But if you have somehow continued to this second paragraph, you will also know that as I realized what was happening to me, I knew that I had to tell someone. So I guess you are it.
Bonnie, is a semi-pure Border Collie. I say semi-pure because the rancher who we got her as a puppy from, pointed half-confidently to several dogs running about the open field, saying, “He’s the daddy, er… no…wait he’s the daddy, er… no, wait… maybe he’s the daddy…”

Experts will tell you that as your first dog, Border-Collies are a handful. I will however, tell you that the experts are dead wrong. Border-Collies are much, much more than handful! You will question your decision to own one, many times. As puppies, they tend to be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, but as they grow into teenagers and test your fast-thinning patience, you will wish you had gotten an easier dog—a less, shall we say, “questioning your authority” dog.

At the low point in the training of a Border Collie puppy (and there will be many), you will suddenly realize and ask yourself this very profound question, “Exactly who, is training whom?”

What I have learned

Food is the by far the universal language of negotiation. It can be used to reward, thank, ask, demand, coax, punish, and promise. Food should actually be a part of every international foreign policy negotiation. I doubt that you could ever bomb someone, after you have just enjoyed a meal together.

Dogs are part of a sleeper “sofa cell conspiracy” by the furniture industry, because after you get a dog, you quickly realize that you need to plan on getting new furniture one day soon! You will find teeth imprints, evidence of gnawing in the finest wood tables, chairs and cabinetry, and rips and tears in your cherished upholstery, on an almost daily basis. Constant vigilance and training eventually gets this to stop, which is when you will decide to go shopping. Coincidence? Me thinks not.

Walking a dog is healthy! I lost 20 pounds in the first eight weeks after we got Bonnie, and have kept if off for almost seven months. I did not miss food, I simply was able to burn off the calories during the two walks per day that pretty much any dog needs. The strengthening of your back, arms, and legs from the walks pretty much takes away any aches and pains as well. And you will find that you sleep much better than before too. So, I will absolutely guarantee the 20 pounds in eight weeks to anyone.

Walking a dog is therapeutic! You might start the walk thinking of ways to kill certain people in your life, or begin it with any amount of negativity you might be carrying around. But by the end of the walk, you are euphorically serene, fully oxygenated, and have all but forgotten any negative thoughts.

The reason for this is, possibly, by being focused on your dog, and making sure you take them through the many behavior and trick training exercises, and that they walk next you properly, and so on, your brain is able to let go of one set of problems by your focusing on the dog. Kind of like Lamaze. Do not be surprised though, if, as your contemplation starts to show on your face, your dog catches you sometimes even crying a bit on the walk. And do not be surprised if they give you that, “What’s wrong dear?” look you will no doubt need at that moment.

A dog makes you a more cordial person. I am constantly surprised by how much more I smile and say, “Hello” to people I pass when walking Bonnie, and how nicely people react and say “Hi” and smile back. Often, we even stop and chat! Of course, it’s about the dog, but to engage with perfect strangers in a simple cordial manner like this is unheard of—even in the suburbs. Heck, especially in the suburbs! And don’t get me started on the conviviality of fellow dog owners. It’s a regular “high school reunion.”

So, a dog can literally and metaphorically save your life. Sure we’ve seen and heard all about the amazing rescue stories of dogs pulling children from house fires and so on, but the seemingly real emotional connection a dog provides you, borders on (dare I say it) the holy. Certainly it is profound. Who are these creatures that hang on your every look, step, or gesture? Do they know what you are thinking and are they sentient? Is it all really just about the food?

You will ask yourself these and many more universe shattering questions as you scratch behind your dog’s ears, pat them on the head and find yourself endlessly stroking them like some lost blanket. For this moment at least, you and your dog are at peace!

Dog (and owner) etiquette:

Never automatically assume that the other dog owner is comfortable with stopping and letting your dog say “Hi” and start sniffing and playing with their dog. Always ask if it is OK. Some dogs are a bit aggressive or shy and not as friendly, so always ask. Also, know your dog. She might not be interested as much as you think.

Clean up! There is nothing worse than trying to walk through a minefield left for you by an un-courteous dog owner. The process is really easy and not any more than you did for your child. So carry the bags with you and don’t be shy! It is far better to be seen picking up poop, rather than trying to pretend to get away with not doing it.

When taking your dog to a dog park, make sure that if your dog is being aggressive, dominating, bullying, growling, or hurting the other dogs, you check this behavior and put them back on leash immediately. Trust the rest of us, it isn’t “cute”, your dog isn’t being “just excitedly friendly”, and they aren’t “just playing”. Nips and bites can lead to infections and scarring, and no one wants to have to deal with that on top of an already full list of doggie duties.

Train your dog. We all have certain human behaviors that we were trained to do. It is no different for your dog. Sit, Stay, Come, Good, Bad/Stop/No, these are the basic commands you should make sure your dog can execute by your voice. Other tricks and behaviors are dependent on you and your dog’s intelligence, imagination, and will.

Verlin Chalmers exudes trust, wisdom, and a kind of rock star coolness that you can’t help but be drawn to. His smile is at once knowing, innocent and impish. His eyes literally twinkle. Maybe it is because he is a guitar player and songwriter. There are people you meet along the road of life, who are just plain cool.

I first met Verlin over a cup of coffee as I was writing another article. He happened to notice that I was using a Mac, and promptly announced that I was sitting in the designated “Mac Section.” As we talked more about Apple and debated Steve Jobs and his “brilliance” and drooled over iPad rumors, I became more and more interested in this poster-child of the sixties—a trademark baby boomer.

I have always been drawn to, and frankly, jealous of, yet one more generation of American hero—those privileged to grow up and participate in the 1960′s. A prophetic time, witnessing, contemplating, and participating in what is the single most alternative cultural values experiment in the history of the world. Had the revolution worked completely, free healthcare, and solar powered flying cars would not seem as crazy as they apparently sound today.

Part of the sixties that is undeniable is the other experiment that is often more famous than the counter culture ideas; rampant drug and alcohol use spawned abuse, and it is safe to say, that is the other blade of the double edged sword of the sixties.

Today, almost everyone has a friend or relative that suffers from the ravaging effects of addiction. Although many of the drugs that were widely available in the sixties and seventies are not around today, addiction is at an all time forgive the pun, “high” in the US. Healthcare costs and the cost of lost productivity easily eclipse tens of billions of dollars. Drug-related deaths are up over 500% since 1980. The number of people taking prescription drugs illegally is up by 500% as well, just since 1990.

Clearly Nancy Reagan’s theories left much to be desired. The common traditional approach to treating addiction has been the emergence of the “Treatment Center.” But treating symptoms and taking stabs at modifying behavior is clearly only part of the solution.

Enter Verlin Chalmers, whose presence at this particular point and dimension in space and time, allows a lifetime of precisely caring focus to benefit those in desperate need of an answer. The benefit of knowledge gained passing through a time continuum. Or you could call it Karma.

Suffice it to say right here in our own backyard, whether working as a young man in a factory making soy milk for babies allergic to cow’s milk, or at age 24 as the youngest director of the St. Helena Drug and Alcohol treatment program, to starting a coffee house/free clinic in Georgetown in the seventies, life, it seems, has taught Chalmers what he needs to know. More importantly, what we need to know.

Chalmers has developed a unique method for addressing not treating addiction at its core. Known simply as “The Road,” symbolic of a not easy journey, at whose end will hopefully yield the true person, stripped of the heavy burden that addiction can weigh.

“To begin my training at St. Helena Hospital, they sent me to the Hazelden Treatment Program  where I spent 30 days going through exactly what the clients went through. This was my introduction to addiction and my first practical focus on behaviors that effect health,” says Chalmers.

He quickly became curious as to why we sometimes do things that we really don’t want to do but feel compelled to do them anyway. How is it that a person truly does not want to drink, use drugs, or over-eat, yet continues to do so, to excess? He began to study the research and approaches that worked and did not work. This led him to become curious about the workings of the brain and its effect on behavioral control. When Chalmers first began in the field of addiction, the now controversial shock treatment was being used.

“There were many theories. It’s a moral weakness. It’s a death wish. It’s a nutritional problem; oxygen deprivation at birth; genetic, symptomatic of underlying emotional problems; family systems problems; spiritual problems; a brain disease. The professional search for an answer raged on while people continued to try and fail,” Chalmers explained.

Clearly better research is needed. Today, roughly the same amount is spent on tooth decay as is spent on addiction research. And as expected, the percent of success, 25-35%, is far too small. Over half of all people in treatment today have been there before, requiring an average four or more tries before anything even close to stable recovery is achieved, with an average cost of between $15,000 and $30,000 for each 28-day program. The financial cost aside, the effect on family members, children, work, family finances, friends and society are unimaginable.

New methods such as harm reduction, aversive conditioning, hypnosis, IV drips, sauna programs, multiple forms of therapeutic or educational approaches are all trying to improve the rate of success. Each approach has some measure of success, but still, far too many ultimately fail, returning the addicted to the very same destructive patterns they desperately want to avoid.

Approximately one year ago Chalmers started The Road, a new treatment approach designed for alcoholics and addicts who have been through treatment before but who are still struggling. He took 36 years of treating addiction and all the research he could find and created a simple and effective approach that costs far less than what is available. Traditional treatment is far too short (28 days). This limits critical individual counseling sessions to four or five at most, and the educational material cycles around the 28-day period, and is not sequential. With half of all graduates failing in the first three months of returning to their home environment, Chalmers wanted to try to fix those limitations and see if success could be improved.

The Road is four months long, which is four times as long as most treatment programs. Next it is individualized and includes over 32 hours of individual therapy. The treatment process happens while the person is in their normal life, dealing with the real issues they face every day. As they move through their normal activities, they identify and target specific areas that are challenges—not in a group setting, but individually.

Tasks are specifically designed to help them address areas that are sabotaging their success. With individual one-on-one time, it is possible to carefully trouble-shoot exactly where therapeutic effort needs to be focused. Because time spent with others on the same path is critical, The Road includes staying in a clean and sober home.

Because the treatment components of The Road are designed around exactly what the individual needs, to begin The Road an individual must first go through a lengthy diagnostic and evaluation process to see both, if they are appropriate for this type of treatment, and to discover exactly what is sabotaging their success. The evaluation enables Chalmers to choose the right treatment components needed for success. This individualized plan is then blended into a plan (or “Road Map”), which includes core factors that research and Chalmers’ experience show contribute to long term success. Since hope and focus are the key elements in removing addiction from the grip it holds over a person’s life, The Road focuses on where the person is going, and builds a solid foundation for real hope.

Is The Road ideal? Can it work in every situation? Is it a replacement for traditional treatment? Absolutely not. However, Chalmers’ exciting brainchild is showing itself to be highly effective for individuals who have already received some of the benefits of traditional treatment but need something more to succeed.

Although it is too early to say how longer-term programs like The Road will compare to other approaches, so far, after the first year, for clients who have entered The Road with alcohol, methamphetamine, heroin, or a variety of other drugs, early indications are extremely positive.

Verlin Chalmers was born in Honolulu Hawaii in 1948. He spent his childhood with his family and father who was a preacher dedicated to a life of tent meetings and alter calls, following the “Sawdust Trail” across the South and North-Eastern US. He graduated from John F. Kennedy University with a major in Clinical Psychology, and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1983. He has trained in various forms of therapeutic approaches such as Gestalt, Cognitive Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy, EMDR, Biofeedback and Addiction Training at St. Helena Hospital’s Hazelden Treatment program. He has worked with several rock bands and artists, always with an interest in helping individuals get unstuck and moving towards success.

Reading transcends time and space, as we are now, literally, doing. Reading allows us to momentarily stop living our lives in this world, and move into an alternate world. Whether you are reading an adventure, biography, novel, some myth or mystery, all books inevitably take us on a journey. The journey takes us outside of ourselves to the destination that the book reveals to us.

It’s no surprise then, that as readers we find ourselves instinctively drawn to bookstores. Readers—real readers—don’t merely walk into a bookstore. We walk into a bookstore and enjoy the literary ambience of crowded shelves and great minds and authors beckoning us to join their world and journeys, imaginative and literal.

There is a new destination for the reader in our neck of the woods, Blackhawk Plaza, to be specific. This classic, new independent bookstore—Read— just across the paseo from Draeger’s, nestled in the former Ann Taylor location, is a paragon of what the browsing experience should be, and I absolutely love it! Probably because it is run by readers like me, and precisely because it is the antithesis of the superchain store we have been forced—no, resigned—to accept.

Read is, first and foremost, an independent bookstore dedicated to the democratic principle of offering access to information to the community at large. This means that if you are looking for a book, and if it is still in print, the well-read staff there will find it for you. Anywhere, with top-drawer customer service. This is the vision that Read’s owners, Jean Paul Wardy and Fred Bruning, who also own Blackhawk Plaza, had in mind when they developed the concept.

A perfect mix of an unhurried browsing experience, new and classic books and unusual non-book merchandise make for a counterpoint to the chain-store harried shopping misery.

The staff at Read. has a strong foundation in the book world. The managers, Vicky Panzich and John Hamilton, and bookseller Anthony Smith, have a combined 55 years of owning their own book shops and being involved in the independent bookseller world at every level. Bookseller, Sherry Ghambari, comes from a library background, specializing in children’s books.

The entire staff is amazingly qualified and extremely helpful. Although brand new, Read‘s inventory is already extensive and eclectic, with over a quarter of the space dedicated to kid’s books. The surprisingly deep art, architecture, photography and interior design section is also impressive. Magazine racks are filling up and will, eventually, top out above 500 publications.

The non-book items focus on the writing arts, with a varied and wide selection of pens, along with the journals, sketchbooks, and cards that beautifully complement them.

Read has a series of special and regular events such as a writing workshop on Feb. 13 with Lynn Hazen on “How to Write a Children’s Book.”

The first meeting of the store’s bookclub took place on Jan. 28th, when local author, Mahbad Seraji, discussed his novel, Rooftops of Tehran. The bookclub will meet every fourth Thursday of the month.

A delightful children’s Storytime with Sherry and musical Singalongs with Carolline Harrison alternate every Tuesday morning at 10a.m.. Also, in February, Read will sponsor the San Ramon Valley Educational Foundation’s Read-a-thon, a fun program for kids which brings books to schools, that includes prizes, gift certificates, raffles, and pizza parties.
 
Read is in the early, formative stages. Don’t get me wrong, it is chockfull of books. I say in formative stages, because it all depends on how many of us get up to Blackhawk Plaza and allow the literary effect to set in, making it our local independent bookstore, that will no doubt take on some of our collective community character, becoming a reflection of us and our neighborhood; our mirror inner psyches, our metaphysical beings, our will and wonder, represented in the physical form of this beautiful new bookstore. If you’ll permit me to make a pun, you’ve got to come over to Blackhawk Plaza and, literally, Read the experience!
 
See you there! I’ll either be in the spy novel section, or trying to find out of Tom Robbins’ is really insane or a mad genius, or traveling once more to Italy. Who knows, I may just decide to join Hemingway in the Spanish-American War instead. From Read we can set out on countless journeys. Won’t you join me on the road?

For more information, please call the bookstore at 925 736-9090.
 
Reads hours are:
Monday – Thursday: 9am to 8pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 9am to 9pm
Sundays: 9am to 6pm