Sum It Up by Pat Summitt

Pat Summitt: Amazing Coach
Remarkable Woman

Thanks goes to Lisa Hailey for recommending this memoire.

I was not familiar with Pat Summitt. I don't watch NBA basketball, nor do I watch college ball. Truth be known, I don't really know the difference between a basketball and a beachball. So coming to this book, I was entirely unfamiliar with the notoriety of this woman and her incredible dominance in the field of women's college basketball.


Here's a summary thanks to GoodReads.com:

Pat Summitt was only 21 when she became head coach of the Tennessee Vols women's basketball team. For 38 years, she has broken records, winning more games than any NCAA team in basketball history. She has coached an undefeated season, co-captained the first women's Olympic team, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and has been named Sports Illustrated 'Sportswoman of the Year'. 

She owes her coaching success to her personal struggles and triumphs. She learned to be tough from her strict, demanding father. Motherhood taught her to balance that rigidity with communication and kindness. She is a role model for the many women she's coached; 74 of her players have become coaches. 

Pat's life took a shocking turn in 2011, when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, an irreversible brain condition that affects 5 million Americans. Despite her devastating diagnosis, she led the Vols to win their sixteenth SEC championship in March 2012. Pat continues to be a fighter, facing this new challenge the way she's faced every other--with hard work, perseverance, and a sense of humor. 

Her accomplishments are too many to list, but here are a few highlights;

Pat Summitt is the most winning coach in the history of NCAA Division 1 college basketball, boasting 1098 victories from 1974 until 2012. Olympic Gold Medalist in 1976 games. Eight-time NCAA Championships, Seven-time NCAA Coach of the Year,  Named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the Century, Awarded the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Pat Summitt is a gritty, uncompromising coach. She admits that she would push her athletes beyond their personal limitations and bring out new levels of performance--the true role of a coach. She described how she would brake the individual players down, then rebuilt them to be better team players and stronger athletes. From the players perspectives (that pepper the memoire), in coaching them on the court, Pat Summitt taught them life skills, and help the players to do better in so many aspects of their lives. A true testament to Summitt's contribution to each player: 100% of her players graduated from University of Tennessee and 78 of her players went on to become teachers and coaches.

The autobiography itself was co-authored with Sally Jenkins, and is well written. Summitt admits that she has difficulty remembering day to day details, as a result of her suffering from early onset Alzheimer's which was diagnosed in 2011. However, she says that she remembers all of the people that have played a role in her life as a coach, and her memoire demonstrates this.

As a critique of the work, I would say that it's heavily laden with a litany of people and players, and because I don't know anyone from the sport, I found the endless list of people hard to track and somewhat confusing. With player turn over every year, I lost track of most of the players. Maybe if I was more familiar with the stars of NCAA, I would have tracked them more easily.

I would have liked more personal details on Pat's ongoing relationship with her family members, but perhaps this was covered in her previous work.

I commend the University of Tennessee for supporting and accommodating Summitt despite her health condition, and I wish that more employers were so generous to those employees who have been loyal contributors before diagnoses. Perhaps their treatment of Summitt and their willingness to provide ongoing support will serve as a bench mark for other institutions and private companies.

The most beautiful passage of the book was its final 3 lines.  Regardless of whether you believe in God, these words are beautiful. I wish Pat Summitt peace in her future, and when it's her time to fly, I hope she reaches her chosen destination. If anyone can, it would be Pat Summitt.

That Lonely Section of Hell by Lorimer Shenher

Lorimer Shenher's memoire That Lonely Section of Hell, shines a light onto one officer's struggle to do his job, and fulfil this role. Here's a summary from Goodreads.com:

In That Lonely Section of Hell, police detective Lori Shenher describes her role in Vancouver’s infamous Missing and Murdered Women Investigation and her years-long struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of her work on the case. From her first assignment in 1998 to explore an increase in the number of missing women to the harrowing 2002 interrogation of convicted serial killer Robert Pickton, Shenher tells a story of massive police failure—failure of the police to use the information about Pickton available to them, failure to understand the dark world of drug addiction and sex work, and failure to save more women from their killer. That Lonely Section of Hell passionately pursues the deeper truths behind the causes of this tragedy and the myriad ways the system failed to protect vulnerable women.

I found this book to be well written and well organized albeit the events themselves are very tragic  and profoundly troubling.

When I think of a Police Force, I imagine a big team that is working to fight crime and keep our streets safe.  I know that police are tasked with investigating crimes, and tracking down perpetrators. Their suppose is to serve and protect.

Here is a good CBC article on this case:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robert-pickton-case-torments-former-detective-lori-shenher-1.3223349

Based on this belief, I found this memoire disturbing for many reasons, and it left me with many questions:

How are departmental priorities established? Who decides where the budget gets spent and who deserves more or less resources? Under the microscope of the media, there is undoubtedly pressure to generate quick results and provide answers when the questions are asked.  The Lonely Section of Hell shows that in reality, some segments of the population receive more resources than others. The level of attention to the crimes, depends on who the victim is. In this case, poor populations of marginalized women fell to the bottom of the priority list.

What avenues exist to officers who need help with systematic miscarriages of justice? Who is there to help when the police are the ones that are not helping? As we find out, officers who speak their minds about inequities and injustices have their future career progression limited.

Why, in this day and age of hyper connectivity, can police agencies not work together more effectively on investigations that are wide reaching? The RCMP and Vancouver Police Department were guarded with the own information; not willing to share details of their separate investigations. RCMP and the VPD were negligent of cooperating together in this case, and I suspect that this continues to be the case in other investigations that bridge common jurisdictional ground.

Detective Shenher was trained and coached by supportive officers prior to his tasking to the Missing
Persons office. Why did their support run out, and where were they when he needed more resources?

I also question whether Robert Pickton was not investigated sooner because his family owned large amounts of land in and around the lower mainland. It is mentioned several times that he was on the police radar for hosting parties with nefarious activities. Why then, was there a lack of attention on the Pickton property? It is suggested that the police suspected illegal activity taking place on his property. Did the Charter limit and shape the (lack of) investigation?

I commend Mr. Shenher for not making Pickton the central focus of her writing. He is very calculated in not fuelling his notoriety and avoids providing the gruesome and lascivious details of his killing. His book is about the investigation and the failing.

This memoire also contains letters from the author to some of the Pickton victims. These letters provide insight into Mr. Shenher's frustration, regret and compassion. Through these letters, we gain and understanding of his feeling of futility and despair.

Detective Lorimer Shenher: An Honourable Officer

I am left asking whether there have been significant improvements to this broken system, and whether there aren't remaining gaps in our criminal justice system that continue to allow marginalized people to be victimized. I know the answer to this question. It is a sobering and miserable conclusion.

Just this week, PTSD has been acknowledged as a legitimate condition that requires Police services need to take care of PTSD and acknowledge the value of their officers after they have been harmed. As we learn from this memoire, the harm that causes PTSD can originate both from external, societal events and internal, police forces abuses. Victimization happens on the outside, and from within. Sobering and thought provoking.

I am glad Mr. Shenher is now focusing his efforts on helping those who want to be helped and appreciate all of his efforts as a personal trainer. I wish him peace and personal satisfaction in the future. Here is his website for a glimpse into his ongoing endeavours: http://www.lorishenher.com
The best is yet to come...Stay brave and keep going. The world need more honourable people like Lori Shenher.

Starting Out in the Afternoon…A Delight!

Jill Frayne, daughter of June Callwood, tells of her personal journey into the Canadian wilderness. The analogy of Starting Out in the Afternoon might refer to her starting over again, or reclaiming and re-establishing her new life after a relationship ends, and her daughter leaves for university. One spring, she packs up her car, and starts out on a 3 month trip to northern British Columbia for a camping and kayaking expedition by herself. (I was surprised to find that she lived in Uxbridge…about 20 minutes away from my home!)

I share a passion for the outdoors--canoeing in freshwater is the best therapy for the soul. Like Frayne, solitary tenting has been a wonderful experience for me. I have enjoyed camping in Vermont and New Hampshire and tented on Long Beach just south of Tofino by  myself in my early 20's.  I have backpacked to the Isle of Skye and northern Scotland solo. Traveling alone, you learn a lot about a place, and even more about yourself. You have time to reflect on the life that you have stepped outside. You have quiet expanses of time in which you can observe your surroundings and watch life quietly unfold.  I loved Frayne's description of her sitting in a strawberry field writing. If I could choose a book to live out, this might be the book that I would want to experience (except for the failing marriage, and problematic parenting aspects!) 

Nuff about me, back to the book. This writing spoke to my soul. Frayne's novel read like poetry and effortlessly took me to the northern reaches of this great country.  Frayne's writing is like butter: smooth and delicious. The closer I got to the end of the book, the slower I read; like savouring the last few drops of an excellent wine.

As a general rule, I don't "dog-ear" the pages of a book, but I just had to mark these two passages:

"I went West in my car in 1990 like a person burned down, but I came back with seeds in my pocket for the rest of my life. To go into these last places, to go alone or to go with the companion I have found, long after I was content to have no companion, is all I'll ever need." p. 233

On discussing the Inuit culture seeing the world as entirely connected, both animate and inanimate objects sharing a concrete relationships, she revels in the culture that orients more to non-difference than to difference: "A bear and a skunk cabbage are much more the same than they are different. What would it be like, I wonder, if our first thought, regarding anything was to perceive the kinship, the non-distinction, rather than shorting out to the difference between things?" 

I was entranced by the imagery, and beautiful descriptions. A pleasure to read and I recommend it highly.

I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish

A Must Read.

I am a middle aged, suburban mother of 3 who has never paid much attention to the ongoing conflicts in the middle east. I have always been confused about who exactly the Palestinians, Israelies, Hamas, Gazans and PLO are. I don't pretend to be an expert on any of these groups, nor do I know more than the average Canadian citizen. To call me ignorant in this area would be complimentary. In fact, I would say that I know next to nothing about this topic, so here goes:

I attended public school in Ontario, Canada. Here, what I learned was straight from the standard curriculum with little to no diversion. Current affairs were seldom incorporated into the classroom, so I can confidently say that I never learned anything about the middle east. We certainly never learned about middle eastern conflicts. After having read I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abeulaish, I would suggest that this book be mandatory reading for all high school students. It is a mémoire of hope, pain, loss and determination to change a small part of the world; one man's story to make a difference.


Here's an overview courtesy of Goodreads.com:

At the Tel Aviv hospital where his 3 Daughters Died.

"I Shall Not Hate is Izzeldin Abuelaish's account of an extraordinary life. A Harvard-trained Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and "who has devoted his life to medicine and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians" (New York Times), Abuelaish has been crossing the lines in the sand that divide Israelis and Palestinians for most of his life - as a physician who treats patients on both sides of the line, as a humanitarian who sees the need for improved health and education for women as the way forward in the Middle East. And, most recently, as the father whose daughters were killed by Israeli soldiers on January 16, 2009, during Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip. His response to this tragedy made news and won him humanitarian awards around the world. Instead of seeking revenge or sinking into hatred, Abuelaish called for the people in the region to start talking to each other. His deepest hope is that his daughters will be "the last sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis."

Izzeldin Abuelaish

Abuelaish is a Gazan doctor who is determined to work with Israel to improve the living conditions for the Palestinian people. He believes that the medical community has a central roll in improving the public health conditions of this war torn region. He explained that for years and years, Israel and Palestine have fought over the Gaza Strip. This tiny piece of land has been the centre of so much bloodshed and war.  This land's history is so complicated that it's hard to know who and what is justified, and what motivated each hostile action. He believes that rather than looking to lay blame, we need to acknowledge the personal costs and losses that both sides have suffered. We then need to settle this dispute and establishing peace for the next generations.

This book is a good starting point for anyone who has never taken a close look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I accept that Abulaish undoubtedly has his own politicized perspective to a certain extent, but I found his story very compelling, and informative. I was able to follow his overview of the issues, and I was able to understand the various factions.

I am open to learning other perspectives about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, so if anyone would like to make suggestions as to my next readings on this topic, I would be most receptive.

Palestinian child among the rubble

The imposed embargoes by Israel against Palestine  that have essentially choked the vitality from the majority of the population. I was staggered to learn that 70% of the population in Palestine live in abject poverty. I had no idea that running water and working filtration systems are a luxury that are threatened by the lack of parts needed to maintain these systems. How shameful.

Here are a few passages that I highlighted during my reading that I want to remember:

"One of the ways to alter the status quo is to look to the women and girls. It's easy to find a thousand men in favour of war; it's difficult to find five women who are inclined that way...The mother is the school. If you prepare this school with the right equipment, the students will be smarter and more successful and so will the nation...The evidence beyond doubt that investing in women and girls is the way forward out of poverty and conflict." page 118-119

Of the soldier in the tank that fired on and killed his 3 daughters and 1 niece: " 'What have I done?" And even if he doesn't think that now tomorrow he will be a father. He will suffer for his actions when he sees how precious is the life of his child...Hatred is an illness. It prevents healing and peace." page 167

Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca

Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place between the seventh and twelfth days of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar. This is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world; every able bodied Muslim is required to make the trip at least once in his or her lifetime.

This novel has made me think.

I am left with the thought that armies do not resolve wars, individual people who decide not to fight resolve wars. Abuelaish has made me think about the Middle Eastern conflict for the first time, and I hope to learn more.  I am open to learning other perspectives about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East also, so if anyone would like to make suggestions as to my next readings on this topic, I would be most receptive.

I encourage  you to read this memorable book.