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It’s OK not to drink

In Education, Health, Holiday, Media, Opinion, Uncategorized on December 22, 2023 at 6:30 am

 

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DEER IN HEADLINES

Special Extended Edition

BY GERY L. DEER

(Author’s Note: The following is an edited repost of an article originally published December 30, 2013)

I have never hidden the fact that I don’t drink alcohol. When I say that, I mean that I really don’t. When some people say it, what they are implying is that they don’t drink hard liquor, or they only have a beer at a baseball game or something. But trust me when I say, I don’t drink. Period. I just wanted to make that absolutely clear so what follows carries the proper weight.

An alumnus of one of the oldest national college fraternities – Sigma Phi Epsilon – I’ve never had an alcoholic beverage of any kind – nothing. I didn’t steer clear of the bubbly because of some religious or deep, philosophical reason. It just wasn’t part of my experience growing up and, fortunately, I never developed the interest.

To be quite honest, at this stage in my life, the very smell of the stuff, particularly beer, makes me kind of sick. That said, drinking is a big part of adult social and business functions and thus, alcohol-focused events are hard to avoid. I am well know how hard it can be to resist pressure from others. But, for those who are trying to steer clear of the juice, please try to remember that it’s OK NOT to drink. Really, it is.

Some people might think peer pressure is limited to the adolescent or collegiate years. Untrue Even as an adult, people are often pushed to drink alcohol at social and business events. Otherwise they feel ostracized or singled out.

Despite opinions to the contrary, it really is OK not to drink. Here are some ideas for anyone trying to abstain but who still wants to feel included in the fun of the party.

First, and this is really important, you must be comfortable with yourself and your decision not to indulge. If not, then you’ll probably make others feel uncomfortable too. Ambivalence with your own choices will result complacency and resignation. At that point, giving in will be your own decision and not because of peer pressure.

Next, always remember – and young people reading this please, please try to hang on to this concept –  if anyone takes issue with you’re not drinking, or pressures you in some way, the problem is with them, not you!

As I said earlier, I have no interest in drinking and nothing will change my mind. I am very comfortable with my choice and feel no need to explain it. But, people can be relentless, particularly as they grow more inebriated. There is nothing wrong with your choices and if others object, in my opinion, they’re people of questionable character.

So how do you decline? If offered, politely decline, but don’t make excuses. After all, unless you’ve been on some soapbox about abstinence, and I recommend you don’t do that, the offer was not made to offend you.

Just say something like, “No thanks. I’d really like a cup of tea (coffee, soda, whatever), though, if you have it?” It’s polite and expresses your appreciation for the offer.

It’s not a good idea to launch into some long-winded explanation, however, or rattle off a list of excuses about why you’re abstaining.

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I don’t have many close friends, who drink regularly, if at all, and those who do rarely do so in my presence. And, I’m rarely in a position where alcohol is any sort of focus of the event.

Oddly, the most baffling experiences I have had to deal with with in my non-alcoholic life is the expectation to defend my choice. It’s really kind of backwards to my own sense of logic.

Early on, I realized that many people who find out I don’t drink immediately think I’m some kind of religious nut or recovering alcoholic. I’m not. Hard to get hooked… no, let me rephrase that. It’s impossible to get hooked if you never start.

Still the question remains. Truth be told, I think it’s ridiculous that the sober guy in the room has to explain himself while all around him people are dropping, face first, into the toilet bowl. I just don’t get it.

So, my next piece of advice is to never defend yourself. Walk away or just change the subject and divert attentions elsewhere. Or you can simply be appreciative of their interest and just say, “Thanks, I just don’t want anything.”

Regardless of your reasons, I guarantee you’re not going to change anyone’s mind or alter their opinion of your choices, and you shouldn’t try. Plus, I’ve learned when someone takes so strong an issue with my not drinking, it’s generally because they carry some sense of guilt or other feelings about their own alcohol use and suddenly feel extremely self-conscious.

If you’re at a social or business gathering, carrying a decoy drink can help avoid questions from people – since most people are standing around with some sort of cup or glass in their hand. But, don’t pretend it is alcohol. In other words, avoid the mock-tail. There is no need to call attention to the drink in your hand.

Some people will advise you to accept an alcoholic drink and just hold it all night. No. That is not only pointless and dishonest, but could actually make you feel even more self-conscious. People will expect you to sip from your drink now and again during long conversations, so just have something else in your glass.

Participating and socializing, without any sort of focus on the refreshments, will also help you be more involved in the event. If, however, there is still a particularly high level of pressure on you to drink or otherwise be left out or ridiculed, you should extricate yourself from the situation. I would also recommend you rethink attending activities with the same group of people.

Regardless of other steps you might take to distract from your abstinence, never, ever try to change the behavior of others. A social or business function is not the proper setting for a personal mission or intervention. If you live alcohol-free because of some personal crusade, leave your soap box at home. No one will hear you and it’ll just serve to further ostracize you from others.

Once again, you have to be comfortable with yourself, but you need to accept that others have not chosen your way and booze is a way of life out there in the world. Deal with it. You, alone, have made the conscious decision to attend an event where alcohol is being served and to be included you must live and let live. Needless to say, if you see someone about to drink and drive, act accordingly as your circumstances permit.

Finally, always remember that there is no “down side” to abstaining from alcohol. None. Only good can come of it – that’s not something drinkers can say with any measure of confidence. When you don’t drink, you’re probably less likely to do things that have negative consequences. So, provided you don’t have some kind of a deviant propensity toward misbehavior anyway, you should make it through the event unscathed. Your social position may suffer, especially if you typically surround yourself with partiers. I say, it’s their loss. And to you I’d recommend finding a better group of friends – those who accept you for who you are, not what you drink.

Negative people have a negative effect on us. I have lost relationships of every kind because of my choice not to drink. “I don’t trust a man who doesn’t drink,” is a backwards way of thinking and a bit on the ignorant side, I might add. I’d say, logically, it should go the other way around, but I’d end up having to mistrust pretty much everyone outside my immediate family. Maybe a proper way to say it is, “It’d be hard for me to trust anyone who thinks the bottle in their hand is more important than a friend or family member.”

Consider what kind of a “friend” abandons you because you don’t want to use alcohol? If you were always a non-drinker, it’s probably easier for others to accept because they know from the start. But going on the wagon, for whatever reason, can be challenging. Once again, just remember that it’s OK not to drink. Just be yourself. It’s you that should matter to your friends and colleagues, not what’s in your glass.

Deer In Headlines and Gery Deer are brought to you courtesy of GLD Communications.

 

 

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Good Morning Captain

In Children and Family, Local News, Opinion, Uncategorized on December 3, 2023 at 8:21 am

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

In May of 1961, Newton Minow, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission at the time, referred to television as, “a vast wasteland.” For the most part, he wasn’t wrong – and things got much worse. Thanks to unscripted television (reality shows), crashing standards, and a laughable rating system, Minow’s wasteland expanded. And, as bad as it was for adults, it became absolutely dismal for children.

Today, endless streaming channels offer even more kids’ TV, still overloaded with mindless nonsense, little to no educational value, and more product placement than you can shake your debit card at. Yes, there are a few exceptions out there, but very few. But, in the early days of television, one man set an unparalleled standard for children’s programming, and it has yet to be replicated.

In the 1950s, networks were new, most TV for kids was locally produced, and much of it centered around some form of live host or clown, surrounded with an array of puppets, cheap props, and goofy slapstick. All of this was thought necessary to keep little Junior occupied and attentive.

But on October 3, 1955, a new program hit the CBS television network’s morning airwaves. A wizened, mustached man in a long, long coat with huge pockets took over TV screens around the country and welcomed children into his Treasure House. From that day on, “Captain Kangaroo,” whose title character was played by Bob Keeshan, would remain a staple of children’s programming for 29 original seasons.

Bob “Captain Kangaroo” Keeshan (right) with Hugh “Mr. Green Jeans” Brannum in a 1960s episode.

His work in local television as a character actor gave him a first-hand look at the burgeoning children’s programming industry that, in his view, often insulted the intelligence of children. The Captain’s kindly soft-voiced approach was markedly different from other contemporaries, like Howdy Doody, and The Mickey Mouse Club.

Keeshan’s character, Captain Kangaroo, was based on the relationship generally enjoyed between children and grandparents. Just 25 years of age, he adopted a low, quiet voice, and wig that made him appear as a kindly old grandfather. That’s why, to many of us, the Captain never seemed to age as we grew up.

Keeshan always engaged young viewers directly through the TV camera, one-on-one. He had no live studio audience, often referred to as a gallery, because he felt it detracted from his connection with the children at home. In his view, it was impossible to make each child feel special if the cast was focused on a group of kids on the set.

Captain Kangaroo opened his show every morning jingling a large ring of keys to an upbeat theme song as he opened his Treasure House. Then he spent the next hour educating his young viewers through play with the help of Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, Bunny Rabbit, and a host of other colorful characters. “Play is the work of children,” he said. “It’s serious stuff.”

About 13 years after the Captain’s debut, the neighborhood trolly brought Mister Rogers to PBS. The tone of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was like Keeshan’s and the two eventually became good friends.

Unfortunately, even retooling couldn’t save the Captain from sagging ratings and CBS’s need for a competitive morning news presence. It was finally canceled in 1984. But he found a new home in edited, half-hour reruns on PBS through 1993. Rogers’ show ran until 2001.

By the way, having been raised in southwest Ohio, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the “Uncle Al Show,” based at WCPO Channel 9 in Cincinnati from 1950 to 1985 – predating both Keeshan and Rogers. Al Lewis (Uncle Al) and his airborne sidekick, “Captain Windy,” played by his wife Wanda Lewis, offered music, colorful characters, and even a circus at the end of each show. He was probably a big reason I got into music.

Like millions of others who grew up between the 1950s and 1980s, I have fond memories of the Captain, Mr. Rogers, and Uncle Al, well into my teens. Each left an indelible mark on my personality. At the time, I was completely unaware of how much I was learning about character, kindness, self-confidence, and, of course, how to get someone to stand in the perfect spot to dump ping-pong balls on their head.

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Those Were The Days

In Local News, Opinion, Uncategorized on November 17, 2023 at 6:03 pm

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

In 1951, my parents, Lois and Gary, were young newlyweds who left the small, hillside towns of southeastern Ohio, for the hustle and bustle of Dayton. Escaping a poor, rural life to join the newly minted middle class of post-war America was challenging. Eventually, the life they’d built for our family came full circle, returning them – and me – to their rural roots.

Dad told me stories of their early years in the city. He rode the bus downtown from their north Dayton duplex to work at the telephone company. Soon, thanks to pressure from my mother’s family, he went to work at National Cash Register. Dayton was brimming with factory jobs in those days at companies like NCR, Delco, and Frigidaire.

Gary Deer Sr., and Gary Deer Jr., around 1956.

Some of the factory complexes resembled small cities, with nearly everything a worker and his family could ever need. Many offered educational programs, free healthcare, recreational facilities, and extra pay for suggested improvements that saved the company money.

By the end of 1955, my parents already had two children, my brother Gary, Jr., and sister, Cathy. Before long, Dad managed to buy their first home and put a car in the driveway. A Cadillac, of course – my father’s favorite. My parents played cards with neighbors, participated in ballroom skating events at the local rink, and even hitched up the camping trailer for long weekend vacations.

Dad worked hard to make a life for us that was a total one-eighty from his Appalachian
upbringing. By the time I’d made my appearance in the late 1960s, he had created a very
“Leave it to Beaver” lifestyle for them. But soon, that idealized, if not completely artificial,
suburban world would fade into history. The world was changing and so was my family.

By the late 1970s, my brother and sister were adults with their own children, and Dad’s job situation had dramatically changed. He had long since left factory work behind for a teaching job. Thanks to an even more complex set of circumstances, we also relocated from suburbia to the farm where I would grow up which gave me a very different childhood than my siblings.

Money was tighter then, but I think there were greater rewards. Regardless of our circumstances, however, my parents managed to make us comfortable. My father used every skill he had to earn a living.

Gary Deer Jr., Cathy Deer, and Lois Deer at Niagra Falls in the early 1960s.

Over the years he did concrete and excavation work, operated a trucking business with my brother, became an agricultural mechanics teacher at the county vocational school, and ran our farm with my mother. Although she’d been a stay-at-home mom, she eventually took a job as a waitress to help make ends meet and grew vegetables and fruit that she sold at a stand on our farm. Looking back, I’m amazed at what they accomplished together.

I often think of how life probably turned out very differently than Mom and Dad might have envisioned, yet they never seemed unhappy. For them, as long as you had health and family, everything would be okay. Sadly, debilitating diseases slowly took each of them from us. But we were all right beside them for the journey, as they had been for us.

My parents were together for 59 years and 11 months. When my mother died, Dad was nearly inconsolable. He hadn’t known a day without her since he was 17 years old. Every day was a challenge, one they met head-on, with full force and commitment. I certainly hope that whenever they looked at their children and grandchildren all that struggle seemed worthwhile.

It’s easy to say, “Those were the days,” but I know things were often more difficult than I knew. Parents often shield kids from the more unpleasant parts of life. What we need to remember, is that you may start out a long way from where you end up, and there is no such thing as a perfect life.

I am incredibly thankful for how hard Mom and Dad worked to support us, and there are no words strong enough to convey my gratitude. We may have never been like the families on TV, but we were happy anyway. So, it’s just possible that those really were the days.

Ohio McDonald’s Restaurants to Donate 20 Percent of Sales to Local High School Athletics

In Business, Charities, Children and Family, Dayton Ohio News, Food, Local News, National News, Sports News, Uncategorized on September 26, 2023 at 9:30 am

Greeneview High School to receive funds earned during the Oct. 6 High School Sports Digital Fundraiser

JAMESTOWN, OHIO– McDonald’s owner-operators throughout Ohio will be raising funds for local high school athletic programs, including Greeneview High School, on October 6. During the High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day, 20 percent of all sales purchased through the McDonald’s app will be donated to local sports programs.

High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day was created by local McDonald’s owners/operators in Ohio as a way to support high school athletics in the communities they serve.  Each locally owned McDonald’s restaurant has chosen a high school in their community to donate 20 percent of all sales on October 6. Each identified high school will receive a minimum of $250.

“We are proud to be a part of the Jamestown community,” said McDonald’s Owner/Operator Nick Epifano. “This is the first time all Ohio area owner-operators have come together on one day to show our support for athletics in the communities we serve. Our hope is that the community will come out to support their local high school and help us make the High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day a success throughout the state.”

The McDonald’s app is available for download in the Apple App Store and the Android Google Play Store. With the McDonald’s app, customers get access to exclusive deals, they can order ahead and pass the line with Mobile Order & Pay, plus they can join MyMcDonald’s Rewards to earn points on every order to redeem for free McDonald’s.

As always, customers can customize their orders to match their personal taste preferences, including asking for no onions or pickles or holding the sauce on their favorite burger.  

 McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. 

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A House Divided

In Dayton Ohio News, Education, finances, Food, Health, history, Local News, News Media, Opinion, Politics, psychology, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on September 2, 2023 at 2:47 pm

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

When I restarted this series after a 5-year hiatus, I decided to steer away from politics, religion, and other hot-button topics in favor of more personal subjects. That said, I’ll dip a toe into that pool only enough to express my concern at the level of divisiveness now facing our country and who actually pays the price for it.

The political climate in America today is toxic, with no end in sight. Everything is viewed only from one side by an ill-informed, angry citizenry and uncompromising elected, uncivilized government officials. Over the long haul, we simply can’t function that way. Our legislators must work together in order to govern, even to manage the most basic issues. Unfortunately, that seems unlikely to change when the only people getting attention are the radical extremists.

Regardless of your ethnic background, or whether you’re conservative, liberal, or whatever, surely there are things we can all agree on, right? For instance, instead of spending hours on cable TV news bickering about who caused inflation, wouldn’t our collective energy be better spent on ways to help people get through it? Meanwhile, our dedicated elected officials spend taxpayer money riding around in limousines, secure in their healthcare, paychecks, and benefits, all guaranteed long after they’ve left office.

More absurd is that, in the most powerful and wealthiest country on Earth, there are still people who can’t get enough food, shelter, or other necessities – particularly the elderly, veterans, and children. No, it’s beyond absurd, it’s criminal. This problem affects everyone. The number of working poor continues to grow, most of my family included. Most people are only a paycheck or two from ruin. All it takes is one major catastrophe and boom, we’re on the street. Regardless, people from every side are too busy waving flags and hating each other’s politics to care or do anything about it.

Recently, I did some work at a food pantry and had the opportunity to learn more about the mission of these organizations. I am shocked about how necessary they are in so many communities. In just one year, the number of families served might double, so they must continually find new ways to meet the constantly growing demand.

You might be surprised to know that the people who most need services like this are not homeless or indigent. They are instead the working poor, single-parent families, and, sadly, veterans. No one should feel ashamed of taking help from those who offer it. But I can’t imagine how hard must be for someone who proudly served our country and then is forced to go to a food pantry just to have enough to eat.

The number of military families and veterans who need various types of assistance is also surprising. They include elderly or disabled veterans, military wives and husbands with young children trying to make ends meet while their spouses are deployed, families of all ages and backgrounds, and the kids, wow. Watching a child’s eyes light up over a book or something as simple as a Twinkie or a fresh piece of fruit can be simultaneously enlightening and heartbreaking.

Again, while the politicians ride around in limousines and kowtow to mindless followers during ridiculous cult-like rallies, the people they claim to be fighting for wait in lines at food pantries. They have no money, little healthcare, and a veteran affairs system that’s so broken it needs to be razed and rebuilt from the ground up.

These issues aren’t conservative or liberal, Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. We are so blinded by ridiculous ideologies and political divisiveness that we can’t see the real responsibilities facing our country – poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, an ever-changing job market, and so much more. Certainly, we could all get together on some of these things. Nope, it’s just not going to happen.

The people I meet in these situations don’t want handouts. They want to be understood and for their elected legislature to work for not against them. But until we put down the flags, turn off the news, and choose to be better human beings, nothing will change. So, all I have left to say is to quote my favorite president. “A house divided cannot stand.”

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Fair Play

In Entertainment, history, Local News, Opinion, Uncategorized on August 5, 2023 at 7:27 am

Deer In Headlines II 

By Gery Deer

The onset of fall means fair season here in Ohio, and my visit to our county fair this year was simultaneously familiar and foreign. When I was a kid, the county fair was the grand finale of my summer. At the time, I was probably annoyed with how much work it was. But what I wouldn’t give to walk through the fair of my youth. I didn’t appreciate it then, but those were some of the best days of my childhood.

As a young 4-H’er, I always had multiple projects to exhibit each year. If you had livestock (I showed cattle) you generally camped on the grounds to tend to your animals and get show practice in the arena more easily. My Dad always brought our small motorhome for me, so I had a nice place to sleep and some privacy. But sometimes, just to be closer to it all, I tossed my sleeping bag on the bales of hay next to my calf’s stall in the cattle barn. At night, the summer heat gave way to a cool breeze that flowed through the open sides of the barn, and I’d fall asleep to the sounds of the fair all around me, and some occasional mooing.

In the morning, I’d feed and water my calf (I only ever showed one at a time). Then breakfast at my favorite food tent where a youth group sold Bob Evans sausage, biscuits, pancakes, and all the trimmings. A kid’s gotta eat, right? We didn’t have money for it every day, but it was really great on the days I was really busy. 

Later, it was exercise time, for me and the cattle. I walked a 900-pound steer as if I were strolling through a park with a poodle. Showing an animal at the fair meant a great deal of training – for them and me. So, my calves behaved more like someone’s pet than a half-ton farm animal.

I showed in the dairy beef class and on show days, I had to wear white. I know, right, white clothes in all that muck and dirt? But we weren’t allowed to be dirty and neither were the animals. After a bath came a good brushing and a polish of the hooves. Finally, I had to “bob” their tails. It was a weird practice of teasing the hair at the end of the calf’s tail until it fluffed out like a ball, then folding the ends under and rubber-banding it, upside down, to the tail. Believe me, even if there was a picture, it wouldn’t make sense. 

Along with all the work, there was plenty of play. Many of the kids stayed on the grounds without their parents and no one ever seemed to worry about us. In between chores, we were normal kids, playing games, eating cotton candy, and riding on those rickety carnival rides. Once there was even a woman in a cage who turned into a gorilla! How did we survive all that? For one week every summer, I was in my element, one place I didn’t feel like a misfit.

Amidst all the fun, however, I had responsibilities. So, every kid had to keep one ear tuned to the dreaded public address system because, in the middle of a ride on the Scrambler, a garbled announcement would echo across the entire fairground sounding something like this. “Gery Deer, meet your mother at the FFA tent, immediately. Gery Deer, go to the FFA tent.” You see, before mobile phones, if parents needed the kids to somewhere during the fair, we got paged – very publicly. Talk about embarrassing, I can still hear the other kids. “Ha ha, Gery, your mommy wants you!” Oh, the humiliation.

I still miss those days and even then, I had some appreciation for the role the experience played in my young life. One night, just as the fair was closing, I shut my eyes and just listened for a moment as if storing the sounds for later, maybe when I couldn’t go back there again. I remember every moment of my time there. It’ll always be a part who i am, and I will always be grateful.

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Jamestown Wild West performer and teacher, Gery Deer, honored.

In Dayton Ohio News, Entertainment, history, Local News, Sports News, Technology, Uncategorized on July 31, 2023 at 2:04 pm

Jamestown, Ohio – August 1, 2023 – Jamestown resident, writer, speaker, and performer, Gery L. Deer, was honored on July 29th during the 20th Annual American Western Arts Showcase at the Annie Oakley Festival in Greenville, Ohio. Deer received the Alex Green Memorial Award for excellence in promoting, perpetuating, and teaching the Western arts over the last two decades. The award was presented by the co-producer of the show, Kirk Bass, of Xenia, supported by the rest of the cast and crew of the long-running Wild West show.

Gery Deer is presented with the Alex Green Memorial Award by American Western Arts Showcase co-producers Melodee and Kirk Bass.

Deer’s primary Western arts work has been teaching the whip as a sport and performance art. He’s instructed hundreds of actors, stunt performers, and hobbyists over 30 years and founded The Whip Artistry Studio, the only permanent facility in the U.S. dedicated to the non-combative study of the whip.

His award was named for the late Australian stuntman, Alex Green, who was a 40-year veteran of television and film stunt work, particularly with the whip. Green was one of the founders of the Wild West Arts Club (WWAC), where Deer earned early recognition as a national bullwhip speed and accuracy champion. The two became good friends and Deer has tried to continue the spirit of those early events by showing the whip in a positive light of sport and performing art.

“My goal has always been to teach and expose young people to these uniquely American skills,” Deer said. “I’m beyond humbled by the award my friends, no, my family have presented to me. It means more than I have words to convey and I’m forever grateful.” In addition to the honorarium, earlier the same day, Deer also won first place in the two-handed bullwhip speed and accuracy competition, called the “Speed Switch.”

Deer started the American Western Arts Showcase started in 2002 with a whip-cracking workshop and exhibition presentations and has produced the event ever since. In 2003, the program moved to the Annie Oakley Festival in Greenville, Ohio, and was retooled to become the Ohio Regional Convention of the Wild West Arts Club and offered whip, knife throwing, and trick roping contests, stunt demonstrations, stage performances, and more.

When the WWAC closed in 2007, Deer and company continued the showcase portion and kept the whip contests, which were even more popular with crowds than the performances. After 20 years, and hundreds of performances, the 2023 season marks the final production of the show at the Annie Oakley Festival.

For more information about Western arts performances and training, visit www.thewhipartistrystudio.com.

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Award-winning local Wild West performers headline the 20th Annual American Western Arts Showcase at Annie Oakley Festival July 28-29.

In Local News on July 24, 2023 at 6:56 pm

Greenville, OH – The 20th Annual American Western Arts Showcase is slated for July 28-29, 2023, during the Annie Oakley Festival at the Darke County Fairground, 800 Sweitzer St., in Greenville, Ohio. Each of the stage-style Wild West shows features whip marksmanship and knife-throwing performances as well as some trick roping, stunt demos, comedy routines, and audience participation. The showcase event is free and open to the public.

Presented in the spirit of the stage-style Wild West shows of the late 19th Century, each production will include some detailed history of how these arts came to be and who still practices them today. Award-winning bullwhip performer and coach, Gery Deer, of Jamestown, Ohio, is the show’s founder, emcee, and producer.

“This is a one-of-a-kind show in this region,” Deer said. “We have some of the best Wild West arts entertainment anywhere in the Midwest with real practitioners of each skill.”

Deer started the event in Jamestown, Ohio, in 2002 but has been a regular presence at the Annie Oakley Festival every year since. “Our goal has always been to educate as well as entertain, ours is a dying art form,” Deer said. “These are talented performers with genuine ability, no fakery, no tricks. Everything you see in our show is real – and all of our shows are in 3-D and high definition!”

Champion knife thrower Kirk Bass, of Xenia, Ohio, is the co-producer of the event. He and his daring wife Melodee are known as “Bass Blades,” a long-running impalement act.  They are among the performers to take the open-air stage for the competition and matinee show beginning at Noon. on Saturday, July 29, following the festival parade. Contests begin with the National Whip Speed and Accuracy Exhibition Competition, the world’s original Bullwhip Fast Draw contest. Plus, there is a contest taken straight from the big screen.

In 1981, a fedora-wearing, leather-clad archaeologist threw the crack heard around the world when he “whipped” a pistol from the hand of a jungle guide. At the beginning of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indiana Jones demonstrated his skills with the holstered fast-draw of a 10-foot bullwhip, all while having to spin around to take aim first.

In the spirit of Dr. Jones’ proficiency, the competition includes a special, “blind bullwhip fast draw.” Contestants must mimic the move used in the film to turn, draw their holstered whip, and crack at a target with speed and accuracy.

“With the popularity of Indiana Jones among western performers, particularly whip artists, it’s odd this hasn’t been done before,” explained Deer, who holds multiple, national whip speed and accuracy titles and is the director of The Whip Artistry Studio, the only permanent whip training facility in America.

The final showcase performance for the weekend will be at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and features Deer’s family musical group, “The Brothers & Co.,” who were a staple at the event until 2019. They’re returning for this one performance during the weekend. However, Deer will also appear at the festival as a solo performer beginning at 12 Noon on Sunday, July 31, for a series of Indiana Jones-style whip performances, complete with costuming.

The event is sponsored by GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd., The Whip Artistry Studio, Bass Blades, Sage & Oak Handmade, and the Annie Oakley Festival Committee. For links to the festival and sneak previews of the performers plus updated show times, visit ohiowesternarts.org.

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TCN Behavioral Health Announces Annual School Supply Distribution Events

In Charities, Children and Family, Dayton Ohio News, Economy, Education, Local News, Uncategorized on July 20, 2023 at 4:57 pm

Fairborn, Ohio – July 18, 2023 – TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc. announces their annual School Supply Drive Distribution Events.

The 5 events will take place as shown below:
Monday July 31, 4-6 pm TCN Troy 1021 N. Market Street
Tuesday August 1, 4-6 pm TCN Fairborn 1825 Commerce Center Blvd.
Wednesday August 2, 4-6 pm TCN Bellefontaine 118 Maple Avenue
Thursday, August 3, 4-6 pm TCN Xenia 452 W. Market Street
Friday, August 4, 4-6pm TCN Urbana 1522 E. US Hwy 36

TCN annually collects school supplies and donations for the children in their service areas. In 2022 they provided supplies to more than 300 children and hope to expand that reach in 2023. The 5 distribution events listed above will include free pizza and beverages as well as school supplies while supplies last.

“New school supplies are essential to help prepare students for a successful year and support teachers in the classrooms,” says Tom Otto, TCN’s Associate CEO. “We hope that people will help TCN get more school supplies into the hands of more kids by donating and volunteering at the distribution events.”

TCN accepts donations of school supplies at all locations, or donors can shop the School Supply Drive Amazon Wishlist to have supplies shipped directly to TCN for preparation and distribution. The
organization also accepts monetary donations at https://tcn.jotform.com/202296368911965 by selecting “school supply drive” in the dropdown menu. Volunteers can get sign up to help at their local events here: https://tcn.jotform.com/223056028945962.

Founded in 1990, TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc. is a comprehensive behavioral health agency dedicated to improving lives by providing clinically excellent and accessible behavioral health services. TCN provides mental health, substance use, and psychiatric services for adults and youth in Miami, Greene, Montgomery, Logan, and Champaign counties. For more information or to donate to TCN call (937)376-8700 or visit www.tcn.org.

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We weren’t always old.

In Local News, Opinion, psychology, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on July 14, 2023 at 6:08 pm

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

An elderly gentleman sat quietly in a wheelchair, hunched and feeble, and his tired eyes peered through thick, smudged glasses. What remained of probably a head full of dark, wavy locks now lay in thin, white whisps. A young woman in a healthcare uniform sat next to him, smiling as she helped him eat some pudding from a small plastic cup. He looked longingly at the family sitting across the room entertaining what he assumed was a grandparent. His thoughts wandered back, 30, 40, and 50 years, to the days of his youth, as a young husband and father.

He remembered the excitement of family vacations, the birth of his first child, his first job and promotion, and buying their first home. So many things had happened, so much time, so much life, so many had gone on before him, so many yet to come. To him, just a moment ago, he was a young man, but now… He glanced again at the family, and around the room at the other residents of the nursing home.

“We weren’t always old,” he whispered under his breath, a single tear sliding from beneath his heavy glasses. The woman continued to give him the snack until the cup was empty. A moment later, he’d dozed off and she was pushing his chair back to his room.

I saw countless scenes like this while I cared for my parents. Life has a way of teaching us things, whether we are willing students or not. As we age, begin to understand pearls of wisdom shared by our parents, grandparents, and teachers. Somehow, the man’s lament of “we weren’t always old,” stuck a chord with me. I wasn’t either.

For some reason, the young seem to ignore the person behind the white hair, walkers, and wrinkles. Somewhere in there is the person they once were, young, vibrant, active, and productive. They were actors, writers, salespeople, teachers, police officers, musicians, mothers, lawyers, doctors, and so much more. They were somebody, and we should never forget it!

Everyone’s got that grandparent, aunt, or uncle, who sits in the corner at holiday dinners telling stories of the old days, but almost no one listens. They’ve heard the stories over and over as if the person’s mind is locked into that point in their life history. I learned a lot about my dad while I was caring for him. He would sit and tell me stories as we worked a puzzle or watched an old western on TV. I tried hard to understand who he was beyond the man I knew as my father. I’m not sure many people ever do that with their senior family.

As we age, we are still people, still individuals. We can still dream, imagine, love, care, create, understand, learn, and grow, but the system doesn’t always let us. Eventually, we will outlive our societal usefulness. We’re parked in Hell’s waiting room as our relatives wait to argue about who gets the junk we leave behind. It’s no wonder our minds retreat to better days. It’s ridiculous, and it’s pretty sad. There is so much to learn from our seniors, so much history, life lessons, and experience, all of which would benefit us to learn and absorb.

It’s strange how we treat the elderly in this country. In government, we routinely elect and re-elect people who stay in power for decades, until they finally age out to illness or die in office. Most are still holding political office many years after corporate America would have shown them the door. But most of the rest of us are “put out to pasture” at what is arguably a very young age. Illness notwithstanding, senior citizens still have a great deal to offer. They should be the schoolteachers, counselors, and mentors.

 Our society might be in better shape if our youth paid more attention to the mistakes and successes of past generations instead of constantly trying to reinvent the wheel. So, my advice to the younger folks out there is simple – spend more time with the older folks in your lives. Pay attention to their stories – listen and learn. You never know, you both may learn something!