Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble Many of us have received our mail-in ballots. If USPS isn’t your preferred means of voting, you can go to your polling location, wait in line, walk in, say hi, sign in, and vote. I don’t care how we vote, but I do care about choosing public officials and policy by an actual vote of the people. We, the people, do that by voting. The top benefits … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
Dichotomies of living
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble Dichotomies are the contrast between two things. Just this week, we had the dichotomy between the solemn testimony by Dr. Ford, and the untapped anger of a man, Judge Kavanaugh. People are homeless or dead after the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, while you and I go about our daily routines. Extremes are visible without effort. Sit for … [Read more...]
How do YOU balance difficult emotions?
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble As I write this article, I am watching the hearing of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh. I value forming an opinion based on both sides of a story. Truthfully, I had empathy for both individuals. I’ve been wrongly accused, Dr. Ford and I have common careers, and she earned her Ph.D. one year after I did. Most importantly, I … [Read more...]
A case for empathy
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble In “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch said, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” It’s called empathy; not to be confused with … [Read more...]
Nature is our ultimate teacher
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble I’ve had an interest in the Turkey Vulture since 2002 when I first lived in the Old Library. They entertained me daily as they perched on the telephone tower at Hamilton and Division west of the library. They came in the morning as if to plan their day, and again in the late afternoon as if to discuss their successes; dependable as the sun … [Read more...]
Crazy-making politics
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble I have avoided this topic for too long: Politics. This article is not about fake tweets, Obama care, yelling, NRA, Me Too, Supreme Court Justices, name calling, idiots, school shootings, Russia, North Korea, or creating crisis. It is about you and me and our mental wellness. If you think our political climate doesn’t affect your mental health … [Read more...]
Yes, school IS cool!
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble I so enjoyed Delinda Korrey’s article (8-21-18) titled School is Cool. Her recollections of loving all aspects of school, plus me sending one granddaughter off to her first year of college and watching two grandsons start kindergarten and preschool, conjured up my own memories. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, after an class art project, … [Read more...]
What helps YOU get ZZZ’s?
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble Someone said, “I’ve never heard anyone on their deathbed say, ‘I wish I had slept more!’” Another such saying is, “You can sleep when you’re dead.” Those two thoughts, entertaining and true as they might be, minimize the importance of sleep. But, to maintain a healthy range of mental wellness, adequate sleep is essential for everyone and a … [Read more...]
What helps YOU get ZZZ’s?
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble Someone said, “I’ve never heard anyone on their deathbed say, ‘I wish I had slept more!’” Another such saying is, “You can sleep when you’re dead.” Those two thoughts, entertaining and true as they might be, minimize the importance of sleep. But, to maintain a healthy range of mental wellness, adequate sleep is essential for everyone and a … [Read more...]
Acts of compassion
Mental MattersBy Jennifer Goble Last week I wrote about how and why I like Our Town. This week I like it even better. Why? It’s the people. Isn’t it always about the people? Saturday morning, July 28, I joined family, friends, and strangers to walk in the BryceStrong 5K Silent Auction. This event was organized to help Bryce’s family with surmounting medical bills, and Conner’s … [Read more...]
Do YOU like Your Town?
Mental Matters By Jennifer Goble I just finished an audiobook called “Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey into the Heart of America,” written and read by James and Deborah Fallows. The authors traveled across America in a small airplane, and their goal was to portray the people they spoke with and the places they visited; small towns and large cities from north to … [Read more...]
Do you plan YOUR future?
Mental Matters Jennifer Goble I had the opportunity this week to view Empty Dresses; the art exhibit of Paula Streeter at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa. Her paintings and drawings of clothing from the 19th century were, in my opinion, exquisite with detail and emotion. I also listened to a speaker, Gene Marks, who said, “To succeed in business … [Read more...]
Do YOU want friends?
Mental MattersJennifer Goble I don’t know about you, but I sometimes think I have no friends. I tell my kids, “When I die, I don’t want a funeral. Who would come?” I suggest they save the expense and take a vacation. Having close friends involves a variety of pros and cons. Friends take time, and like most people, I don’t have an excess of time. Sometimes it hurts to have … [Read more...]
How do YOU get from hot to cool?
Mental MattersJennifer Goble According to The Weather Channel, temperatures on June 28, hit 104 degrees. It was HOT. That was the same day my car air conditioning decided to quit. Driving on Interstate 76, I turned the hot air on high, rolled down the windows, and poured water on my arms. We all have ideas on how to make our hot bodies cooler. I might stay inside, go swimming, … [Read more...]
What is YOUR ideal America?
Mental MattersJennifer Goble Close your eyes and imagine your ideal America. What do you see? What do you smell? What are you physically touching or feeling? What do you hear? What do you taste? When I close my eyes and imagine my ideal America, I see people smiling and talking to each other. I see the American flag. I smell the clean, fresh air. My skin feels heat from the … [Read more...]