MY DAD WAS MY HERO
My dad passed away in 1989 at age 76. He retired after a 34 year career as a medical worker at Boston City Hospital in January 1978. He loved his career being a caregiver.
The first six years of retirement were good to him but the last six not so good. He suffered much in and out of the hospital repeatedly until his last stay when he passed away only 12 years after retiring.
I can still remember vividly one of our last conversations when he asked me why God was punishing him. I smiled and told him, it wasn’t God doing the punishment but all those cigarettes he had smoked before he kicked the habit at 65 years old. He smiled back and to me I might be right about how unlucky those Luckies turned out to be.
When he gave up smoking he did it cold turkey. He never smoked again but sadly the damage was done.
There are so many addictive things out there from drinking too much, doing drugs and smoking tobacco. I drink way too much caffeine as much as six cups of coffee a day. I’m sure six cups a day isn’t good for you but still I do
Life is tough and perhaps that is why we lean on stuff to ease the struggle. At least for me my addiction is to caffeine and not to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. I can only imagine the daily pain of those far more lethal addictive substances.
Our lives are already are too brief to poison our bodies. Try stopping like my father but if not, never ever be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. It is out there for the asking.
By the way for the as two weeks I have cut down to four cups of coffee a day. Soon I will try getting down to two cups daily. I’m trying and at least that is a start
CHARLESTOWN & BEYOND
Last week, Mayor Marty Walsh showed up on Cookie Giordano’s “Charlestown & Beyond” BNN-TV show ( Comcast Channel 9 and RCN Channel 15 ) Walsh gave a good overview talking about all the issues surrounding the Wynn proposed casino in nearby Everett and how it will effect the Charlestown community and the flow of traffic through Sullivan Square.
If you missed it, don’t worry. Cookie says, you can always get it on Youtube at “Charlestown & Beyond.”
REVERE CITY COUNCILOR ROTONDO CORRECT
I read something by Revere City Councilor George Rotondo concerning drug addiction public policy that was refreshingly clear on this pubic health crisis. Rotondo beside being a city councilor is also a nurse and he is right on target when he says, “The task is simple,the moral imperative is clear and the need too great not to be bold.”
Spending billions yearly on incarceration, interdiction and policing is a failed public policy that has cost society in terms of human suffering and financial hardship. Rotondo believes we should be spending our tax dollars n treatment instead.
The old ways of handling this societal crisis need a good re-looking at. Rotondo is correct, we must think out of the box and out of a jail cell too.
Simply throwing addicts behind bars doesn’t help them or society. What do you think?
CHARLESTOWN GOING TO THE DOGS?
CharlestownDogs is a new dog owners group just formed to support dog owners and to bring the community together on a number of issues, including it would seem the issue of dog poop.
I have been a dog owner i n the past and I always tried being responsible when I took my dogs for walks. I became much more responsible the older I got. Back when I was 20 years old not so with my German shepherd named Rebel who I would sneak through the fencing at the Warren Prescott when I lived at number 12 Pearl St. I never carried bags or a pooper scooper. I thought poop was good for the environment. I think I was just rationalizing my poor behavior.
I am glad to see things have changed since 1968 and most dog owners know enough to pick up after their poochies.
CharlestownDogs is opened to all Townies and not just dog owners. To join, go to charlestowndogs.com.