Blog Single

Something about me…JoLene, Jo, The Star, dr, j all names that I have been referred to at different times in my life and for very different reasons, which is a whole other story in itself. I am a resident of Michigamme, Michigan, and I LOVE BEAUTIFUL MICHIGAN, especially the Upper Peninsula where I live! I guess you could say I’ve been around the block a couple of times, which really means I am dust in a dress, as one of my students referred to me. I have a rather colorful background, and I believe in being my brother’s or sister’s keeper; it is how I live my life. I believe that we need to take care of one another if this world is to survive. I believe in world peace and will never give up hope that one day we can all live together in peace as one; John Lennon said it best in his song Imagine.

I teach Psychology and Human Services courses online . Prior to my teaching life, I was an administrator for a Human Services Agency. It was a great experience, and I grew up in human services; I cut my teeth helping people. I learned more than I could ever say from my work/life mentor, Tim Vanaman, one of the smartest, gentlest, kindest men I have had the privilege to know.

He taught me to never back your enemy in a corner and not to play an ace when a deuce will take the hand. One of my greatest accomplishments while working in human services was helping to author the Veterans’ Bill of Rights for the state of Michigan. I am one of four authors, and it took us three years, which meant we amended Michigan’s constitution.

What an amazing journey that was. I left there when ‘a changing of the guard’ occurred, and the philosophy about human services work became less helpful than what I was accustomed to, and from there I joined Corporate America in the Human Resources Department. Oh, what an experience that was. I am not really conservative or traditional in my approach to the world or in life or work for that matter, thus, I knew I would need to move on, and that is when I began to work on my PhD. I did gain much insight from my experience with Corporate America, but when I completed my PhD, I began a new life teaching. I found that I belong in the classroom.

I absolutely LOVE teaching, it is my forte. I remember my Mom telling me as a child that I needed to be a teacher, however, being the rebellious person I was at that age, decided if Mom wants me to do that, I will do something different. In retrospect, Mom was right. Did somebody say listen to Mom for she is always right…Ha? I do NOT regret anything I have ever done relative to my work. I have gained much from all of my experiences.

I have four giant-sized dogs, two of which were rescued dogs. Dogs that people had either abandoned or given up on. I traveled to Ohio to get my oldest dog, Jazz, from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The person who had her found her too much and kept her in a small kennel where she could not stand up for the first 6 months of her life… She is a sweet, sweet girl, and her name might have been Houdini; she can open doors, open kennels to let dogs out, open cupboards, and is very smart.

Then there is Krammer, whom I again traveled to Ohio to pick up. He was with the Amish it was clear they did not want this guy…he is a great dog though; he is NOT the brightest dog in the pack. Arlo, I bought him from a breeder near where I live. He was an adorable little guy when he came home with me. He now weighs 170 lbs., is skittish around anyone he does not know, but craves constant attention. That brings me to Roxie, a little girl, my smallest, who is about 100 lbs. She came to me when a local neighbor was struggling to keep up with her care and knew I had a Newfy pack and asked if I would take her…of course I did.

Humor is quite possibly one of my favorite activities. I believe it makes for a more positive approach to the world. I have had mountains of what some call bad luck, but I have survived it all because I engage in humor and positivity regularly.

Well, that’s it for now, folks. I hope this gives you an idea of who I am.

Press on,
dr. j
P.S. I love the closing, Press on, and stole it from my all-time favorite professor, Terry Libkuman from Central Michigan University. He taught me much and helped to make me the person I am today. Press on, seems very positive to me, and suggests we always need to go forward, which is the only way I know to live my life

FIRST STORY

Welcome to “Backyard Miracles”! This column is a work in progress and will grow as I hear about more miracles or random acts of kindness from you, the ordinary folks out there who make this planet a better place to walk around on. I have been on the receiving end of many miracles that were delivered to me without the expectation of something in return.

Random acts of kindness are frequently the catalysts that stimulate another act of kindness. It’s the domino effect in action, and my guess is that many of you have been on both the receiving and giving end of these little miracles that very often go unnoticed. But as small as they seem, they are HUGE in a person’s life, and the giver may never know the difference they made by their small gesture.

The idea for this column came to me when a small act of kindness came my way from a local small business owner in the community where I lived. I am including the story below. It seems that all too often we hear of the negative issues that plague our nation and our communities; I believe that there are little miracles or random acts of kindness that occur all the time, but we rarely hear those; rather, we hear the doom and gloom. I would like to emphasize the kindness that humans are capable of expressing and begin a community of sharing that will hopefully stimulate more miracles and random acts of kindness and ultimately make the planet a better place to live.

According to Webster, altruism is defined as:
the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others
(opposed to egoism).

Animal Behavior behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

Social psychologists have been looking at altruism for some time, and though researchers don’t agree on why some people help and some don’t, there are several theories about this phenomenon. My goal is to share some of these theories and the research conducted to study altruism. Below you will find a study that asked the question, Are people more likely to help if they notice others helping?

Researchers Bryan and Test conducted research that suggests when helpful behavior is noticed, people are more likely to engage in helpful behavior themselves. In fact, they placed a female on a busy highway in Los Angeles next to a car with a flat tire. The female stood by the car and looked at the flat tire. Bryan and Test wanted to see how many people would help; 35 people stopped to help the female.

What is perhaps even more interesting is when Bryan and Test added another element to their study, i.e., they placed the female on a busy highway in Los Angeles next to a car with a flat tire adding a man pretending to change the tire and then placed another female ¼ of mile down the road with a flat tire by herself, 58 people stopped to help. Suggesting that random acts of kindness DO NOT go unnoticed, in other words, when we see people behaving in a helpful manner, we are more likely to help.

Mary from Shelby’s K-9 Bread and Breakfast in Coleman, Michigan, is the miracle in my backyard!

I lost my job, and it was really tough trying to make ends meet, as many of you might imagine. I had three giant-sized dogs that required much care. My oldest dog, Simon, a Newfoundland/Chow mix and a rescue, was my constant companion for about 13 or 14 years, and he became ill. I loved this dog, and he is my family. Those of you who have dogs know this feeling; those of you who don’t are really missing out.

At any rate, a visit to the vet was required. I could barely scrape up the money to take him in, but would give up anything to ensure that Simon had the care he needed. The vet gave Simon a treatment and told me that I needed to get him shaved (that was causing part of the trouble). It was a very expensive visit to the vet’s office, and I did not have the money to get him groomed, which is my usual practice, but again was happy to give up something so that Simon would be comfortable.

I contacted Mary at Shelby’s K9 Bed and Breakfast in Coleman; she had groomed my dogs only one time prior to this visit. We scheduled an appointment immediately, and when I told her everything that had happened, including the fact that I had lost my job and was working 3 part-time jobs just trying to get by. She was very understanding. Mary groomed Simon, and when I came to pick him up, she refused to take payment. Mary explained how important her pets are to her and that she understood how important Simon is to me. Mary said, “I don’t want any payment; you take the money you were going to pay me and put it toward Simon’s care”. I became teary-eyed; in fact, I have tears in my eyes as I write this story. I didn’t really know this woman, for crying out loud, I didn’t even know her last name, I didn’t count her among my friends, she was not one of my family members, but there she was helping me and Simon.  Mary is an incredible woman, she is compassionate about the pets of the world, hers or otherwise; she truly is her brother’s and sister’s keeper! Mary restored my faith in people. I am still amazed to find that there are miracles out there, and often they are in our own backyard. Mary is my miracle, and I want to thank her. I appreciate her more than words can express.  Who is your miracle?

My personal take on this is that every time one individual executes a random act of kindness, that person is promoting miracles. Every time another person sees or even hears about these little acts of kindness, they are more likely to perform their own miracle. Consequently, I challenge everyone to become part of the “Backyard Miracles” phenomenon and help.

Finally, I would like to hear from anyone who has been on the receiving or giving end of small miracles. Email me, call me, or send me your story so that I can publish your story and promote Backyard Miracles.

You may contact me at:
backyardmiracles@gmail.com
dr. j