Death of Tom Sawyer
Today, the character of Tom Sawyer, the restless, curious, and creative boy, whose adventures on the Mississippi River have intrigued me my whole life, is under threat from the negative labeling of children with ADD/ADHD and then supressing them with drugs so they can conform and behave. I thank God they didnt have those labels when I went to school. Sure it was difficult with the boredom and restlessness and I was constantly in trouble for being me with no threat to anyone else. However, I would not have become the person I am now with that discrimination.
Mark Twain, the author and his character, Tom, both had red hair, like myself. Having red hair makes one extra-sensitive. Im also the red-haired step-child just like Tom. His aunt Polly, in a movie presentation, sings out her heart over how futile it is to tame Tom. Lucky for us she didnt have any medications to sedate him. Goodbye classic!!!
Yes, I moved alot, had drug and alcohol problems and relationship issues, many near death experiences, but I kept on searching for a better way to calm me down. The first solution came with the abstinence of wheat and milk. At the time, I must have sustained the dairy industry with my milk addiction. Wow, did I eat alot of pizza which is nothing but cardboard and glue. I went through withdrawal like coming off drugs when I quit those. Then I noticed my hayfever dissipated. What a relief!! The second solution came when I discovered Chinese medicine. Acupuncture gave my mind a break. My first treatment saved my life when I had an acute hayfever reaction. No more wheezing and sneezing, thankyou! I would keep regular sessions after that. During future treatments, I began to notice or feel energy sensations moving through my body. These two solutions really made a huge difference. Later, I have abstained from coffee and alcohol too. I switched to a chinese green tea called Goddess of Mercy(tikwanyin) tea and kombucha, also an ancient chinese beverage.
Redheads, like Mark Twain,Tom Sawyer and myself, especially if you have redhair and blue eyes like me, fall into a less than 1% of the total population. Are redheads a race in itself-perhaps? My life, like Tom’s has been observing culture. I heard from a narrative on Mark Twain, that when he, in his real life, was working on a steamboat, his captain could recite, orally, whole stories of Shakespeare while traveling up and down the Mississippi. Tom Sawyer because of his adventure and not staying in school, gives us a unique picture of America from his observations. I read Tom Sawyer as a kid and then when I was studying American culture in college, was intriqued again by the studying of Mark Twain. Having red hair I believe has given me an outside-inside look into cultures, being accepted by all ethnicities that I have encountered. I get along with the homeless as well, they probably have that damn label ADD/ADHD too.
Its more of a blessing than a curse. Being who I am, Ive learned about the energy world by being mesmerized by falling snow flakes, shimmering light on the water and golden leaves shaking in the wind and falling in a spiral motion gently received by the earth. My life’s purpose finally came to me after 5 eagles circled me one day, hitting me with their shadows. Only a person with hyper-vigilance of their environment and being different would notice and think of communicating with animals. To my amazement, Rose too, spotted an eagle that told her to bring me a necklace, after which we went on our first date.
Ive read about studies in China where they cured ADD with herbs. (chinese herbal treatments for ADD) While studying at a Chinese school of medicine, I was able to experiment with those formulas and found they really helped me alot. Attention deficit might be diagnosed in traditional chinese medicine in one example, as yin-deficient heat or fire-well at least thats what I have. The body is balanced by yin and yang. Yin energy is cooling and nourishing, and yang is heating and active. When there is a deficiency in the cooling, the heat is going to be excessive, leading to, as with me, a hyperactivity. So you nourish the yin to calm the yang. Tuina, which includes acupressure, and is able to be used on children because needles are usually not administered to children, can really calm. This type of of massage is energetic. The method I was taught is holistic, meaning I work with the body, mind, and spirit.
I ended up embracing the whole concept of Chinese Medicine which is founded on ancient daoist practices, such as tui na hands-on healing, chi gong energy work, the Yi Ching divination system that can be applied to medicine, feng shui for enhancing your environment, daoist astrology(chinese) for understanding yourself better and aiding your health too. All of these concepts are founded around the concept of energy(qi) and the balance of yin and yang. Many therapeutic practitioners are into so many things that have no connection whatsoever. Its too distracting for me.
Everything I had been through spiralled together when I met the man who healed me(read miracle). Especially because I learned to heal with my hands. I have been able to apply my life’s experiences and knowledge to my healing in order to help people. It helps to relate to those you help. Ive worked with children and they are most sensitive to energy in their body. One child with red hair I worked with had empathed his mother’s condition and it caused problems with him. read my article on empaths
Never having been one to sit still for meditation, I found that chi gong (qigong) because its a moving meditation is great because I can practice in and have a connection to nature. Im 48 and feel better than I ever have thanks to the practice of chi gong. My teacher passed down to me a holistic ancient practice that is great for everyone. Its my duty to pass it along.
Kids like us, especially redheads, need more experiential learning. In other words, being physically involved in the learning process. The school days of my youth were a nightmare having to sit still for hours on end. Returning to college in my 30’s, I was hailed by my professors and not kicked out of classes for talking because I was able to communicate my life’s experiences with respect to the subject at hand. Nowadays, practicing chi gong and self-tuina every day helps keep me calm. I am lucky to find an occupation that allows me to travel because Im still like Tom Sawyer, looking for another adventure.