To be announced

Please join us for good conversation and Sunday brunch at one of the area's premier brunch restaurants, Jackson's Bistro , overlooking Tampa Bay. Jackson's Bistro opened on Harbour Island in 1997 and is one of the only waterfront venues in Tampa. "Because it is locally owned and independently managed, Jackson's can keep up with the demands of an ever-evolving Tampa and deliver the upscale experience and tremendous value that its customers demand."

All CFI members and like-minded secularists are welcome. Brunch is a buffet at $18.75 per guest. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to David Vangsness at sellonlyne@gmail.com by noon Friday the16th so we can make sure there's a place for you. For those without email or for last-minute reservations and cancellations, David can be reached by phone at 727-678-2722.

Where : Jackson's Bistro, 601 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Tampa, 813-277-0112
Map : http://tinyurl.com/ygt2sxp
When : Sunday, April 18th at 11:00 am
Website : www.jacksonsbistro.com

The Pursuit of Happiness: A Humanist Mandate

Humanists are obsessed with happiness. Yet, the Humanist pursuit of happiness is not hedonistic. Instead, Humanists pursue happiness through the cultivation of personal responsibility. This is probably why Humanism, as a philosophy, has been one of the most powerful forces for positive social change on the planet and why some of the most influential people on our planet today are Humanists.

In this talk you will learn about the Humanist philosophy. Why Humanists are so concerned with happiness. What the Humanist approach to finding happiness is all about. How the Humanist pursuit of happiness can help make the world a better place. And why this matters.

Bio:
Jennifer Hancock is a writer and Humanist activist. She is the author of The Humanist Approach to Happiness: Practical Wisdom . She writes for several Humanist magazines and e-zines and is the Tampa Humanist and Freethought Examiner for Examiner.com . She also has her own blog and podcast at Sumogirl.com . Jen is also past executive director of Humanists of Florida Association.

(Jen will have several of her books for you to buy.)

Only if you will attend, an RSVP is requested before noon, Friday, March 19. Reply to tampa@CenterForInquiry.net or call 813-849-7571.
After the meeting, many attendees continue discussing the topic while socializing over lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Admission : $5 non-member. There is ample free parking.    
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/kvtvsk
(Use the "birds eye" view so you can see our building)

NOTE: The CFI office closed at the end of April. The mailing address thereafter will be:
Center for Inquiry Tampa Bay, 13014 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Box 363, Tampa FL 33618-2808
The phone remains 813-849-7571

A Secular Approach to Family Caregiving

As former caregivers to chronically ill spouses, David and Rhonda sought real help but were deluged with spiritual messages and advice. To be sure, many people find their spirituality comforting in times of stress, but in their experience religious commitments block the availability of real help.

They focus instead on the interpersonal dynamics of caregiving. For example, marriage vows mean something different from the original intent when chronic illness or disability becomes an issue. Caregiving relationships are inherently lopsided and without insight, caregivers develop increasing resentments about the caregiving straightjacket. "Trust in the lord" or "God never gives you more than you can handle" are pieces of advice that can be hazardous to everyone's health. They cover these topics in depth in their book, The Tough & Tender Caregiver, a Handbook for the Well Spouse . They also founded the Caregiver Survival Institute, Inc. to provide secular help to those who seek it.

Rhonda Travland , a gerontologist and nursing home administrator, was married for 17 years to a violent man with early onset Alzheimer's disease, with the responsibility for protecting herself and her three minor children from harm. An experienced professional, she nonetheless stayed in the marriage far too long. A recovering Catholic, she was told by church counselors that she needed to be a better wife and everything would be fine. Then they threw religious books at her to read, which of course were of no help.

Dr. David Travland , despite being an experienced clinical psychologist, was completely at the mercy of his chronically ill wife for ten years. He found himself wanting to end everything out of despair. He finally organized a support group for well spouses as a last resort to find help for himself. He found spiritual advice to be not only useless but offensive. The real bonus of his support group was meeting Rhonda, who attended the first support group meeting. After he placed his wife in a nursing home, she filed for divorce.

Only if you will attend, an RSVP is requested before noon, Friday, April 16 . Reply to tampa@CenterForInquiry.net or call 813-849-7571.
After the meeting, many attendees continue discussing the topic while socializing over lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Admission : $5 non-member, no charge to CFI members.

NOTE: The CFI office closed at the end of March. The contact mailing address is:
Center for Inquiry Tampa Bay
13014 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Box 363
Tampa, FL 33618-2808