Stroke of Genius: Between the Zzzs

By Richard Kritzman

The book was originally written as a self-help book to help a person from the time they get up until the time they go to sleep, or between the Zzzs. When the author had a stroke, everything in his life was wiped clean, including his hopes of publishing the finished book. Then the idea suddenly came to him to revisit each section from the standpoint of a stroke survivor. His life was changed as was the entire book. "Stroke of Genius: Between the Zzzs" was the net result.

The author has summarized lessons from his own life to help others. Throughout the book, he has separated his advice into 26 sections, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each section is paired with a song from popular music which helps drive the section's point home.

Each of the 26 sections includes a "PS" (for "Post Stroke") discussion, to see how the lessons apply for rebuilding your life and continue living a meaningful life after a stroke.

The combination of sound advice, supporting musical references, and a check of how well the advice holds up after a stroke, is not only impressive, but also all inclusive. There are gold nuggets for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667802831

Book preview

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Copyright © 2021 by Richard Kritzman

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed Attention: Permissions at [e-mail].

Richard Kritzman

916 S. Livingston

Whitehall, MI 49461

[e-mail]

Ordering Information:

For details, contact [e-mail]

Print ISBN: 978-1-66780-282-4

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66780-283-1

Printed in the United States of America on SFI Certified paper.

First Edition

Appreciation

I tried to finish this book by February. All was in line to get it done. Then on January 28, 2021, I had a stroke. Looking back, it all seemed to like a dream. I could not walk, and I needed help with just about everything. There were about four days in the regular hospital, and then I was transferred to Mary Free Bed to start the rehab for about three weeks. My mindset at that time was that it would all come together by the time I was released.

I did not know about strokes and the damage that they cause. I didn’t know how long it would take to get back to a normal condition. As a matter of fact, I still do not know. The stroke started slowly, with a restricted use of my right side; and then in two days it got a lot worse. My right side was paralyzed. Initially, it took two people to support my attempts at walking between parallel bars for about 10 feet. Gradually my walking has improved with the use of a quad cane, but the right arm is waiting for my brain to catch up. It feels pain from the shoulder separation and sends those messages, but it gets nothing in return.

My speech and my general memory started out rough. Even the basic little things on my phone or the computer were a major struggle at first. I had to remember the commands to do a specific task and then do it with my left hand only. It was very tedious job, almost impossible at first, and it was exhausting. Through a lot of hard work, it has it has gotten easier, and I got through it.

I thank the good Lord every day for keeping me alive and teaching me a new perspective on life. I am improving every day. I pray that I can use this experience as wisely as possible.

I want to send a big thank you to all my children: Rhiannon, Jared, Matt, and Steve. They have each helped by being patient, understanding, and a big help to their mother while I was in hospital and my future was questionable. Thanks for your help and your prayers.

I want to thank my wife Jano. She has picked up all the slack around here. She is my number one fan, my partner in everything, and she has had a huge change in her life because of my condition. I am who I am because of her selfless acts. May His blessings continue on her.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Before the Stroke

Chapter 2: After the Stroke

A – Attitude

B – Bordering on Excellent

C – Change Choices Challenge

D – Delete NVA

E – Enthusiasm

F – Fun / Finish

G – Goals

H – Humility

I – Integrity

J – Joy

K – Key Issue / Resolution

L – Listen / Silence

M – Make a List / Prioritize

N – No, Not My Monkey, Never

O – Order / Self-Organization

P – Praise and Appreciation

Q – Questions

R – Remembering Names

S – Smile / Sense of Humor / Sincerity

T – Truth / Trust

U – Understand Your Business

V – Vanilla

W – Worry

X Crossroads

Y – You

Z – Between the Zzzs

AppendixLife Lesson

Reflection Thoughts

Song List Referenced

Chapter 1:

Before the Stroke

To Leave Something Behind - Sean Rowe

First, a little background. I grew up as the oldest of seven kids in a suburb of Detroit. When I was a young teen, I listened to AM radio and sometime even used a cassette tape recorder to tape music right after commercials to try to get a recording of a top song. There were never any advance play lists to know what was coming next, so I kept starting, stopping, rewind, and try again until I got one that I wanted to keep. We never had a record player. When I left for college, I bought my first album and gave it away as a gift (Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven) to a girlfriend I was leaving behind. That was the last thing I ever did get her.

I moved sixty miles away to attend Michigan State. My first week at MSU, I became friends with a guy down the hall who we all referred to as Big Steve. He was from another Detroit suburb that was far enough away that our worlds never crossed paths. Steve had a huge collection of albums and a good sound system. It sounded fantastic even though we were confined to a small dorm room. On top of the great music, he knew the history of the bands, the people, and the songs. Some of his collection was a bit obscure because he would often have early albums from the band members before they made the big one that we all recognize. He would often ask what group I wanted to hear, and follow it with what album or what side of the album, the one with this song or the one with that. As I said, he knew it.

There was another guy down the hall who had a huge selection of albums as well. For some reason he picked up the nickname Cowboy. Cowboy would only play an album starting with the A side from start to finish, and then continue to the flip side. He would not just play a single song, because he said the artists put them on the album in that order for a reason and that is just the way we should listen to it. I learned a lot about the music of my time from these guys, and eventually joined a record club and started my own collection. Steve and I went to many concerts over the years, and we are still good friends today, even though life has us both tied up with other things and we do not get to catch up as often as we used to.

During the college years, I had a roommate one time who belittled the Traffic song, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, but he never tried to read the words and understand the message. Many people do not try, they only like the beat or the melody of a particular song. I like reading the lyrics and trying to understand the story or the messages that were being written about. A couple examples are the Passion Play by Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Both of these albums are a single story composed of multiple songs that take you from the beginning to the end—almost like reading a chapter book.

Over the years, most of the music has faded into the past but many of the songs, albums, and the lyrics have stuck with me. There were always a few people at work who I could share a line from a song with and follow it with, OK, who was that? Some references were a little obscure, and those were my favorites to help stump my friends. I was nowhere as good as Steve, but I did fairly well.

When the internet came, it became a lot easier to check and verify the answer and possibly add a follow-up question.

I worked in industry for about 40 years, and in those years, I made my share of mistakes and learned so much from the people who I was engaged with. I was employed in a Union shop, and I was always on the salaried side of the wall. Most of my career I did not have any direct reports and had to get things done through working with the people on the floor who get the work done. I was trusted, and many times people shared what was really going on versus the party line. I always valued that trust and never broke the confidence that people had in me. I was respected by most of the