CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS PEER COUNCIL CORNER

Transcription

1 FALL 2013, ISSUE NO. 9 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS The White Picket Fence is now accepting submissions for our Winter issue. Please submit your stories, poems, and other works of self-expression to: vjas517@gmail.com or jasongellert1@aol.com PEER COUNCIL CORNER WITH MICHAEL GARDEN We celebrated the hot days of summer with a splash at Ms. Flynn s hosted Beach & Pool Party. 20 of us attended for sun, fun, food and frolic. We continued our monthly meeting and movie format at the Lake Worth Office featuring Pay It Forward. Oh yes, and we shared pizza and popcorn. [Editor s Note: Best popcorn in Palm Beach!] For some fun out of the sun, 13 of us gathered at the newly remodeled Palm Beach County Science Museum & Aquarium. We ventured into the depths of Earth and Space and took in hands-on exhibits. Where The Pretty Flowers Grow The trip down memory lane was slippery, and stinky. The pictures were so artificial I had to touch them to make sure it was me it WAS me. I'm living in a magical pharmaceutical sinful garden where all the pretty flowers grow. it's simple that greed falls like snow. smells the oh-so-fresh plastic pretty flower garden Enchanting...hardly, Enticing...sometimes. Exiting...existing. always and always, pretty little growing flowers. -Scarlet Fever For the month ending in August, we had a productive office meeting with 13 peer attendees and followed this up with a movie, Of Two Minds, a documentary about bi-polar disorder. Pizza and popcorn, compliments of the chef. As scheduled, we shared another yoga class led by Gia. Sign up for September space is limited. We ve set the date for our in costume Halloween Party: Saturday, November 2nd at 2pm. The party will take place at the Lake Worth office lots of tricks and treats. Don t forget the NAMI walk coming up in November. All proceeds will benefit NAMI. Check us out on Facebook and on our website. Meet me on the plantation steps. It s okay. Baggy jeans. A hoodie. Wear whatever you want. I ll open the door. I will let you in. Rae Paris from The Forgetting Tree

2

3 Page 3 FALL Peer-to-Peer Course Begins Sunday 10/13/13 Lake Worth NAMI Office th Avenue North 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Please call Lynsey to register: Yoga Words for Daily Living -by Gia Sweeney Yoga Teacher Do your practice and all is coming, Sri K. Pattabhi Breath is most important. Look to others for inspiration only not to compare or compete. Slow and steady wins the race. Aesop Smile. It s in the small, subtle changes. Surrender into the pose. It s by thy grace that I feel, Snatam Kaur (song lyrics) A heartfelt Namaste. Pray When I find myself in times of stress, From which I can t escape duress, I fold my arms and start to pray, To watch myself begin to play. I reenact the time and place, In which I find a higher space. For prayer doth save me many times, To make me feel the most sublime. -Jason Gellert NAMI/PBC FREE Adolescents Support Groups Ages :30pm to 4:30pm Ages :30pm to 6:30pm Registration required. Please contact NAMI

4 PETS I don t have family in Florida, and, as much as my friends mean to me, they don t live with me. But Dublin and Cali do. They are my cats. I found them in the yard one day, and though they had a Mom I know how hard life is for feral cats. I picked them up off the scrap heap, promising to give them a long, healthy life. One is an orange tabby with brown eyes that looked up at me with curiosity. I named him Dublin, a real Irishman, with his carrot color hair. I immediately took to him. When he was a kitten, I would take him under the covers with me at night and kiss his little paws before we fell asleep. Cali was Calico with beautiful gray eyes that asked for protection. Very petite and graceful she was more timid than Dublin and had to be coaxed before she would come to me. But she did. They both did. We moved twice in the next year. One apartment was near a main street and Dublin could not be kept indoors all the time. He would jump up and try to twist the knob with his paws; he would cry. Every time I let him out I feared he would cross that street at the wrong time. Then we moved to where we are now. It s a small cottage behind the main house. There s a backyard lush with trees and bushes that both cats love to play in or just stretch out lazily in the sun. My cats are not trained as service animals, but they take care of me at least as much as I take care of them. -Valerie Storer Understanding Strength comes from love and understanding. Always compromise for an uncompromising person. Conceit is power for power's sake. Always remember that, when you look into the mirror, You are seeing your inverted reflection. Always appease the parts in others that you like least in yourself. Love another as you would love yourself. Self-love, unconditional, allows Happiness. Those who seek the light at the end of the tunnel Are often blinded by it. Send us a story about your pet/s with some pix. We will feature you and your animal/s in our December issue. info@namipbc.org Jason Gellert

5 National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County th Avenue North, Suite D Lake Worth, FL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BEACH, FL PERMIT NO Or Current Resident NAMI Membership exists at 3 levels: Affiliate, State & National NAMI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Together, we can continue to fight for all those affected by mental illness. PLEASE NOTE: In order for NAMI/PBC to receive your full donation, please send your donation to the NAMI/PBC office. Thank you! FL SOLICITATION REGISTRATION NUMBER: CH6498 A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING ( ) TOLL- FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Members are NAMI/PBC s lifeblood; your joining helps us continue to provide free outreach, support & education. In bringing mental health issues to wider attention, we advocate for better treatment. As our membership base grows, our voice becomes stronger. Respect, Compassion & Hope NAMI Works! Membership: Regular $35 Open Door $3 Sponsorships (includes membership): Corporate $250 Professional $65 Family $55 I d like to support NAMI PBC with a donation of: $25 $50 $100 other: $ I m interested in volunteering with NAMI/PBC I wish to receive NAMI National s solicitations.