Feldman's Faves: September 20, 2021

Good Morning BL5 – Today is a special day - it’s Election Day in Canada. I hope you all get a chance to vote. I have given up making any predictions or any sort - if Lamar can actually beat Patrick then we know that anything is possible….

It is also very special since I have the pleasure of welcoming four new associates to our section – welcome to Owen, and welcome back to Jay, Shannon and Maddie - who we will all get to see on Friday (if not sooner). Wonderful to have you at Goodmans and in BL5.

No real theme this week, although one could loosely call this about managing anxiety…

The Painted Bird by: Jerzy Kosiński - When I was in Grade 5, for some reason, my dad thought it would be a good idea for me to read the Painted Bird. After decades of nightmares and the need for therapy (which I never got….) I finally re-read this book. Jerzy Kosiński is a fascinating character who is famous for writing this supposedly semi-autobiographical book as well as Being There (which is one of the greatest movies of all time, starring Peter Sellers). The Painted Bird is a truly haunting and disturbing tale that takes place during WWII as seen by a boy, considered a "Gypsy or Jewish stray," wandering about small villages scattered around an unspecified country in Eastern Europe. His encounters with people, farm animals and his own thoughts explicitly describe the horrors of war and what this poor boy went through in an effort to survive. This is not an easy read, but it really leaves an impression. If you have the stomach for it I strongly recommend you give it a try. Here is a review from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18452.The_Painted_Bird

Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter - What's normal anxiety and what's an anxiety disorder? – After you read the Painted Bird it will certainly cause anxiety, which I believe should be a healthy reaction to this story. Reading it made me think about when anxiety is healthy and when it is not. Given all we have been through during Covid, there is certainly an increase in both anxiety and the prevalence of anxiety disorders. Being able to distinguish between the two is no easy task. This PODCAST tries to do just that. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: “Anxiety helps keep us alive. But how can you tell when it crosses the line from survival instinct to serious problem? For the more than 30 percent of Americans who will experience an anxiety disorder, stigma around mental health problems makes it hard to find out. Dr. Jen Gunter breaks down where those stigmas originated, the science behind our brain's threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction and the most effective ways of treating it”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630#episodeGuid=en.audio.talk.ted.com%3A80294

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon