Okay, right now I am in the middle of reading a captivating autobiography which accurately details living with schizophrenia. It's called "The Center Cannot Hold" by Elyn Saks.
In reading this book I am amazed at how vivid and true it is. Not many people have endured psychosis, depression, paranoia or delusions and yet are able to communicate the experience in a way others can understand. The truth behind so many of her simple statements is what got my attention.
Saks should be applauded for opening up her mind to others in a way that hopefully will work to dispel the stigma associated with living with a "severe mental illness".
Obviously every individual with Schizophrenia lives with it differently. Thoughts are as unique as the individual. I have to admit though, Elyn's process in dealing with her illness is much the same as mine has been. I highly encourage everyone to read this book. -MOPS
You can find it in your local library or on amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Center-Cannot-Hold-Journey-Through/dp/1401309445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282622733&sr=1-1
About Me
- Sarah
- I was born and raised in San Diego. Currently I'm a grad student at SDSU (class of 2013) studying Rehabilitation Counseling to help people with disabilities get the accessability and accomodations they need to achieve their potential! I'm an alum of Helix High, Rick's College & BYU. Yes, I'm a Mormon & I served a mission in The Texas Dallas Spanish/ASL Mission. Although it wasn't always true, I'm now successfully living with Schizoaffective Disorder. I've been blessed with a great family and many friends. Enjoy!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sarah-dipitous Jewelery
Hello all!
I've been making jewelry since about 1998. At first it was just fishing wire and seed beads, but in the past year I've launched into much more. I found a local supplier with amazing prices, colors, stones and glass allowing my jewelry quality to increase exponentially.
Many of you have asked me to post my jewelry on the blog so you can see it. My friend Heidi is a photographer and is building a light box to take professional pictures of the jewelry. Until then, you'll have to put up with my pictures. (Grin)
So, that's a sampling with more to come! -MOPS
I've been making jewelry since about 1998. At first it was just fishing wire and seed beads, but in the past year I've launched into much more. I found a local supplier with amazing prices, colors, stones and glass allowing my jewelry quality to increase exponentially.
Many of you have asked me to post my jewelry on the blog so you can see it. My friend Heidi is a photographer and is building a light box to take professional pictures of the jewelry. Until then, you'll have to put up with my pictures. (Grin)
Gladly Green
This necklace is made with dyed turquoise, glass and dyed shell with a silver, toggle clasp. And no, it really isn't shaped in a heart, only for the picture!
Sunshine Burst
Made with dyed shell, dyed turquoise, and rock. It has 14ct. gold plated earrings and toggle clasp. A friend of mine fell in love with this one and couldn't wait to buy it.
Friendly Flower
My aunt commissioned me to make this piece for her. It is actually made of amethyst & glass with a silver flower pendant and toggle clasp.
Sea Peacock
Made with cut, simulated abalone and peacock colored wooden beads with a silver, toggle clasp.
Sensual Saturn
Interesting in design because each shell circle has a black agate bead in the center. This design is completely original and very labor intensive. However the finished product is well worth it.
I've never gotten so many compliments on any other piece.
I made one with purple glass beads in the center. It was sold the very next day!
Tenacious Turquoise
Made of genuine turquoise and wooden beads with a brass clasp.
I love the rugged earthy feel to it!
(Also has matching earrings.)
Zany Zebra
(I made this piece for a dear friend who had just returned from her mission to Madagascar. That stone is actually called a zebra stone and when I saw it, I knew instantly it was a perfect commemoration!)
Who learns most when teaching lessons?
(This is an entry I wrote back in July and never posted)
Okay, so today I have been working on the Relief Society lesson for tomorrow. (for those who don't know what relief society is, it's the Women's organization of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any lady 18 or older can participate. It's a lot of fun, and I love doing things with the RS) I've been reading the article (Developing Good Judgement and Not Judging Others" by Elder Schwitzer I'll put the link at the bottom of the page.) over and over again since last Sunday and I really don't know how to approach it. I think I have taught two other lessons in the past ... ten years ... and gee... this is a tough topic. Probably one I needed to teach in order to put the appropriate amount of reflection into allowing myself to change.
Judging others is a weakness that I've been trying to overcome for a LONG time. I've realized I have no business making a judgement about someone else because I have no clue what experiences they've had and what has brought them to where they are right now. I mean, when I think about it, my high school friends and I had this running joke about an imaginary Mountain View Mental Hospital and how we were going to ship different people off there because they were obviously insane. None of which I remotely understood and therefore felt completely comfortable making fun of others with those types of problems.
How wrong I was! Enter my illness. Suddenly I found myself shipped off to several very real institutions and realizing that these people were just as normal as I was, they were struggling with life in a way I would only come to understand through years of going through it myself.
It's often easy and often more comfortable to make fun of something we don't understand than to put forth the effort necessary to comprehend it.
I've made some very dear friends while living in group homes, crisis houses, hospitals and institutions. Some of these people are absolutely hilarious and really have a way of lifting my spirits. All of whom I would have never even met had I not experienced a mental illness and the anguish, joy, humiliation, peace and down right bizarre life that can accompany it. All of whom I had completely discounted as a teenager.
Now when people do things, the first question I ask myself is why? What's their motivation? It's interesting because we can honestly never know. The only person who can see the whole picture is God. He's the only one who can truly not look on the outside appearances of a situation but instead look at our hearts. That doesn't justify our good or bad behaviour. But it does at least give us leeway for those things that not a single other person can understand in this world. And only He can take a step back and, if we let him, lead us to a better place in our lives, relationships, beliefs, hopes and expectations. Love, MOPS
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=1810de009da38210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
The interesting thing about this lesson is it just didn't come together until the very LAST minute.
The entire week I was preparing for this lesson, I kept getting caught up in how many times I've been judged by hundreds of people because of my illness.
I've even had friends call others and forbid them to let me become a roommate because I was too ill. However, at that particular time in my life, I was stable. It made me boil with anger because that old friend hadn't seen me in two years and had no clue how well I was doing.
As I was thinking about being judgemental during Sacrament meeting (the day I was to teach the lesson) I realized something very important. Here I was judging someone for judging me. The irony of the situation was mind boggling.
I had gotten mad and frustrated with people for making rash judgements about me and in the process I was judging them.
They were making judgements about me because they'd seen me ill (in a completely debilitating manner) for nearly 11 years. Yet, because they hadn't been around recently & and able to see my stability, they assumed I was still ill. If I had been around someone who'd been ill for so long, I would assume they were still ill too.
I judged people just as harshly as they had judged me. Lesson Learned!
Okay, so today I have been working on the Relief Society lesson for tomorrow. (for those who don't know what relief society is, it's the Women's organization of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any lady 18 or older can participate. It's a lot of fun, and I love doing things with the RS) I've been reading the article (Developing Good Judgement and Not Judging Others" by Elder Schwitzer I'll put the link at the bottom of the page.) over and over again since last Sunday and I really don't know how to approach it. I think I have taught two other lessons in the past ... ten years ... and gee... this is a tough topic. Probably one I needed to teach in order to put the appropriate amount of reflection into allowing myself to change.
Judging others is a weakness that I've been trying to overcome for a LONG time. I've realized I have no business making a judgement about someone else because I have no clue what experiences they've had and what has brought them to where they are right now. I mean, when I think about it, my high school friends and I had this running joke about an imaginary Mountain View Mental Hospital and how we were going to ship different people off there because they were obviously insane. None of which I remotely understood and therefore felt completely comfortable making fun of others with those types of problems.
How wrong I was! Enter my illness. Suddenly I found myself shipped off to several very real institutions and realizing that these people were just as normal as I was, they were struggling with life in a way I would only come to understand through years of going through it myself.
It's often easy and often more comfortable to make fun of something we don't understand than to put forth the effort necessary to comprehend it.
I've made some very dear friends while living in group homes, crisis houses, hospitals and institutions. Some of these people are absolutely hilarious and really have a way of lifting my spirits. All of whom I would have never even met had I not experienced a mental illness and the anguish, joy, humiliation, peace and down right bizarre life that can accompany it. All of whom I had completely discounted as a teenager.
Now when people do things, the first question I ask myself is why? What's their motivation? It's interesting because we can honestly never know. The only person who can see the whole picture is God. He's the only one who can truly not look on the outside appearances of a situation but instead look at our hearts. That doesn't justify our good or bad behaviour. But it does at least give us leeway for those things that not a single other person can understand in this world. And only He can take a step back and, if we let him, lead us to a better place in our lives, relationships, beliefs, hopes and expectations. Love, MOPS
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=1810de009da38210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
The interesting thing about this lesson is it just didn't come together until the very LAST minute.
The entire week I was preparing for this lesson, I kept getting caught up in how many times I've been judged by hundreds of people because of my illness.
I've even had friends call others and forbid them to let me become a roommate because I was too ill. However, at that particular time in my life, I was stable. It made me boil with anger because that old friend hadn't seen me in two years and had no clue how well I was doing.
As I was thinking about being judgemental during Sacrament meeting (the day I was to teach the lesson) I realized something very important. Here I was judging someone for judging me. The irony of the situation was mind boggling.
I had gotten mad and frustrated with people for making rash judgements about me and in the process I was judging them.
They were making judgements about me because they'd seen me ill (in a completely debilitating manner) for nearly 11 years. Yet, because they hadn't been around recently & and able to see my stability, they assumed I was still ill. If I had been around someone who'd been ill for so long, I would assume they were still ill too.
I judged people just as harshly as they had judged me. Lesson Learned!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
School is ALMOST here!!
Greetings!
Yay! School starts on the 30th and I am SO EXCITED! I have all my books and all my pens ready! I've even had this hankering to begin reading those books .... so I did! Weird huh?
I've been looking to move to somewhere nice and peaceful that would be closer to school and I think I found it. So ... I've got to start packing. My parents are taking me over tonight to just solidify things. Can I just tell you I am looking forward to this move in ways no one can understand! No more yippy dogs ... Did I ever mention I'm NOT a dog person? Dogs are nice to look at from afar.
I wrote an article for The Seagull again and I am working on another one!
Work has been going okay. I am realizing the insanity of working with a company who has a computer system of the dark ages. Our computers are constantly down or kicking us out and then telling us when we sign on again that our passwords are invalid. (sigh) BUT I will only be working there until school starts and then I will be a starving student! (I'm accepting donations! ha ha!) Of course I may be one in the literal sense because heaven knows I can't cook! Anyone have tips for ways to plan a weeks worth of food for one person. Ideas for a meal plan? In this new place I will not be sharing groceries. Which is good because I won't run the risk of offending my roommate for not eating her scary meat dishes and BAD because my roommate really had a knack for pulling together recipes I'd never tasted before. In someways I feel like this move is probably akin to when I left home for the first time because I had no idea how to cook or plan meals then either. Anything I had learned food-wise was completely erased with the ECT. Too bad they don't have classes for these things. I really could use one!
Anyway! I'd better get to the packing! Love you guys! -MOPS
Yay! School starts on the 30th and I am SO EXCITED! I have all my books and all my pens ready! I've even had this hankering to begin reading those books .... so I did! Weird huh?
I've been looking to move to somewhere nice and peaceful that would be closer to school and I think I found it. So ... I've got to start packing. My parents are taking me over tonight to just solidify things. Can I just tell you I am looking forward to this move in ways no one can understand! No more yippy dogs ... Did I ever mention I'm NOT a dog person? Dogs are nice to look at from afar.
I wrote an article for The Seagull again and I am working on another one!
Work has been going okay. I am realizing the insanity of working with a company who has a computer system of the dark ages. Our computers are constantly down or kicking us out and then telling us when we sign on again that our passwords are invalid. (sigh) BUT I will only be working there until school starts and then I will be a starving student! (I'm accepting donations! ha ha!) Of course I may be one in the literal sense because heaven knows I can't cook! Anyone have tips for ways to plan a weeks worth of food for one person. Ideas for a meal plan? In this new place I will not be sharing groceries. Which is good because I won't run the risk of offending my roommate for not eating her scary meat dishes and BAD because my roommate really had a knack for pulling together recipes I'd never tasted before. In someways I feel like this move is probably akin to when I left home for the first time because I had no idea how to cook or plan meals then either. Anything I had learned food-wise was completely erased with the ECT. Too bad they don't have classes for these things. I really could use one!
Anyway! I'd better get to the packing! Love you guys! -MOPS
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