Balance for February

Doc’s going ice fishing now, more soon. Oh yeah, Happy Valentine’s Day, to all the wonderful ladies who have graced our ARMOR Program over the years. Wood Jeff, you are being honored today as well, for the many years of your service. My daughter found a Wooden Rose to give my wife today: wood is good and money does grow on trees!

The “legally binding deal of a handshake” seems no more! Are you only as good as your wallet, or does a “man of his word” still hold flesh and clean water? William Tell sent us a couple of highly motivating articles recently, as usual, they are focused on relevant VSN endeavors. During this month, as we look at “how” folks end up unhoused, freezing to death in the moment suggests we at least stay warm, in the meantime. You know, harm reduction – while we figure things out, conduct our research. This has been our protocol for the past twelve years: keep our opioid use disorders alive long enough to heal. All the while, navigating a path littered with systemic sludge and slippery slopes, which by the way is about a two-year long trek. Think of it like imprinting at first, just start swimming nearby and let the fledglings follow along. As you move, keep them safe as possible, and demonstrate your impermeable boundaries. When they see that, you’ll earn trust and instill discipline!  Soon enough, you’ll hear them asking how and why?

Mr. Tell suggested areas for discussion, essentially all systemic, from a community and social psychology perspective anyway. We have government systems: legislative, executive, and judicial. And we have systems within systems: social, psychological and biological. We have systemic networks too: self-help groups, cultural groups, and family systems, non-profits, and therapeutic tea parties. The unhoused etiology is rooted in much more than our economic system too. Yes, this “how” is a complex entanglement of confusion and wonder. It is also our type of challenge worthy of our excavation and potential solution.

Let’s explore “how” the letter of the law, or those practicing it, influence housing outcomes. One party wins the house and the other becomes homeless. I mean, negotiating a resolve would dip deep into legal representation’s already deep pockets. They may have to sell off their second home after a lost eviction case that prevents another homeless case. Now, with a lean more toward the spirit of the law we see similarities to a harm-reduction protocol within an addiction remission process. And please avoid misunderstanding, this is not a judgment of those practicing law, we profess to always do your best! A homeless outcome in probate is more systemic than personal, although we must not rule out greed’s culpability either. In our ARMOR Program, to always do your best is imperative to success, as is being true to your word, making no assumptions, and refraining from taking things personal. This last one is Doc’s biggest challenge, as it is well understood that if you hear something long enough, you’ll believe it to be true, regardless. He’d like to share his story of being accused of stealing these from Don Miguel. They are professed often in our ARMOR Program.

Hey folks, Doc LaBranche here, having been accused of falsehoods since first grade, it’s now like another windy day. After taking first place in 1st grade for an art contest, a runner up teacher asked if I copied my drawing. Having asked my teacher if looking at animals in magazines and copying them into my masterpiece was ok, I of course replied honestly. Problem was that other teacher meant to ask if I had traced my drawings, which would be cheating even to a first grader, duh! I was called down to Mother Superior's office and traumatized enough to never share my talent again. Thank God for my teacher, one of the few in nearly seventy years who actually got to know me. Although, I did share that DNA, check out my daughter's talented handywork in the drawing above. 

Back to Don Miquel Ruiz, please read his "Four Agreements" if you’re wanting sustainable sobriety. I always profess: if you want to stay sober, always do your best to color within the lines. Being impeccable with your word (from my Dad) keeps guilt and shame at bay, which are killer triggers in the addictions arena. Twelve-step philosophy taught me to keep my side of the street clean and what other people think of me is none of my business (taking things personal). And to earn a PhD, you must check and double check your subjective bias by balancing with the views of others before synthesizing your results.

In closing, thank you Mr. Tell and Mr. Ebner, for your continued presence and support. We now have a research design worth pilot testing with potential solutions for our homeless crisis. And thank you Ms. Emily for sharing your fine art pieces with us; they garnish our full plate nicely. Readers interested in being part of our research proposal, leave us a comment please, and that means you too Jim from the shadows.