This is a photo I have used before (sorry, something wrong with the upload feature) which is a sunny Spring day in beautiful Jasper National Park
Today’s Poem: ( scroll down past this for today’s blog ) and don’t forget to look up my book, “Inching Back To Sane” on smashwords.com. This award-winning memoir is just $3.25 US for download.
And Yet Time Marches On
First we are born and then we crawl
Time marches on
Then comes school and that harsh love withdrawl
The clock ticks on
The years fly past
So very fast
We near sunset and yet
We’ll go the distance and forget
Time marches on
Teen years come they’re oh so dear
Close friends are always near
And the very thing we fear
Graduation where our mothers shed a tear
And time ticks on
Those were the best days of our life
Then we face the world of hate and strife
Cut away teen privilege with a butter knife
Leave our childhood behind as man and wife
Time ticks along
It’s just like a treadmill race
Too hard to get off and face disgrace
Work hard to just stay in one place
Lost years will never be erased
Soon time is gone
With some love and a little work
Grown up kids won’t think dad is still a jerk
Even though you never really would
You wish to slap away that smug little smirk
Gone is the light that shone
Nowadays all of your hair is grey
You have forgotten how to laugh or play
Everything is the same day after day
And years simply slip away
Time passes on
But then a hope of happiness and love comes back
Shortly after your first heart attack
You find that one little thing you lacked
Tickling your grandchild’s tummy as they coo and laugh
Life will pass on
Leif Gregersen
February 28, 2016
This poem is dedicated to my Bestefa, Kristen Gregersen born on February 29, in the 19th century.
Good day dear readers. I had actually wanted to upload a photo of one of my sisters dogs and then talk a little about pets and pet therapy. I guess I can just ramble a bit about how things have been going instead. First off, I am now one step further towards not needing to be on a disability pension. I had been contacted by the owner of Magpie Media, which publishes two online magazines “Anchor” and “SZ” and he had me write about six or seven articles for him. He was so impressed by my work and the things I can do (one of them being maintain a blog) that he has hired me as a salaried editor of both magazines, I signed the contract the other day. In other news, today I got back a manuscript I was having a friend edit for me which was a compilation of 14 short stories. The friend is a well known author whose first novel was both a bestseller and a feature film and he had given me a strong thumbs up on nine of them. I will have to do a bit of work on the others, maybe even trash a couple, but I think there is a good chance that this collection may be my first conventionally published work. I find writing so rewarding, it is really amazing. I hope some of you have read one of my books. I am transferring the ebooks over to smashwords.com but the paperback versions are available on amazon.com or any chapters, coles or indigo store in Canada. Just walk right in and type “Leif Gregersen” into their computer and six of my books will come up which you can order in.
So anyhow, I have also been working for the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta. I go around to classes of various kinds and give presentations about mental illness. I start with a power point presentation and then I give about a 15 minute speech about my own experiences. One of the things I kind of wanted to stress today is that for those of you who may be youth or young and things seem bad, I really want you to dig deep down, tie a knot in the rope you are at the end of and hang on. I had a lot of troubles when I was younger, but bit by bit, year by year things got to be so much better for me, and I have to say that I was pretty damn messed up for a while. I am almost aghast to say this but when I was put in the hospital the first time for psychosis my dad took my prized posession, my .22 rifle away from me and sold it and gave me the money. I really needed the money but that rifle was everything to me. I used to love going out and hunting and shooting targets. I had become really accustomed to it and it started to feel for me like a soldier’s rifle that has become a part of him. I was mad he sold it, but I still had my gun license and I had actually planned to buy a semi-automatic assault rifle I found in a pawn shop and rob a bank with it. I just wasn’t thinking clearly. Mind you, it was very hard to get myself back into good mental shape and I went through years and years of suffering and poverty, but I have come out the other side and it feels wonderful. I have these incredible memories of concerts I worked at, of going to Hawaii and to Toronto and now life is really falling into place for me. It worried me that I have a problem dealing with stress, but I have found some strategies to cope. First off, I had my Psychiatrist put me on an anti-depressant called “Trazadone” and it has lifted my mood a bit and helps me to sleep. Getting a good sleep at night is a huge thing. Then I am trying to be careful not to work too much, which may get harder with my new position, but if I have to cut out one of my other part-time jobs completely, I will do it. Self-care is so important. So sleep, relaxation/decompression time. I also have been trying to spend more time each day in prayer and meditation. And I have filled out forms for a low-income gym membership with the city of Edmonton and I plan to do some dog paddling and hot tub sitting. For now I just take a lot of hot baths and showers. I hope some of this helps people who read my blog, it would be great if anyone who does read it gets back to me. You can message me here, or on Facebook, or email my main email at viking3082000@yahoo.com I hope all of you have a great week!