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Author of several books, Adam has
used his time in retirement to improve
upon his craft, drafting lectures, re-
vising previous works and posting his
thoughts to his blog.

is not just lying on a couch,” he said. human history.” indulge in their enthusiastic passion
It may have started out that way with Adam’s intelligence, experience and for tango, rumba, waltz and other great
Sigmund Freud and into the 1960s, but imagination have fueled his creative dances in the Ballroom Dance Club.
it is a multifaceted medical specialty thinking and his even-tempered nature. Adam has blossomed as a writer and
that treats seriously ill patients. In the While he enjoys spending his time spends time at his computer writing on a
1970s and ‘80s, many new medications contemplating how the world might vast array of topics. He’s revising several
were developed which helped alleviate be different if history had panned out of his books on therapeutic role playing
symptoms and revolutionized treatment differently, he says not to agonize about DQGWKHKHDOWKEHQHÀWVRILPDJLQDWLYH
of the mentally ill. Since settling here, life, adding, “Our puny brains will never play for adults.
Adam has given talks to groups in Sun EHDEOHWRÀJXUHLWRXWµ,W·VDGYLFHZRUWK “Life is full and pleasantly empty,” Adam
City Texas and the larger Georgetown remembering when times are constantly reports. “This community is living proof
community on topics relating to changing. that there is a new way to envision the
psychiatry, mental illness, psychological Retirement life has been busy for the future of gerontology. We are pioneers
skills and how to cope with various Blatners. Adam has made a return to his in showing our children, grandchildren
illnesses. background in joining the clinical faculty and other young people that a whole
The Blatners sold their TV in 1978 to at the new Texas A&M Health Sciences new adventure of self-development and
spend their spare time on things they Center Medical School in Round Rock. vitality awaits them. Finding a rich
loved doing. They are patrons of Sun City Allee can frequently be found at the meaning, feeling alive until you die,
Texas, Georgetown and Southwestern Creative Clay and China Club. Both these are meaningful goals.”
University Libraries. One hobby they
developed many years ago is reading
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their teeth at bedtime. Adam encourages
everyone to get courtesy privileges
through the TexShare Library card to
have a library resource to nearby towns
and colleges.
Their living room walls have been
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crammed with books. Any available
space contains hand-puppets, stuffed
animals and other whimsical creatures.
Adam loves it. Their son commented
recently, “Gee, Pa, for a psychiatrist, it’s
funny that nothing in here is real!” Adam
enjoys this anecdote because playfulness
and imagination are key elements
in his approach to mental health.
Getting too comfortable with your own
philosophies, for example, can close you
off to new ideas. Imagination can also
allow someone to consider things from
another person’s perspective, helping to
UHVROYHFRQÁLFWIRVWHUQHJRWLDWLRQDQG
build empathy for others. According to
Adam, cultivating imagination is far
from frivolous. “In fact,” he says, “it is
the basis of much of the advances in hard
science and other serious pursuits of

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