Spring into Appreciation

Le défi ne coûte pas - Embracing the Challenge

Critique or Catalyst - Background for this article.

This is a message I sent to Joy Behar and Mr. Kimmel in response to their comments or comparisons of religious beliefs and gun policy to mental illness. I do not know if she will respond, but I recently shared this article when I gave a speech to high school students from the "Masah Yisraeli" program on what it is like to live with mental illness. Sharing this letter contributed to my ability to share my experience and message of hope. The audience members were emotional and inspired. Regardless of whether famous actors will respond to my story, I have a voice through this blog and my readers, and each one of you are invited to share and help highlight my story.

 I suffer from a mental illness. It is serious, it is debilitating and it is not a joke. I am smart, intelligent and intellectual. I earned an advanced degree and worked in a career for many years while struggling with the mental illness, until it overtook my life. I am not insulted or offended that Mr. Kimmel equated stupidity with mental illness, I am sad. Mental illness has been so sensationalized. People feel it gives them street cred to say they have a mental illness or a notch on their belt if they work with the mentally ill, but the reality is far from glamorous. The reason why mental health has such a stigma and prevents people from getting the help they need for healing, for hope and to be unlocked from their prison and lead meaningful lives is because of such misunderstandings that are purposefully spread. Mental illness affects people of all political, cultural, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. I would be happy to come on your show and talk about the reality of mental illness, specifically, that it is real and truly handicapping, but it is not a death sentence. There is hope and treatment, and my mental illness is a part of who I am, but it does not define me. I dont know enough about guns to give an opinion one way or another, but there is so much pain and struggle. If it isnt a gun, then it will be another tool, if the core issues continue to be ignored. What causes me the most pain is to think that the world is not moving forward to improve empathy and support for the mentally ill and that a young woman suffering ten years from now will get just as little help as I did. I have to believe there is hope for others and that the world can improve. Years ago when we thought someone was being silly or stupid we would call them retarded. If you realize you should not call Trump or Pence retarded on account of their opinion on gun policy or religion, then why is it ok to  

call them mentally ill? In doing so you dont diminish them, you diminish me. I am not stupid, I am not an idiot and I

am not worthless

אתגר ולא עולה

המכתב הבא נכתב כתגובה לשתי סדרות טלויזיה שהופיצו לאחרונה

באמריכה. ברשת "THE VIEW" קומדית גיו בהר, זלזלה באמונתו ובדת הנוצרית של הסגן נשיא מייק פנס והיא השוותה את אמונתו בגסוס קרייסט למחלת נפש. בסדרה אחרת גימי קימל ספר כמה הוא מתעצבן ומתאחזב שהנשיא TRUMP לא רצה לשנות את חוקי החזקת נשק באמריקה ואמר: "אם TRUMP לא ישנה את החוקים, זה מראה שהוא חולה נפש."

אני סובלת ממחלת נפש. זה רציני, זה מתיש וזה לא בדיחה. אני חכמה, אינטליגנטית ואינטלקטואלית. למדתי תואר מתקדם ועבדתי בקריירה במשך שנים רבות תוך כדי התמודדות עם מחלת הנפש, עד שהיא התגברה על חיי. אני לא נעלבת או נפגעת כי מר קימל השווה טיפשות עם מחלת נפש, אני עצובה. מחלת הנפש נהייתה כל כך סנסציונית ואפנתית. אנשים מרגישים שזה נותן להם ערך לומר שיש להם מחלת נפש או מעלה את הרמה שלהם אם הם עובדים עם חולי נפש, אבל זה רחוק מהמציאות. הסיבה שיש סטיגמה למחלת הנפש, סטיגמה שמונעת אנשים מלקבל עזרה, עזרה שהם זקוקים לשיקום ולתת להם אפשרות לבנות חיים של משמעות. הסטיגמה המסוכנת הזאת היא תוצאה של חוסר ידע בדבר, אך, חוסר ידע ​​ שמפיצים מתוך תת רצון להבין. מחלת נפש משפיעה על אנשים מכל רקע פוליטי, תרבותי, חברתי-כלכלי ודתי. אני אשמח לבוא על הסדרה שלך ולדבר על המציאות של מחלת נפש, במיוחד, להסביר לקהל שלך שזה תופעה אמיתית, נכות שמגבילה, אבל זה לא גזר דין מוות. יש תקווה וטיפול, ומחלת הנפש שלי היא חלק ממני, אבל זה לא מגדיר אותי. אני לא יודעת מספיק על אקדחים לתת דעה בדרך זו או אחרת, אבל יש כל כך הרבה כאב ומאבק. אם זה לא אקדח, אז זה יהיה כלי אחר, אם ימשיכו להתעלם מלבת הבעיות (הגורמים העיקריים). מה שגורם לי הכי הרבה כאב זה הדאגה שהעולם לא מתקדם קדימה ולא משתפר בנתינת אמפתיה ותמיכה בתחום של מחלות נפש.האם בעוד עשר שנה אישה צעירה שסובלת ממצוקה נפשית תקבל אותו מידת עזרה מעטה כמו שאני קבלתית שהיה לא מספיק בשביל לעזר לי לצאת ממעצר בו הייתי? אני חייבת להאמין שיש תקווה לאחרים ושהעולם יכול להשתפר. לפני שנים, כשחשבנו שמישהו מטופש או מטומטם היינו קוראים להם מפגרים. אם אתה מבין שאתה לא צריך לקרוא לנשיא Trump או לסגן נשיא Pence בכינוי "מפגר" על דעתם על החוק בענין החזקת נשק, או לגבי הדת שלהם, אז למה אתה חושב שזה בסדר לקרוא להם "חולי נפש? כשאתה עושה כן אתה לא מזלזל בהם, אתה מקטין אותי. אני לא טיפשה, אני לא אידיוט ואני לא חסרת ערך.

Post-modernist Conservatism - A dichotomy of Interpretation

Turning turbulence into a Tool - Israel leading the way

http://www.yozma4u.co.il/index.php?dir=site&page=content&cs=3005

The Intersection of Voodoo Dieting and Common Sense

There are many theories of illness and patho-physiology. As much as I respect the libertarian critique of the FDA and ardently support the "right to try" movement, medical regulation is imperative. Here is Israel there are so many quacks who invent medical theories and charge millions of shekel from naive cult followers. I will grant you that greed is corroding the medical system is the US, but self appointed healers can be even more sneaky and dishonest, unless they really do believe waving their hands above your body can heal PCOS, cancer or renal failure, and in that case they are delusional and should not be allowed to drag others into their dillusion. I have seen people die or their lives ruined. On the other hand there are also insidious forces in the mainstream medical community. For every doctor who promotes an verified theory on the unintended side effects of vaccinations, such as the article published in The Lancelot, there are also researchers whose concerns are quashed and voices censored. The tobacco industry hired scientists to falsify reports as did the opiate empire, specifically the Sackler brothers who introduced the pain scale. Makhaila Peterson introduces her blog, Don't Eat That, with a statement: "The food pyramid is a lie, fat is good for you, and many (if not most) health problems are treatable with diet alone. "  I strongly believe we should always be willing to engage in inquiry. Jewish tradition teaches that food has a strong spiritual affect on a person, and common sense would therefore say that of course food would have an impact on physical well-being, both medically and from a mental health perspective. The mainstream medical community has largely accepted the concept of allergies. The Epipen has been of course been a way that malady has been capitalized upon, but it also would be hard to deny the evidence of a comatose 16 year old boy whose throat closed up from eating a peanut (true story, so sad.) This article was titled intersection, as a kind of tongue in cheek reference to the resolution of the two perspective: statistical research. I will include below an interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight of a vaccine questioner who was blackballed, even though he had political leverage and connections. I can only imagine the stumbling blocks put in the way of researchers and questioners who do not have that kind of political power.

I also included a link to the blog mentioned earlier, Don't Eat That. After suffering from severe depression, arthritis and fearing she would not make it to her thirtieth birthday, she found a way to cure herself, her dad, and a half a year ago had a baby girl! Miracles do happen.

  

http://mikhailapeterson.com/2017/09/12/baby/

And this is the explanation for the zero carb diet.

Zero Carb – The Carnivore Diet

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Mikhaila

So I’m onto the next stage of food weirdness.

I’m on day 5 of only eating meat.

What is the Zero Carb Diet?
Literally, it’s people who only eat meat and animal products (this can include dairy). Obviously, it won’t include dairy for me. I still think dairy is evil. Some people have been doing this diet for 20 years. There are tribes that only eat meat as well (Inuit, Massai, etc.)

How do they not get scurvy and vitamin deficiencies?
It’s possible that some of the vitamins we need are actually vitamins we use for metabolizing glucose. For instance, vitamin c competes with glucose, so it’s possible that people who don’t eat anything with glucose need far less vitamin c. There also is small amounts of vitamin C in meat

There are a lot of questions about this diet, but people seem to thrive on it.

I’m going to try it out for a month and see what happens.

I have a couple of theories/questions:1. People who thrive only eating meat have extremely damaged microbiomes and can’t tolerate plants. Meat doesn’t need a microbiome to be digested, so eating meat eliminates the microbiome problem. Plants need to be broken down partly with a functioning microbiome (especially carb-y plants). I don’t believe people are carnivores. I do believe that you need a good microbiome to help you digest plants. Antibiotic use, birth control use, C-sections (among many other things), over generations, is BAD. It’s cumulative too, which concerns me. I obviously have a microbiome problem (I can’t take probiotics is a big clue). I was born C-section so my microbiome is going to be a little funky. Or a lot funky. Then my baby, born naturally, breastfed, is still going to have a funky microbiome because she inherits it from me! Generationally, through antibiotic use and whatever else, we’re screwing over our children. It’s terrible. Anyway, I think maybe that’s the reason for this new microbiome-less diet. If anyone has any info on the microbiomes of carnivorous people, comment below, that’d be really interesting.
2. Maybe people on the zero carb diet haven’t tried the safe foods. A lot of the stories I’ve read are people trying to reintroduce fruit and nuts and then declaring all plants are harmful to them. What happens if you reintroduce coconut oil? Lettuce? Is that still going to bother you?

Why am I doing this?
1. I haven’t been able to get as well as I felt before the pregnancy. I’m at an 8/10. I was able to get to a 9.5-10/10 before the pregnancy. I was able to tolerate more and now I can’t without a reaction. I feel good but not AS good as I did before. This is probably from a microbiome change. There’s evidence that your microbiome gets less diverse during pregnancy. This is something I REALLY didn’t need. (See this article for more info: “The first trimester gut microbiota is similar in many aspects to that of healthy non-pregnant male and female controls, but by the third trimester, the structure and composition of the community resembles a disease-associated dysbiosis that differs among women”… GR8)
2. Every time I try to reintroduce probiotics it fails miserably. Even baby amounts. There’s something really wrong if you can’t tolerate probiotics in any form in any amount. I can’t even do homemade sauerkraut (and I don’t have a problem with red cabbage so it’s not the cabbage).
3. I don’t seem to be getting less sensitive, which makes me think I’m not healing, I’m just not irritating myself. I need to move onto the healing stage.

Plan of action:
1. Meat for a month, see if I feel any better/different.
2. Eat lettuce after a month and see if that irritates me. (Arthritis, digestive problems)
3. If it turns out (my limited) plants are bothering me, I’ll continue with the all meat diet and theoretically allow my gut to heal. Bone broth, and meat. THEN I’ll attempt to add in probiotics and some plants once I’m healed.

I know that when I have a reaction I can’t digest plants properly. I also know that almost all plants give me an autoimmune disorder and severe depression and skin issues and makes my life literally not worth living. I wanted to try all meat a while ago but was unsure about the vitamin thing. After some research though I feel a bit better and am more than willing to give it a try:

http://www.jbc.org/content/87/3/651.full.pdf+html

https://zerocarbzen.com/resources/ – This guy really knows his stuff.

I recently met a chiropractor who combined food research with enterpraneurial capatilism.  Voodoo dieting as I just coined it can be a risky game, and it can be expensive, time consuming and be so all consuming that is takes over your life. In my opinion, over obsession on food and what you eat, can also be debilitating. What a fantatic niche market, custom tailored diet advisement with indivually developed vitamin packages. I definitely know he is passionate about his work, and truly cares about helping people because he got into a long conversation with my sister and I, total strangers, freely sharing his apple cider vinager theory and walking us through it. Granted we were on line and needed to pass time, but either way I was not just impressed, I was convinced! (Not necessarily to try his diet right away, but to seriously check it out and to let go of my early negative experiences with food fearmongering and recognie there can be reality and truth to some of this, and even a way to verify and defend.)

https://www.facebook.com/salzmandc

In the following video Mikhila and her father discuss more of their history, even three generations back, in overcoming depression and other illnesses.

Side note: When I was speaking to my sister about this post she shared an amazing insight. As much as Makhaila's story can inform and inspire, her cure is not universal. That is why we need to be critical in our research and application. Yes, people with celiac disease must stay far away from gluten, and removing gluten from their diet has changed many people's lives. But gluten and bread is a staple in most people's diets for years; and for good reason. When it then became fashionable for everyone to go and eliminate gluten, negative side effects started emerging. The ability to study, analyze and predict is amazing, but we also need to use reason and critical rigor in complex medical situations. One size definitely does not fit all. 

Understanding Human Immunodeficiency Virus

There is a well-known saying; “knowledge is power.” In respect to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), knowledge of the facts, such as how infections are spread, give people the power to protect themselves and stay safe. Statistics from the World Health Organization states that one in four people contract an STI at least once in their lifetime, (WHO, 2016), yet most patients seem genuinely surprised and horrified when they receive their diagnosis. Social stigmas and negative consequences present significant barriers to being tested. Failure to be tested prevents early detection, increasing the risk of spreading infections to others, especially with the college-aged population. (Barth et al., 2010). However, protection and prevention are possible through education, and can decrease the likelihood of infection. This paper will focus on HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, one of the most debilitating types of STIs. There are many different types of STIs. Some of the most common forms of STIs include genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Antibiotics can be used to treat some infections, such as herpes; however, some infections such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have no permanent cure. STIs are transmitted through direct contact with contaminated bodily fluids from someone who has already been infected. Fluids that carry the infection are blood, urine, saliva and semen. Healthcare professionals take precautions such as wearing rubber gloves, gowns and masks when bodily fluids are exposed. Sexualy active adults and teens can also learn to take precautions such as wearing a condom or limiting the amount of sexual partners. Unfortunately, if a person contracts HIV, there is no permanent cure for individuals living with the virus. It can be managed and treated to mitigate the damage and symptoms; but once a person becomes infected, they will struggle with this illness, and be a carrier, for the rest of their life. When HIV infection enter the bloodstream, the virus targets CD-4 cells, also referred to as t-cells; a form of white blood cells that help comprise the immune system. The t-cell is an important cell in the immune system because it coordinates all the other cells and functions of the immune system. The virus attacks the T-cell lymphocyte, or  “helper cell,” which inhibits the cell's’ ability to control or direct an immune response when the body is threatened with an illness. The virus attaches and gains entry into the t-cell and replicates or makes copies of itself. This process is possible due to the outer layer of HIV cells called Glycoproteins that mutate frequently, tricking t-cell receptors not to recognize the virus.  Once attached to t-cell proteins, the viral cell membrane fuses with the membrane of the t-cell, then enters the t-cell and releases two viral RNA strands and three essential replication enzymes. Next, the RNA encoding of the HIV cell is transcribed into a DNA structure, whereby the new DNA coding is integrated into the host cell, the t-cell, genome. When the DNA of the HIV cells attach to the DNA of the t-cells, the t-cells treat viral genes like their own and make more copies of the virus. These new virus cells leave the t-cells, mature and find new t-cell hosts.This replicating ability of the HIV virus is why it is called a retrovirus. During this process the infected t-cell cells die while HIV virus cells seek out other t-cells to infect. Circulating t-cell cells are targeted and infected by the newly replicated HIV virus cells. HIV cells have a high mutation rate; during the replication process more than ten billion virions are created a day. The t-cell count in the blood decreases as infected cells are destroyed by the HIV virus and the body is left in a weakened state of defence against other infections and becomes susceptible to cancer and opportunistic infections (Lckovics et al., 2001) . When t-cells fall below two hundred cells for cubic millimeter of blood the virus is considered to have progressed to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The characteristic feature of the progression of the HIV virus is the decline in t- cell count in the blood. Healthy people have between 600 and 1,200 cells in a mm of blood (Luckheeram et al., 2012). Therefore, if immunodeficiency levels are low, clinicians use this as a marker of HIV infection. More specifically, levels below 200 mm are considered to be an advanced stage of AIDS. As discussed, when t-cells reach very low levels patients are at risk for getting serious infections or cancers. These illnesses are known as opportunistic infections because they take advantage of the body’s weakened defenses. However, decline in t-cells in the blood stream can take several years to reach significantly low numbers. This time period is sometimes referred to as the latency period. During this latency period antiretroviral medications can be taken to prevent the maturation and spread of the viral cells. This would protect additional t-cells from being destroyed, slow the progression of the virus and prevent the prevent the virus from turning to AIDS. However, antiretrovirals can only be prescribed early enough if the HIV is detected in time. That is why it is important to get regular testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases if you are sexually active.There are several ways HIV can be transmitted. These include: vaginal sexual intercourse, anal sexual intercourse, and blood exposure; for example, by sharing needles with an infected individual. Although less common, HIV can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, from a mother to child before or during childbirth and through breastfeeding (Paolo et al., 1999). Even if the viral load in the blood is low or undetectable, the virus might still exist in the exposed body fluid; such as semen, urine, vaginal and rectal fluids and breast milk. One of the most common ways that HIV is transmitted is through unprotected vaginal intercourse. In women, HIV can enter the body through small tears in the lining of the vagina and the cervix. In men, HIV can enter the body through the urethra, which is the opening at the tip of the penis, through small cuts and abrasions of the inner foreskin tissue or through open sores on the penis. Research by the authors  Andrew and Iryna (2010) indicate that anal intercourse has the highest risk for transmission of any other form of insertive sex. The partner receiving semen is at a greater risk of becoming infected because HIV can enter through the thin lining of the rectum. However, the partner who inserts the semen is also at risk because the virus can enter the body through the urethra or small cuts, abrasions and foreskin tissue,  particularly with uncircumcised men or when there are open sores on the penis that have been caused by untreated syphilis or a herpes infection. The rectal lining is believed to be more susceptible to HIV infections than the vaginal lining partly do to its relative fragility and the abundance of cells targeted by HIV in that area (Grulich & Zablotska, 2010). The most effective way to avoid HIV is through abstinence. However, if a person is sexually active, it is important to practice safe sex to reduce the risk of HIV infection. If one chooses to have vaginal, anal or oral sex, a latex condom can help prevent the spread of HIV. The condom offers protection by preventing the exposure of HIV infected semen, and protects the male penis and urethra from HIV infected fluids. However, condoms are not one-hundred percent effective, therefore, partners should be open and honest with one another before conducting any kind of sexual activity. If someone with HIV feels uncomfortable sharing this information they should avoid all sexual activities. In many states, knowingly spreading HIV is considered to be a criminal offense. Another way to avoid HIV is to treat any other STI, such as chancroid and syphilis, immediately, because open sores makes it easier for one to contract HIV. Although at this time, HIV has no known cure, this condition can be managed with medication. Early initiation of antiretroviral drugs, or antiretroviral therapy(ART), for an HIV positive person is extremely important because it greatly lowers the amount of HIV in the body, and therefore reduces the amount of HIV in the sexual secretions. The World Health Organization states that: “ Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced the global number of people dying from HIV-related causes to about 1.1 million in 2015 – 45% fewer than in 2005”. (www.who.int, 2016). ART drugs work by specifically targeting the viral cells that infected t-cells. The drugs help to keep the viral load to a manageable level and prevent HIV from progressing to AIDs. There are five classes of antiretroviral drugs; NRI’s, NNRTI’s protease inhibitors, entry or fusion inhibitors, and integrase inhibitors. Each drug is designed to attack the living virus at different points in its maturation cycle (Engl, 2007) by interrupting the virus and preventing the virus from making new copies of itself. Other drugs stop HIV from spreading in the body by blocking the virus from infecting healthy cells. Since many of these drugs are used to work against the HIV virus differently they are often combined in a cocktail form to prevent the virus from developing resistance and rendering treatment ineffective. Adherence is the most important thing to insure that the treatment is effective and successful (Bhatti el al,. 2007).




References Grulich, A,. & Zablotska, I. (2010). Probability of HIV transmission through anal intercourse. International Journal of Epidemiology, 39(4), 1064-1065.doi: 10.1093/ije/dyq101. Barth, K,. Cook, R,. Downs, J,. Switzer, G,. & Fischoff, B. (2010). Social stigma and negative consequences: Factors that influence college students' decisions to seek testing for sexually transmitted infections. Journal of American College Health, 50(4), 153-159.dio: org/10.1080/07448480209596021. Luckheeram, R. V., Zhou, R., Verma, A. D., & Xia, B. (2012). CD4+T Cells: Differentiation and Functions. Clinical and Developmental Immunology, 925135. http://doi.org/10.1155/2012/925135Miotti P. G. , Taha E. T.,  Kumwenda N. I.,  Broadhead R., Mtimavalye L. A. R.,  Hoeven L. V.,  Chiphangwi J. D.,  Liomba G. & Biggar R. J. (1999). HIV transmission through breastfeeding: A study in Malawi. JAMA, 282(8), 744–749. doi:10.1001/jama.282.8.744. Lckovics, J,. Hamburger, M,. Vlahov, D,. Schoenbaum, E,. Schuma, P,. Boland, R,. & Moore J. (2001). Mortality, CD4 cell count decline, and depressive symptoms among HIV-seropositive women: Longitudinal analysis from the HIV epidemiology research study. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 285(11), 1466–1474. doi:10.1001/jama.285.11.1466.Bhatti, A. B., Usman, M., & Kandi, V. (2016). Current scenario of HIV/AIDS, treatment options, and major challenges with compliance to antiretroviral therapy. Cureus, 8(3), 515. Doi: org/10.7759/cureus.515. Engl, N. (2007). Class of Antiretroviral Drugs and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, 356, 1723-1735. dOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa062744. WHO. (2016, December 03). Prevent HIV, test and treat all - WHO support for country impact. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/progressreports/2016-progress-report/en/ WHO. (2016, August). Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs110/en/ A special thanks to Binyamina Hadid for her contribution to this article.

Homeward Bound

       "That's an interesting name. " This is the comment I usually receive when I tell people about my blog,  a reaction that is obviously moderated in an attempt to be polite.   Inevitably, this leads to a discussion of the creative,  literary, historical or otherwise original source for the names on my blog: this includes my pseudonym,  my column titles, the web addresses and the domain names.  At long last, here is my attempt to put it down on paper,  for you dear reader; or for anyone who would be so intrigued.
       The obvious assumption would be that I start with an explanation for Avishag Bat-Shunam,  the profile name and the name associated with this blogs Gmail account.  However,  Oyster in the Bay is the name of my first blog, and will hopefully be the name of my debut novel.  As such,  it's origins predate and were a precursor to the pen name.  My alter ego only came to be when I set out to share my ideas and searched for a friend to represent me and protect my anonymity.  Avishag has been a great conduit,  through which I am able to express my inner exotic. A true confidante,  albeit of my own creation.  Her essence precisely captures the idea of an oyster searching for its Bay.
       Inspiration for this blog came from a conversation I had with a potential editor of my dreams of an incredibly creative and therapeutic novel.  I know for certain this novel has an original plot,  and if for no one else,  it has thus far been therapeutic for me.  The novel will follow the  life of an idealistic bride who is pulled in many directions in relation to her family  obligations,  religious affiliation and philosophical perspectives.  As a symbol of her confusion and sense of rootlessness the plot has her literally travel and relocate with her young family from place to place around the globe and across the fruited plains (euphemism for the United States of America.)
      There is a well known cliche that encapsulates this quest, for it is  a road that every person embarks upon,  in some level, at some point in their life.  The world is your oyster,  is kind of a catchphrase that encapsulates an image of all the choices standing before you.  Jordan Peterson, psychologist and researcher,  states that this is one of the key challenges of maturity; seeing the choices still open to you and coming to terms with the fact that each choice inevitably closes the door to others.  Learning to let go of your dreams so that you can focus and accept  the known and unknown consequences that follows each fork in the road.
      The name and description  of this blog is a play on words of the original phrase that heeds a person to recognize the joy of having a world full of opportunities, while respecting the paralyzing  fear that comes with the task and responsibility of choices,  in other words,  adulthood.  As human beings,  we are all, ultimately, on a search to each find our place in the universe.  To quote the wise mother in "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"  (one of my favorites to movies) : "Life is a journey that is homeward bound".

Added note: Life is about the goals we are working to achieve, hence in some respect we are always on the road. Yet make sure to recognize, that wherever you are, for that moment in time, that is where you are meant to be. We never reach our peak, because there is always a farther destination and every time period is just a stage. Standing in the eye of the storm, embrace the rain!