Sliding Down the Razor Blade Of Life

When I was a young lad, my life was one game after another; not figuratively, but literally. During the baseball season my friends, and brothers, and I, played baseball everyday. During football season, we played football, and during the winter we played hockey. It was a great childhood. When I got older, I played sports in high school. I wrestled, played football, ran track and cross country, and even lettered in golf. Those were good years also.


When I went to college I still played some inter-mural sports, but because I was paying my own way through school, I also had to work. My sports career ended on a bad note, when during a co-ed broom ball game, I caught a broom stick in the mouth by a girl who didn't know you can't throw high sticks. With two real teeth less than before, I started my working career full time.


Life has been kind of down hill ever since. Not that it has been all bad, I've raised two great kids; but now I have to face the pressures of being a grownup...everyday. My life is like a pinball machine, I bounce from one challenge, to another, to another, ad infinitum. As soon as I fix one problem, sure enough, another one comes along to take its place. I seek a respite, a break in the action, but I'm too old to play anything except cards and my TV remote.


Fortunately, I have two outlets to help me stay young in body and mind. I still run, (not as much as before 9/11, when I could put five miles in during lunch time, until airport security got too restrictive); and I still log between 12-20 miles a week. I also write a blog. Between thinking about what the hell I'm going to write about, and thinking about what the hell I'm actually writing, its a great way to get my mind off today's problems.


Well, Doc, I see my time's about up. Time to get off your couch until our next session. Thanks for listening to me, I'll see you in a couple of days.

Grasping the Concept

In college I was a psychology major. The toughest course we had to take was Experimental Psychology. I was intimidated from day one. I went to every class, I took copious notes, I sat in front (the professor was Japanese and hard to understand), I read all of the required chapters, and I high lighted all of the important terms, facts, and data. On our first big test I scored a whopping 38! Needless to say I was shocked and full of despair about passing this class.

Out of desperation I went to talk with the professor during his office hours that week. Dr Ashida was very nice and personable and tried to put me at ease. When I explained to him that I had worked very hard in his class I scored only a 38 on his first test. He said "Em, everybody do bad on that test, do not feel bad." Then he said "How did you prepare for the test?" I then told him all of the things I had done to try to be successful in his class. "Open your book to Chapter 4." I opened my book and Dr. Ashida could see all of the high lighted marks on the pages. "Why do you high light in your book like that?" he asked. "I do it to help me remember the important terms, and facts I need to know when I study" I replied. "You are missing the point here about learning. To learn you need to read the whole chapter and understand the concept. Once you grasp the concept, all of the terms, and facts will come to you naturally as you explain the concept. Do you understand?"

I did understand. I tried doing it Dr. Ashida's way and he was right. After Dr Ashida taught me how to study, I never high-lighted anything ever again. I learned to grasp the main concept and not to worry about the small stuff. Tests got easier because I knew what I was talking about; and I got an A in Experimental Psych. His teaching helped me throughout my college career, and in any learning situation I found myself in.

We hope it helps you too.