Mental Health Monday
Road Trips
Road trips have played a part in my "mental health history." I have been drawn to road trips for as long as I can remember . . . well before I was clinically diagnosed w/chronic depression. Hitting the road, especially the "wide open spaces", & finding solitude where I could find time for myself & my thoughts . . . well, let's just same that I have found solace in these trips. Here are some of my memorable road trips.- A retreat to the White River KOA next to the Badlands . . . I think this may have been in September 2004 or 2005. Lois & I had "discovered" this KOA when we made this a stop the summer after Sarah graduated from LHNE & we took the girls on a trip to the Badlands & Black Hills. I fell in love with this locale, because of the isolation & "rustic" setting The Badlands hold some kind of attraction to me . . . not sure what that says about me . . . Anyway, after the "school season" began toward the end of July, beginning of August, things always got intense . . . In fact, I find myself too mentally tired this morning to go over all the responsibilities that made it thus . . . Suffice it to say that by the time we got past Beef Blast, I needed solace. I took the better part of a week off & hit the road . . . I took along camping supplies so I could cook my own meals, make my own coffee in the morning, pack my own lunches . . . I had a devotion book that involved excerpts from Martin Luther's writings . . . a bunch of my favorite magazines, compliments of the LHNE library [being principal had its perks] . . . maybe a book or two . . . and I don't think I brought along any school-related work.
- Benedictine Monastery near Schuyler, NE, north & east of Columbus . . . This was a few days'-retreat I took one summer when Lois was at a Sister Bash, I think . . . a very unique setting, I must say . . . Yes, a Lutheran boy spending time at a Benedictine Monastery, but one that had come recommended by other LCMS church workers . . . The accommodations were Spartan . . . no cable TV . . . NO TV! . . . but delicious meals were served in the cafeteria . . . served & eaten in silence . . . There was a library, & I read a book that was my first "deep" exposure to a Bible "scholar" who wrote from a historical-critical approach to the Hebrews conquest of Canaan. [Suffice it to say that it was nowhere close to the tradition--& truthful accounts of the Exodus & Joshua narratives found in Scripture.]
There was a pond . . . It had a paved walkway around it w/benches located at intervals . . . perfect for meditative walks & reading . . . There were catfish--big catfish--which fed along the edges--& I confess that I wish I had brought fishing gear with me . . . Alas, I saw no evidence that fishing was part of the "program" . . . Also a "Stations of the Cross" trail located nearby . . . I picked up a "trail guide" & savored a "meditative" hike one day . . . I also enjoyed [appreciated?] a brief conversation with a priest one evening before supper . . . Other than that, there was no encouragement to engage in conversation . . . Once again, the solitude was very appealing to me . . . as was the unique experience . . . Did I mention the part about a Lutheran boy in a Benedictine monastery?
- One year shortly after we got through the intensity of the opening weeks of the school season, I took off for a few days retreat to Camp Luther, a ministry of the NE District, also located in the vicinity of Schuyler & Columbus . . . Part of the appeal, besides the solitude again . . . was the price . . . There was the standing offer of free accommodations for LCMS church workers if lodging was available, which it was . . . I stayed in a duplex cabin for a few days . . . again, very Spartan accommodations, which I welcomed . . . Cooking was done in an adjacent building . . . The downside? Wasps in the "cooking cabin" . . . Nights were chilly, but I was comfortable in my sleeping bag . . . I hiked most if not all of the trails . . . I had brought my "quiet time" reading materials, along with my own personal reading . . . No school-related "business"
Once again, the same things appealed to me . . . Isolation . . . Time for me to get away from the things that--in hindsight--most likely were contributing to a depressive episode, possibly another "mini-burnout" . . . An opportunity for self-reflection . . . meditation & prayer . . . A retreat in the literal sense of the word . . . Quite likely.
- Last April 2015, while Lois was attending the NETA Conference in Omaha w/the CLS faculty, I took a brief road trip "out West" . . . I fished part of an afternoon at a state recreation area along I-80 near Kearney [one or two possible nibbles over the course of 2+ hours; no, I am not one who enjoys fishing just for the "experience"--fishing w/o "catching" is like drinking de-caf coffee, but I digress] . . . an overnight stay in Kearney . . . followed by a jaunt north into the Sandhills into unchartered territory for me . . . I drove into the National Wildlife Refuge & made a few stops near the Sandhill lakes . . . Naturally I stopped & read historical markers . . . I drove into the Samuel McKelvie Unit of the Nebraska National Forest [You didn't know we have National Forests in Nebraska? Shame on you!] . . . On a whim, I spent the night in Valentine after getting Lois' blessing . . . On my way home I detoured to the north . . . I drove through an area along the Niobrara River that had been devastated by a forest & range fire several years before [part of another road trip, but this entry is turning into a beast] . . . I "discovered" a "ghost town", as identified on a road map--a place I had wanted to visit for some time [Let's just say that if there would have been a fee for admission, I would have been disappointed.] . . . Had lunch at the Range Cafe in Bassett & checked out the "historical" Bassett Lodge, which convinced me that someday Lois & I needed to spend time there . . .
The same elements that appealed to me about previous road trips appealed to me on this road trip . . .
- I took another quick road trip during Lois' NETA Conference last week, THU & FRI, limiting myself to a brief excursion to Yankton, SD, just an hour's drive straight north of Norfolk . . . I "discovered" a fish hatchery & very tiny yet informative aquarium on the South Dakota side of the Missouri River . . . was disappointed to find out that the Dakota Territorial Museum doesn't open until May 1 . . . hiked across the historic Meridian Bridge, which crosses the Missouri River . . . all the way across on the lower level, then all the way back on the upper level . . . savored the historical markers that were on the bridge . . . greatly enjoyed the seafood buffet @ Jo Dean's on Friday night . . . left the laptop power cable & charger in the hotel room & had to make a return trip yesterday.
I'm not sure I'm in a depressive episode, although I have been feeling a little down this past week . . . It just felt good to hit the road, albeit briefly . . . & did I mention crab legs . . . all-you-can eat crab legs?!
Exercise & Depression *
It's conventional wisdom--also well-documented [just take my word for it]--that exercise is very beneficial for relieving depression & anxiety. My walking routine understandably diminished during the first several weeks especially while I was recovering from my hip replacement. In fact, I ditched my fitbit . . . What was the point?However, beginning last MON 4/18, when I returned to the OGT offices, I started wearing my fitbit again. I actually recorded 5,000 steps that first day, which I accomplished by walking back & forth to the break room for coffee & snacks [not good & not recommended], the copier room, other offices . . . also by running errands & walking in parking lots & stores.
On THU 4/21, when I hosted my favorite 12-year-old niece, I went over 10,000 steps for the first time since before my surgery, thanks to multiple errands & a hike in our neighborhood . . . on FRI 4/22, I recorded over 10,000 steps again, thanks to my round-trip hike across the Meridian Bridge [SEE "Road Trip" feature above.]
While I'm beginning to discern that this particular Mental Health Monday entry might be more for my own self-therapy, you can consider this my "public service" feature for today.
* Also a "stealth" fitbit update.
Reasons to be Anxious? Or Not . . .
Taglines from Drudge Report (4/24):- "PAPER: How FACEBOOK plans to taker over the world . . . " [Couldn't bring myself to read the article.]
- "CLAIM: 'Toxic' Friendships Can Lead to Heart Diseases, Cancer . . . " [Ditto.]
"Muslim Migrants in Germany Chant 'Adolf Hitler' & "Allalu Akbar' . . . " [Ditto . . . & please don't call me a "Hater."]
From Omaha World Herald (4/14): "Radioactive boars are overrunning farmland in Fukushima". [I couldn't bring myself to read the subsequent article . . . and now I feel guilty, but Fukushima is in Japan, not Nebraska.]
From Norfolk Daily News Ask the Doctor (4/14): "Dear Dr. Roach: Among individuals who die from heart attacks in their sleep, is there any statistical evidence that more of them were sleeping on their left or right side? Answer: Surprisingly, there is: Sleeping on the left side is more associated w/risk of heart attack. Another study showed that sleeping on the right side showed more vagal stimulation, which is associated w/healthy hearts . . . Sleeping position also has an effect on breathing, w/people sleeping on either side being less likely to stop breathing from obstructive sleep apnea than people who sleep on their backs . . . " [Although I was given a sleep apnea test @ the Mayo Clinic a few years ago--& "passed"--I have to say that this still makes me a little anxious. Why? Because of my hip replacement, I've been forced to sleep on my back for weeks & probably will continue to sleep on my back for several weeks to come . . . It also seems to me that I tend to sleep on my left side more often than my right side under "normal" circumstances.]
A Reason to be Depressed? Or Not . . .
A week or so ago I encountered a "feature" on Facebook that encouraged me to test for my I.Q. Foolishly, I fell for this gambit. My first result? A score of 146. I was devastated, especially as other family members began posting scores well above my pathetic result . . . However, the next day I sucked it up & tried again . . . Lo & behold, I scored a 157 . . . That was more like it, I told myself . . . Admittedly, a seed of doubt was beginning to form in my mind for multiple reasons * . . . The next day I decided to try this "test" one last time . . . I scored a whopping 169! . . . My conclusion? Without a doubt this test had proven to me that it had obviously been concocted by some of the leading empirical brain researchers currently in the field of, well, brain research . . . Obviously.* My lowly score on Day 1 made me wonder if I was failing to follow the directions correctly until my spouse--who [for the sake of full disclosure scored higher than I did] pointed out that this "game" did not involve a quiz, just an "analysis". **
** And my lengthy career as an educator, along with extensive experience reading & otherwise studying educational research, coupled w/{close to} multiple higher-educational, advanced degrees led me to honest suspicion of the inherent flaws of I.Q. tests & scores. ***
*** One last aside. Our parents, who were both teachers & had access to my siblings' & my achievement test & I.Q. scores, consistently refused to share the results with us {at least w/me}. They DID consistently let ME know that I consistently earned grades well below my potential. Thank you, Dad & Mom, for contributing to my low self-esteem! ****
**** Seriously, I'm over it . . . for the most part . . . & I love my father & mother.
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