I didn't expect to be moved today at mass. I went to St. Michael's in Worthington, mostly because at 12:30, it was the last morning mass in town. Besides, it is right up the road (there are some after-dinner masses, but I didn't want to put it off until then). I dressed in long pants and a double shirt, since the last time I was there I almost died from the air conditioning. I was in a "practical" mode.
The service was alright. Lots of families, people coming in late, parents taking kids to the bathroom. Its a wealthy parish, and the church building is very cathedral-like. The sermon was hard to hear and ramble-y, but the priest talked about Augustine's Divine Providence and some snippets from the life of St Therese of Lisieux. I am always pleased when people are exposed to the tradition of saints and theologians, so he gets points for that. [This was the associate pastor Fr. Coleman. The pastor is Fr. Pendolphi, who is some kind of fanatic when it comes to military board games, which doesn't relate to this post at all but I just read it this morning, so how could I not include that?]
Communion started with a so-so rendition of a folksy tune. The song ended, but people were still streaming in for communion. For a moment, it sounded like the organist didn't know what to do next. Within a couple bars, they dropped to something minor-ish and began this song in Latin (or maybe Italian?). It absolutely floored me. I have no idea what song it was, but if you think Ave Maria you would have the right idea. The singer was a woman who was expertly navigating the high registers in this chant-like melody--not so much technical precision as to be showy, but just enough to sculpt a piece of beauty to match the shiny marble fixtures. Walking up to communion with the music echoing off the bright marble I was immersed in beauty and in something more. You could have peeled me off the floor.
I've never been a proponent of the Latin mass. It never made sense to have a service in an unfamiliar language, beautiful and historic though it may be (you may find it astonishing that there remains a strong movement with the Catholic Church to re-instate the Tridentine Latin mass). I've never even attended a Latin mass, and have only heard a few hymns in Latin at all ever. Despite all the talk, its not much of a part of modern Catholic culture.
But somewhere in this communion procession, I heard the voice of the ages saying something. It wasn't just beautiful, and it wasn't just spiritual. It was as if this church--this marble--this architecture--this mass--were built with this in mind. And that's something to consider. It was like the whole building was singing in tune and the resonance--both audible and spiritual--was deeper.
I agree with Pope Benedict that we should dip our toes in the Latin tradition--not to go into the past, but to carry some of it forward. Whether or not he supports a full return to the Latin mass, I don't know, but I can't argue with the idea that we should have some feel for it.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Healthy Antiperspirant Deodorant
I had given up on finding a healthy deodorant a long time ago. My experiments with them were heartbreaking: For the first 2-3 days they worked famously. Sure, I'd sweat a little more, but no smell and no major problems. Then on the third day, just a couple of hours into the workday, I'd notice something. I would detect an unexpected smell, mildly at first and almost unconsciously, until it became more pronounced. At first, I would think it was the person working next to me or food someone brought in. It wasn't long before I realized that it was me! The natural deodorant totally failed, and I'm trapped at work with hours to go.
Others have reported similar episodes. My theory is that the body has a residue of the previous antiperspirants you've used. They really are "so effective you can skip a day." It takes time for that to work its way out of your system. Then bam! Its just you, your sweat glands, and nothing but a thin layer of herbs standing in the way. Others claim the body's bacteria may just need a moment to develop a defense for this new substance. In any case, they just didn't work.
Forget all that: Here's introducing Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant! I've been using it solidly for about 3 weeks in 90-degree stress, and it has worked like a charm. I'm dry as a bone yard and smelling great! It claims to accomplish its antiperspirant goals through wetness-absorbing cotton fibers. How in the world this works is unclear to me--wouldn't the cotton fibers absorb wetness but still cling to you? That's certainly what happens with cotton T-shirts!
Strangely enough, I am not sweating much at all. Is it possible that antiperspirants messed up my body's natural cooling mechanism making me actually sweat more all these years?
The Lay of the Land
5. Most of the world's ills can be cured with baking soda and vinegar, and sweating is no exception. Just dab on baking soda with a damp washcloth onto clean armpits, and that may be all the deodorant you need! A spray with vinegar also works to kill odor-causing bacteria (and doesn't leave a smell on you, from what I hear).
For now, I'm using my Trader Joe's brand. It seems to be holding up. Its not perfect by any means, because it still contains questionable chemicals, but I'm glad to be stepping away from aluminum-driven antiperspirants and parabens to boot. I'm going to dabble with baking soda and vinegar, and see if the results match the claims!
ADDED: Here's an excellent link for using baking soda as a deodorant.
UPDATE: This is the first of a series of posts on finding a healthy deodorant. Later posts explore baking soda, which is a significant improvement but still has a mild toxic risk. Vinegar has the lowest toxic risk factor, see this post for details.
Others have reported similar episodes. My theory is that the body has a residue of the previous antiperspirants you've used. They really are "so effective you can skip a day." It takes time for that to work its way out of your system. Then bam! Its just you, your sweat glands, and nothing but a thin layer of herbs standing in the way. Others claim the body's bacteria may just need a moment to develop a defense for this new substance. In any case, they just didn't work.
Forget all that: Here's introducing Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant! I've been using it solidly for about 3 weeks in 90-degree stress, and it has worked like a charm. I'm dry as a bone yard and smelling great! It claims to accomplish its antiperspirant goals through wetness-absorbing cotton fibers. How in the world this works is unclear to me--wouldn't the cotton fibers absorb wetness but still cling to you? That's certainly what happens with cotton T-shirts!
Strangely enough, I am not sweating much at all. Is it possible that antiperspirants messed up my body's natural cooling mechanism making me actually sweat more all these years?
The Lay of the Land
Remember that deodorants and antiperspirants are not the same thing. The former works to make you smell good. The latter works to subvert your natural cooling system to prevent you from sweating.
Deodorants and antiperspirants contain many harmful toxins. At the top of the list is aluminum. These are found in antiperspirants only, so you can avoid them by just employing a regular deodorant. Aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's Disease. In the 1980s, this link was discovered and in response kitchens all across the land discarded their aluminum pots and pans. But we still are potentially getting a strong exposure through antiperspirants.
Parabens are preservatives that have also been suspected for leading to breast cancer, but it has not been proven. I do feel that rubbing chemicals on your skin on a regular basis is probably not the smartest thing to do (see the post on the Precautionary Principle below).
People who shave their armpits are considered more at risk due to continuous nicks, cuts, scrapes and general rawness, which makes an easier pathway for the toxins to get into your bloodstream directly.
To be clear, Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant never claims to be "organic" or even "natural". It states that it does what it does without aluminum and parabens (two of the worst toxins found in most antiperspirant deodorants). In addition, it contains "conditioning herbal extracts to help smooth skin." I am not sure why skin in the armpits would need smoothing, unless it were irritated by the deodorant. It still contains glycol, which is another suspicious substance, and other questionable chemicals.
If you are committed to find a safer deodorant, don't give up. Judging from this list, many people have bad luck with certain brands only to be helped by another. We all have different chemistry, activity levels and diet, so we all respond to different formulas. The most basic is just to apply plain ole baking soda to your armpits and skip everything else.
Options
Even if you never find one perfect natural alternative, there are ways of minimizing your exposure to toxins, even by using conventional products in some cases. Here are some tips:
1. Many conventional products really are "so effective you can skip a day" so I'd suggest taking them up on that offer! Use a natural alternative (or nothing at all) on the in-between days. You can reduce your exposure by 50% just with this one change.
2. Switch to deodorants and discard the antiperspirants. Nothing can stop me from sweating when I really want to anyway, although antiperspirants do help minimize this. Even conventional deodorants don't have aluminum, so you can eliminate the #1 problem just by doing this. Preventing yourself from sweating may be a very unhealthy thing to do, because that is a mechanism the body uses to purge itself of all sorts of toxins.
3. Try different brands! Don't give up without trying a wide variety of natural products.
4. Minimize how much you use. You don't need a heavy coating, just a small amount in the center of your armpit.5. Most of the world's ills can be cured with baking soda and vinegar, and sweating is no exception. Just dab on baking soda with a damp washcloth onto clean armpits, and that may be all the deodorant you need! A spray with vinegar also works to kill odor-causing bacteria (and doesn't leave a smell on you, from what I hear).
6. Change your approach to deodorant. I know, most of us want to apply something in the morning and not have to think about it the rest of the day. We want to use the same product every day. Finding healthier deodorants may involve mixing it up: You may want to wash and re-apply baking soda halfway through the day.
If you are unwilling to take the plunge and go 100% healthy, then keep the nasty stuff around for stressful days and experiment with natural products on the weekends until you're comfortable with how they work. The good news is that once you find a system that works for you, you can go back to not thinking about it--just follow the routine.
7. Just go without! Many people catch themselves smelling bad as a teenager and vow never to allow that again. However, you may not need much of a deodorant at all now. As you grow older, your body changes. Perhaps a light dusting of baking soda will be all you need, even if it didn't work years ago.
Our modern American culture is so extreme that we have virtually no tolerance for natural human smells. The human race has been around for about 100,000 years, modern deodorants just for a generation or two. This isn't to say that people didn't try to improve their smell in ancient times--they did, but in general, natural human smells were just part of life. Its part of our shame-based culture, but that's a post for another day.For now, I'm using my Trader Joe's brand. It seems to be holding up. Its not perfect by any means, because it still contains questionable chemicals, but I'm glad to be stepping away from aluminum-driven antiperspirants and parabens to boot. I'm going to dabble with baking soda and vinegar, and see if the results match the claims!
ADDED: Here's an excellent link for using baking soda as a deodorant.
UPDATE: This is the first of a series of posts on finding a healthy deodorant. Later posts explore baking soda, which is a significant improvement but still has a mild toxic risk. Vinegar has the lowest toxic risk factor, see this post for details.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Gas Prices and the Well of Human Ingenuity
You can count me among the people who are happy that gas prices have gone up. Change is a difficult thing for many of us, and often we need a good push. And here's the thing: A lot of people may not be as screwed as they think they are.
Some people want to drill more oil wells, but we are neglecting the most promising well there is: Human Ingenuity.
A friend of mine has decided to carpool with a co-worker in light of skyrocketing gas prices. As a result, she is now saving about 40% on gas (assuming she still runs errands on her own and has to go slightly out of her way to pick up her co-worker, so she won't reduce her gas bill quite by half). Over the past year, gas prices have risen about 30%. So putting it all together, she's saving 40% while the price has gone up 30%--she's actually better off now than she was a year ago! Add a 2nd or 3rd person to that carpool, and you have a tremendous cost savings, not to mention less emissions into the environment.
I know that some people will slip through the cracks no matter what, but the environment is taking a beating, and that is not acceptable, either. A change is needed. People have options. I really don't want to hear any bitching until people have tried the following:
You may improve your health, improve relationships with people, save the environment and reduce fuel expenditures. You may even end up--as my friend above--better off than you are now. She would never have considered carpooling if prices had remained low, but now that she has, she is better off financially and actually has more time to spend with someone rather than driving alone.
Many of the great things we can do for the environment do not even involve significant changes to our lives. We are so inefficient that it is actually quite easy to dramatically reduce our energy consumption with a few small but substantial changes.
Some people want to drill more oil wells, but we are neglecting the most promising well there is: Human Ingenuity.
A friend of mine has decided to carpool with a co-worker in light of skyrocketing gas prices. As a result, she is now saving about 40% on gas (assuming she still runs errands on her own and has to go slightly out of her way to pick up her co-worker, so she won't reduce her gas bill quite by half). Over the past year, gas prices have risen about 30%. So putting it all together, she's saving 40% while the price has gone up 30%--she's actually better off now than she was a year ago! Add a 2nd or 3rd person to that carpool, and you have a tremendous cost savings, not to mention less emissions into the environment.
I know that some people will slip through the cracks no matter what, but the environment is taking a beating, and that is not acceptable, either. A change is needed. People have options. I really don't want to hear any bitching until people have tried the following:
- Use public transportation
- Drive more fuel efficient cars
- Carpool
- Drive less overall (consolidate your trips, walk, bicycle)
- Drive more efficiently. From the link: "Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking" can impact your fuel efficiency by as much as 33% (you can potentially offset the rising cost of fuel just by this one change alone!) Also: "You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas. "
- Don't run the a/c or carry unnecessary cargo.
- Keep your vehicle well-tuned and in good condition (see the above link, as well)
You may improve your health, improve relationships with people, save the environment and reduce fuel expenditures. You may even end up--as my friend above--better off than you are now. She would never have considered carpooling if prices had remained low, but now that she has, she is better off financially and actually has more time to spend with someone rather than driving alone.
Many of the great things we can do for the environment do not even involve significant changes to our lives. We are so inefficient that it is actually quite easy to dramatically reduce our energy consumption with a few small but substantial changes.
Precautionary Principle
I ran across this term by accident on Wikipedia. I didn’t realize this philosophy had a name! I should have known better. It describes a point of view that I generally take. Here's the quote:
The precautionary principle . . . aims to provide guidance for protecting public health and the environment in the face of uncertain risks, stating that the absence of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason to postpone measures where there is a risk of serious or irreversible harm to public health or the environment. An alternate formulation states that the lack of certainty regarding the threat should not be used as an excuse to do nothing to avert that threat.
You hear about so many benefits/risks for everything from food to medicine to chemicals to lifestyle habits. Some people find statistics, correlations and anecdotal evidence to support their claims. Many are contradictory. Yet, science is by nature slow moving. It can take generations to isolate a variable and run it through tests to determine a true cause and effect. When dealing with our health and environment, there are thousands of variables at play at any moment. What’s a person to do in the midst of all this?
It would be wrong to lock yourself in your bedroom with the covers over your head (especially since your blankets probably contain numerous dust mites and chemical toxins). But it is wise to go forward with caution. In the interests of business, many people push products that are untested onto the public. You often hear: “It hasn’t been proven to be a problem, so we are using it.” In response, I wolud say: "It hasn't been proven safe!"
We live in a world highly influenced by science, but make no mistake: Much of what we do in life we do without the benefit of science.
A doctor once told me: the study of medicine is a science, but the practice of it is not. That is something to remember whenever you go into the doctor’s office. They can’t (and won't) scientifically prove what’s wrong and have an exact plan for what to do about it. What they can do is look at your symptoms, looks at health indicators, and put that together into a likely diagnosis. It is scientifically informed and an educated guess, but it is not a verifiable fact.
We need to live between what science can prove and what common sense can indicate. Too many people throw out science, assuming that anything with the label "natural" or "traditional" is better. Too many people do the opposite, clinging to only what has been proven by science but neglecting warning signs, trends and conventional wisdom.
A perfect example is smoking. All the evidence was clearly pointing to the fact that smoking causes cancer, but it was quite a bit later when science was actually able to say for certain. I respect that about science, it has to do what it has to do (assuming it wasn't unnaturally delayed in reaching this decision due to special interests). But we have to make decisions in the meantime--informed, common sense decisions.
The precautionary principle . . . aims to provide guidance for protecting public health and the environment in the face of uncertain risks, stating that the absence of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason to postpone measures where there is a risk of serious or irreversible harm to public health or the environment. An alternate formulation states that the lack of certainty regarding the threat should not be used as an excuse to do nothing to avert that threat.
You hear about so many benefits/risks for everything from food to medicine to chemicals to lifestyle habits. Some people find statistics, correlations and anecdotal evidence to support their claims. Many are contradictory. Yet, science is by nature slow moving. It can take generations to isolate a variable and run it through tests to determine a true cause and effect. When dealing with our health and environment, there are thousands of variables at play at any moment. What’s a person to do in the midst of all this?
It would be wrong to lock yourself in your bedroom with the covers over your head (especially since your blankets probably contain numerous dust mites and chemical toxins). But it is wise to go forward with caution. In the interests of business, many people push products that are untested onto the public. You often hear: “It hasn’t been proven to be a problem, so we are using it.” In response, I wolud say: "It hasn't been proven safe!"
We live in a world highly influenced by science, but make no mistake: Much of what we do in life we do without the benefit of science.
A doctor once told me: the study of medicine is a science, but the practice of it is not. That is something to remember whenever you go into the doctor’s office. They can’t (and won't) scientifically prove what’s wrong and have an exact plan for what to do about it. What they can do is look at your symptoms, looks at health indicators, and put that together into a likely diagnosis. It is scientifically informed and an educated guess, but it is not a verifiable fact.
We need to live between what science can prove and what common sense can indicate. Too many people throw out science, assuming that anything with the label "natural" or "traditional" is better. Too many people do the opposite, clinging to only what has been proven by science but neglecting warning signs, trends and conventional wisdom.
A perfect example is smoking. All the evidence was clearly pointing to the fact that smoking causes cancer, but it was quite a bit later when science was actually able to say for certain. I respect that about science, it has to do what it has to do (assuming it wasn't unnaturally delayed in reaching this decision due to special interests). But we have to make decisions in the meantime--informed, common sense decisions.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Environmental Savings Related to Clothes
Much of what you can do for the environment revolves on how you manage your clothing!
Buy fewer clothes. Remember, they all come from either agricultural sources (cotton, linen, wool) or oil-based ones (polyester, rayon), so a savings in either category has a tremendous ecological benefit. Buying less means less land scoured with conventional farming practices, less oil consumed and fewer toxins released. Shop instead at thrift stores and deck yourself out in retro style.
I feel spoiled that I now have 2 pairs of jeans. A few shirts and a few pants are all you need. I am sympathetic if clothing is your passion, but get creative with accessories and be honest about the fact that much of your wardrobe sits unused in your closet. Donate what you don't need to thrift stores.
Wash your clothes less often. A day at the office does not require a thorough watch in a heavy-duty laundry detergent! Hang them up to wear again (socks and undergarments excluded, of course). Each time you wash clothes, you use water, put detergents into the environment, increase the demand for plastics (containers) and use energy to power the machines and heat water. The best way to save on your laundry footprint is simply to not do laundry! You will also enjoy the added bonus of having more free time as you spend less in the laundry room.
Avoid drying your clothes with a machine. Just hang them up to dry. If time is an issue, I have found that running a regular fan pointed toward the hanging clothes speeds up the process with minimal energy use. If you are really ambitious, put them on a clothesline outside. The sun is a natural bleaching agent, so it can help you avoid the chemical variety of bleach.
While we're at it: Avoid bleach. Unless you're washing hospital garments, it is just unnecessary and potentially harmful.
Use energy efficient appliances. They conserve water and use a more concentrated detergent (reducing the amount of plastic container waste). Some dryers don't even use much heat at all, so they are a much better option than traditional varieties.
Wash in cold water. Very rarely do I opt to use warm or hot, and only for an unusually dirty batch of socks. You will save on your hot water heater by using less energy and probably save your clothes from the stress of getting washed in hot water.
Use natural laundry detergents. They all seem to work just fine for me, and many smell great. You'll be saving on oil and phosphates from the environment, decrease your carbon footprint, and keep those toxins off your skin. In addition, consider using a smaller amount of soap. A lot of people use way too much!
Taken together, these steps are not very hard. Too often, we don't think about our clothing choices when we consider environmental stewardship. But everything from making clothes to maintaining them produces a significant strain on the environment. Keeping a simple wardrobe, washing it minimally and using natural cleaners can have a substantial impact.
Buy fewer clothes. Remember, they all come from either agricultural sources (cotton, linen, wool) or oil-based ones (polyester, rayon), so a savings in either category has a tremendous ecological benefit. Buying less means less land scoured with conventional farming practices, less oil consumed and fewer toxins released. Shop instead at thrift stores and deck yourself out in retro style.
I feel spoiled that I now have 2 pairs of jeans. A few shirts and a few pants are all you need. I am sympathetic if clothing is your passion, but get creative with accessories and be honest about the fact that much of your wardrobe sits unused in your closet. Donate what you don't need to thrift stores.
Wash your clothes less often. A day at the office does not require a thorough watch in a heavy-duty laundry detergent! Hang them up to wear again (socks and undergarments excluded, of course). Each time you wash clothes, you use water, put detergents into the environment, increase the demand for plastics (containers) and use energy to power the machines and heat water. The best way to save on your laundry footprint is simply to not do laundry! You will also enjoy the added bonus of having more free time as you spend less in the laundry room.
Avoid drying your clothes with a machine. Just hang them up to dry. If time is an issue, I have found that running a regular fan pointed toward the hanging clothes speeds up the process with minimal energy use. If you are really ambitious, put them on a clothesline outside. The sun is a natural bleaching agent, so it can help you avoid the chemical variety of bleach.
While we're at it: Avoid bleach. Unless you're washing hospital garments, it is just unnecessary and potentially harmful.
Use energy efficient appliances. They conserve water and use a more concentrated detergent (reducing the amount of plastic container waste). Some dryers don't even use much heat at all, so they are a much better option than traditional varieties.
Wash in cold water. Very rarely do I opt to use warm or hot, and only for an unusually dirty batch of socks. You will save on your hot water heater by using less energy and probably save your clothes from the stress of getting washed in hot water.
Use natural laundry detergents. They all seem to work just fine for me, and many smell great. You'll be saving on oil and phosphates from the environment, decrease your carbon footprint, and keep those toxins off your skin. In addition, consider using a smaller amount of soap. A lot of people use way too much!
Taken together, these steps are not very hard. Too often, we don't think about our clothing choices when we consider environmental stewardship. But everything from making clothes to maintaining them produces a significant strain on the environment. Keeping a simple wardrobe, washing it minimally and using natural cleaners can have a substantial impact.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Hiram College Reflections: Less is More
Hiram College was one of the few places where Mayberry still existed. You could run off with your friends for a late-night adventure through the woods, leaving your books and tape player on a table in a public building. You come back hours later, and everything would be just as you left it. If something were missing, it would be more likely that your friends were playing a trick on you than an opportunist looking for free stuff.
When you walk by people on campus, you would wave and smile. It wasn't to get something, but just to be friendly. Folks raised in the city would be shocked, because avoiding acknowledgement of strangers had been a survival mechanism for them.
My friends brought their spouses to visit campus for our reunion, and many were aghast. There are virtually no stores in town. There is virtually no town. How could you enjoy yourself at a place where even a midnight run to Taco Bell required a 30-minute drive to Kent, OH? The answer to this concern is actually self-evident, if you sit and think on it a bit. The massive campaign to work this out is one of college's greatest phenomena: The Road Trip--finding someone with a car, jamming as many people into it as possible, scrounging for dimes under vending machines, screaming and laughing out of car windows, getting lost on the way. If you don't see the fun in this, you are spending too much time thinking about your taco and not enough on the journey.
Hiram is as quaint as you can imagine--a perfect blend of Midwestern and New England charm. However, some of the most attractive features of Hiram were barely underway when I was a student: an tasteful chapel with gardens, a road that was eliminated and another re-routed to make way for a stone walkway, fancy new buildings, and an old dormitory restored.
Hiram has committed some sins in preserving its heritage, too. You hear about a gorgeous century building demolished to make way for a 1960s pale substitute (although by the time I went to school, those 60s amenities had taken on a retro charm). I like the replacement but appreciate what they’re saying. I would often bemoan the attention the college was paying to science and athletics, seeming to disregard its profound liberal arts tradition. Yet, it is clear that someone in Hiram has been fighting the good fight, as the Hiram I know seems as alive and well as it was then. Much has been done to maintain the charm of the place, and overall they have gone a great job.
All this is possible, because it really wasn't about the buildings.
Like all good things, Hiram is mystery. It is really tough to crack the secret of Hiram, but I will venture this: There was nothing to do. You would hear students endlessly complain about this. But when you and your neighbors learn to have fun with salt & pepper shakers while staying late in the dining hall on a snowy night, because there’s nowhere else to go (but truly no place else you’d rather be), then you have learned a lesson you can carry your entire life. Independence and personal choice are not all they are cracked up to be. Getting stuck with people and making the best of it . . . that is what life is about!
No, I’m not advocating for oppression here, only saying that dependence is the true seed of community. Sometimes being thrown into situations and having limitations brings out the best in all of us, stressful though it may be. The best gifts in life are living with a roommate, learning how to share things, finding clever ways to have fun rather than simply writing a check for it, and yes, having to put up with (and enjoy) the folks you’re with. It is learning to use your own muse as entertainment, rather than relying on your environment to provide you with the stimulus. We all have it within us, but at Hiram you nurture it.
Technology does much to isolate people, and I worry because Hiram has felt the pull of modernity, too. Doors seem to be locked more often than they used to be (and harder to jimmy, I hear). Individual dorm rooms are now wired for cable and internet. I even saw a TV set up in the hallway of a class building (to entertain commuter students??) My peers and I were caught in the middle of this transition. We heard about the infamous one phone that was available on each floor of a dorm building not long before us, and students had to work out a system for using it. Movie night was not where you invited your friends into your room to play VHS tapes, but it was a community-wide event where everyone turned out to see the film projected in the theater or on the side of a building in warmer days.
How many people made new friends because there was only one ride going to Taco Bell, and if you wanted in you would have to spend time with folks you didn’t know? I worry about all the shy students who find it easy to lock themselves into their room with private internet, cable TV and cell phones shielding them from ever participating in the community around them. I do hope that whatever makes Hiram great is still available to them.
There are many who wonder why they are unable to reclaim the joy of college in their later years. The answer is so obvious—the refuse to do the very things that made their college joy possible. They refuse to share their living space, refuse to share their possessions, and don't circulate in areas where other folks congregate. They long ago quit learning and wound down their exploring. They don't need to beg and borrow for food and rides. They drive alone in their car with their windows rolled up, wondering why they are lonely, irritated with anyone who gets in their way. A carload of giggling college kids passes them by, and they shake their head in annoyance. We all need people, but some folks don't act like it. We convince ourselves that we have matured to a new phase in life that is about paying bills and not bumming rides with your buddies, but the quiet depression we carry should be evidence that something is not right. It often takes necessity to coax us out of our shell. Blessed are the needy.
Hiram College has fewer students than some high schools. But again, the paradox holds true: While there are fewer people to know, odds are you will know more of them and in a deeper way than if you were on a bristling campus with tens of thousands of people streaming by you every day. Water, water everywhere—but not a drop to drink, as my grandmother used to say.
Hiram is certainly the Eclectic Institute it was christened to be. You have East Coast students of an upper-class background. There were also blue collar folks from about a 200 mile radius to keep everyone honest. You might even happen upon a few true local yokels. Hiram also attracts a large LGBT population, has a significant presence of international students and some playing sports. Many students are pre-med, drawn to the strong science program. I once did some calculations and realized that 1 out of every 5 males was a member of the football team (I did mention high school, right?) Its hard to believe.
Students often claim that "everyone knows everyone", but I have found that to be an overstatement. There were many I barely knew. There were times I was interested in a girl and could not figure out a way for our paths to cross no matter how hard I strategized. I had many lonely days and nights. Despite the proximity of everyone, you still had to get involved in activities in order to meet people. It was not always easy, but it always seemed within reach. I say this not to downplay Hiram or the people I scuffled with, only to point out that it wasn’t some kind of perfect life on the clouds. People were living on top of each other, and it was at times gossipy and rude--like all community.
As a final clarification, Hiram College offers a first class education. It works hard to make up for its small size and isolation by making available numerous study abroad opportunities (which are now common, but weren’t always so), excursions to local areas and by hosting worthy speakers and other programs. The claim that “there is nothing to do!” is not a reflection on the educational quality at all.
I could drop into a professor's office or see them walking on campus, and spontaneously spend the afternoon talking with them. They would accompany us frequently on excursions. It was the perfect environment for an inquisitive person like me who would often wander around looking for good conversation. Those whose only contact with professors was in class were missing at least half the show. The much-touted admissions line that "you'll have dinner at your professors houses" is a bit of an overstatement, but it did happen--But the notion that you'll have plenty of contact with professors if you choose to soak it up is absolutely true. By contrast, my sister (who went to a large state university) once called a professor at her home. The professor was horrified that their number could be so easily found and probably thought my sister was out to get her somehow. The prof quickly and anxiously got off the phone.
Hiram was a welcoming, safe stage on which to play out your life, low on stimulation but full of props. We were stranded together in a little place. A lot of people focus on the word "stranded", but those who get it understand the key word is "together."
When you walk by people on campus, you would wave and smile. It wasn't to get something, but just to be friendly. Folks raised in the city would be shocked, because avoiding acknowledgement of strangers had been a survival mechanism for them.
My friends brought their spouses to visit campus for our reunion, and many were aghast. There are virtually no stores in town. There is virtually no town. How could you enjoy yourself at a place where even a midnight run to Taco Bell required a 30-minute drive to Kent, OH? The answer to this concern is actually self-evident, if you sit and think on it a bit. The massive campaign to work this out is one of college's greatest phenomena: The Road Trip--finding someone with a car, jamming as many people into it as possible, scrounging for dimes under vending machines, screaming and laughing out of car windows, getting lost on the way. If you don't see the fun in this, you are spending too much time thinking about your taco and not enough on the journey.
Hiram is as quaint as you can imagine--a perfect blend of Midwestern and New England charm. However, some of the most attractive features of Hiram were barely underway when I was a student: an tasteful chapel with gardens, a road that was eliminated and another re-routed to make way for a stone walkway, fancy new buildings, and an old dormitory restored.
Hiram has committed some sins in preserving its heritage, too. You hear about a gorgeous century building demolished to make way for a 1960s pale substitute (although by the time I went to school, those 60s amenities had taken on a retro charm). I like the replacement but appreciate what they’re saying. I would often bemoan the attention the college was paying to science and athletics, seeming to disregard its profound liberal arts tradition. Yet, it is clear that someone in Hiram has been fighting the good fight, as the Hiram I know seems as alive and well as it was then. Much has been done to maintain the charm of the place, and overall they have gone a great job.
All this is possible, because it really wasn't about the buildings.
Like all good things, Hiram is mystery. It is really tough to crack the secret of Hiram, but I will venture this: There was nothing to do. You would hear students endlessly complain about this. But when you and your neighbors learn to have fun with salt & pepper shakers while staying late in the dining hall on a snowy night, because there’s nowhere else to go (but truly no place else you’d rather be), then you have learned a lesson you can carry your entire life. Independence and personal choice are not all they are cracked up to be. Getting stuck with people and making the best of it . . . that is what life is about!
No, I’m not advocating for oppression here, only saying that dependence is the true seed of community. Sometimes being thrown into situations and having limitations brings out the best in all of us, stressful though it may be. The best gifts in life are living with a roommate, learning how to share things, finding clever ways to have fun rather than simply writing a check for it, and yes, having to put up with (and enjoy) the folks you’re with. It is learning to use your own muse as entertainment, rather than relying on your environment to provide you with the stimulus. We all have it within us, but at Hiram you nurture it.
Technology does much to isolate people, and I worry because Hiram has felt the pull of modernity, too. Doors seem to be locked more often than they used to be (and harder to jimmy, I hear). Individual dorm rooms are now wired for cable and internet. I even saw a TV set up in the hallway of a class building (to entertain commuter students??) My peers and I were caught in the middle of this transition. We heard about the infamous one phone that was available on each floor of a dorm building not long before us, and students had to work out a system for using it. Movie night was not where you invited your friends into your room to play VHS tapes, but it was a community-wide event where everyone turned out to see the film projected in the theater or on the side of a building in warmer days.
How many people made new friends because there was only one ride going to Taco Bell, and if you wanted in you would have to spend time with folks you didn’t know? I worry about all the shy students who find it easy to lock themselves into their room with private internet, cable TV and cell phones shielding them from ever participating in the community around them. I do hope that whatever makes Hiram great is still available to them.
There are many who wonder why they are unable to reclaim the joy of college in their later years. The answer is so obvious—the refuse to do the very things that made their college joy possible. They refuse to share their living space, refuse to share their possessions, and don't circulate in areas where other folks congregate. They long ago quit learning and wound down their exploring. They don't need to beg and borrow for food and rides. They drive alone in their car with their windows rolled up, wondering why they are lonely, irritated with anyone who gets in their way. A carload of giggling college kids passes them by, and they shake their head in annoyance. We all need people, but some folks don't act like it. We convince ourselves that we have matured to a new phase in life that is about paying bills and not bumming rides with your buddies, but the quiet depression we carry should be evidence that something is not right. It often takes necessity to coax us out of our shell. Blessed are the needy.
Hiram College has fewer students than some high schools. But again, the paradox holds true: While there are fewer people to know, odds are you will know more of them and in a deeper way than if you were on a bristling campus with tens of thousands of people streaming by you every day. Water, water everywhere—but not a drop to drink, as my grandmother used to say.
Hiram is certainly the Eclectic Institute it was christened to be. You have East Coast students of an upper-class background. There were also blue collar folks from about a 200 mile radius to keep everyone honest. You might even happen upon a few true local yokels. Hiram also attracts a large LGBT population, has a significant presence of international students and some playing sports. Many students are pre-med, drawn to the strong science program. I once did some calculations and realized that 1 out of every 5 males was a member of the football team (I did mention high school, right?) Its hard to believe.
Students often claim that "everyone knows everyone", but I have found that to be an overstatement. There were many I barely knew. There were times I was interested in a girl and could not figure out a way for our paths to cross no matter how hard I strategized. I had many lonely days and nights. Despite the proximity of everyone, you still had to get involved in activities in order to meet people. It was not always easy, but it always seemed within reach. I say this not to downplay Hiram or the people I scuffled with, only to point out that it wasn’t some kind of perfect life on the clouds. People were living on top of each other, and it was at times gossipy and rude--like all community.
As a final clarification, Hiram College offers a first class education. It works hard to make up for its small size and isolation by making available numerous study abroad opportunities (which are now common, but weren’t always so), excursions to local areas and by hosting worthy speakers and other programs. The claim that “there is nothing to do!” is not a reflection on the educational quality at all.
I could drop into a professor's office or see them walking on campus, and spontaneously spend the afternoon talking with them. They would accompany us frequently on excursions. It was the perfect environment for an inquisitive person like me who would often wander around looking for good conversation. Those whose only contact with professors was in class were missing at least half the show. The much-touted admissions line that "you'll have dinner at your professors houses" is a bit of an overstatement, but it did happen--But the notion that you'll have plenty of contact with professors if you choose to soak it up is absolutely true. By contrast, my sister (who went to a large state university) once called a professor at her home. The professor was horrified that their number could be so easily found and probably thought my sister was out to get her somehow. The prof quickly and anxiously got off the phone.
Hiram was a welcoming, safe stage on which to play out your life, low on stimulation but full of props. We were stranded together in a little place. A lot of people focus on the word "stranded", but those who get it understand the key word is "together."
Friday, June 13, 2008
Hypochondria
The sad reality is that hypochondriacs already have the debilitating disease they are so afraid of. This is tragic irony at its best (or worst, however you want to look at it).
While spending hours daily worrying about cancer, heart attacks, food borne-illnesses or anything else, the person is already suffering under a terrible weight. It can sabotage a person's life as they are afraid to go out or to partake in activities. Even if they don't cancel plans because of it, their hypochondria still saps precious time and energy and will undoubtedly leave a negative impact in terms of lost opportunity somehow, someway. Just think of what you could have done instead of being consumed in these worries.
Its a difficult web. You can't just declare that someone is well or not. As I have often said in the past, "even hypochondriacs get sick for real sometimes." That is true, and you do have to take care of your body and go see a doctor when you have a concern. But don't let a normal occurrence of illness in your life be some kind of proof to your fears. Wait around long enough and anyone will get sick, that doesn't mean all the fears day after day, year after year were justified.
So what is going on with hypochondria? When someone is worried they are sick, what they are doing is trying to tell the world--"Look, something is wrong here." Something in their spirit is sick. Something demands attention. Something in the life, or their memory, or their lifestyle has a "sickness" to it. Emotions are unresolved, pains are festering. They want care, they need healing, they want to be public about it.
They have probably spent years rationalizing that their unresolved issues do not need to be addressed. That is understandable, as it can be one of life's hardest missions to confront those who have hurt you or be honest about feelings you have tried to cover up. The truth is that whether we want to or not, if something needs to be addressed then it needs to be, and no amount of shoving it under a rug will make it go away. Hypochondria is the language of the subconscious bubbling up to say, "There is something wrong here and I need to do something about it!".
Sometimes going to a medical doctor can help you calm your fears, but keep in mind this is a treatment of symptoms and rarely a cure. As soon as you stop worrying about one illness, you may have another one to take its place. Yoga and the Egoscue excises can help immensely, too. Ultimately, a counselor can help you discover what needs to be addressed and then come up with a plan to deal with it--step by step, in manageable doses. The good news is that once you deal with it, you can really get through to the other side.
What is "wrong" is not the cancer or other illness they are afraid of. However, you can look at the object of their fears for a clue as to what the source is. "Cancer" is something that eats away at the body from the inside--like a person keeping a secret that needs to be shared. Food is something you internalize to sustain your life, so fear of food poisoning may be related to this--maybe a lack of trust in the outside world influencing you in some way--whatever is outside is bad, keep it out. Consider what the "disease" you are worrying about is saying to you metaphorically. These are suggestions, only you can know for sure whether they apply to you or not.
As you can tell, I think there are emotional roots at the source of this psychological condition. I am not denying that hypochondria can spin out of control, far more than the initial issues seem to suggest. It can take a life of its own. I realize that people can often get outrageously mad when someone suggests than a "mental illness" may be related to an emotional source rather than some random disease they contracted no different than getting the flu. The level of anger may betray the fact that there is some truth there, however. I am not claiming to diagnose everyone and there may be some exceptions, but I will predict this: Rare is the person who cannot improve or even cure their hypochondria by healing these festering wounds on their soul.
While spending hours daily worrying about cancer, heart attacks, food borne-illnesses or anything else, the person is already suffering under a terrible weight. It can sabotage a person's life as they are afraid to go out or to partake in activities. Even if they don't cancel plans because of it, their hypochondria still saps precious time and energy and will undoubtedly leave a negative impact in terms of lost opportunity somehow, someway. Just think of what you could have done instead of being consumed in these worries.
Its a difficult web. You can't just declare that someone is well or not. As I have often said in the past, "even hypochondriacs get sick for real sometimes." That is true, and you do have to take care of your body and go see a doctor when you have a concern. But don't let a normal occurrence of illness in your life be some kind of proof to your fears. Wait around long enough and anyone will get sick, that doesn't mean all the fears day after day, year after year were justified.
So what is going on with hypochondria? When someone is worried they are sick, what they are doing is trying to tell the world--"Look, something is wrong here." Something in their spirit is sick. Something demands attention. Something in the life, or their memory, or their lifestyle has a "sickness" to it. Emotions are unresolved, pains are festering. They want care, they need healing, they want to be public about it.
They have probably spent years rationalizing that their unresolved issues do not need to be addressed. That is understandable, as it can be one of life's hardest missions to confront those who have hurt you or be honest about feelings you have tried to cover up. The truth is that whether we want to or not, if something needs to be addressed then it needs to be, and no amount of shoving it under a rug will make it go away. Hypochondria is the language of the subconscious bubbling up to say, "There is something wrong here and I need to do something about it!".
Sometimes going to a medical doctor can help you calm your fears, but keep in mind this is a treatment of symptoms and rarely a cure. As soon as you stop worrying about one illness, you may have another one to take its place. Yoga and the Egoscue excises can help immensely, too. Ultimately, a counselor can help you discover what needs to be addressed and then come up with a plan to deal with it--step by step, in manageable doses. The good news is that once you deal with it, you can really get through to the other side.
What is "wrong" is not the cancer or other illness they are afraid of. However, you can look at the object of their fears for a clue as to what the source is. "Cancer" is something that eats away at the body from the inside--like a person keeping a secret that needs to be shared. Food is something you internalize to sustain your life, so fear of food poisoning may be related to this--maybe a lack of trust in the outside world influencing you in some way--whatever is outside is bad, keep it out. Consider what the "disease" you are worrying about is saying to you metaphorically. These are suggestions, only you can know for sure whether they apply to you or not.
As you can tell, I think there are emotional roots at the source of this psychological condition. I am not denying that hypochondria can spin out of control, far more than the initial issues seem to suggest. It can take a life of its own. I realize that people can often get outrageously mad when someone suggests than a "mental illness" may be related to an emotional source rather than some random disease they contracted no different than getting the flu. The level of anger may betray the fact that there is some truth there, however. I am not claiming to diagnose everyone and there may be some exceptions, but I will predict this: Rare is the person who cannot improve or even cure their hypochondria by healing these festering wounds on their soul.
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