I recently had a conversation centered around the idea of hopelessness and suicide. The conversation was dark, depressing and eye opening. I am always amazed when I speak with someone who does not believe in depression, at least in the clinical sense. They feel it is only in a person's mind and if they would just...DO something about it, it would be all right. Unfortunately, depression is real. It is a living, breathing part of your everyday life if you have fallen under the spell. You cannot escape it without a dedicated plan that often includes counseling and medication. What I find myself asking is, "Why do some people seem susceptible to depression when others do not?" I have never

Q: My daughter is supposed to start kindergarten this upcoming fall. Because of that, we wanted to enroll her in a part-time pre-school this spring so that she can get used to playing with other kids and taking direction from other adults. The first week of class was a nightmare. The teacher told me after the first day that my daughter screamed the entire half day. She also said it was normal, and it would get better. Well, it didn't. She has been an emotional wreck every day that we have taken her to class. I am not sure what to do. She needs to learn to make this work, but she is a little young to be so emotionally traumatized. Where can I get help? A: Wow, I am so sorry that you and

Looking through the eyes of Anne Frank was truly an extraordinary experience at B Street Theatre. “Extraordinary Things: Through the Eyes of Anne Frank” captivates its audience with diverse characters and realistic props. Playwright Dana Friedman brings to life on stage the extreme conditions that millions of Jews had to face in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Directed by Buck Busfield, the play is set in Amsterdam-present-day-Netherlands-where Anne Frank, her family and four others lived in her father’s office building for two years to ensure the safety of Anne’s older sister Margot from the German authorities, who would have taken her to the a Nazi concentration camp. The

Yesterday it rained in Sacramento. Yesterday I didn’t pay close enough attention to the weather forecast in Sacramento. Rather than parking near my office, I decided to park about a mile or so away and ride my skateboard in to work. It’s fun and gets me a little exercise. The ride in to work was quite pleasant. The ride back to my truck wasn’t so much, and the rain was not the worst part. I left my office around 5 PM, at which point a steady rain was falling. Skateboarding in the rain sucks. Getting wet sucks, having your wheels get super slippery sucks. That would’ve been plenty to spoil what’s usually an enjoyable ride. Not only did I have to endure getting soaked and trying not to fall