but it is here now, and we do need to pay that attention - - it's a good place to start. If you need help please reach out and find it. Churches, community centers, hospitals, friends, neighbors, family, and even people who you think would maybe give a few minutes to you - - ASK!  We can't all read minds, but we can all do a bit more to read souls if we try.  

In the US:  Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor

In the UK: Hotline: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90
Photo Credit: Tools To Thrive #toolstothrive