About Cuneyt Ersal

This Friday, let’s relax and read something afar from our daily routines. Below is a story of an immigrant who left everything behind to sail for new adventures in the United States like many of us. Share it if you like and enjoy it!

When he woke up, the wall clock was showing 10:17 am. His eyes were dazzled with the streak piercing the room through the gap separating the curtains of the large window. He walked to the window as he was rubbing his eyes. It was spring time. He opened it, and he could feel the warmth bearing the freshness of the oxygen in the street. “Life is running afresh,” he mused. He watched the people passing by under his window. Kids were laughing around at an older woman, who obviously had difficulty walking. She was so old and slow moving that the kids on the block were laughing and copying her. He gave the scene a smile and rolled his eyes to a farther point beyond the street. He could see the port and vessels loading or discharging their cargo. That view was not alien to him. Because he has been a sailor all his working life. Now he had quit, and was looking for a job. He was enjoying his time by taking long walks, visiting his friends, hosting his grandchildren at home and frequenting the neighborhood bar.

His eyes got stuck with the gulls circling over the port. He noticed the gulls were following a specific pattern at flight.First, they were climbing up and once they reached a higher point in the air, they were diving down. But, they appeared to a human eye as if they were circling around since they were flying in a secret orbit. He remembered the day when he had first found it out.

It was almost thirty years back. Then, he was younger and in an adventurous mood. He discovered the fact about the sea gulls just before he jumped into the sea from the ship he worked for. He was so excited and joyful as he was swimming in the water. Once he reached the shore, he was not aware that he had set foot in Brooklyn. That day was the beginning of his new life in America and that day was as radiant as it’s today. “It’s been long but I still sense the same feeling inside. It’s thrilling as ever!” he thought.

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I don’t know how and when the idea of positive thinking first turned up… But some people insistently keep advocating that it always helps. They say that “positive thinking” heals!

Honestly, I’ve always been suspicious of the effect that positive thinking has on people’s lives. I mean, ”C’mon”, how come can we expect someone who has just lost their parent or a loved one to do so. Or, try to advocate this idea to an amputee soldier?

I should mention that I had a recent experience proving the usefulness of positive thinking. I’ll come to that shortly. Before that, I want to dwell on an article that I read the other day, called “The History of Positive Thinking”. The article underlined that Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a preacher and pastor who popularized this idea said, “if you can change your attitude, you can change your life.” To me, it was pretty far-stretched. The article also said that he urged people to consciously train themselves to be optimistic and enthusiastic, to believe in themselves, to refuse to dwell on negative thoughts, and to visualize success. He also vigorously advocated forgiveness, gratitude, and building one’s character.

After he made that statement, the whole psychiatric community rushed to slam him, according to the article. His theories evoked a broad criticism from psychiatrists, who labeled his advice shallow, simplistic, and possibly dangerous. They believed that, ultimately, those who tried his methods would end up disillusioned and worse off than before. He was labeled a confidence man and a charlatan.

Last Sunday, I came across one of my friends whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. She looked a little bit skinnier to me. Actually, I never saw her so weak before. While we were talking, I didn’t want to bring it up. I didn’t want to offend or upset her in a way. However, during the course of our conversations she said; ” I’m sure you noticed that I look unusually meager. I got sick last summer, Cuneyt. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s why I look like a zombie.”
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“Life is short, don’t waste time worrying about what people think of you. Hold on to the ones that care, in the end they will be the only ones there.” Anonymous

It had not been long since she has turned 21. This day was the one she had been dreaming of. The special part of this day was meeting that woman. That morning, she woke up early and got dressed quickly, as she did not even want to waste one single second. All she wanted was to be on time at their meeting spot. Shortly, she rushed to the street to take a taxi. Snow was keeping her from walking ahead. “Oh my God, this must be a joke… I can hardly believe this weather, after all sunshine last week. And now no cabs at all!” Finally, she got a cab and headed downtown. The woman she was meeting was her birth mother. She was supposed to meet her mom for the first time in her life at age 21. Sometimes life shows us its bitter, stinging side. When it does, it feels like we are under a divine test of strength and endurance. Human beings have the ability to overcome the most unthinkable hardship, and Claire Culwell is a prime example. Maybe it’s better to tell the story by her own words at this point:

“I met the woman who gave birth to me. I had always dreamed about the day I would meet her, and it never involved the most significant part of it all; learning that I was an abortion survivor.  She was 13 years old when she became pregnant with me and the only option she knew of (according to her mother) was abortion.  She proceeded to go to an abortion clinic nearby where she had an abortion.  A few weeks later she realized she was still pregnant and decided to go to an out-of-state late-term abortion clinic to have a second abortion. During her examination at the late-term abortion clinic, she was told that she had been pregnant with twins.  One was aborted, and one survived.  She was also told that it was too late to have even a late-term abortion.  She decided to give me up for adoption when I was born two weeks later. Putting me up for adoption (and giving me the best family I can imagine) was a life-changing decision for all of us.”

By www.claireculwell.com

Because of the abortion, she was born 2 ½ months premature and weighed 3 lbs 2 oz.  She was on life support and had to stay in the hospital for 2 ½ months until she could be brought home.  Her hips were dislocated and her feet were turned (because during the abortion, the sac that held her body together was broken) and when she was brought home she had 2 casts on her feet and a harness. She was put in a body cast for 4 months, and she didn’t walk until she was over 2 years old.  It still affects her even today. [Read more...]