Category: Writing

GREAT FICTIONAL CHARACTERS THAT MAKE ME SMILE, by Art Smukler MD, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, Self Examination, Writing

This morning I was reading the packaging on a new toothbrush. No, Mr. Happy Tooth is not a character that makes me smile. The package said to replace the toothbrush when half the blue indicator bristles lose their color.

That got me thinking. Does Jack Reacher, Lee Child’s tough guy character, check the bristles on his toothbrush? Jack Reacher’s ONLY possession is his toothbrush. “Stuff” doesn’t matter to Reacher, only being free and fighting injustice. What a kick. No mortgage. No bills. No cleaners (he buys new clothes when the old ones get dirty). No fear. Dozens of bad guys on the verge of an attack never interfere with his morning cup of coffee.

Then there’s Lucas Davenport, John Sanford’s, rich, fearless and irreverent detective. The bad guys never stand a chance because rules are flexible when it comes to keeping the streets of the Twin Cities safe. I love it when he ignores his politically correct, incompetent boss, and destroys the assholes of the world.

Let’s not forget John Corey, Nelson DeMille’s wise ass, courageous NYPD detective. When we’re not turning the pages as fast as we can read, we’re laughing out loud. Oh yeah. The bad guys never make it.

How about Holden Caulfield, J. D. Salinger’s irreverent teenager who set off 65 years ago, in 1951, to rid the world of phonies. I just re-read Catcher in the Rye and still loved it!

Jason Bourne, Robert Ludlum’s amazing CIA operative is a joy. No matter what the obstacle, even brain washing, the guy always survives.

And my favorite, because he is one of my children, is Joe Belmont, a naive medical student who battles hardened criminals to survive. His task is to wend his way back through the maze of his own mind, in Chasing Backwards.

Everyday life can be tough. Often it is unfair and hurtful. We all live with pain and suffering. What a joy and relief when the characters who populate our fictional world can make us smile and feel safe, if for only a short time.

Art Smukler is an award-winning psychiatrist and author of Chasing Backwards, a psychological murder mystery, Skin Dance, a mystery, and The Man with a Microphone in his Ear. All are available as paperbacks and eBooks.

DONALD TRUMP, I ADMIT I AM OBSESSED, by Art Smukler MD, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Politics, Psychiatry, Raising Children, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view, Writing

The truth is that for many of us, it doesn’t matter what Donald Trump’s stance on the political issues might be. What matters is that Donald Trump shows no respect or sensitivity towards others. He is a “shock-jock” who takes pleasure in humiliating and devaluing anyone who doesn’t kiss his ring. Even more shocking is the fact that millions of Americans have voted for him.

They voted for a name-calling, misogynistic, bully and they are proud of it. He mocked the men who served our country and said he doesn’t respect men who were captured. I just wonder how this bully would have behaved if he were imprisoned by the Viet Cong. Bullies often turn into sniveling babies. That would be my guess.

Can you imagine how this will affect how children behave with other children? Children never learn by being told what to do, they learn by example — the example their parents, peers and elders show. Then they will grow up to continue to emulate what they have learned.

So often, it isn’t what a person says, it is how he says it.

Yes, Trump is entertaining, but so is professional wrestling and visiting the zoo.

Donald Trump has said on dozens of occasions how smart he is. Is a smart man a person who is never wrong, who never apologizes, who publically devalues women and then in the next breath says how much he loves women? He is incapable of seeing the contradictions he presents on a daily basis.

The fact that the Republican Party let this man represent them is a disgrace to the party and our country. At least Jeb Bush came out and said he wouldn’t support him. Too little and too late? It’s never too late to do the right thing.

Why is a psychiatrist writing all this about Donald Trump?

No one lives and works in a vacuum. I don’t want this man representing our country, my patients or me. He is hurting all of us.

Art Smukler is an award-winning psychiatrist and author of Chasing Backwards, a psychological murder mystery, Skin Dance, a mystery, and The Man with a Microphone in his Ear. All are available as paperbacks and eBooks