"Battling Bipolar Disorder - My Brain’s Invisible War"
Maj. Gen. Martin wishes to raise awareness about bipolar disorder and brain health in general.
His latent genetic predisposition for bipolar disorder was triggered by the intense stress of combat in Iraq; manic insanity, hopeless depression and terrifying delusions nearly ruined his career, marriage, family, health and life.
He is a Bipolar Survivor; our program will be his story!
His forthcoming book will tell his story in depth and in detail. Its contents will include deep examinations of his Army experience, family, religious faith, and bipolar disorder—all of which are interconnected and inseparable. The book will also seek to give hope, encouragement and wisdom from a combat veteran whose toughest battles were not with enemy combatants, but with the vicious, grueling and destructive effects of bipolar disorder. His goal is to better inform Rotarians about what bipolar disorder is, how it manifests itself, spread bipolar awareness, and help abolish the stigma surrounding mental health and illness.
You can also watch the short 7-minute Youtube video entitled: "Bipolar disorder (depression & mania) - causes, symptoms, treatment & pathology”…
In the pages of the attached PDF, you will find a précis, his book’s table of contents, its introduction by General Martin Dempsey (the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), prologue and a biographical sketch of the author, a few summaries of my story of varying length for sharing purposes, some “Advanced Praise” for his coming book: “Battling Bipolar Disorder – My Brain’s Invisible War.” He has given us peremission to post this and for us to read more about his story.
During March, Rotary Water and Sanitation Month, take action to provide clean water and sanitation in your communities: Improve sanitation facilities by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure. Promote good hygiene habits through education.
Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life.
When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.
HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN
Through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, Rotary’s people of action mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change.
All 24 of Lebanon’s Rotary clubs came together — overcoming religious, cultural, and political divisions — to form partnerships with the government, World Vision, UNICEF, and the Red Cross. Together the groups developed a program that delivers clean water to every public school in the country.
Five firefighters and several city staff members from Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico piled into SUVs and embarked on a 22-hour road trip to Colorado Springs for one prized item. A firetruck.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department donated a 1997 HME Becker Type 1 fire engine to the fire department in Nuevo Casas Grandes and its surrounding communities as a way of putting to use some of the Colorado Springs' older emergency equipment.
"It feels so good to us to know that a piece of equipment is going to have more life and make a different in other peoples lives in another community," Fire Chief Ted Collas said Wednesday during a ceremonial handover of the rig.
This is the second fire truck Colorado Springs donated to Nuevo Casas Grandes, a city of 55,000 in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, in an effort to help expand its second fire station.
"That means a lot for our us, for our city, for our people," Nuevo Casas Grandes Fire Chief Christian Ontiveros Dorame said. "This is going to be a perfect tool for that fire station."
Colorado Springs typically maintains fire trucks for an average of 17 years then tries to sell the engines, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said during the donation ceremony.
"This one has been on the market for a while ... and we thought, there's a better purpose for this, it can be used by somebody who can put it into front line service right now," Collas said.
The two fire departments coordinated to have a team from Nuevo Casas Grandes pick up the vehicle but Donna Nelson, who helps with Colorado Springs sister city coordination said they ran into trouble at the southern border.
"Unfortunately there was a problem at the border, there was miscommunication and so I had to call and I spoke with an officer there," Nelson said.
Eventually the crew passed through the border and continued to Colorado Springs. But on their way back to Mexico the crew will be taking more than just a fire truck with them.
The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs donated clothing, shoes, books and toys for an orphanage in Nuevo Casas Grandes.
"The children said they wanted nice clothing to go to church," Nelson said. "I said, 'Oh my goodness that breaks my heart'."
The Mexican crew will spend one night in Colorado Springs before starting the 22-hour drive to Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nelson said.
Dennis Shoemaker and Ron Rubin are organizing an in-person Rotary lunch on March 19th for those who have had both of their COVID-19 shots and wish to attend the Rotary meeting around computers for the formal meeting that day!
If you feel comfortable in the presence of others who have been inoculated twice, please feel free to join us at noon. There are other Rotarians who go to Sportivo, where we will also be meeting, on Fridays and we can have some great Rotary fellowship with them, as well. Jordan Davis organizes that group. We would suggest wearing masks except when actually eating, please.
No need to "sign up" anywhere but we think Sportivo will be able to accommodate us around a table or two.
We are looking forward to seeing you there and resuming a kind of fellowship of Rotarians with whom we can hold an informal lunch. We will order off their menu for those who wish to eat.
Only inoculated Rotarians and their inoculated guests, spouses, please. Others of you who wish to join us can join Jordan and Rotarians at their table(s).
We hope to see many of you there and to celebrate Rotary together, again!
Born at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. It’s right by the awesome San Diego Zoo. The family joke is that I was born at the zoo! Grew up in the Navy towns on both coasts and lived 4 years in Hawaii. Yes, my name is Hawaiian, but I wasn’t born there.
2. Who would you consider to be your “hero” or “mentor” and why?
My current hero is Janet Yellen. She is a renowned expert on the economy and the markets, and just got a new job as US Secretary of the Treasury, where all that knowledge and experience can be put to very good use. Fortune magazine calls her “the most prepared woman in Washington.” She is 5’3” tall, and so am I. Short, smart women are awesome!
3. What is one thing from your Bucket List?
My bucket list includes visitingAntarctica to see the penguins before it’s too late!
4. Do you have pets?
I have a couple low-maintenance cats at home, but I love other people’s dogs a lot. I live near Bear Creek Dog Park and walk there all the time to share in the dog joy.
5. What board positions have you held in our club or in prior clubs?
I chaired the “Butterfly Project” for 3 years and have been treasurer and president of this club.
6. What is something else that other Rotarians would find interesting about you that you'd like to share?
My son is a professional racecar driver and has spoken to the club in the past. I was a successful competitive swimmer starting at age 6 through high school…then other priorities took over…
March 10-13 volunteer with your fellow Rotarians and other local Rotary clubs with the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity during their International Women’s Build Week. All Rotarians are welcome to volunteer and there are options between a morning/afternoon or all day shift. Encourage a spouse, significant other, or friend to join you as we assist a local home in our Colorado Springs area.
During this timeframe of the build we will be helping with roofing, installing blue board that is the outer insulation of the home, or installing windows. Depending on weather and volunteer participation this timeline may be subject to change. (PPHFH will decide Thursday night if Friday or Saturday build days are cancelled due to weather)
If you are still interested in signing up email Samantha Chapman ASAP!
Think ahead to April and start saving your plastics to Recycle Beyond the Bag! We will be supporting Trex’s Earth-friendly composite decking and railing and encourage all Rotarians to save their plastic and donate them to Trex in the month of April.
Trex will accept Produce Bags, Store Bags, Ice Bags, Ziploc & other reclosable bags, Cereal box liners, Case overwrap, Bread Bags, Bubble Wrap and other types of plastic sheeting detailed below.
Are you missing seeing your other Rotarians in person? Feel free to join Jordan Davis and Kay Rendleman with some of your other fellow Rotarians on Fridays over at Sportivos inside the Antlers hotel. Arrive starting at 11:30 for socially distanced socializing and bring your laptops and headphones to participate in the meeting on Zoom at 12:15! Questions? Contact Jordan or Kay."
Many of you have noticed a "familiar" face on our weekly meetings. Karen Mooty is our new club administrator! Her face may look familiar because she is a twin sister to our current club secretary and President Elect Nominee, Kay Rendleman!
Karen is training with our amazing Claudine Dickson so you know she's becoming the invaluable GO-TO for all things rotary! - She can be reached at administration.manager@coloradospringsrotary.org if you have club administration issues to discuss.
I cannot let another week go by this month without giving an enormous hat tip to Women's History Month! History books are filled with women who were unbelievably courageous. Many of them didn't make headlines but still dared to do something so brave that it changed the course of my future.
I am thankfully surrounded by brave and strong women because when women empower each other, it's a recipe for triumph. And I'm grateful that I have a lot of triumph in my life.
If you have makeups you would like to turn in to be counted for your attendance, please email me with the date and purpose of the meetings! KSaltmarshVoss@yahoo.com
If you have bulletin announcements, please email the EXACT WORDING of your announcement to KSaltmarshVoss@yahoo.com by Wednesday at 5 pm. I don't write your announcements but I do make them nice 'n' fancy!
As you're doing your shopping online, did you know that you can support our Rotary Club with every Amazon purchase? Here’s how:
Go to smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com). Amazon Smile is the same company, same account, same password, but the Amazon Smile program gives one half of one percent of every purchase to charity. No, it’s not a lot, but it’s also not nuthin’ (to be exact: about $150 for the Club so far). So again, go to smile.amazon.com
Sign into your Amazon account as you normally would
On the very top left of the page, next to the AmazonSmile logo, are three horizontal bars. Click there for the drop-down menu.
Scroll ALL the way down to “Your AmazonSmile”; it should be the last option right before “Sign Out”; Click on “Your AmazonSmile”
On the right side of the page, click on the “change charity” box under Your current charity (Note: If you are currently supporting another charity, that’s awesome! These instructions are for those who are not doing so. Also, if you have not previously selected a charity, your default option will be St. Judge Children’s Research Hospital.)
Type in Community Service Fund of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs; click Select
That’s it. You’re all set. Just remember to go to Smile.Amazon.com when you shop from now on.
