The Devil’s Pet Goat

2^nd January 2012

Dear Cassi,

    

One of the more odd games I played in youth was some make believe story where the devil had turned a goats father to bronze and pulled the animal underground. The goat was a black goat we had at the preschool whose name is lost to me now.

    

We got the idea because there was a bronze sprinkler head near his pen that to us looked like his hoof. Little children see the world in funny ways some times. I recall that we had more often than once had this conversation about the sprinkler head. Every now and then we would brush away more of the loose dust and pretend we were on a quest the save the captured animal.

    

Living in a world of make believe was just what children did to pass the time and what a great way to do things it was. Now we try to find real things to fill the void and a bit of make believe couldn’t do us a bad turn.

    

I have little recollection of the preschool I went to as a child. I recall blue letters on a concrete building and green cots that we all slept on. Past that it’s mostly gone.

    

Was I a child who laughed and played? I guess I must have been. It’s good to remember happy times even as few as they have been for me.

Smile a moment, Cassi, and think of a happy day,

Richard Leland Neal

Vacuum Dust

 

LTCC vs. SCCT

How would you describe the differences between Krumboltz’s LTCC theory and Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s SCCT?

The LTCC and SCCT are similar theories of career development. However, one could say that the chief difference between the two is the attitude taken by each theory. The LTCC takes as its primary function to shape the person to deal with new problems and help them “cope” with their environment (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009, p. 78). In contrast the SCCT examines the cognitive mediators as if they were working with the environment. The idea of “self-efficacy” or the judgment of one’s own ability to execute actions and perform tasks (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009, p. 91).

                                 

The LTCC places a  good amount of pressure on the counselor as well as the counseled. We may understand this by examining the four basic fundaments laid out for this theory. Firstly, the job seeker, or any person needing or having employment, needs three things. These three things are to expand abilities and lexicon of experience, ready themselves to changes never thinking that their job offers true stability, and finally be empowered to act on plans to better their situation. The fourth, and lastly noted, need is for the counselor to address the whole of the client’s problems and not focus on one aspect (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009, p. 79).

Giving this further scrutiny it can be stated that “to expand abilities and lexicon of experience” would mean to have a profitable life outside of work that may lead to jobs in the future. For example my friend Ken took an interest in rock collecting. This became rock carving and shaping and ended its evolution as jewelry construction. Jewelry provides Ken a hobby for his retirement. By the time Ken retired he had acquired all he needed for this hobby and was in good position to become a jewelry maker at least in his own definition of the word.  Lately, Ken was in no need of employment as his pension would pay his bills but was in need of an affordable use of his time.

Then let us shift this to the point of view of the SCCT which evaluates situations based on values not efficacy. The SCCT also has four major factors being: personal satisfaction with the job preformed, observation of action by others, environmental pressure, and finally impact of actions on the self (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009, p. 91).  If these four factors drive positive outcome of if enough of the outcomes are positive the behavior will be reinforced and evolved. If the overall outcome is negative the behavior will be discouraged.

In Ken’s case, how does he feel about the jewelry he makes? We may see it as the progeny of a large aardvark and a hippopotamus, but if Ken finds satisfaction he will make more.  Secondly, he first observed others making jewelry and emulated this jewelry. The environment provided an opportunity to shape rocks and a framework for the shape those rocks should take. Third, some of Ken’s rocks were then used to make fishing poles which were entered in and won a contest. Ken then received pressure to make more jewelry. Factor four can be translated to what was the impact on Ken? He received encouragement and gratification.  Ken will keep playing with his rocks until that stops.

Looking at the two methods the largest contrast is that the LTCC works well for those who are unsure of themselves and have more problems in life. It would also be better applicable to younger clients as it involves active planned adaptation. The SCCT is more involved with bringing out or evaluating what is present already. LTCC’s expansion factor is not limited to  the existing environment and can be as relevant to a ten year old as to an eighteen year old.  SCCT may be hard to apply to those with fewer life expanses. An active eighteen year old finishing high school may have many experiences from which to draw making the SCCT work well but an eighteen year old who was home schooled will need the factors present in the LTCC.

Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. G. (2009). Introduction to Career Development Interventions. In Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century (3rd ed., Ch 2).

Hard Tea

 

Dark World

3^th December 2011

Dear Cassi,

    

One of the largest parts of my young life was my brother’s insomnia. We would stay up all night, and he would tell stories of the ‘Dark World’ which was little more than a compilation of the TV shows he watched. Sunday morning cartoons came to life in his head and became mixed with horror films my father would show him.

    

Who shows Friday the 13^th to a seven year old I have no idea, but old man Neal thought it was the right thing to do. I spent at least a decade of my life listing to every story of death, torture, and abuse that could come from the diseased mind of a pre to early teen horror film junky.

    

The worst of this was the lack of sleep that came along with these mental assaults. I would go to school with a head that felt like it was full of spiked led balls that I couldn’t hold up to save my life.

    

When I think about that it may have been the reason for my slow mental development. How can anyone grow up healthy when suffering from sleep deprivation? I can’t blame my brother for what he did back then, but I’m still angry that he refuses to take responsibility for things he did in his twenties.

    

The Dark World was the place where my earliest nightmares where born. It was a world no more or less obscene than our own but with all those horrific things lane out like puzzle pieces put together in a hellish mosaic.

    

You could say I have a dark mind, well, now you know why.

Stay safe, Cassi,

Richard Leland Neal

Golfer Pants

 

Secret to a Fence - Irish Proverb

 

The Marcus Case

2012

Here I was asked to apply four theories to one mental hath case regarding a 4 year old.

Poor kid has issues but as he doesn’t exist I feel okay about the whole thing.

Marcus case

Symptoms: aggression, limited vocabulary, a lack of self control, slow growth.

    

First and foremost a responsible clinician need rule out overt biological factors such as bad diet, child abuse, or even malformations of the scull. Once examined for these mental health can be examined.

Epigenetic factors

    

The most common and understandable reason for Marcus’s problem is childhood anxiety caused by a lack of parental attention or fighting by the parents. For whatever reason Marcus may be experiencing high anxiety levels and those levels will cause sleep disorder and a failure to thrive.

    

In this case his parents should be sent to counseling for their marital issues and should spend more time with their son. There could be genetic factors, but nothing will serve this unfortunate young man more than a loving nurturing home.   

   

Behavioral

    

Firstly Marcus must not have been exposed to the right behaviors to emulate and secondly his aggression must be reinforced somewhere in his environment. First question to ask: does your TV act as your babysitter? If yes: what is he watching. Marcus would be best served by Sesame Street and Bob the Builder. Nonviolent shows with reasonable speech patterns.

    

The second point would be to find where aggression is being rewarded. Often times when children act out the parents, teachers, and fellows do whatever will involve the least amount of work to stop the behavior. “Do you give you child a lolly to shut him up? Yes!? Bad parent, bad! Go to your room.”

Cognitive

    

The slow cognitive development of Marcuse is still the major point to examine. At four he should gain and understanding that his feelings are not universal and that may be the cause of his problem. Marcuse may feel shut off from others.

    

Again look for a factor that is causing the slow development. Good diet and parental involvement are the best recommendations, but cognitive restructuring will need to take place.   

Psychoanalytic

    

Simply put the Id has taken control over the ego and super ego due to an over or under stimulation. Engage in play therapy where the super ego is strengthened to combat the overpowering Id.

Bioecological

    

As the working of Marcuse’s genes, his ‘distal processes’ are beyond our control me must then focus on his ‘proximal processes’ or the child’s interaction with his environment. Again somewhere he is observing and emulating aggression. Remove this proximal and ad a new more healthy one.

Nod to the Blind Horse - Irish Proverb

 

Old Cover Letter

You will note this is a letter written before I knew better format. I’m sick so I’m not editing this one.

Dear (Book publisher),

What you have here is a children's picture book manuscript written in rhyme and teaching children the difference between pear the fruit and pair as in two things with some mention of to pare.

I yield to your better authority how it is all to be edited and produced. I have only the experience of reading to children as my guide in the area. I do know something of art work and printing so I can easily understand what limitations you set up. The poem is fifty-two lines but how many lines appear on one page is up to you.

I have been published three times in the past as a poet in periodicals. Once with my junior high school and twice in high school but have submitted nothing professionally.

Thank you for your time.

Richard Leland Neal
04/21/2010

Pterodactyl

 

Get My Name Right

Okay, not much of a letter, but cut me some slack. I’ve been updating every day for nearly sixty days now and I’m working a new job so I haven’t the time I used to have.

October 22, 2010

Mr. Williams,

In regards to the letter sent by you informing me of my aunt Sarah T. Shore's death, sir, I must inform you that you have recorded my name wrong. As you can see, it is Neal with an A not Neil with an I. Mr. Shore should know the last name of my mother, his late sister, and it deeply saddens me that this typo should arise.

You of a legal profession know how important a name can be so I ask you to update you records.

With respect,

Richard Leland Neal 

Roll Downhill

 

Bolt the Door - Irish Proverb

 

An Opportunity to Shine

This is another in the string of letters about the bull I went through as a theater arts student. The reference to “Blackboard” ia about an online learning environment.

You can never know if I’m in the right here unless I turn around and become a successful writer. Then, how many successful writers have they put into the field?

Mr. (Supervisor of Undergraduate Studies),

I’d like you to see the quality of play that is considered unacceptable for an in-class reading in our department. (The writing teacher) went so far as to delete this play from blackboard so that the other students could not see it or make comments. 

Note that this play is a first draft, and the goal was to represent the events as accurately as possible while maintaining comedy. The secondary goal was to provide adequate opportunities for the student body. You’ll note that there are opportunities for light, sound, choreography, and music composition. I would also like to state that this draft was turned in during the third week of the fall semester giving ample time to have it polished and ready for the end of spring.

In short, I gave (the university) an opportunity to shine only to have it thrown away like filth without justification or hesitation. I took the comments you made in 200 about the selfishness of my generation to heart wrote what I thought would better the school and the student body and for my labors received a set of insults that wounded me more deeply than if your play writing teacher spat in my face.

Richard Leland Neal

12/02/2008

Professional Mistakes - Frank Lloyd Wright

Asocial

2^nd November 2012

Dear folks at the Kevin and Bean show

This morning you talked about those of us who are asocial. I happen to be one of those folks with few friends and most of a very virtual nature so that if I decided to go out this weekend I’d likely do it alone. I can tell you that for me it started with child abuse. As a result of this I have always been depressed and untrusting of others.

I did have a small group of friends up until two thousand and nine, but I had a falling out with one of them who after nineteen years of friendship felt that it was too much to ask to get my name right. This led to him convincing most of our mutual friends to stop talking to me or lie to me. Now the folks I once spent most of my free time with have turned their back on me or are people I can’t trust.

Now I spend most of my free time alone, and I’m cool with that because only boring people get board.

Richard from Whittier

Anger and Restraint - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The Beauty of their Dreams

Helping Word - Henry Ward Beecher

Ghost Buster Lawn Gnomes 30 Doctor Tracy

Fuzzy Friday: Your Point

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 29

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 28 Tracy Looks

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 27 Harry Wolf

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 26 Harry

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 25 Sophia

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 24 Club Beats Ace

Fuzzy Friday: Pink Blanket Dog

Ghost Busters Lawn Gnomes 23 Tracy Looks Down the Hall

Ghost of Angry Memories

1^st of the year 2013

Dear Cassi,

         

In coming home I walked the cold hallways full of trash and junk to let the ghost of angry memories pass before making any attempt at work. What new horror could my family be planning for me? What can I do to protect myself?

         

I look at the mess and know that most of it is mine but also that I do the work assigned to Pickles day in and day out. If I had those ten hours back I spend over the weekend at washing dishes to address my own problems then I would make progress.

The dishes are his to do as I do the cooking and yet they are never done. As the kitchen sink is the only sink thanks to Pony Girl and her intervention into our construction I cannot wash my hands among the piles of crap and so must do his work before I can attend my own.

As my work room is littered with cups and such from my eating in front of the computer so is the kitchen table littered with remains of many of his meals. He found a place to keep his dog food on the kitchen floor.

It’s a battle here Cassi, a battle long fought but never won and I grow so weary of this nonsense. Still, I need to win the battle within myself before I can fight outside forces.

Win within, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal