Ride The Lifetrain w/Chuckie
Lifestyles, Issues and Concerns of the Baby Boomer; Discussions on Mental, Physical, Relationships & Financial issues…

Remember our Fallen Troops…

Life has a way of showing you just how weak and vulnerable you are. God has a way of showing you just how strong he is i.e. sufficient for all our needs. …C.Prince Daniel

PS.  I wonder when I am dead and gone will I be considered one of the LOL “Great Philosophers of our time”…LOL

PSS.  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

HEY! HEY!HEY!…here’s a novel idea and a great tech tip for Tuesday.  Go to the mirror and repeat and BA-LEAVE this!  Tell yourself: I might not be the most beautiful or the sexiest, nor have the perfect body…I might not be anyones first choice… But I am a GREAT choice.. I don’t pretend to be someone else…Because I am too good at being ME..I might not be proud of some of the things I’ve done…but I am proud of who I am today. Take me as I am or don’t take me at all.

Now is that a tech tip or what!

I think all the passenger’s that hop this hur train are all that and a BIG BAG of cheeps!

Hey Passengers, Merry Monday!  Last weekend I moved out from  Beggars Alley , located at  2 Poverty Lane   at the corner of  Down and Out Circle . As of today, I have a brand new home .

My new address is   Living Well on 231 Abundance Terrace, located at the corner of Blessings Drive and Prosperity Peak.  It’s in the  God Can  neighborhood. No longer will I allow myself to travel to the other side of town on Begging Peter   to   Pay Paul Route, located at a dead   end   intersection called I Don’t Have, which connects with Borrowers Junction!

I no longer hang out at Failure’s Place, near Excuses Avenue, next to Procrastination Point. I’ve moved to an upscale community called Higher Heights   with unlimited potential and opportunities for me to succeed. I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me!

So this week, all week remember, life is good because   God is good!  Care to change your address? I’d love for us to be neighbors! My Father’s house is on Blessed Assurance Ave and There are many more vacancies!

Great is thy faithfulness Oh Lord! I am well blessed and so are you, in spite of our temporary circumstances.

Don’t tell God how big your storms are; Tell your storms how big your God is. May God Richly Bless Each and Everyone That Reads This -Please refer your friends to this story…

Merry Monday!

Grab your favorite Drink, light a candle, cut your PC speakers up

and Click the Picture …

(May take a few secs to load)

Hope the weekend is off to a GR8 start.  Oh, remember clicking the word next>> at the bottom of each page takes you back day, weeks, months

Well passengers once again the good Doctor, Dr.Diedra Hayman, Ph.D. is back with us here on the LiFeTrain.

As a reminder, Dr. Hayman’s goal is to provide a relevant and user-friendly venue for discovering ways to move forward with your life. on her website, www.applesofgold.info we hope you will find stories and information to help you not only feel better, but, more importantly, “think” better, and live better. In addition to lots of interesting information gleaned from many sources, you will also find access to free online consultations and advice from a licensed clinical psychologist.

This week I sat down with the Doc to discuss suicide.  Join us for the conversation.

Chuckie: Hey Doctor of the Mind type woman of virtue, tell me before we start…”How are you gurl?”.
Dr.Dee: I’m doin just fine, I always choose to see the glass as half full, so whatever is goin on, God has it under control!

Chuckie: Preach Gurl!  Watch-out now we gon have some “CHUCH” if we not careful!

Chuckie: Doc, I recently read that although we might think that more people would tend to commit suicide in the dark days of winter, in fact, the peak seasons for suicides happen to be early spring and early autumn. Further, that in the United States, suicides for both men and women peak in April and May, while suicides in women alone show a rise in September and October. Why should there be such seasonal variation?
Dr.Dee: That is a question that many have tried to answer, and the answers folks come up with depend largely on what specific research questions they ask, and how they actually study the problem. From what I can tell, though, much suicidal behavior depends on the kinds of opportunities that are available during certain times of the year. For instance, drownings and jumping off bridges and such would be more likely to occur during the warmer months, because opportunities exist to do those things. You dont get much of that when its freezing cold outside. Also, those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, depression that occurs during the winter months, are probably beginning to come out of it and are gaining more energy as the days get longer. One of the most dangerous times for a depressed person is when they are coming out of the depression. The energy level is increased but that depressive thinking may still be present. Others have hypothesized about hormonal fluctuations, and meteorological phenomena. One thing we know, though, is that there are seasonal fluctuations in suicides, and they are universal depending on the hemisphere one happens to live in. one hemisphere shows the reverse pattern as the other.

Chuckie: Does the production of testosterone and estrogen and the accompanying changes in these systems have anything to do with mood, particularly in a person with affective illness.
DrDee: Yes,  some have hypothesized that hormonal changes can contribute.

Chuckie: Can one suicide trigger other suicides. Even though suicide of course is not like the flu, can suicide be contagious, like one suicide of one person possibly encourage copy cats?
DrDee: Well, yes and no. One person’s suicide can certainly end up being the first of a few more, but generally, a publicized suicide will not cause someone who was not thinking of it to begin with, to go ahead and kill themselves. Usually a copy-cat suicide is someone who was thinking about it already, and just took courage to go through with it after hearing about another person doing the same. In a few cases, you might have someone suiciding who wasnt actually depressed, but had some other mental disorder that caused them to somehow “envy” for lack of a better word, the attention the other person got for killing themselves. They may commit suicide just because they are thinking they could get that kind of attention, too.

Chuckie: Do people who experience mixed states–fluctuating between depression and mania or hypomania–become most at risk for suicide. (Again, because they have the energy, while a severely depressed person might be too lethargic to end his/her life.)
Dr.Dee: Chuckie, anyone who has problems with deep depression can be at “most risk” for suicide. Yes, people with bipolar disorder can be at risk, but usually when a person is manic, they are not depressed, and when they are depressed, they are not manic. It can happen, but that’s not the norm. Manic people, however, can be impulsive people, and that also increases the risk of suicide.

Chuckie: Is this a somewhat factual statement that worldwide there are more deaths due to suicide than to accidents, homicides, and war combined.
Dr.Dee: Well, according to the World Health Organization statistics for 2001, in developed countries you had about 500, 000 suicides and about 670,000 car accidents. Homicides and war were not on the top ten list. For developing countries, suicide was not on the top ten list either. More deaths, worldwide, are due to illnesses of various kinds. In developing countries, almost 3million people died of HIV/AIDS, and in developing countries, 3.5 million died of Ischaemic Heart Disease alone. The other thing you need to keep in mind is that suicide rates vary according to age groups. So while suicide rates as cause of death for young kids is very low, suicides for young adults and for elderly white males is much higher.

Chuckie: Suicidal individuals often talk about suicide directly or indirectly using statements like, “My family would be better off without me.” Is this factual in that they might talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away, and may arrange to put their affairs in order. And, are the following signs of contemplating suicide which might include giving away articles they value, paying off debts or changing a will.  If so, what other signs should one be on the look-out for?
Dr.Dee: Sometimes people give warning signs like you mention above, but a significant number of actual suicides never leave any warning signs. They just do it. So looking for signs of depression is important, and asking the person if they are thinking about suicide is just as important.

Chuckie: Last question Doc which deviates from our topic, suicide.  I have a friend who is about to die of terminal illness (true story).  Having only recently found out, she has not told her husband or children.  Of course her discussion with me centered around how to do this.  Can you help me/her with this one? Trust me, this is one question I wish I did not have to call upon you for.
Dr.Dee: Chuckie that really depends on the person you are talking about, and the nature of her relationship with her husband, and the age of the children, etc. We dealt some with this during an earlier interview, and those recommendations will hopefully be helpful. She may want to have someone with her as she broaches the subject. She may want to do this with the doctor present, so the medical questions that her husband will surely have, can be answered. She may decide she is most comfortable writing about it, and handing it to her husband to read in her presence. The ways to share this kind of information are as varied as the individuals who have to share it. Having support, having a source of medical information, even having clergy present, should she so desire, or doing it in a therapists office, can be options. Its important, though, that she try to be as honest as she can, and that she allow the other person to react or respond in his or her own way. Expect tears or anger or shock and numbness. All of these are normal responses to truly horrible news.

Chuckie: Epictetus (Greek Stoic philosopher) once said that “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” One of the things I truly rejoice over is your have an office here on the train and allowing us to visit you each week, so my pretty little frain, let me close this week, not with a joke but, with a simple note of appreciation for your time and wisdom.  Love ya Doc.
Dr.Dee: Thanks, Chuckie!

Roll Credits…

Hey fellow passengers it’s Tuesday so here’s a few tech tips to use and pass along:

Harvard University announced over the weekend that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard’s president Lawrence H. Summers said, “When only ten percent of the students in elite higher education  come from families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution.”

If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families can go to Harvard for free… no tuition and no student loans!

To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard’s financial aid website at: http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu or call the school’s financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.

Back to school – As I prepare to UGH! get back into the classroom in an attempt to remain “relevant” I am arming myself with some tools to make the transition a little easier.  I found one such tool that I’d like to share with those of you who are or will be continuing the arduous task of life long learning.  …Oi vey…this world and technology changes everyday.

For most, the school year is actually is winding down. That means final exams are coming up. Your kids probably have several papers due. Or, maybe you have to turn in papers of your own.

Proofreading is very important. Most word processors have decent proofreading tools. But you might want to try something a little more robust.

The basic PaperRater offering is a free proofreading service. It has comprehensive grammar and style checking.   Also, suggestions will be offered to improve your writing.

The big feature, however, is the plagiarism detection. It uses the same type of software teachers use. Plagiarism is a serious offense; it pays to check for red flags ahead of time.  OH! OH! And did I mention it is FRAY!  That right, NO Cost!  Like I said “FRAY!”…That southern for free.  Aren’t you impressed, I am bi-lingual and “TURD” (southern for tired). So that’s it for Tuesday’s tech tips.

Check it out at: www.paperrater.com

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND…

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pinto was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, ‘I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.’

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough.  Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.  Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, ‘And think of me..’

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.  Then she remembered Bryan .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote:

‘You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped
me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here
is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.’

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills..

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?  With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, ‘Everything’s going to be all right.. I love you, Bryan Anderson.’

There is an old saying……’What goes around comes around.’

Today I shared this story on the Train with you, and I’m asking you to pass it on.  Let this light shine.  And let the train whistle blow!

Good friends are like stars….You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.
All Aboard…The LiFeTrain!

PSALM 91:11-12
For he shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all
your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash yourfoot against a stone.

If you’ve been on the train long enough you know we kinda wind things down with a bunch of Jibber Jabber.  Just a brain dump about…whatever falls out of my brain…on Fridays.

I wonder if anyone else knows this song.  It was on his second album.  It didn’t get any play…But it is a beautiful love song (not this version but, the original slow version).  Well, give it a listen, Charlie Brown sped it up…but it fit my mood and it was the only version i could find…it’s the perfect song, in its original version to chill with your lover under the stars…

I love the words to this next song…The words used to be my mantra …almost (wink wink)…listen carefully.

There’s some talk going ’round town
That you really don’t give a damn
They say you really put me down
When I’m doing the best I can
I gave you all of my love
I even gave you my body
Tell me, baby, ain’t that enough?
What more do you want me to do?
I play the fool when we’re together
But I cry when we’re apart, yeah
I couldn’t do you no better
Don’t break what left of my broken heart, baby

Why you wanna treat me so bad
When you know I love you?
How can you do this to me
When you know I care?
Why you wanna treat me so bad
When you know I love you?

You know, I try so hard
To keep you satisfied
Sometimes you play the part
Sometimes you’re so full of pride
And if it’s still good to ya
Why you wanna treat me so bad?
You used to love it when I’d do you
You used to say I was the best you’d ever had

I play the fool when we’re together
I give you everything I can, yeah
And if it’s still good to ya
There’s something that I can’t understand

Why you wanna treat me so bad
When you know I love you?
How can you do this to me
When you know I care?
Why you wanna treat me so bad
When you know I love you?

Have a great weekend…and HEY!  You know I love ya!  …C. Prince Daniel

All Aboard…The LiFeTrain!