Doc Warren

Some of you have emailed me these past months and thanked me for the upbeat, spiritual, “old timey” type blogs that I post. Many of you have touched me with the kind words that you have written. While I try to keep upbeat and I love my work, there are times when I think all of us want to for at least a moment, take our shingles down from the building and walk away. This can be due to the low pay, lack of respect, insurance red tape or a host of things. Most of us work through those feelings and return to do our part to make a difference while others finally move on to brighter pastures. I don’t know when my time will come to hang it up but when I do, I am sure there will be a tractor, cowboy hat, denim and a flannel involved.

“The trailer has a flat tire. If you have a spare I will change it for you while you are gone tomorrow.” “I don’t have a trailer.” Confused because we have used the darn thing for several loads of dirt “um, we’ve been using it for days and it’s still hooked up to the tractor.” Deadpan New England response follows:”that’s not a trailer, it’s a preceder.”

Sometimes I think the difference between a wise man and a mule is that the mule knows that no matter what it does, it has likely been done before and stubbornly refuses to repeat history. The “wise man” on the other hand typically walks through life with eyes wide open but often with his mind closed to the possibility that “his discovery” was once common knowledge to those that preceded him.

I think the first real discussion I had on the topic of being congruent came in my undergrad theories of counseling class. As a fresh faced freshman it appeared to be a new concept; one that appeared complicated on its surface but also one that was slap my forehead “I could have had a V8!” simple once I thought about it. As clinicians we have had it pounded into our beings regarding the importance of being congruent with our style, clients and our life in general. We all likely could point out many cases where our elders may have failed in some ways; it always seems easier to point out failures than to take the time to recognize people when their actions match their words and vice versa. Maybe this entry will help change that a bit.

Recently I was on my way to pick up a volunteer who lacked transportation. On my way to him I could not help notice several foreclosure notices and one auction notice, all within a mile of my office. My mind started wondering at the plight of these people and soon the song “Rain on the Scarecrow” by John Mellencamp filled my head. That song focused on the plight of the American Farmer who has endured all the setbacks that the land and nature in general could throw at them only to be felled by the pen of the local banker; foreclosure is the one thing that can end their legacy. I thought about the half dozen or so clients who have lost their homes or are still desperately struggling to save their homes and of all the clients who have lost their insurance coverage after losing their jobs. While I have tried to keep everyone in treatment that needed it even if they could not pay, I have not been able to keep them all and keep this office open.