Busting Down the Barriers

                                 Busting Down the Barriers

     Fred Bersentzen refused to allow a roadblock planted in front of him in his youth to stand in the way of his destiny.  In fact, he decided to use the constant fight to reach beyond that which held him back to hit the bullseye on his target to success, happiness and fulfillment.

       His rugged determination brought him a 30-year career in the weekly newspaper industry in New Jersey in an industry that left the skeletal remains of many journalism careers broken down on the roadside of life. Post-journalism, he has carved an exciting path along an alternate route in fiction, non-fiction and science fiction authorship. 

      As hinted at above, the reason for his relative success stems from something that would have left many in a permanent breakdown along the sidelines.  

      You see, Fred struggles every day in a faceoff with  an “essential tremor” movement disorder, one of the most misnamed maladies ever to emerge from science.

          Confronting something for which no real cure currently exists, he decided early in his adulthood that the barriers in his way would not stop him.  Instead each hiccup along the way has unlocked a learning experience from which he has emerged stronger and more determined.

        Many in the 5 percent of the world’s population who have it continue to suffer in silent compliance with this disorder, which occurs much more frequently than Parkinson’s, the disease most often confused with it.

           As Fred often says, though, “I don’t think burdening others with one’s struggles  erases them or prevents them from recurring.

           “Rather, by allowing a wider audience to follow me on this very personal journey, I will provide some insight into how boldly confronting the trials and limitations in life can build the strength you need to survive and make a positive contribution to the world. I hope it will inspire others to face down their demons and smash through the blockades that prevent them from finding greatness within themselves.

           “Those who read my story may think, ‘this guy is off the wall.  He doesn’t know what he is talking about.’”

          He believes at least this will give the doubters a chance to join in a different kind of odyssey and see the world through someone else’s eyes.

        To prove his point, the stubborn warrior has selected milestones from his life to demonstrate that the determination needed to overcome limitations can help pave the way to resounding success,  even if it takes a few baby steps forward and many baby steps back along the way.  

          In one recent incident,  Fred opened the microwave in his home and spilled hot liquid, barely avoiding scalding himself.  The Disorder had reared its ugly head again, but this did not stand in the way of serving himself a gourmet-style evening meal.

      Another blockade forced upon those who travel in this unfulfilled world makes it impossible to even toast the few victories in their lives because spilled champagne–and many other refreshments– could dash a hope of normalcy.  Thanks to technical advances made for those like him, Fred has learned to adjust and easily enjoy one of the favorite fruits of adult social life.

      Computer technology and word processing also have allowed those, like him, plagued by The Disorder to function normally in business. 

      For example,  without this technology, the simple task of signing one’s signature often can turn the attempts into indecipherable scribbles. Electronic signatures have enabled people like Fred to crash through another barrier. 

       The Disorder also has reared its ugly head when those in its world have attempted to publicly express their points of view on important issues. This often has brought the embarrassment of useless quaking and sometimes incomprehensible utterances. Fred has gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak in public every chance he gets. His body and mind have taught him that the importance of his verbal communications mean far more than temporary embarrassment.

        In spite of the fact that this often second place existence has led him down a number of blockaded roads Fred proudly proclaims that he probably would not have advanced as far as he has if he had not determined some time ago to face down the roadblocks imposed by the tremor.

         Fred has forced himself to get more publicly involved and to take on tasks many like him shy away from.  This attitude has helped him to smash through these detours to discover alternate routes that have brought him a much more fascinating life 

      He has found that those not forced to live in this world of limitations cannot truly recognize the valuable contributions of those who live in that world. 

         “I  don’t think that the ignorance or misunderstanding  of others should stop those like me from blowing through temporary detours on a highway where total success seems out of reach,” he said. 

        Fred pointed out that many guides have helped clear his path. These include one of the greatest English and homeroom teachers in his small high school. He saw my potential and ignited a spark in him that turned his lack of any career ambitions into a future in journalism.

      Like many of his fellow Americans, he did not see a place for him in the War in Vietnam. His disorder made him ineligible to go there anyway. During that time he chose the Civil Air Patrol, which helped him overcome much of the hesitancy caused by the tremors and molded him into a much better man.

      Both of these also contributed to making him break through the chains of disorder that held back for too long.

      Another detour stood in Fred’s way more than two years after graduation from Rutgers University when a number of go-no place jobs, both inside and outside of journalism, kept him from fulfilling his destiny. Then his developing talent for writing and his determination to break away from what held him back started to pay off.  

        “I don’t know if pure, dumb luck, an improving economy or my vow to smash my way into a profession that would force me to deal with my roadblocks led to success. An extremely productive three-decade career in community journalism, on analog and digital platforms, resulted,” Fred said.

       Of course, like many young reporters starting out in the 1970s in North Central New Jersey, he faced a number of closures, mergers and changes of publications.  These changes eventually led to the near demise of the community newspaper industry in the Garden State.

       He added that a networking experience with a fellow Rutgers graduate brought him into the developing field of online community journalism. Through an article in the Rutgers alumni magazine he connected with TapInto. This led to a very enjoyable addition to my resume and his later combination of publishing and the law. 

      “My three decades reporting on everything from local school budgets to municipal government and local personalities throughout Union, Essex and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey enabled me to tell the stories of people from the average person on the street to leaders at all levels.

      “”This included writing a story on the horrors of the first World Trade Center bombing and interviewing an expert giving advice on how to maintain a work environment shielded from such incidents.

      “It was unfortunate that many years later, the security of the world was to be shattered by the 911 attacks.  It brought with it the loss of a young man who was the son of one of the finest couples I ever met in my sojourn into civic affairs,” he said.

      “My reporting and editing career also brought a number of positives, like telling the story of a father who helped his daughter recover from a brain injury by making her the curator of an art gallery in their home.  I also had the honor of chronicling the career of a radio singing cowboy and interviewing Graham Kerr, television’s galloping gourmet.

     “Some of these experiences would provide fodder for my venture into freelance writing, but more on that later,” he said. 

         In spite of a number of false starts and sometimes falling short of his goals, the writer and journalist experienced a number of careers that brought him a great deal more satisfaction, fame and adventure than he would have attained had the Disorder not forced him to take the detours. 

        “I also hope that one of the positives emerging from this fight and the telling of my story about it will help to stop the ignorance and misunderstanding in the world from lumping all media into a negative stereotype. The public needs to gain a far greater appreciation of the critical role played by the community press in dealing with real issues confronted by real people in their everyday lives, “ he said.

        The rich tapestry that resulted from Fred’s life in journalism became thoroughly enriched by later experiences in short stints in the Prudential Insurance Company’s personnel department and on a special project in another division of Prudential.

      Working on legal settlements to policyholders victimized by those who took unfair advantage of a major financial shift in the operation of the life insurance industry both increased his knowledge of the law and gave him a number of opportunities to demonstrate his leadership abilities.

        Earning his paralegal certificate also helped me take another huge step on the ladder out of his personal abyss.

       The Prudential project and completion of his studies in legal assisting led to a multi-year position, combining both my journalism and legal talents, editing several research publications for Lexis-Nexis.

      “The foundation of determination I built in my early life also led me into leadership positions in my community such as the presidency of both a local political club and my township’s board of health,” Fred pointed out.

         “Like many in the Garden State, I later survived Superstorm Sandy and some of the worst winter weather and power outages in New Jersey history.

         “My continuing toughness in fighting the Disorder probably played a large role in overcoming these obstacles. It also helped my wife and I to decide to flee the dreariness, overcrowding and negativity that often plagues North Central Jersey for the natural beauty and tranquility of Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore.    

     “After retiring to the beautiful Delmarva Peninsula, as I advance further in life, I also have come to more fully realize the benefits I have gained by blasting through the detours that this tremor placed in my way. Along the way, I have discovered the intense satisfaction of refining my writing as I dive more fully into my post-retirement avocation in freelancing. This turn in my life’s journey has allowed me to rediscover my muse amid the natural beauty of Delmarva’s many beaches and other attractions and the many wonderful people who help maintain my new homeland. 

      “My storytelling also has allowed me to spread to a larger audience fictionalized versions of the stories that made my community reporting and editing so joyful and interesting.

      “Although, up to now, it has not produced the monetary rewards I had envisioned before taking several sharp turns in this road, each twist and turn presents a positive challenge I am preparing to meet head-on. 

      “In the pursuit of all my life’s goals I have developed a network of lasting friendships with those truly interested in advancing our profession and our world. These associations also have helped me more completely realize my potential as a contributor to the human experiment despite real or perceived limitations.

       “While traveling along this highway I have gained a much greater appreciation for the need for understanding and inclusion based in a world of greater kindness.

       “Following this theme, I hope I can do much more in the future to help my fellow humans study more carefully the motivations behind the viewpoints of others and what causes them to react to the world.  

    “During my journey I also have begun to explore more the hypocrisy of supposedly caring so much for our entrance into life but continuing to support policies which shorten our lives, especially for those who society chooses to marginalize. 

    “The true betterment of society, I have come to realize as I accumulate more personal mileage, should stem more from a free and open discussion of issues and beliefs than from social media shouting and narrow minded spouting of viewpoints and violent reactions to the viewpoints of others. Maybe we should be understanding far more and shouting far less. 

       “I have come to agree more and more with the philosophy that open discussion and working towards common goals accomplishes far more than the construction of cages aimed at locking away viewpoints not mirroring exactly our own. 

     “This, by no means, argues for non-questioning conformity, but more for searching below the surface for portions of everyone’s life goals that can be fused to build an understanding that can benefit all. 

       “I firmly believe that the human race can find a way to accomplish this with the guiding hands of all organizations and individuals of good will–whether based on religious or non-religious foundations. 

      “Every person’s personal tenets of existence, no matter whether they stem from an individual or collective belief system, can provide keys through which each of us unlocks the common human decency that, of late, has become buried deeper and deeper in our collective consciousness. 

    “Leaders of all belief systems should continue to work more closely toward a positive and hopeful society where all seek open acceptance of differences, as well as likenesses, in order to truly advance all humankind. 

       “This means that we can all contribute to a better world in our own way, even if we overcome each of our personal obstacles by traveling along different highways.

     “The fight against living the life of an also-ran has not taken my eyes off the ultimate goal I seek to reach for myself and others who suffer from the plagues that keep too many stuck in second gear. 

     “I continue to believe that the wonders of science will produce the ultimate destruction of the Disorder and other blockades. This will come not solely from sophisticated coping mechanisms, but, ultimately, from cures that will give all of those imprisoned by the above the tools they need to produce a better world.

      “Another major lesson I have learned is that, if the farthest science advances in the lifetime of every human being is recognizing the small spot of greatness each of us has contributed to this world, then we will have reached the ultimate goal of our existence,” he concluded.