Tag: mental health

The First Question Writing a Memoir: What Emotions Arise When Sharing Your Life Story

April 5, 2026

The first question when you write a memoir: What emotions arise when you think about sharing your life story?

That is a loaded question. For anyone writing a memoir, it may be the first consideration: are you prepared to reveal your personal history and inner thoughts to others? Which aspects of your life would you share, with whom, and would sharing bring you happiness or sorrow?

That raises a followup question: would I, or should I, experience emotion when sharing my story? By emotion, I mean feelings of pride or shame, excitement or boredom when discussing myself. I might downplay or amplify achievements. I could even conceal parts of my story, perhaps out of shyness or avoid recalling painful memories. When prompted, I think I would be happy to share but I would not initiate such discussions unless the setting was appropriate.

Another consideration: what is my life story? Is it focused on my career, chronological list of positions held? Or does it center on pivotal moments that shaped my life? Or would my story be marked by how I navigated adversity, or by how I capitalized on—or missed—opportunities?

Then, the audience matters. Am I sharing my story with people of my generation, who have similar accomplishments and backgrounds, such as fellow immigrants? Would I discuss it with someone experiencing homelessness when I have financial stability? Would I share it with children, and for what purpose?

For example, I would share my adventures and challenging experiences with those who have faced similar situations, but I might feel uneasy sharing with people whose lives have been sheltered. They might not relate to or value my experiences.

Issues of comparability can also lead to uncomfortable situations. We have seven grandchildren. People without grandchildren have said we’re lucky and well-off for that reason. I agree. But I am sensitive to such situations, and I do not want to cause discomfort, so I avoid the topic unless asked. People adapt their life stories to their listeners.

Another example, do you want to describe your children’s success, even if the other person had misfortune with theirs? There have been instances when such situations could have led to negative comparisons between my experience and theirs. I try to avoid those situations.

In conclusion: Would I share my story with someone? Yes. I have nothing to hide and would be glad to talk if someone is interested. However, I’ve noticed people are rarely curious about others’ experiences; even travel stories are met with polite acknowledgment unless the listener traveled the same routes.

I would prefer sharing my experiences with those who have backgrounds similar to mine, so we can genuinely connect over common ground.

If I were to share my life story, I would begin with my childhood in Hungary under the Communist regime, describing what that experience was like. A major turning point came when I walked to Vienna, where I was temporarily placed in high school. Afterward, I lived in Manchester, England, for a few months before flying to Vancouver, Canada, and start a new life. Other significant moments included attending university, getting married, having children, and building my career. Each of these events represents a critical event that shaped who I am today.

As my story continued, I would include my experiences in consulting and as a lobbyist, sharing what each role entailed. I would also discuss the countries we visited and the lessons we learned by exploring diverse cultures. Through these experiences, both professional and personal, my life story would come together as a collection of challenges, opportunities, and discoveries.

Some subjects, such as troublesome family matters, might be harder to share honestly. Although I could speak more openly about deceased family members, I might still avoid sensitive subjects.

Overall, I feel positive about sharing my life story when there is genuine interest, especially when I know my story will not make listeners uncomfortable.

Understanding the Brain: Insights from Dr. Schwartz’s Book

April 13, 2025

Neurosurgeon Dr. Theodore Schwartz argues in his 2024 book, Gray Matters, that your brain defines you. He contends that “soul” and “mind” are English language constructs without scientific foundation.


Millions of neurons, the brain’s nerve cells, transmit messages that store a person’s memories, knowledge, habits, and sensory details. These clusters of neurons form different lobes or regions of the brain, each responsible for specific functions such as vision, hearing, language comprehension, and pain perception.


I’m fascinated by how neurosurgeons chart brain functions using electrodes and electrical pulses in individual lobes. For example, stimulating one lobe with an electrode can cause leg movement or relieve a cramp. By repeating this procedure, neurosurgeons create a detailed brain map, akin to a world atlas, showing areas connected to sensory and other stimuli.


Personal decisions and actions are shaped by neurons storing one’s identity, history, and knowledge. People can broaden these factors by learning, traveling, and having new experiences.


This thought process is reminiscent of artificial intelligence (AI). AI can solve problems and generate responses based on information stored in its memory, derived from sources like the Internet. Our decision-making processes mirror AI’s use of available data, the data we have stored by neurons in our brains.


Dr. Schwartz raises a thought-provoking point: Are our decisions truly free, given the information constraints within our brains, limited by what is stored in the neurons in one’s brain? Decisions are often shaped by information from sources such as car salespeople or tour guides. Their insights, combined with our resources and aspirations stored in neurons in our brains, lead us to our conclusion. This prompts the question of whether our decisions are truly free or predetermined.

Dr. Schwartz concludes with a chapter on “brain-computer interfaces” (BCI). This emerging field allows electrodes to connect with the brain, and future technologies may enable wireless connections to the brain. Surgeons implant electrodes in the brain to treat Parkinson’s disease; these electrodes stimulate motor function neurons to improve movement control. While BCI holds promise for enhancing intelligence and physical performance, its early development raises complex ethical questions relative to changing human behavior. Employing BCI in this manner is rather disturbing.

However, Gray Matters encompasses significantly more than just describing brain mapping and discussing free will and BCI. Dr. Schwarz also describes the history of neurosurgery and training neurosurgeons in easy-to-read language, sharing anecdotes about well-known individuals who have undergone neurosurgery resulting from shootings and sports accidents, including JFK and President Biden. He also examines the crucial choices neurosurgeons face in emergencies, choices with potentially severe outcomes.


Neurosurgeons are interesting because they can perform long surgeries without breaks, which requires excellent physical stamina. The author portrays brain surgery as “the ultimate in mindful meditation,” where surgeons ignore all bodily needs, even the urge to use the restroom, until the operation is finished.

Despite its length of five hundred pages on a complex subject, the book targets the general reader. The illustrations show the brain’s parts and neurosurgical instruments. Learning that early practitioners used drills and saws to open skulls for brain access is fascinating. Today, however, computerized equipment has become the standard. I found the book extremely interesting because of what its content portends for our future as individuals. Neurosurgeons will be able to change personality by influencing brain functions. Would these changes be initiated by the individuals themselves, or could some authorities mandate them? These are troublesome questions that need a response.


Homelessness in Ottawa; an Election Issue

September 22, 2202

One of our mayoral candidates in the municipal election, for Ottawa this fall,

vows to end chronic homelessness in Ottawa, in four years. This is a bold and noble goal. Does this mean that there will be no homeless in Ottawa in four years? Do we know how many homeless people we’ll have in Ottawa in four years? No, we do not. But, OK. This is a lofty goal, and we should not get hung up on details.

I found statistics on homelessness in Ottawa difficult to understand. The best information I gathered is there are between 1400 and 1800 homeless in Ottawa, on an average day.

Compared to other Canadian cities, the size of Ottawa’s homeless population is not the worst. The homeless population in Red Deer is 0.31 percent of the population; in Vancouver and Edmonton, it is 0.27 percent, while in Ottawa, it is 0.18 percent.

Homeless people concentrate downtown Ottawa to the huge displeasure of the area’s residents, while the problem is much less apparent elsewhere in the city.

In a survey conducted on October 27 and 28, in Ottawa, 55 percent of the homeless used shelters while 9 percent slept on the streets. Others bunked down with friends. (Over half of the homeless were racialized, and of all the homeless, over 25 percent were Canadian natives).  

 The mayoral candidate proposes to build “supportive” housing for 250 individuals and provide housing “allowances” for another 250 people and families. Although it is good to have a specific proposal, the downside is that there may be more homeless in four years, in which case, the candidate will not achieve the stated goal.

But, to me, the more important question is whether a sustainable long-term solution to the homeless problem is achievable by building and subsidizing housing. Why have people become homeless in the first place? Surveys show that although housing is important, substance abuse, poverty, mental health issues, and low wages are common characteristics among the homeless. I think these underlying issues will have to be dealt with before finding a sustainable solution. Otherwise, this proposal will be nothing more than a bandaid for the short term.

And if the word spreads that Ottawa is kind to the homeless and provides housing for them, the homeless from other parts of Canada may flock to Ottawa. The homeless population may balloon.

The City of Portland OR is an example, where a sympathetic Mayor tolerated tent encampments to such an extent that in some neighborhoods people are afraid to walk on the streets. Vandalism and robbery have become common. I am sure Ottawan does not want to follow the Portland example.

Providing subsidized housing is one answer to homelessness, but until governments deal with mental health issues, substance abuse, education, and the availability of sustaining jobs, I do not believe homelessness will be solved any time soon.