Question:

So, while we are all arguing about a bunch of bullshit over which we have very little control, my personal world got rocked yesterday. I was picking up a Peavey XR-800 mixer from this little church in the burg near me, and one of the cooks from the rehab center on the property comes running out screaming for the pastor. It seems they care for shell-shocked veterans and "schizos" at this facility, and one of the patients was having an "episode". He was on his back in a hallway, having fallen on a table. His eyes were rolled back in his head, his mouth was hanging open, and he was rigid. The pastor started stroking the man’s head and talking softly to him, I moved his body away from the debris that was the remains of the table and its contents. We picked him up and took him to his room, laying him on his stomach while the pastor continued to speak to him in a soft voice. We stroked his head and his shoulders and told him he was OK, that Jesus loved him, and the pastor sang him a Psalm. All of this time, I was not sure what he could comprehend, or if his senses were working, all of a sudden he blinked. I then realized he had not blinked since all of this started. We kneeled beside him and kept talking to him, gradually, he started blinking and it was as if you turned the lights back on. He was still groggy, I had to leave, but the next day when I returned the mixer, I said hello and asked him how he was, and he said, "Much better, thank you." So I guess he was conscious the whole time. This brought back memories of crisis intervention at a boy’s ranch where I was a counselor, only  those guys were almost always coherent. Wow. Talk about re-aligning your priorities. For as much as I do not consider myself religious, talking to the man about Jesus seemed totally appropriate at that moment. So what does this mean? This is an institutionalized person, they don’t exactly bathe every day, I doubt that he has any political affiliation, I wonder if he plays an instrument? How big could this man’s world be? And two weeks after he is dead, what difference? While it seems there are a lot of people with hate and anger festering on this and other newsgroups, what does this say about us? I feel like an ingrate. I was very happy to have been there at the time and been able to contribute to someone else’s well being. While there still seems to be a preponderance of ME! ME! ME! in our society, I look at this pastor, who is just a joeblow from Dayton, OH, and I realize he is so much bigger than life. He has been giving of himself for years and making a difference while I have been moping around trying to figure out what has meaning. Am I about to have a religious experience? Doubt it (done it). But I have a whole lot of things to think about now. Like how great this earthly existence has been this time around, and how little I have appreciated it. Roy

Response:

While it’s not on the same level maybe i thank GOD there are ppl that play music for other ppl to enjoy without thinking of getting rich over it. I know of ppl that can play ASTOUNDINGLY good guitar but don’t cuz there ain’t no money in it. One did Hendrix stuff like Band of Gypsys and past that (i’m thinkin this cuz at this time BoG was not yet released, he’d come to the style on his own as if in parallel course with Jimi). He’s now an optician. Another could learn a players style in weeks. First time i saw him he was playing the first Black Sabbath lp note for note and it’d only been out a few weeks, he’d learn Alvin Lee, Johnny Winter, any player he liked, JUST like that. Last i heard he managed a office supplies store. It takes lots of dedication to get the music out i think and i’m THANKFUL for them that does it. Music sure makes all this mess much more tolerable. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->So, while we are all arguing about a bunch of bullshit over which we have >very little control, my personal world got rocked yesterday. I was picking >up a Peavey XR-800 mixer >from this little church in the burg near me, and one of the cooks from the >rehab center on the property comes running out screaming for the pastor. It >seems they care for shell-shocked veterans and "schizos" at this facility, >and one of the patients was having an "episode". He was on his back in a >hallway, having fallen on a table. His eyes were rolled back in his head, >his mouth was hanging open, and he was rigid. The pastor started stroking >the man’s head and talking softly to him, I moved his body away from the >debris that was the remains of the table and its contents. We picked him up >and took him to his room, laying him on his stomach while the pastor >continued to speak to him in a soft voice. We stroked his head and his >shoulders and told him he was OK, that Jesus loved him, and the pastor sang >him a Psalm. All of this time, I was not sure what he could comprehend, or >if his senses were working, all of a sudden he blinked. I then realized he >had not blinked since all of this started. We kneeled beside him and kept >talking to him, gradually, he started blinking and it was as if you turned >the lights back on. He was still groggy, I had to leave, but the next day >when I returned the mixer, I said hello and asked him how he was, and he >said, "Much better, thank you." So I guess he was conscious the whole time. >This brought back memories of crisis intervention at a boy’s ranch where I >was a counselor, only  those guys were almost always coherent. >Wow. Talk about re-aligning your priorities. For as much as I do not >consider myself religious, talking to the man about Jesus seemed totally >appropriate at that moment. So what does this mean? This is an >institutionalized person, they don’t exactly bathe every day, I doubt that >he has any political affiliation, I wonder if he plays an instrument? How >big could this man’s world be? And two weeks after he is dead, what >difference? While it seems there are a lot of people with hate and anger >festering on this and other newsgroups, what does this say about us? I feel >like an ingrate. I was very happy to have been there at the time and been >able to contribute to someone else’s well being. While there still seems to >be a preponderance of ME! ME! ME! in our society, I look at this pastor, who >is just a joeblow from Dayton, OH, and I realize he is so much bigger than >life. He has been giving of himself for years and making a difference while >I have been moping around trying to figure out what has meaning. Am I about >to have a religious experience? Doubt it (done it). But I have a whole lot >of things to think about now. Like how great this earthly existence has been >this time around, and how little I have appreciated it. >Roy

Response:

biasbros wrote >So, while we are all arguing about a bunch of bullshit over which we have >very little control, my personal world got rocked yesterday.

It happens…  first, be thankfull that you at least ‘recognized’ what you saw… Nothing like a little ‘reality’ to put things in perspective…   I was brought up to ’see’ the world as ‘clearly’ as possible and keep perspective on my own existence…  while there is certainly evil in mankind… there is also kindness and caring in amazing amounts…  it is our true ’salvation’. When I think of ‘heros’…  people like this pastor you spoke of come to mind… >But I have a whole lot of things to think about now. Like how great this

earthly existence has been >this time around, and how little I have appreciated it.

Most people would be amazed if they were to see there are people in the ‘world’ that struggle for life everyday, suffer terribly, deal with death and sickness daily, and have not much more than the rags on their backs… and they know what they don’t have… and these same people are generous, kind, and supprisingly happy… they too appreciate what they ‘have’…. it’s something to think about. gtski

Response:

Roy: What you have just described sounds like the man had a seizure. They come in many varieties, and a person need not be unconscious during an episode. They scary as hell and can be fatal. Does he have a history of these types of events? Has he had a neurological exam any time recently? A properly diagnosed seizure disorder can be controlled with  medication. Have the pastor, or someone at the facility, look into it… Best of luck Paul http://www.communityinteractions.org – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > So, while we are all arguing about a bunch of bullshit over which we have > very little control, my personal world got rocked yesterday. I was picking > up a Peavey XR-800 mixer > from this little church in the burg near me, and one of the cooks from the > rehab center on the property comes running out screaming for the pastor. It > seems they care for shell-shocked veterans and "schizos" at this facility, > and one of the patients was having an "episode". He was on his back in a > hallway, having fallen on a table. His eyes were rolled back in his head, > his mouth was hanging open, and he was rigid. The pastor started stroking > the man’s head and talking softly to him, I moved his body away from the > debris that was the remains of the table and its contents. We picked him up > and took him to his room, laying him on his stomach while the pastor > continued to speak to him in a soft voice. We stroked his head and his > shoulders and told him he was OK, that Jesus loved him, and the pastor sang > him a Psalm. All of this time, I was not sure what he could comprehend, or > if his senses were working, all of a sudden he blinked. I then realized he > had not blinked since all of this started. We kneeled beside him and kept > talking to him, gradually, he started blinking and it was as if you turned > the lights back on. He was still groggy, I had to leave, but the next day > when I returned the mixer, I said hello and asked him how he was, and he > said, "Much better, thank you." So I guess he was conscious the whole time. > This brought back memories of crisis intervention at a boy’s ranch where I > was a counselor, only  those guys were almost always coherent. > Wow. Talk about re-aligning your priorities. For as much as I do not > consider myself religious, talking to the man about Jesus seemed totally > appropriate at that moment. So what does this mean? This is an > institutionalized person, they don’t exactly bathe every day, I doubt that > he has any political affiliation, I wonder if he plays an instrument? How > big could this man’s world be? And two weeks after he is dead, what > difference? While it seems there are a lot of people with hate and anger > festering on this and other newsgroups, what does this say about us? I feel > like an ingrate. I was very happy to have been there at the time and been > able to contribute to someone else’s well being. While there still seems to > be a preponderance of ME! ME! ME! in our society, I look at this pastor, who > is just a joeblow from Dayton, OH, and I realize he is so much bigger than > life. He has been giving of himself for years and making a difference while > I have been moping around trying to figure out what has meaning. Am I about > to have a religious experience? Doubt it (done it). But I have a whole lot > of things to think about now. Like how great this earthly existence has been > this time around, and how little I have appreciated it. > Roy

Response: