Say it isn't so
Today I morn the loss of a good companion who has been at my side as long as I can remember. She stayed with me during the good times and the bad. Many nights she stayed up with me when the world didn’t make any sense. When I quit smoking she was right there helping me through my cravings when the patch and the gum wasn’t enough. Then I quit drinking and she fed me sugar to ease my shaking hands and to calm my headaches. I believed in her and in return she made me feel complete.
Our friendship seemed to blossom in the last couple of years and now I must turn my back on her for she has done me wrong. She took my love and squashed it and I can’t forgive her for that.
I could blame it on myself or my lifestyle, or on the stressors of life, the death of my father, the excuses are many. She was going to remain nameless but I feel I must bring her to the light of day. She has many names and can be found lingering on the lips of many throughout the world. Man, woman and child have fell victim by her touch and yet she is free to destroy at her discretion.
Her name is pizza, chimichunga, cheeseburger, pasta, rice, potato and it goes on……So, like millions of other people I have been afflicted with diabetes. No longer am I able to dance with the gooey goodness of deserts, complex carbohydrates and or fast foods. Say goodbye to the nightly ice cream and the See’s chocolates.
I curse you DIABETES!
I was diagnosed with diabetes this past Friday and the news hit me pretty hard. On the good side for the past couple of days I have eaten a lot healthier and I do feel better.
To be honest I miss the soft caress of my comfort foods lingering on my lips.
Narcissism – A 12 Step Program **Revisited
I'm knocking the dust off of an old post in the hopes that it will be enjoyed by the masses. Comments are welcome...........
After much thinking, I have discovered that we as a society have way too many self help and self discovery programs. Be that as it may, it is with self adoration that I have come up with my own type of program. A Narcissistic 12 stepper if you will, but in reverse. We begin with step number Twelve and work our way to step number One. Each step completed is a step closer to self fulfillment and self- importance.
My program is designed with me in mind and I will allow you into my world as long as you understand that. I am in many ways helping you help me with my obsessive compulsive disorder known as narcissism. The Internet defines this disorder as:
Diagnostic Criteria
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
requires excessive admiration
has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable
treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
By me illustrating this behavior I am hopefully helping you break the narcissistic plague that has cropped up in our American Society. Here are the 12 steps to Narcissism as designed by me; Kenneth Ketterman, your admiration is expected.
The book (Pamphlet) that I have written clearly defines each step; it is unique in a sense because it begins with chapter 12 and descends to chapter 1 which is the holy grail of the whole subject. Narcissism may not be cured, yet it is my belief that it can be humbled.
Note: If you have noticed that I have been switching back and forth from helping you to perfecting the narcissistic lifestyle it because I am fighting my own narcissistic enemy within.
Chapters
12. Pompous
11. Demanding Admiration
10. Lacking Empathy
9. Self-importance
8. Conceited
7. Selfish
6. Egocentric
5. Embellishing Achievements
4. Self-absorbed
3. Arrogance
2. Grandeur
1. Narcissism
That's all I need
I had all but given up on one of those new fangled networking sites that is strangely similar to myspace for finding old high school friends or making new ones. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to discover an old high school friend had found me on that very site.
It amazes me that I have spent a good portion of my life in careers that for the most part helps people. A civil servant if you will, I have detained people, arrested and subsequently locked up some not so nice people. I have trained military working dogs to deter, detect and apprehend those that society has labeled as bad boys. I’ve confiscated large, very large quantity of drugs both on our borders as well as airports. I’ve been an animal control officer and even an armed security guard. I’ve had to rely on my ability to recall facts, situations or events in order to be successful at my job….the facts ma’am, nothing but the facts.
Throughout all my years of training and learned experiences I have to admit that I have the worst childhood memory. I often think that I surly must have been abducted by space aliens and to this day my heart skips a beat whenever I see Lost in Space reruns…….”Danger Will Robinson, Danger.”
It’s been roughly twenty seven years since we hung out. We’d ditch classes in high school and cruise in his sweet Camero blasting AC/DC and drinking Michelob’s while checking out the girls at the beach. Twenty seven years, twenty seven years, where did it all go?
I’ve always wondered what happened to him and now that I have an opportunity to ask I’m not sure how too.
I’m 42 years old and I don’t have any man friends that I can go to a hockey game with or tell lewd or discriminative jokes too. Just me and my computer, that’s all I need and maybe this paper weight, that’s all I need.
Or is it.