642 Things to Write About

I bought a book earlier this year titled, 642 Things to Write About. I have wanted to do some writing that requires me to use a pen and paper because I think it’s important to work on my handwriting, and I don’t often get the chance to do so being on the computer all the time; plus, pen and paper requires me to slow down and think as I write.  Another reason is that it is something I can keep private.  Although I am fairly open on my blogs, I will sometimes begin to feel too exposed and withdraw, which makes me feel less authentic, and leads to not enjoying writing via my blogs.

I have read many of the questions in the book and I have bookmarked several that inspire me:

• The difference between the first death you remember and the most recent one (my mom’s dad, my grandfather; and my mother)
• The moment you knew you were no longer a child (when my foster mother and the social worker told me I needed to learn how to be a kid, at age 11)
• Think of an object that describes you.  Describe it.  (this one is a hard one and I haven’t come up with an answer yet)
• What does Writer’s Block feel like (perhaps this blog post?)
• Your most treasured photograph (it’s hard to chose one, but I think I know which one and will have to share why on another blog post)

There are so many good things to inspire me to write more and, yet, I haven’t written anything down.  Well, I figured I would tackle one electronically that is related to technology.  Maybe by starting, I will write more.

Google search your own name.  Write about the search result that is the closest to your name, but isn’t you.

Well first of all I don’t know why I ever feel exposed on my blog.  If you google my name there are 3 pages of results of ME, before you find something that isn’t about me.  I have sort of approached my online presence as something that is part of the world we live in these days and once enough people are online, we all become anonymous again anyhow.  Perhaps I’m taking a risk by having so much of myself out there, perhaps not.  I don’t really worry too much about it.

The first item that comes up, but isn’t me, is a request for donations for starving, abused children outside Salinas, CA from March 2014.  The donations were being handled by Susan Derichsweiler, the President of Hartnell College Foster & Kinship Care Education, an organization that works with Monterey County Department of Social Services.

Google’s algorithm is pretty darn good!  It pulled together elements I have written about in public places (and done a google search on) – disadvantaged children, poverty, abuse, kinship care/adoption, social services, foster care, and of course my name.  However, I am impressed with the coincidence that there is a S. Derichsweiler, who works in a field that so closely relates to prominent things in my life, and lives in a city that is more or less my name.

The story itself is very sad.  There were three children, ages 8 (girl), 5 (boy), and 3 (boy), who were found in a home, with the oldest chained to the floor and wall with shackles from her neck and ankles to prevent her from accessing food.  The two adult women in the home were the adoptive parents of the oldest two, and the youngest was the biological child of one of the women.  The women were taken into custody, awaiting hearings on felony charges including child cruelty, child endangerment of causing great bodily injury, torture, and false imprisonment.  Additionally, animal control rescued 14 animals, including: 3 dogs, 3 fish, 6 cats, 1 bird, and 1 goat.

I can’t find an updated article discussing the outcome, but the children were placed in foster care (separate homes).  I am thankful for those individuals who realized the children had missed several appointments and asked the sheriff to do a welfare check.

The first article I found had a list of warning signs for child abuse or neglect from the Mayo Clinic:

• Unexplained injuries, such as bruising or burns, especially in the shape of objects.
• Behavioral changes. Child may appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive.
• Return of earlier behaviors, like thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers. Some children may experience language or memory loss.
• Fear of going home.
• Changes in eating patterns characterized by rapid weight gain or loss.
• Sleep disruption. Some children may experience more frequent nightmares or insomnia and may appear tired.
• Frequent absences or unusually poor performance at school.
• Lack or personal care or hygiene. A neglected child may be consistently dirty or lack appropriate clothing for the weather.
• Risk-taking in older children. May include drug use, attempts to runaway or harm himself.
• Inappropriate sexual behaviors.