To Health and Making a Difference: An Article by Melanie Bowen from MCA

Looking Outside to Improve the Inside

Life is hard at times. In fact, for most people, there are times in life when it seems like the obstacles in your way are simply insurmountable. This is the time when it is most important to look forward and find that place of inner strength.

Journaling as a Way of Going Forward

One way to work through the issues that we face is to start writing. Many individuals find that keeping a journal is a great way to work their way through feelings and thoughts in life. In fact, journal writing is often recommended by therapists as a way to explore inner feelings.

Writing in a journal is a safe place to explore your feelings and thoughts. In most cases, your journal will not be read by anyone except you, so you can write about frustrations or feelings of anger that might be difficult or hard to talk to anyone else about. Often, when we have things in life that are hard, we feel bad about being angry or upset and have a difficult time expressing those feelings. However, a journal is a perfectly acceptable place to express those emotions without anyone getting upset at you in return.

A journal is also a wonderful way to document your progression. For example, if you are facing a difficult illness like mesothelioma or life threatening event, you can write in your journal daily as part of your process of dealing with everything. Often, looking back and reviewing your journal, you can actually see your process and how you conquered your difficulties – you can actually see your strength shining through with each progressive journal entry.

The Value of Documenting Life’s Events

Sometimes, people use a journal as a periodic tool when life gets hard. One of the values of writing in a journal is that it is a way to document what you are going through and coping with as you journey through life. It can also have an added value of being a resource later in your life. When you are faced with adversity, you can go back and look at journals from earlier in life and see exactly how strong you are and that you have the ability to pull yourself up and go forward.

Journals can also be an inspiration for other people in your life. When you document what happens in your life, you create a legacy for others to look at later. Your children or grandchildren might be amazed when they come to realize that you faced a major illness or hard time in life and you fought through that prognosis with courage and succeeded. They might use your actions as they see them in your journal as an inspiration for dealing with their own hardships in life.

Keeping a personal journal can be a source of solace, a place to turn to when you just need a place to explore your inner feelings or a way to keep track of your own personal journey through life. Regardless of what kinds of challenges you face in life, keeping a journal is a way to document your own unique ways of meeting those challenges and can be a source for future inspiration, for both yourself and for generations to follow.

To Health and Making a Difference

At the end of March, I received a comment on my blog post "Adventure is out there" from a young lady who just happened to come across my blog. Her name is Melanie Bowen and she asked me to contact her because she had a question about my blog. I e-mailed her welcoming whatever questions she may have had for me. Below is the e-mail I received back from her:

Hi Jerrel,

I asked that you contact me after coming across and reading the great content on your blog— to log and catalog desires, wishes, and things you plan to accomplish is by far the most important aspect to actually undertaking goals! Most people do not put their thoughts on paper—consequently leaving them without tangible reminders and constant ambition. I’m sure you can imagine how important this idea could be for those going through health struggles regardless of what they may be. An individual going through treatment, in remission, and even the family members of those with chronic or terminal illnesses face everyday challenges of maintaining a quality of life—self-motivation and inspiration is the key!  
I’ve recently been invited to be a contributor on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog and have the ability to reach a wider audience. Awareness is an important factor when it comes to health and healing, so please let me know if you would be interested in allowing me to contribute a small guest post on your blog or if you would consider putting a link to my MCA blog on your site as a resource for your readers. I am eager to build up this concept of encouragement without intruding in on your own personal goals and accomplishments. So, if there are other ideas you have about ways we could work together, I’d love to hear them and I hope you are interested.

Thank you for all you do in making a difference,

Melanie Bowen
Part-time Blog Contributor: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
Blog: Milady Knows

First of all, I was excited to see that my blog had reached someone that I did not know. The only blog views and comments I got before this were from my friends who I had harassed to read and follow my blog. It felt great to learn that my posts were reaching a broader audience.

More importantly, I was honored to receive such a request. Although I nor anyone I know has been affected by Mesothelioma, there are plenty of people who are/were very close to me who have suffered from other types of cancer; some of whom lost their battle and some of whom can proudly claim they are survivors.

Fighting cancer is important to me and many others. Encouraging and supporting those who are battling all types of cancer and other illnesses is just as important as the medical and scientific research that is done to find cures for life-threatening illnesses. This is why, without hesitation, I decided to help Melanie and the MCA by using my blog to help spread awareness for Mesothelioma and promote their initiative to encourage self-motivation and inspiration.

Melanie has sent me an article that she would like me to post on my blog. Please see my next post to read the article. In the meantime, check out the MCA blog at http://mesothelioma.com/blog to learn more about how you can help the cause.

In the words of Ms. Melanie Bowen: "To Health and Making a Difference"

Sincerely,

J.A.B.

Baseball is Back!

I love basketball and football but baseball is, hands down, my favorite sport; which I'm sure is evident based on previous blog posts. I promise that I go to other sporting events. I went to a Celtics/Wizards game at the Verizon Center in DC this past January but failed to blog about it. Since so much time had past and it was before I decided to take the "adventure" route with my blog, I figured the opportunity had past. This baseball game, however, was less than a month ago so I figured the statute of limitations isn't up yet.

Danielle and I were looking at Nats and Orioles tickets as soon as they became available since they are the two teams closest to us here in Northern Virginia. As Boston Red Sox fans, our first priority was getting tickets to Nats/Sox games in DC and O's/Sox games in Baltimore. We ended up with tickets to an exhibition game between the Nats and the Sox on a Tuesday afternoon in early April.

We both requested half-days at work and made our way, via metro, into DC to Nationals Park. It was just as beautiful as we remembered it. The weather was gorgeous, especially for an afternoon in early April. It's one of the perks of living below the Mason-Dixon line, moderate temperatures. Being from New England, this is a big deal for me.

Another perk of living in the DC area is that a lot of people are originally from another part of the country. Many of the area residence migrated here from their hometowns/states for jobs. I am a prime example of that. With many people being from other places, you find there are a lot of fans of seemingly random teams. We first noticed on the metro that there were going to be more Red Sox fans at this exhibition game than Nats fans. I guess it's not too surprising given the population factor I just mentioned in addition to the Nats track record in the MLB. Either way, it was comforting to know we could be at an away game and still feel like we were routing for the home team. Check out the Pedroia jersey in front of us as we entered Nationals Park in Southeast DC.

The last Nats game we next to was on 9/11 this past year. We sat in cheap nosebleed seats but enjoyed our time anyway. This time, we had amazing seats which made our game time experience much more enjoyable. We sat behind left field in the second row behind the wall. Those seats are the best in my opinion because most people are right-handed and if a right-handed batter hits a homerun, the ball is more likely to come in my direction. I've always wanted to catch a homerun ball during a major league baseball game. I can only imagine the sense of accomplishment felt by those who have been lucky enough the caught one. Of all the people in the stadium, only one person gets to catch each homerun ball. Plus, it's like getting your fifteen minutes of fame. Everyone around you is excited for you because someone near them caught the ball; even though they're jealous that they didn't catch the ball instead. Also, if the homerun is featured on ESPN or another sports news broadcast, you're most likely going to be on the news, too. Let's face it, everyone loves to be seen on television.

Unfortunately for me, I was the jealous person excited that the ball was caught by someone near me. Two homerun balls came our way. The first one was almost caught by a middle-aged man but, instead of catching the ball, the ball hit him in the chest and it dropped back into the outfield. It was still ruled as a homerun though. The left fielder threw the ball back up into the stands and someone else near us caught the ball.

Then, another homerun ball came our way later in the game. It was caught by some one a couple rows back from the first guy who dropped the ball. The guy who caught it this time was right across the aisle from me. I was so close! When he caught it, he gave the ball to a little boy in the row in front of him. I know if I had caught the ball, despite how excited I would have been, I would have given it to the little boy who was sitting in front of me; even though he was a Nats fan who was openly rooting against my team.

I would have felt like a jerk if I didn't hand it over to him. Even if I didn't keep the ball, I at least could say that I have caught a homerun ball. That, in itself, would have been enough for me. Regardless of the fact that I had come so close to catching two homerun balls and failed, I had a blast at the exhibition game. And, the Red Sox won. It was a one run game which made me a bit concerned about the season ahead (which I was right to be worried about based on the season so far) but a win is a win.

The next day at work, some of my co-workers were complaining about the extra traffic that the ball game caused for them during their evening commutes and jokingly blamed me. I laughed it off knowing that they were joking but also that they were jealous that they hadn't gone to the game rather than working all day.



I love taking little day trips. They're like small doses of adventure that carry you over to the next big adventure. For me, this adventure was special because it got me out of work early for the day, it involved my favorite sport and my favorite baseball team, and I had great company. People should reward themselves with little adventures more often. It makes you happier.

Get out and enjoy the weather and the fun things that come with spring and summer time!

Sincerely,

J.A.B.

Adventure is out there!

As promised, it is now "tomorrow" and I have posted a new blog post. I/m a man of my word. As a man of my word, I truly do intend on having many adventures. In fact, I am so ready for adventure that I have an unofficial bucket list, some awesome day trips and vacations coming up this year, and a copy of 101 Things to Do in Virginia Before You Up and Die. I'm prepared. However, part of the excitement in an adventure is the spontaneity of it all. Thus, I plan to add a little spontaneity in each adventure I experience.

Adventures don't always have to be a big, epic course of events. They can be simple things like a trip to a book store, an impromptu picnic in a park, or a night of arts and crafts. I believe that adventure occurs whenever you step outside of your normal, daily, regimented schedule and shake things up a little bit. Again, you don't have to do something wild or crazy; just do something fun or enjoyable. That's all.

Today, I'm starting after work. I'm heading to a bar I've never been to before with some of my friends/co-workers for some drinks, good company, and live music. It's sure to be a good time. Then, this weekend, my cousin is having a birthday party at a club in Baltimore. The club scene is not my thing whatsoever but I think it'll be fun to do something outside of my comfort zone and help my cousin celebrate her birthday.

In this post, I am adding a goal to my unofficial bucket list. Side note: I call my bucket list "unofficial" because I've never actually written out a tangible bucket list. I just know what I want to do and/or experience before I die. Anyway, I am adding the activities from 101 Things to Do in Virginia Before You Up and Die to my bucket list. I am only setting the goal of completing as many as possible during my time here in Virginia. I will not consider it a failure if I don't complete all "101 Things" before I die or before I move away from Virginia.

As you may recall from my earlier posts, I am not originally from Virginia. Moving here was an adventure in and of itself. I don't plan on settling down here and living out the rest of my days here; that's why I've add "before I move away from Virginia" to the goal I've added to my bucket list. I guess it would just make sense to have a separate unofficial Virginia bucket list but it doesn't matter either way. Besides, it'll be easier to keep track of one bucket list as opposed to two.

I intend to have an adventurous evening and I hope you do, too. Who says Leap Day is the one day you get to do something fun? Not me, that's for sure.

Ambitiously,

J.A.B.

Happy Leap Day!

It was a year ago (yesterday) that I started this blog and posted my first post. My last post was on October 7, 2011. It's been awhile. But I'm back and ready to take this blog in another direction.

I graduated college in May 2010. I'm going on 2 years living in the "real world." I'm no longer a "recent college grad." Instead of focusing on post-graduate advice, I intend to share my adventures via this blog. 2012 is a new year and it has been full of new endeavors. There are still so many more endeavors to come. I'm going to document my adventures here...for real this time.

Today is Leap Day and they say you're supposed to do something exciting to celebrate the extra 24 hours we've been given. Thus, I decided to get back to sharing my adventures with everyone. I'll be back tomorrow to get started.

Taking a leap,

J.A.B.

Welcome to Nats Town!

Being the American I am, I love baseball! I love playing it and watching it, especially live at a ball park. As a Boston Red Sox fan, Fenway Park holds a special place in my heart. However, I enjoy spending time at any ball park watching a ball game. That is why I couldn't pass up the $9 Washington Nationals tickets advertised by Groupon (http://www.groupon.com/).

I bought two tickets (one for me and one for Danielle) for the Nats/Astros game on September 11th (Yes, it's how I started my day on 9/11. The visit to the Pentagon Memorial was later in the day). Danielle and I had never gone to a pro baseball game together. We've been to a couple of minor league games together but that's all. We were both very excited to go.

We went to the store before the game and bought some Nats gear because we didn't want to stick out like sore thumbs at Nationals Park in our Red Sox gear especially since the Red Sox weren't playing. I got a hat and a shirt and Danielle got a shirt.

We decided that taking the metro in would be a better idea than paying to park at the ball park for $20+. We have pretty much become metro pros. I'm proud of us haha. We got to the park about 20 minutes before the National Anthem and the 9/11 Remembrance ceremonies.

There were four mascots on the inside of the gate. They were the four Mount Rushmore presidents sporting Nats jerseys. Their jersey numbers reflected the order in which they served as president. George Washington was #1, Thomas Jefferson was #3, Abraham Lincoln was #16, and Theodore Roosevelt was #26.

There were people everywhere which I didn't expect because I didn't get the impression that the Nats were very popular. I guess I thought wrong. There are plenty of diehard Nats fans here in the DC area. I also assumed they weren't very popular because the team just came back to the DC area from Montreal.

There were vendors everywhere selling all sorts of Nats paraphernalia and food. There were also people from the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial passing out information about the memorial which is part of what lead us to the memorial after the game. We took the long way to our seats. In stead of taking the crowded, jam packed escalators, we walked up what seemed like miles of ramps until we finally got to the level our seats were on.

Our seats were way up in the nosebleed section but we had an awesome view of the game and the park. We sat next to this middle-aged couple who was throwing their peanut shells everywhere. Apparently, my feet and the area surrounding them were fair game for empty peanut shells. There was also a couple that showed up in the row in front of us during the 4th inning with there two young children; a daughter and a younger son. The mother was Asian and the father was White and their kids were adorable.

(For the record, that is not my leg/foot/ugly sneaker in the top left corner of this picture. It is the leg/foot/ugly sneaker of the man who was throwing his peanut shells on the ground. My thigh is in the bottom right hand corner of this picture. I kept myself as far away as possible from the shell thrower.)

However, the son couldn't have cared less about being at that game. He was probably only 3 or 4 years old. The mother was determined to take a series of cute pictures with her family as a group and then individually; something that only she was interested. The daughter clearly was humoring her mother and willingly participating whiel the son blatently protested.

The mother complained the whole game about how the son wasn't paying attention to the game. The daughter sucked all the syrup out of her snow cone before the ice had a chance to melt and complained about having a stomach ache. All the father wanted to do was watch the game which was difficult because his wife was complaining and demanding that he crack a smile for her little iPhone camera, his daughter was whining about a tummy ache, and his son kept shouting "are we going home yet?!" and "can we go home now?!"

That family didn't last past the 6th inning and they had only gotten there during the 4th. I'm thinking maybe the father was the reason they all went to the ball park. At one point when the mother brought her daughter to the bathroom, the father during around and asked Danielle and me how long Strausberg played and why they took him out. We answered his question and we started a little conversation until he noticed his wife heading back to her seat. That poor man. I digress. Back to the game.

The National Anthem was performed by a military band whose official title has slipped my mind completely. Throughout the game there were a ton of 9/11 commemorative events. From the first pitch to the 7th inning stretch, those serving in our nation's military were honored by the Washington Nationals, local businesses, and the First Lady of the United States of America, Mrs. Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama was physically pressent at the ball park. She was present via a pre-recorded video that I'm sure played at all ball parks across the country that day.

The Nats were taking on the Houston Astros. Not having a personal affinity to either team, I felt weird being there at first; but not out of place because I had my Nats gear on. I did, however, feel like I was betraying my beloved Red Sox by wearing Nats gear and cheering them on. I got over it. Why? Because baseball is baseball. I love baseball and there's no crime in that. Besides, what fun is there in watching a game without picking a team to root for?

As I watching the game and noticed myself getting into it - yelling things from my seat, cheering when a good play was made - the love I had for baseball as a kid suddenly felt real again. I was loving every minute of being at the ball park. The game going on below, the adoring fans, the little park activities for the kids, the beautiful weather, the concession stand food, and the genuine happiness of the people around me simply enjoying a game of baseball.

I was happy to see that Danielle was enjoying herself as well. Not only did we both enjoy ourselves but the Nats won, too! Also, because the Nats scored more than 6 points during the game, Hard Times Cafe was offering a free order of wings to anyone who brought in their ticket stubs. Danielle and I knew what we were doing that week.

Nationals Park was beautiful. I recommend, if you're a baseball fan at all and are in the DC area during baseball season, that you try to attend a Nats game. It is sure to be a good time. Since I am usually giving tips about surviving post graduation, I'll give a few based on my time at the Nats game that apply to post grad life.

1. Enjoy yourself

I've definitely highlighted this tip before. You are still young and have so much to experience. Go experience it!

2. Bargain Hunt

If I haven't told you already, my motto is: "If it's free, it's for me!" The caveat to that motto in the event that there is a price is: "If it's cheaper, it's a keeper!" I got my tickets from groupon.com. I have joined sights like Groupon, Living Social (livingsocial.com), and Home Run (homerun.com) to get deal on fun and exciting things to do in my area. They offer discounts and special deals on everything from restaurants, museums, and night life to outdoor activites, fitness classes, and, of course, sporting events. I am not being paid to plug these sites, I promise. It's free to join and beneficial for your wallet and peace of mind. You know, the pieces that worry about money and having something fun to do. You like that play on words, don't you? ;)

3. Use public transportation

You'll save money on gas and your won't have to worry about finding parking.

And that's the game!

Sincerely,

J.A.B.

Commemorating 9/11

10 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it still is hard to believe it occurred. Americans from coast to coast stood together as a united front against terrorism in honor of the victims of this terrible tragedy. Where Americans stand on the War on Terror is another story but, one thing is for sure, Americans will never forget 9/11.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2011, I was in the 8th grade. I, unlike many people, had no idea that this tragedy occurred. I went the entire school day without knowing. After taking the public city bus home from school, I still had heard nothing. I finally learned of the attack after 3pm when I got home from school. I remember walking into the house and my grandfather asked me if I heard what happened. I told him that I hadn't and he told me, "We were attacked!" I 100% thought he had lost it. I asked him for some clarification as I didn't understand what he was talking about. That's when he explained the events of that morning and told me to watch the TV because they've been covering the attack all day. I could not believe that this could happen in the United States of America but it had unfortunately.

At the time, I was a young teenager in Massachusetts. As hurt as I was and as sorry as I felt for the victims and their families, I still felt so disconnected from the tragedy. I didn't live near the areas that were attacked. In fact, I had never even been past western Connecticut in my entire life time at that point. Now that I live here in the Washington, DC Metro Area only minutes away from the Pentagon and a variety of other government buildings and historical American landmarks, I feel much more connected to the grief and horror felt by Americans in regard to the 9/11 attacks.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Danielle and I decided to visit the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. I had never been to the memorial before. I had heard about it, obviously, but still had never visited. On Sunday, September 11, 2011, the memorial was closed to the public from 5am to 5pm for a private memorial ceremony for the victims' families and politicians, including President and Mrs. Obama.

We showed up at the memorial just after 5:30pm. There were still a lot of people coming and going as I expected there'd be. The flag at the entrance was flying at half mast. Also, at the entrance, the wreath that President Obama laid at the site earlier that day was still there. On the ground behind the wreath, it read "September 11, 2011 9:37am" which is the date and time of the attack.

There were people everywhere taking a bunch of pictures. I was one of those people. There was a woman explaining the design of the memorial which was helpful because I really knew nothing about it.

I learned that the way the bench like structures were facing reflected whether the victim was in the building or in the airplane. Also, the structures were in rows according to each victim's year of the birth. The youngest victim was only 3 years old. The years ranged from 1930 to 1998. Under each structure there were little pools of water. At night, the memorial is lit up. I've heard that it is beautiful. I was there while the sun was still up so I didn't get to see it in the dark but I will definitely be back to see it all lit up.

As Danielle and I walked through the memorial and read the names of victims, we came across a bench that had red roses floating in the pool below. We saw another that someone had put red white and blue flowers on. Then, I witnessed the saddest part of the memorial. It wasn't part of the display, rather, it was witnessing grieving family members of the victims.

There were two sisters, who looked to be about the same age as me, at one of the bench like structures. One of the girls was sitting on the bench and looking up into the sky. The other girl was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed picking at the gravel. Both girls had tears running down there face from behind the sunglasses they were wearing. The direction in which the structure was facing, I could tell whomever they were mourning was in the building that day. I did not go over to the structure to read the name of the person as I did not want to be rude and interrupt them but I assume it was either their mother or their father.

Both of my parents are deceased but I could not imagine having loss either of them at the hands of this terrorist attack. I felt so sad watching them cry. I felt rude for staring but I couldn't help it. It is the first time I felt connected to this tragedy. As terrible as it sounds, I think I needed to become more real for me in order to feel a deeper connection to it.

For more information on The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, visit http://pentagonmemorial.org/ or http://www.whs.mil/memorial/

My heart goes out to those girls as well as the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and their family members.

Sincerely,

J.A.B.