Quote of the Week

Hellen Keller- Womens History Month

                                                               

Hellen Keller 

American educator Helen Keller overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf to become one of the 20th century's leading humanitarians, as well as co-founder of the ACLU.

Who Was Helen Keller?

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In 1882, she was stricken by an illness that left her blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. In 1920, Keller helped found the ACLU. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments.

Early Life

Helen Keller was the first of two daughters born to Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. She also had two older stepbrothers. Keller's father had proudly served as an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The family was not particularly wealthy and earned income from their cotton plantation. Later, Arthur became the editor of a weekly local newspaper, the North Alabamian.

Keller was born with her senses of sight and hearing, and started speaking when she was just 6 months old. She started walking at the age of 1.

Loss of Sight and Hearing

In 1882, however, Keller contracted an illness—called "brain fever" by the family doctor—that produced a high body temperature. The true nature of the illness remains a mystery today, though some experts believe it might have been scarlet fever or meningitis. Within a few days after the fever broke, Keller's mother noticed that her daughter didn't show any reaction when the dinner bell was rung, or when a hand was waved in front of her face. Keller had lost both her sight and hearing. She was just 19 months old.

As Keller grew into childhood, she developed a limited method of communication with her companion, Martha Washington, the young daughter of the family cook. The two had created a type of sign language, and by the time Keller was 7, they had invented more than 60 signs to communicate with each other. But Keller had become very wild and unruly during this time. She would kick and scream when angry, and giggle uncontrollably when happy. She tormented Martha and inflicted raging tantrums on her parents. Many family relatives felt she should be institutionalized.

Educator Anne Sullivan

Looking for answers and inspiration, in 1886, Keller's mother came across a travelogue by Charles Dickens, American Notes. She read of the successful education of another deaf and blind child, Laura Bridgman, and soon dispatched Keller and her father to Baltimore, Maryland to see specialist Dr. J. Julian Chisolm. After examining Keller, Chisolm recommended that she see Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, who was working with deaf children at the time. Bell met with Keller and her parents, and suggested that they travel to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts. There, the family met with the school's director, Michael Anaganos. He suggested Helen work with one of the institute's most recent graduates, Anne Sullivan. And so began a 49-year relationship between teacher and pupil.

On March 3, 1887, Sullivan went to Keller's home in Alabama and immediately went to work. She began by teaching six year-old Helen finger spelling, starting with the word "doll," to help Keller understand the gift of a doll she had brought along. Other words would follow. At first, Keller was curious, then defiant, refusing to cooperate with Sullivan's instruction. When Keller did cooperate, Sullivan could tell that she wasn't making the connection between the objects and the letters spelled out in her hand. Sullivan kept working at it, forcing Helen to go through the regime

As Keller's frustration grew, the tantrums increased. Finally, Sullivan demanded that she and Keller be isolated from the rest of the family for a time, so that Keller could concentrate only on Sullivan's instruction. They moved to a cottage on the plantation.

In a dramatic struggle, Sullivan taught Keller the word "water"; she helped her make the connection between the object and the letters by taking Keller out to the water pump, and placing Keller's hand under the spout. While Sullivan moved the lever to flush cool water over Keller's hand, she spelled out the word w-a-t-e-r on Helen's other hand. Keller understood and repeated the word in Sullivan's hand. She then pounded the ground, demanding to know its "letter name." Sullivan followed her, spelling out the word into her hand. Keller moved to other objects with Sullivan in tow. By nightfall, she had learned 30 words

A Formal Education

In 1890, Keller began speech classes at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston. She would toil for 25 years to learn to speak so that others could understand her. From 1894 to 1896, she attended the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City. There, she worked on improving her communication skills and studied regular academic subjects.

Around this time, Keller became determined to attend college. In 1896, she attended the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, a preparatory school for women. As her story became known to the general public, Keller began to meet famous and influential people. One of them was the writer Mark Twain, who was very impressed with her. They became friends. Twain introduced her to his friend Henry H. Rogers, a Standard Oil executive. Rogers was so impressed with Keller's talent, drive and determination that he agreed to pay for her to attend Radcliffe College. There, she was accompanied by Sullivan, who sat by her side to interpret lectures and texts.

By this time, Keller had mastered several methods of communication, including touch-lip reading, Braille, speech, typing and finger-spelling. With the help of Sullivan and Sullivan's future husband, John Macy, Keller wrote her first book, The Story of My Life. It covered her transformation from childhood to 21-year-old college student. Keller graduated, cum laude, from Radcliffe in 1904, at the age of 24.

In 1905, Sullivan married John Macy, an instructor at Harvard University, a social critic and a prominent socialist. After the marriage, Sullivan continued to be Keller's guide and mentor. When Keller went to live with the Macys, they both initially gave Keller their undivided attention. Gradually, however, Anne and John became distant to each other, as Anne's devotion to Keller continued unabated. After several years, they separated, though were never divorced.

Social Activism

After college, Keller set out to learn more about the world and how she could help improve the lives of others. News of her story spread beyond Massachusetts and New England. She became a well-known celebrity and lecturer by sharing her experiences with audiences, and working on behalf of others living with disabilities. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Keller tackled social and political issues, including women's suffrage, pacifism and birth control. She testified before Congress, strongly advocating to improve the welfare of blind people. In 1915, along with renowned city planner George Kessler, she co-founded Helen Keller International to combat the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition. In 1920, she helped found the American Civil Liberties Union.

When the American Federation for the Blind was established in 1921, Keller had an effective national outlet for her efforts. She became a member in 1924, and participated in many campaigns to raise awareness, money and support for the blind. She also joined other organizations dedicated to helping those less fortunate, including the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund (later called the American Braille Press). 

Soon after she graduated from college, Keller became a member of the Socialist Party, most likely due in part to her friendship with John Macy. Between 1909 and 1921, she wrote several articles about socialism and supported Eugene Debs, a Socialist Party presidential candidate. Her series of essays on socialism, entitled "Out of the Dark," described her views on socialism and world affairs.

It was during this time that Keller first experienced public prejudice about her disabilities. For most of her life, the press had been overwhelmingly supportive of her, praising her courage and intelligence. But after she expressed her socialist views, some criticized her by calling attention to her disabilities. One newspaper, the Brooklyn Eagle, wrote that her "mistakes sprung out of the manifest limitations of her development."

Work and Influence

In 1936, Keller's beloved teacher and devoted companion, Anne Sullivan, died. She had experienced health problems for several years and, in 1932, lost her eyesight completely. A young woman named Polly Thomson, who had begun working as a secretary for Keller and Sullivan in 1914, became Keller's constant companion upon Sullivan's death.

In 1946, Keller was appointed counselor of international relations for the American Foundation of Overseas Blind. Between 1946 and 1957, she traveled to 35 countries on five continents. In 1955, at age 75, Keller embarked on the longest and most grueling trip of her life: a 40,000-mile, five-month trek across Asia. Through her many speeches and appearances, she brought inspiration and encouragement to millions of people.

Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life, was used as the basis for 1957 television drama The Miracle Worker. In 1959, the story was developed into a Broadway play of the same title, starring Patty Duke as Keller and Anne Bancroft as Sullivan. The two actresses also performed those roles in the 1962 award-winning film version of the play.

Death and Legacy

Keller suffered a series of strokes in 1961, and spent the remaining years of her life at her home in Connecticut. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments, including the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in 1936, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and election to the Women's Hall of Fame in 1965. She also received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University and from the universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Delhi, India; and Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, she was named an Honorary Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland.

Keller died in her sleep on June 1, 1968, just a few weeks before her 88th birthday. During her remarkable life, Keller stood as a powerful example of how determination, hard work, and imagination can allow an individual to triumph over adversity. By overcoming difficult conditions with a great deal of persistence, she grew into a respected and world-renowned activist who labored for the betterment of others.

Quote of the Week

Since I did my post about Helen Keller I thought I would do a quote by her!!!

Rosa Park- Women's History Month

Rosa Parks 

On December 1, 1955, after a long day's work at a Montgomery department store, where she worked as a seamstress, Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus for home. She took a seat in the first of several rows designated for "colored" passengers. The Montgomery City Code required that all public transportation be segregated and that bus drivers had the "powers of a police officer of the city while in actual charge of any bus for the purposes of carrying out the provisions" of the code. While operating a bus, drivers were required to provide separate but equal accommodations for white and black passengers by assigning seats. This was accomplished with a line roughly in the middle of the bus separating white passengers in the front of the bus and African-American passengers in the back. When an African-American passenger boarded the bus, they had to get on at the front to pay their fare and then get off and re-board the bus at the back door.
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As the bus Rosa was riding continued on its route, it began to fill with white passengers. Eventually, the bus was full and the driver noticed that several white passengers were standing in the aisle. The driver of Rosa’s bus stopped the bus and moved the sign separating the two sections back one row, asking four black passengers to give up their seats. The city's bus ordinance didn't specifically give drivers the authority to demand a passenger to give up a seat to anyone, regardless of color. However, Montgomery bus drivers had adopted the custom of moving back the sign separating black and white passengers and, if necessary, asking black passengers give up their seats to white passengers. If the black passenger protested, the bus driver had the authority to refuse service and could call the police to have them removed.

Three of the other black passengers on Rosa’s bus complied with the driver, but Rosa refused and remained seated. The driver demanded, "Why don't you stand up?" to which Rosa replied, "I don't think I should have to stand up." The driver called the police and had her arrested. Later, Rosa recalled that her refusal wasn't because she was physically tired, but that she was tired of giving in.

The police arrested Rosa at the scene and charged her with violation of Chapter 6, Section 11, of the Montgomery City Code. She was taken to police headquarters, where, later that night, she was released on bail.

On the evening that Rosa Parks was arrested, E.D. Nixon, head of the local chapter of the NAACP, began forming plans to organize a boycott of Montgomery's city buses. Ads were placed in local papers, and handbills were printed and distributed in black neighborhoods. Members of the African-American community were asked to stay off city buses on Monday, December 5, 1955—the day of Rosa's trial—in protest of her arrest. People were encouraged to stay home from work or school, take a cab or walk to work. With most of the African-American community not riding the bus, organizers believed a longer boycott might be successful.

On the morning of December 5, a group of leaders from the African-American community gathered at the Mt. Zion Church in Montgomery to discuss strategies, and determined that their boycott effort required a new organization and strong leadership. They formed the Montgomery Improvement Association, electing Montgomery newcomer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as minister of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The MIA believed that Rosa Parks' case provided an excellent opportunity to take further action to create real change.

When Rosa arrived at the courthouse for trial that morning with her attorney, Fred Gray, she was greeted by a bustling crowd of around 500 local supporters, who rooted her on. Following a 30-minute hearing, Rosa was found guilty of violating a local ordinance and was fined $10, as well as a $4 court fee. Inarguably the biggest event of the day, however, was what Rosa's trial had triggered. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as it came to be known, was a huge success, lasting for 381 days. The city's buses were, by and large, empty. Some people carpooled and others rode in African-American-operated cabs, but most of the estimated 40,000 African-American commuters living in the city at the time had opted to walk to work that day—some as far as 20 miles.

Due to the size and scope of, and loyalty to, boycott participation, the effort continued for several months. The city of Montgomery had become a victorious eyesore, with dozens of public buses sitting idle, ultimately severely crippling finances for its transit company. With the boycott's progress, however, came strong resistance. Some segregationists retaliated with violence. Black churches were burned, and both Martin Luther King Jr.'s and E.D. Nixon's homes were destroyed by bombings. Still, further attempts were made to end the boycott. The insurance was canceled for the city taxi system that was used by African Americans. Black citizens were arrested for violating an antiquated law prohibiting boycotts.

In response to the ensuing events, members of the African-American community took legal action. Armed with the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which stated that separate but equal policies had no place in public education, a black legal team took the issue of segregation on public transit systems to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Northern (Montgomery) Division; Rosa's attorney, Fred Gray, filed the suit. In June 1956, the district court declared racial segregation laws (also known as "Jim Crow laws") unconstitutional. The city of Montgomery appealed the court's decision shortly thereafter, but on November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling.

With the transit company and downtown businesses suffering financial loss and the legal system ruling against them, the city of Montgomery had no choice but to lift its enforcement of segregation on public buses, and the boycott officially ended on December 20, 1956. The combination of legal action, backed by the unrelenting determination of the African-American community, made the Montgomery Bus Boycott one of the largest and most successful mass movements against racial segregation in history.

Quote of the week

My Pets

I'm going to talk about the pets I have had over the past few years.


First I'm going to talk about my cat Peaches.

Peaches was born on April 12,2014. On June 25,2014 I had decided that i wanted to get a cat. So I went to Pet Smart just to look i wasn't thinking i was going to get a cat that day. As I was looking at all the cute kittens that didn't have homes I decide I wanted to hold a female kitten. As the worker handed me"Dimond" that was her name at first. I fell in love instantly. She started purring and won my heart forever.When I got her as a kitten she was kind of a crazy kitten she would run all wild everywhere. At night i would have to put her in a kennel so I could sleep at night, but eventually she grew out of that and she would snuggle right up next to me like she dose today. Peaches became more than a pet to me she is my comforter. She knows when something is wrong and when I need her. She is a loving cat that waits for me by the door tell i get home from work. Sometimes I can here her meowing as I'm walking up the drive way. She thinks 8 hours of work is to long also!!! She loves to play with her carrot that she got for Christmas and I love to tease her with it. She loves to lay on my belly or chest tell I fall asleep at night. We don't always get along with each other she likes to bite me and I like to make her mad sometimes, but at the end of the day I love my cat very much!!!

Next I'm going to talk about Churro my hamster. I didn't have churro for long he lived 4 days I bet you can all guess what happened. If you guessed Peaches you were right!!! On day 3 peaches knocked him off my bookshelf and he went flying. I found him dead the next day. He is buried at my aunt and uncles house. I also went and got a new hamster (Churro II) he died too so no more hamsters for me!!   

I also had a few male Bata fish my fist one the pink and blue one was named Freddy. My two nieces said i shouldn't live alone and I need a fish. So they both put their money together and they got me Freddy and some fish food. I bought the fish tank!! I had Freddy for 2 1/2 years until he died. He lived in a nice fish tank with plants and the Eiffel town in the middle of the fish tank. he liked to sleep in the little opening of it. After Freddy died I decided to get a new fish Blue I didn't have him long because I moved a little after I got him. Peaches would love to jump up on the shelf to watch them swim around the tank. Thank goodness the tank was to heavy for her to push off. 

Note: These pictures are not mine I got them offline to show you what they would have looked like.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about my different pets I have had in the past few years!! You will probably see more pictures and stories of Peaches in the future. Please take care of your pets as best as you can and always love them. Give them a pat from me!!!

Thanks for reading

-CLH

Hanging by a Thread

The purpose of this post is to help people. It is not to influence them to try committing suicide. This is for me to tell my story and help anyone who is feeling suicidal. First off let me tell you, you are loved even if you don’t think you are. Your loved ones need you even if you don’t think you are needed.  I may not know you but I love you and I want you here. You have a purpose here you just have to find that purpose. If you feel suicidal  please talk to somebody. The police, a  counselor or the suicide hot line. If you go to church I am sure someone would be willing to help you in any way you need help. 

Now days we hear a lot about people attempting and committing suicide. Sometimes I wonder how do people get to that point that they would take their own lives, but than again  I even tried and was almost successful at that.

This is my story


I don't remember the exact date but it was in September and a Sunday of 2015.I was home a lone ( my mom was at work and all my siblings were married)and had to go to work in a few hours. I wasn't doing very well at all. I had just decided to end my friendship  with the guy I was madly in love with and he and no interest in me at all. I just really wanted him to like me and he never was going to, also my dad had left when I was 15 years old and didn't want anything to with me or my siblings. I just thought if I should just end my life and everything would be better. I was talking to one of my sisters and she was trying to calm me down and it was working some. I had decided to get ready for work and relax and put some music on. Then I got a call from another sister who was very upset with me and said " if your going to do than do it". That pushed me over the edge so I got up went to where my meds were and took about 25 pills of Lithium. The second I took them I regretted do it. I was like what did I just do. As my sister who said those words called back I said I did what you wanted me to I took the pills. she hung up and started calling people to come get me. My other sister had a feeling to call my uncle( he's like a dad to me!) and he had his phone with him at church left church to get to me ASAP. When he first got their I was a little hesitant to go but I had decided I didn't want to died. I guess my father call the ambulance to come get me but I made it to the hospital before they left. when I arrived I felt funny it hard to explain. I was then taken to critical care and put on a gown and a heart monitor. Then a police  office had to come talk to me. I only remember one question he asked. Do you need to go to canyon view? ( canyon view is a mental health homspital) I answered pretty quickly with, No i don’t. Then we waited for a long time idk what they were waiting for. Then I threw up it was gross. I then had blessing ( I was raised LDS so sometimes I get blessings). I had my uncle give me the blessing and my dad assisted(usually its your dad who dose the blessing). Then the part started. The nurse came in and said they had talked to poison control and that they had said to give me Magnesium Citrate. A whole gallon of it. Well I wasn’t going to be drinking it so they had to put a NG tube in( tube in the nose). It was the worst thing ever. I had pain from it the whole time. The second it was in, I was wanting it out. In the ER they started putting the Magnesium citrate into the tube with 60 cc sringes. They had to give me so much per hour( which I can't remember what it was). Then I had to get a chest x-ray and the first time we forgot to take my bra off so we had to go and take it off and then I threw up all the Magnesium Citrate they just put into me on the CNA that was helping me. I felt so bad. so I had to get all cleaned up and got back and did my x-ray and then I had to  have a EKG for my heart also.  Then I was being transferred to ICU. I would spend a day and a half here while I was being closely monitored. I had to have blood draws every so often. They have such a had time drawing my blood they had to draw from my wrist. They looked so terrible from the blood draws they hurt really bad. As I arrived to the ICU my dad had to leave and go home to his other family. My uncle stayed with me and then my aunt arrived. My aunt and uncle stayed with me tell my mom got off work.  She cane and visited for a little bit but she had work and was ready for bed. She had brought me a few things I needed and visited. I really wanted my aunt to stay the night with me because she is a CNA and is very helpful with that kinda of stuff, but she wasn’t allowed to because it’s the ICU. So as I was scared by myself thank goodness for phones and having a movie on my phone. During the night I couldn’t sleep well I probably watched the Age of Adilne  5 time. It was the only thing of comfort for me. At like 6 am another offer came and talked to me. I was in a lot of discomfort because of the NG tube. I had a hard time answering him. But I reassured him I was going to be fine and I would NEVER do this again. My uncle came in early to sit with me and even tho I was falling asleep he sat their for a while. He then went to the lobby and told me if I need anything to call him and he would be there in a minute.I had to wait tell my doctor came in to check on me so I was moved to a chair and watched tv. I then I started getting migraines. It was probably because I had a tube shoved down my nose and throat. So I was give ibuprofen and a fan to help. I fell right to sleep I probably slept better than I had that night. As I was sleeping I heard some noise out of my room, to tied to care I feel asleep. About 30 minuets later I called my mom asking where she was. It had been my mom talking outside my room but left because I was actually sleeping. She has said I was just their but I’ll come on over. As she walked in I saw my sister and brother in law from California walking in with her I was surprised. They had driven all night to come see me and be supportive. They stayed and chatted for a little bit but as usual I was falling asleep.a few hours later my coworker who I’m also related to asked if she food come vist me. She came and talked for a while. Then finally my doctor came in and said my levels looked good but now my potassium level was low so I needed some special IV bags with potassium in them. And the best news of all was my NG tube could come out!!! I was so happy to have that out. Then I was told I could eat something!!! I felt like I was starving. So I got French toast, bacon and fruit.... well my stomach wasn’t ready for that I threw it all up. So then I asked for jello. Then my grandparents came to visit for a little bit. I then ate some mashed potatoes and gravy. It was probably the best thing I had eaten in a few days. Finally it was the end of the day and my doctor was releasing me. I was kinda scared because I had to go back to reality. I was nervous because what if I tried again? What if I got low again? How do I get back to normal? I had all those questions. Well when I got home I had to go to counseling for a while. My medication was taken away and I only had one week of meds to myself at a time. I went back to work pretty fast. I went to college for a semester. My cat became a comfort animal she always by my side. She just knows when something is wrong with me and helps me so i don’t get worse. She’s amazing. Most of my family was was supportive and helped me through this difficult time in my life. My sister came all the way from California and stayed with me for a few weeks and tried to have me be social and go out and do things. It took a while to get back to my normal.


Life Now

It has been almost 3 years since my over dose. Many things have changed. I have been taking my medication regularly and have had med changes . I graduated from collage, that was hard. School became hard for me. I'm working full time and doing good at not missing unless I have too. I try and be more social but it doesn't happen much because of my work schedule. I have been doing well with my bipolar. I do have some bad days but I'm doing really well with it. I have been having bad migraines sometime and its terrible for me. I do need to work on my weight, so I joined a gym. I am excited to start going and start to lose the pounds. I have been talking to a boy and I hope good things happen!!! I am trying to be careful in everything I do. I want to be safe in everything i do.  Right now in my life I'm pretty happy and that's all that matters.




Thanks for reading!!
  - Candice L Helms