A Few Random Thoughts

Just a reminder to all: My new blog is called Dan Kravitz and contains objective article length posts that I write on a weekly basis.

Over the years I have worked with individuals whom have bragged about how good they were with children. They would exclaim that they just loved kids. What I inevitably discovered was that their temperament and demeanor was not conducive to winning over children's' trust. Fear is no way to get a child to fall in line. Another thing I discovered was that, despite my lack of experience with children, I have gotten a much better response from them whenever we interact. I have never proclaimed myself to be good with kids and I certainly have none of my own. The lesson I discovered is two-fold. Never patronize a child and always speak to them on their level. This philosophy has rarely failed me in my efforts to connect with anyone underage.

People protest en masse, all over the world, for any type of perceived injustice. Some feel that it is their job to incite violence or to instigate mass looting of innocent business owners' stores. Most peaceful protesters simply stand around with like-minded people and hold up signs with pithy slogans. I have to wonder though how much their efforts help their cause or whether they ever intended change in the first place. The more likely motivation for many of these soap box standers is nothing more than fulfilling their innate need for self-satisfaction. They stand there with smug affects, attitudes of superiority and a goal of nothing more than a display of self-righteousness. Their egos rather than selflessness is what brings so many together in the first place.

I have never tried to hide the fact that I have seen various types of therapists over the years. There have been many so-called "professionals" whose job has been to label my issues and guide me to a workable solution. In reality very few were able to be of any assistance whatsoever. The few that did help me were the ones who took the time to get to know me as a person and deal with me on that basis rather than as a walking diagnosis. Two statements seemed to reoccur with alarming frequency during my various counseling sessions. It was as if all of these people attended the same school of pseudo-psychology.

The first bit of advice offered was that I must get rid of my baggage. They were not referring to my fabulous set of leather luggage made by Samsonite with a retail price of... but I digress. I must have been channeling Bob Barker for a moment. No they were talking about my baggage as in emotional. Some actually used the term baggage, some mentioned luggage while other less articulate individuals simply called it my "shit." No one could see it but they were damn sure I took it everywhere with me. Their solution to this carry-on problem? They had none. But they assured me that if they had a magic wand they would surely wave it over me and make everything alright. Unfortunately for me they just as quickly disabused me of the notion of their therapeutic wand and destroyed the equally imaginary faith I had in their abilities.