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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2011)
TLC attitudes of gratitude: Accept and enjoy the gifts that enter your life By Lynn Whitlow Have you ever whispered “Thank you, God’’ at the sight of a red-winged blackbird (a rare sighting), a herd of elk in an unexpected place or a fiery purple-red sun-setting sky? Have you ever picked up the phone and heard a beloved voice from your past that you thought was lost to you forever and experienced a deep gratitude? One such memory is etched in my mind and heart forever (as long as I have a mind). Good thing, because it was a Kodak moment without a camera! I was on my way home from Lincoln City on Highway 229 somewhere near milepost 14. A bull elk came up the bank sporting a long garland of blooming wild cucumber vines wrapped around his ant lers and flowing down his sides and onto the pavement. He walked up the roadway for what seemed like minutes but was probably much less, looking so regal, so magical. It took my breath away! What gratitude I have felt each time I remember that gift. Thank you God, thank you Creator! We just never know what gifts are going to be put in our paths, but it’s to our advantage to be prepared to accept them, enjoy them and say “thank you!” The residents at the TLC practice gratitude as a daily part of their lives. They willingly share some of that thank fulness with you: “I’m grateful for many things again. First is my home, the people that maintain our landscape and the people who work hard at keeping this home financially available to me and my daughter. “I want to thank Diane (Rodriquez) for taking her time to interview me and give me a spot in our paper. Wow! That was a great feeling to read her words of my life. I’m so lucky to be a part of the Siletz Tribe! Thanks to SSP, TLC, A&D and all my friends and family. I’m very excited to move forward in my life. I passed two of the five GED tests! I couldn’t have done it without everyone. Thank you with all my heart.” “I am grateful for getting the Lord in my life and for the wonderful people He has put in my recovery. I am thankful for having a wonderful home that starts my new life. I am grateful for a roommate that is a good friend and part of my new family. And I am thankful for waking up and tak ing a breath of fresh air every morning!” We also are thankful for the won derful volunteers we have - for George, who brought his screwdriver and a bottle of glue to repair our tall stools; for Alice McCain, who slept her last night at the TLC on April 21 before moving to Washington state the following week. She served us well for about six-and-a-half years and will be sorely missed for her dedicated service, wonderful smile and loving heart. She and her husband are getting settled into their new home. Thank you to Denise Riding In for your loving smile and caring heart and for spending the night at the TLC most weeks. We appreciate all of you. Also, thank you, Papa, for coming in and mowing the back yard as well as the fields out front. We can find the kids now when they are playing outside! We hope each and every one of you will find some things to be grateful for in your life. Make a list! Do one every day and see if it doesn’t work some magic in your life Enforcement of underage drinking laws necessary for zero tolerance Did you know? Alcohol is one of the most used drug substances in the Alcohol use and binge drinking our nation’s youth is a major health problem: widely world. among public Alcohol is used by more young peo ple in the United States than tobacco or illicit drugs.1 Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 75,000 deaths per year.2 4 • Alcohol is a factor in approximately 41 percent of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes.3 Among youth, the use of alcohol and other drugs has been linked to unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic and occupational problems and illegal behavior.4 Long-term alcohol misuse is associ ated with liver disease, cancer, car diovascular disease and neurological damage as well as psychiatric prob lems such as depression, anxiety and antisocial personality disorder.5 Volunteer for Prevention Program If you are interested in volunteering with the Prevention Program, here are some specific guidelines: Apply to be a Tribal Prevention volunteer at Human Resources. This will include agreeing to a criminal background check and a drug screen. Attend an orientation with Prevention staff to learn about ethics and program policies and procedures. A volunteer training program will be developed. For those with previous problems of alcohol/drugs, at least one year of living a clean and sober lifestyle is required. Participate in making a prevention video/DVD. All people to be filmed must sign an agreement to be filmed. The Tribal general manager and Tribal Council must approve of the final cut before it’s released for public viewing. • • • • • • Any question regarding this process, please contact Jenifer Met calf, Prevention coordinator, at jeniferm@ctsi.nsn.us or 800-600-5599 or 541-444-9618. • Drug use contributes directly and indirectly to the HIV epidemic and alcohol and drug use contribute markedly to infant morbidity and mortality.5 As of 1988, all states prohibit the purchase of alcohol by youth under age 21. Consequently, underage drinking is defined as consuming alcohol prior to the minimum legal drinking age of 21. Current alcohol use among high school students remained steady from 1991 to 1999, then decreased from 50 percent in 1999 to 42 percent in 2009. Also in 2009, 24 percent of high school students reported episodic heavy or binge drinking.6 Zero tolerance laws in all states make it illegal for youth under age 21 to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system (i.e., with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >0.02 g/dL).78 In 2009, 10 percent of high school students reported driving a car or other vehicle during the past 30 days when they had been drinking alcohol. In addition, 28 percent of students reported riding in a car or other vehicle during the past 30 days driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol.6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser vices. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007 CDC. Alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost - United States, 2001. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2004; 53(37):866-870 U.S. Department of Transportation. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Web based Encyclopedia Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The relationship between mental health and substance abuse among ado lescents. Rockville, Md.: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999 Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Mokdad A, Denny C, Serdula MK, Marks JS. Binge drinking among U.S. adults. JAMA 2003; 289:70-75 CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2009 pdf 3.5M, MMWR 2010; 59(SS-5): 1-142 National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis tration. States with Zero Tolerance Laws for Drivers Under Age 21. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2002 J.H. Hedlund, R.G. Ulmer, D.F. Preusser. Determine Why There Are Fewer Young Alcohol-Impaired Drivers. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2001 (Report Number DOT HS 809 348). CEDARR Community Efforts Demonstrating the Ability to Rebuild and Restore • Mission Statement: We will utilize resources to prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs, delinquency and violence; we will seek to reduce the barriers to treatment and support those who choose abstinence. • * I The last CEDARR meeting was held May 4 at 5:30 p.m. Nine people attended. Dinner was great and so was the conversation. We ended the meeting with goals and tasks. CEDARR is planning a summer gathering with a tentative date of July 21. CEDARR also is planning an event for Recovery/Wellbriety Month. This is a national celebration that takes place in September. We have formed a subcom- mittee and if you are interested in being part of this planning process, we will meet on June 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Siletz Community Health Clinic. We would love to have you join us. • * I * I • I • * Juns 1 • Noon Behavioral Health Conf. Room Siletz Community Health Clinic * 200 Gwee-Shut Road, Siletz • Topic to be discussed: Summer gathering Ì0 * Siletz News * June 2011 •
