October 13, 2022
Horror Fans
What do most fans look for in horror authors’ novels and websites? Do they seek out creepy pictures and stories? Do they thrive from the interaction between other fans and the author alike? Do they like to know what new pieces are in the works?
I would like to find out this information and determine who my key demographic audience is and why. Unfortunately, I have searched for this information, and I am having a rather difficult time finding some valid and current research. My guess is that all types of people enjoy a good scare.
I think about the horror books I read as a child and the spooky stories that still cause some hidden fears. For example, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, was titillating, and the illustrations created by Stephen Gammell, caused my flesh to rise in suspense! That leads me to the ever-famous Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine and the Fear Street series. To this day, I distrust garden gnomes, thanks to Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes.
Speaking of creepy little creatures, I received one once as a gift. Yep, and what gift did my dad and uncle give to me? A funny garden gnome that was mooning me as I walked up my stairs. I guess my Siberian Husky is fearful of them as well because I had him (the mooning gnome), sitting in my living room during the winter months so he wouldn’t crack, and I came home from work one night to see bits and pieces of the ceramic creature strewn across the floor! Don’t worry; my pup is okay, and no harm was done.
As I got older, my interests slightly changed, and I was drawn to Christopher Pike books. As I grew older, Stephen King became a regular noun in my vocabulary, and because of him and John Wayne Gacy, I fear clowns more than I do spiders!
This leads me to believe that people like to read books that have the main protagonist that is close in age to them. This helps the reader connect with the characters and find similarities between themselves and these fictional personalities. At the same time, there are numerous horror novels out there that are about kids that are written for an adult audience; some of those would include IT by Stephen King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King, Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, amongst a plethora of other stories out there.
What do you read, and why? Send me a comment and let me know your thoughts. Curious minds want to know.
October 11, 2022
Transgender, Transvestite, Transsexual and the Differences
It has come to my attention that I frequently receive referrals for individuals that are considered to be transgender because I am open-minded and have no known bias or discrimination regarding these individuals. However, I am sure I have some that I do not recognize. I was thinking about the differences between these titles/genders/sexualities, and I felt it would serve me well to conduct some research. I have had some education and training in these areas, although I find it challenging to retain the information I am reading. I would like to talk with each client individually, and I want to ensure they feel comfortable with me and feel heard, validated, and understood. Therefore, I must continue to educate myself about different identities to reflect my support and understanding of all individuals I encounter. I would encourage you all to do the same. If there is something that you do not understand, please educate yourself and ask questions. We need to love each other and be able to relate to others, even those with backgrounds that are incredibly different than our own. If you don’t agree with something that someone else does or believes in, that is okay. Not everyone is going to agree and have the same beliefs. If that were true, the world would be a very dull place to live. Try to understand where other people are coming from, whether it be your spouse, significant other, parent, child, relative, friend, co-worker, or any other individual. Wouldn’t you want other people to try to see things from your point of view? And even if they disagree with it, wouldn’t you want them to accept that you have a view that differs from their own?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, transgender is defined as “denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex” transvestite is defined as “a person who dresses in clothes primarily associated with the opposite sex (typically used of a man).” Transsexual is defined as “denoting or relating to a transgender person, especially one whose bodily characteristics have been altered through surgery or hormone treatment to bring them into alignment with their gender identity.” While looking up this information, I discovered a wide range of other terms that I was not familiar with, such as cisgender which means “denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.”
So, now that I have started to gather information, it is imperative that I use the information that I collect to change my attitudes and vocabulary to accommodate those around me. Won’t you consider doing this as well?
Mental Health and Stigma
October 10, 2022
Today marks World Mental Health Day. As a writer and an individual that struggles with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I thought that a blog article about mental health would be beneficial.
I have been working within the mental health field for over a decade and have obtained my BS in Psychology, only to find out that this world is full of unfairness and stigma. I know that every case is different, and each individual’s needs vary from those of others. The following is a review of my experiences that have shaped my opinion. Please know that I understand disability and certain people are not physically able to work. I have struggled with mental illness for most of my life, even in childhood, and I still struggle to maintain full-time employment. But to survive, I must do what I must.
Most of the individuals I work with have also been diagnosed with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) and are struggling with daily functioning, as do I. I truly understand and acknowledge the numerous barriers to living and working with a mental health diagnosis. I think that the world has a long way to go in understanding mental illness and its effects on functioning, as well as a dire need to reduce and hopefully eliminate the stigma that is associated with mental illness.
With that said, I must admit that even though I am educated in this area and have experienced a mental illness myself, I still hold onto some stigma because of the population I work with and the circumstances I see every day. At first, I was very supportive, and now I am not so sure that the way that disability is set up in the present time is an effective program.
I am reminded of a time approximately 10 years ago when I was walking along a sidewalk with numerous other individuals in a walk for recovery. We had handmade signs and walked through our small town to bring attention to mental health and “stomp on stigma.” As we were walking and enjoying the beautiful weather, a truck drove by, slowed down, and a man yelled out the window, “Get a job!” I was shocked and astonished at this comment, and it is something that will likely stick with me for years yet to come. However, at this time in my life, a part of me agrees with this comment.
I must admit that I am guilty of thinking about the “royalties” many individuals receive because they have a “disability.” For example, many of the individuals that I have come in contact with are older than I am, have never had a job in their life, receive Social Security Income (SSI), receive housing assistance that basically covers the majority, if not all of their rent, food stamps that pay for most of their food (including soda, energy drinks, candy, and other various junk food), free medical, free dental, free transportation, free cell phone and service, free childcare, free medical services and resources and $200 per month in personal needs money. Then when I meet with them, they complain that they don’t have enough. Okay, that peeves me because I have been working since I was a teenager, I pay a great deal in taxes, and approximately 40% of my income is taken directly from my paycheck. I never see general taxes and medical insurance. On paper, it looks like I make the median amount, but in reality, I never see that money, and it should not be counted as my income because I cannot spend that money on things I need. Plus, when I need to go to the doctor, I am charged a co-pay, and if I go in more than once per year, I have to pay the total amount, even though I have insurance.
I remember calling the emergency room a couple of years ago to ask if I should go in there because I was experiencing symptoms of heart attack and stroke. I did not want to go in because it was during COVID, and I did not want to waste anyone’s time if my concerns were not severe. I went in after the triage nurse suggested I go in to get checked out and was met with a doctor that scolded me for going in, stating that the only reason that I was experiencing symptoms was that I was “obese” and was “a smoker.” He also had the audacity to tell me that I “talked too much.” So, I gathered my belongings and went on my way. The bill came in the mail, and it took me over one year to pay for that. I felt penalized for going to the emergency room and punished for having a full-time job and insurance. There is something wrong with that!
Individuals that collect SSI go to the doctor and emergency room regularly. And I do mean a regular basis, most of the individuals that I work with are seen by a medical professional a minimum of twice per month, including ER visits, and their insurance covers every expense for them, even if they have complaints of an upset stomach, a sore knee, nervousness, etc. There is something very wrong with this.
I just don’t understand why some people can stand there with their hands out and expect that everyone else pays for their needs and resolves all their problems while they sit and literally do nothing. I have had people fail to complete their paperwork for their free services, and then their service may end; then they call another worker or me and complain that nobody is helping them, and now they have lost their resources and services. When asked why they did not fill out their paperwork, they often claim they did not know how. I request the paperwork for review and look at it. The paperwork asks for basic information, including name, address, and phone number, amongst other general and easy questions. Also included on the top of the paperwork is a note that says that if they need assistance, they should call the number listed. So, how many of those individuals called that number in over 12 years? Zero. I am serious. They wait for other workers or me to do it all for them. After all, they claim that “that is your job isn’t it?”. No, no, it is not. But they do not know how to take responsibility for anything because they have never been put in the position to need to. We are enabling them here, folks, and by doing so, we are taking away their independence and making more work for ourselves, which ends up causing us more stress, leading to a higher rate of physical health problems which requires us to be seen by the medical professionals which end up causing us more money and leaving us stressed out, physically ill and broke.
Going back to the paperwork example, I ask the person, “what is your name?” and they look at me oddly. “Well, I know you can read and write, so why did you not complete this? If you thought that you really needed help, why didn’t you call the number that is listed?” They look at me with dumbfounded looks. The real reason they did not complete the paperwork is that they feel entitled to have everything done for them and paid for them, and they should not be expected to do anything because they are disabled. I’m like, “Really?”
So, now that I have vented, I need to make sure I know where I am coming from. Some people are genuinely disabled, cannot work, cannot complete any paperwork, and need constant care and assistance from others. Those people should be taken care of and receive all their assistance. However, in my years working in the mental health field, I have discovered that the people that are truly disabled are the only people that genuinely want to work. For example, I have a relative with cerebral palsy, and he has always been in a wheelchair. He can barely speak, and you know what? He still works! He does the best that he can do and still makes a contribution, and he would be one of those individuals that I would consider to be truly disabled. Other individuals can walk, talk, read, write, drive, think, make decisions, have families, can attend social events but consider themselves to be unable to work. Yet, they have never attempted to gain employment. How do they know they cannot work if they have never tried? Society needs to change things around. People need to be required to seek employment, there should be a time limit for SSI for some instances, and individuals seeking assistance should be directed to volunteer and do something that will promote work ethic, independence, self-sufficiency, and some sort of contribution to society.
What are your thoughts and experiences? Do you feel the same, or am I completely off base here?
October 10, 2022
What is a blog, exactly?
So, what is the purpose of a blog? What elements should you include in a blog? What do people want to read about in a blog? These are my questions, and I would assume that any other blogging newbie would be pondering those amongst others as well. Really, before I conducted some research, I thought that a blog was just an online journal where writers and non-writers alike could jot down their thoughts and feelings. So basically, a public diary entry. That is not an accurate description. In fact, a blog is most similar to an article that contains informative elements. A blog can be easily accessed by others through a few key terms or phrases entered into a browser search.
As this is my first detailed blog entry, I thought it seemed natural to start with the question: what is a blog? According to The Balance, “The hallmarks of blogging include frequent updates, informal language, and opportunities for readers to engage and start a conversation” (Duermyer).
According to Website Setup and GrowthBadger, there are over 600 million blogs available to access in modern times (Byers). Wow! Another way to think about a blog may be a series of articles, usually written by one author, posted and/or published in an online platform or website rather than a tangible, tactile magazine or newspaper.
In conclusion, a blog is much more than a public journal or diary entry. It is an article written with expertise, including the thoughts and opinions of the author, meant to engage the reader, prompting them to ponder their own ideas and beliefs about a specific topic. Happy blogging, newbies!
Works Cited
Byers, Kyle, et al. “How Many Blogs Are There? (and 141 Other Blogging Stats).” GrowthBadger, 14 Jan. 2022, https://growthbadger.com/blog-stats/.
Duermyer, Randy. “What Is Blogging?” The Balance, The Balance, 13 Sept. 2022, https://www.thebalancemoney.com/blogging-what-is-it-1794405#:~:text=Blogs%20are%20usually%20simple%20websites.%20Older%20pieces%20may,news%20feed%20on%20social%20media%20sites%20like%20Facebook.
WebsiteSetup. “How Many Blogs Are There?” WebsiteSetup, 23 Apr. 2021, https://websitesetup.org/news/blogging-statistics/.
October 2, 2022
Working on the website. Working on the homework. Gotta get some housework done. Is there any time for fun?
Cryptic Corner 