Out of This World Comic Book

Introducing: The "Waving Man"!

I work in the school district here in Dubuque, assisting families with coordinating services and working on issues that are family related, but which spill over into the school setting.  This means that I am somewhat on call when a family is in crisis or needs a meeting to discuss options.  On this morning I had a meeting scheduled at 8 AM to meet with a parent regarding the family’s issues. 

For those of you that don’t know me, I am not a morning person.  I’m not the “grumpy-until-I-get-my-coffee” type of person, heck, I don’t even drink coffee.  Can’t stand the stuff.  But, I am sometimes slow going if it’s work related.

So I got in my car, realized I should have worn a coat, and thought of the Midwestern winter that is right around the corner.  It was cold, foggy, and just plain dreary.  I got in my car, pulled out of the driveway, and began the trek to school, ready to battle the eager mothers rushing their kids to school.

The way to school took me on a busy walking street.  That is, many people tend to use this long, straight road to meet their exercise needs throughout the day.  At this hour the majority of the walkers are the elderly, the early birds getting the worms.  I am a people watcher, so I always tend to look at each person as I pass.  Nothing extraordinary so far, just walkers, looking even more unhappy then me, questioning their right of mind for walking on such a morning.

Anyway, as I continued to drive I recognized a walker.  I don’t know this man.  I have never talked to him.  I don’t even know his first name.  But for some reason there is a connection.  You see, this man, no matter when I see him walking, always waves and has a great big smile on his face.  And not just to me.

I remember the first time I saw him.  I was going somewhere, most likely in a hurry, most likely with the impatient determination that I usually have when trying to get across town, and there he was.  Waving as big as life to me.  With a big smile.  Almost as if he was encouraging me to cheer up.

The first thought I had as I passed, was the same that we all have when someone waves to us that we don’t know.

“Who the heck was that?”

But then, after some pondering, a quick look in the rearview mirror revealed that he gave the same big wave and the same big smile to everyone that crossed his path.  At first I was a little disappointed.  I mean, I thought his wave was meant for me and me only.  Like God sent him down from the heavens above to have an intervention with my hurried, spastic headset.  But then I realized the bigger picture.  He was making everyone’s day.

So I saw him again this morning on my way to the meeting.  Of course he was waving to everyone that went by, and again, like every time since the first, it brought a little joy to my soul on this dreary morning.  In fact, after seeing him, you wouldn’t believe the disappointment I feel after passing other walkers.  It’s like something is missing if they don’t greet me.

So here’s to you “Waving Man”.  For making my day.  For making many other days as well, I am sure.  Thank you.  And one of these days, when I’m not rushing to here or there, I will stop and thank you Waving Man.  God bless you.

OOTW and Psychjourney united!

Deborah Harper is an outright blessing for the mental health field.  Both to consumers and professionals.  After only a short conversation you will realize her ideas are truly innovative.  But more, she is looking toward the future.  She understands what counseling and imagination can achieve.

A message from Deborah on Psychjourney.com reads as follows:

We are a unique online community of health seekers, authors, artists, musicians, and mental and allied health professionals We provide free educational materials by top experts, articles, personal stories and other resources to provide support and guidance to you and your loved ones in dealing with an emotional, mental, or life challenge.

We seek to empower health seekers to educate themselves about their own emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health, to learn how to navigate the labyrinth of the mental health system, to understand how to select a qualified, consumer-centric therapist, and to stand up for their rights as mental health consumers.

We strongly believe that mental health professionals have much to learn from clients. Our mission is to build a cyber-bridge between health seekers and mental health professionals so that consumers can find the help they need and qualified, consumer-centric mental health professionals can best serve their clients and build a thriving and fulfilling private practice.

We are developing a new domain that Jon will lead on his specialty, Bibliotherapy, defined as: a form of supportive psychotherapy in which carefully selected reading materials are used to assist a subject in solving personal problems or for other therapeutic purposes. In addition to books and comics, the new domain will explore the use of multimedia, gaming, and video as a tool for teachers, parents and therapists working with children, tweens and teens.

To say we are excited about the prospect of this new partnership is an understatement.  We will continue to strive to be the leader of innovative multimedia counseling tools.  We will continue to use the established OOTW characters and themes to create new and exciting counseling products.  And we will grow in our relationship with Psychjourney.com challenging each other to be more creative, more innovative, and more helpful to those in need.

We encourage anyone interested in this subject to join the Psychjourney Ryze network.  It will be the creative outlet for our ideas and networking in the months to come. Membership is free.