orient state institution-1964 need info.

[bembel]

Curt, I am so glad you have been able to put your early life into perspective and move on and make something of yourself. Like every thing in life the model depends on the people. The early mental health system had some wonderful things about it. The fact that the hospitals were self contained and self-sufficient was a good plan but it depended on the humans involved. Now the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. There are so many mentally ill people on the streets and in jail. I feel guilty because I am not involved more in helping former mental patients because I know there is much work to do now that they are dumped without adequate services so many times but I am getting old and don't have the stamina and resources I once had.
Do what you can to help others which is what I am sure you do in your life and what I try to do in my life and business. My best wishes to you.

[bembel]

Curt, I am so glad you have been able to put your early life into perspective and move on and make something of your life. The early mental health model was a good one but like everything else it depends on the people involved to make it successful and if the people were bad then it failed.
I feel guilty that I haven't been able to do more to help the mentally ill now that I am not working as a nurse but getting older my stamina isn't what it used to be or my resources.
We both just have to do what we can to help those we meet along the way which is what I am sure you are doing and I try to do in my business every day.
I treasure the memory of one of the patients who sang Jingle Bells to me as I went from my car to the hospital every morning at 6 am. Everyone on the campus probably heard it to.
I treasure the memory of "Pete" who helped me by cleaning my apartment and waited for me to come home in the afternoon. He looked after me. When I lost my nursing school pin one day he found it and brought it home.
I think of the patient who took the NEW nurse to the foot clinic to open a door so he could sweep up. He knew when the light was turned on there would be big bugs running. It was fun to see the NEW nurse go crazy with the broom.
I think of the elderly patient who died and had no family and how lovingly we put her in her pine box and held a service for her. I thought at the time how lucky she was to have us there. We truly cared. Not a lot of people in the outside world have everyone at the service who truly cares.
Think of your little memories that make you smile.
My very best wishes to you.

[SESSIE HUFF]

I would like to find the documentry, i work with a lot of special people who came from there.