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Re: In memory of Jenny, a best friend.

Grey Granite 1178569712|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Lategrowth Home Page

Black March
This poem by Stevie Smith looks upon death as a familiar friend who will be welcome once life has become a burden.
It is added in memory of Eva, who was more than a friend and approached death, the next stage in the journey, with total equanimity.

' I have a friend
At the end
Of the world
His name is a breath

Of fresh air
He is dressed in
Grey chiffon.At least
I think it is chiffon.
It has a
Peculiar look like smoke.

It wraps him round
It blows out of place
It conceals him,
I have not seen his face.

But I have seen his eyes, they are
As pretty and bright
As raindrops on black twigs
In March, and heard him say:

I am a breath
Of fresh air for you, a change
By and by.

Black March I call him
Because of his eyes
Being like March raindrops
On black twigs.

(Such a pretty time when the sky
Behind black twigs can be seen
Stretched out in one
Uninterrupted
Cambridge blue as cold as snow)

But this friend
Whatever new names I give him
Is an old friend. he says:

Whatever names you give me
I am
A breath of fresh air,
a change for you.'

And this, the last poem Stevie Smith wrote

Come, Death 2

I feel ill. what can the matter be?
I'd ask God to have pity on me,
But I turn to the one I know, and say
Come, Death, and carry me away.

Ah me sweet Death, you are the only god
Who comes as a servant when he is called, you know,
listen to thi ssound I make, it is sharp,
come Death. Do not be slow.

Re: A Woman of a Certain Age

Grey Granite 1178566536|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
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How would you teach happiness?
Professor Richard Layard, from the LSE, believes the central purpose of schools should be to imbue 'the secrets of happiness'

Sunday May 6, 2007

Observer

Barbara Gunnell
I'd teach children to be sceptical of any such 'secrets' revealed to them. The wisdom of ages is that happiness eludes those who seek it. But happiness has become an important economic discipline, not least because in this prosperous and reasonably benignly governed land, so many of us are miserable. Happiness economists, including Lord Layard, have demonstrated that, beyond a modest level, increased wealth does not make us happy, while wealth inequality can be a major cause of anxiety. Seems to me he should recast his happiness lessons for the Treasury.

· Barbara Gunnell is associate editor of the New Statesman

Donald Macleod

Very reluctantly, since the pursuit of happiness is self-defeating. But if forced to, I would operate on the principle that the happiest person in the world is the one who is content with the least. That way, happiness would be independent of circumstances. We could sing in prison and have fun amid electoral setbacks. But then, being happy might itself make me miserable. If it's better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied, being satisfied could be a very bad sign. Didn't the wisest of men say: 'Blessed are those that mourn'? The real secret of happiness is that it doesn't matter.

· Donald Macleod is principal of the Free Church College, Edinburgh

Mary Warnock

Happiness may to some extent be taught by example. A good teacher will set an example of fairness, honesty and reliability. He may also set an example of enthusiasm and imagination. To introduce a child to the wish to learn more, or to improve his performance, is to introduce him to happiness. If a child has been miserable at a vast school, where nobody cares whether he lives or dies, and meets a teacher who seems to know and like him, who encourages his efforts and listens to his opinions, then that child is introduced to happiness.

These are the only ways that happiness can be taught.

· Mary Warnock is a philosopher

Karol Sakora

Happiness is a pretty elusive concept to teach. I think the good Lord would be hard pressed to devise a worthwhile curriculum, let alone mark a GCSE for it. Happiness can be achieved in so many ways - work, art, music, providing service to others. Unfortunately, the consumer culture in which we live suggests it can be obtained by buying fancy cars, entertainment systems and holidaying in sunny but dull places. Selling dreams has now become big business. The simple truth is that thwarted ambition is to be avoided at all cost. Underachieving in fame, fortune and glory is disastrous and only brings misery.

· Karol Sikora is a cancer specialist

Testing

lategrowth 1175630333|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / posting and editing » Testing

test

Getting Dirty and Mental Health

Anniegetyourgun 1175550906|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / discussion topics » Getting Dirty and Mental Health

Getting dirty could help mental health
This article by NICK FOLEY: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=506592007

PEOPLE who suffer from depression could benefit from getting "dirty", according to new research published today.

A "friendly" bacteria found in soil has the same uplifting effects as those produced by anti-depressant drugs, the study found. A study of mice found they altered their behaviour and appeared more relaxed after they were treated with the Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria.

Scientists at Bristol University and University College London found the bacteria stimulated the immune system and activated a group of neurons in the brain which produce the mood-enhancing chemical seratonin, a lack of which has been linked to depression.

Dr Chris Lowry, of Bristol University, the lead author on the paper, said: "These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health.

"They also leave us wondering if we shouldn't all spend more time playing in the dirt. This soil that carries the bacteria is found almost anywhere.

"But we now need to find a way of getting it in our system, which we haven't done yet."

The study appears to support the "hygiene hypothesis" which argues that a rise in conditions such as asthma and allergies could be linked to a lack of exposure to various micro-organisms.

The emphasis on cleaning and hygiene, particularly in urban western environments, could be adversely affecting people's immune systems, according to the theory.

The findings, published in the journal Neuroscience, support the idea that increasing the release of seratonin in parts of the brain regulates mood.

Further studies are now planned to see if the bacteria stimulates this process.

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=506592007

A Woman of a Certain Age

Anniegetyourgun 1174060911|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Lategrowth Home Page

This poem by Carol Rumens talks about the necessity of courage when making decisions in your life.
It is better to say no even if it kills you rather the yes you didn't mean.

"This must have been my life
but I never lived it."
-Her childishy wide stare
at some diminishing reel
of space and brightness, half
illusory, half not,
stuns to an epitaph.
And I can read it all:
how a little lie
whitened to twenty years:
how she was chosen by
something called happiness,
yet nothing, nothing was hers.
And now she has to turn
away. and her bruised eyes
are smiling in their nets:
"It's simple, isn't it?
Never say the yes
you don't mean, but the no
you always meant, say that,
even it it's too late,
even if it kills you."

In memory of Jenny, a best friend.

Anniegetyourgun 1173963359|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
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Going Without Saying
Bernard O'Donoghue

It is a great pity we don't know
When the dead are going to die.
So that, over a last companionable
Drink, we could tell them
How much we liked them.

Happy the man who, dying, can
Place his hand on his heart and say:
'At least I didn't neglect to tell
The thrush how beautifully she sings.

Re: holy sabbath

lategrowth 1173180197|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / substantive topics » holy sabbath

The Ritual Decalogue in Exodus 34 takes an even harder line - "Do no work or even kindle a fire on the seventh day. Anyone who does so will be put to death."

There seems to have been a very strong opinion in favour of disengaging from 'busy-ness' on a regular basis!

adding self learning materials

lategrowth 1172616734|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Self Learning Materials

If you do not have confidence in your ability to make changes to the pages, then put the information in one of these comments boxes and somebody else will transfer it up.

the weight of words

lategrowth 1172571695|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » dictionary definitions

Consider a sentence that you have recently spoken or written. How many of the words 'speak for themselves'? How many, on the other hand, are labels for ideas that might need to be explained.

Re: The Diseases of Old People

lategrowth 1172529362|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / discussion topics » The Diseases of Old People

If the body or the mind wears out then a degree of helplessness is perhaps unavoidable. Loneliness and boredom are, however, due to frames of mind and these, at least in theory, are optional.

The Diseases of Old People

Anniegetyourgun 1172528712|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / discussion topics » The Diseases of Old People

William H. Thomas said in his book 'Learning from Hannah' that the three diseases most common to old folk are loneliness, helplessness and boredom. What do you think?

Whale -watcher

Grey Granite 1172437826|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Stand And Stare

This poem describes another way, being totally enthralled, being held in thrall, by the natural world, or whatever grabs the attention totally, into the state of one pointed concentration

The Whale-watcher by Kathleen Jamie

Saturday October 9, 2004
The Guardian

And when at last the road
gives out, I'll walk -
harsh grass, sea-maws,
lichen-crusted bedrock -
and hole up the cold
summer in some battered
caravan, quartering
the brittle waves

till my eyes evaporate
and I'm willing again
to deal myself in:
having watched them

breach, breathe, and dive
far out in the glare,
like stitches sewn in a rent
almost beyond repair.

· From The Tree House by Kathleen Jamie, winner of the 2004 Forward prize for best collection, published by Picador at £8.99

holy sabbath

lategrowth 1172398767|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion lategrowth / substantive topics » holy sabbath

What happened to the day of rest?
What did people used to DO on the sabbath?

Should this quote be displayed at the doorway to Tesco?

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The fourth of the ten commandments from the Christian Bible: Exodus 20:3-17 (also Deuteronomy 5:7-21).
http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/10commandments-texts.htm

Re: Approaching Death

lategrowth 1172013087|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Lategrowth Home Page

I have put a link to Kubler-Ross's classic work "On Death and Dying" (1969) in the bibliography. As the blurb says "Dr Ross projects her warm understanding, sophistication, and sensitivity into every page … an excellent book on the management of the terminally ill … offers hope for the understanding of human strengths and weaknesses experienced during a very difficult time." American Journal of Psychiatry.

She recognises stages that can go from shock, through denial, anger, depression, bargaining and then acceptance. The book contains many verbatim conversations between terminally ill people and their carers and relations. Powerful stuff.

Re: Approaching Death

Grey Granite 1172000219|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
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Perhaps strange phenomena, appartitions, lights, flashbacks etc. are simply products of the gradual disfunction of brain activity as death approaches and the body's systems shut down. It is interesting that carers as well as the terminally ill report these experiences. Clarification needed please , experienced by carers themselves or reports from the terminally ill they were looking after? Could this be a result of the heightened emotional state experienced at this time by everyone involved? Wishful thinking perhaps? To what extent are the experiences culturally defined or are they universal?

Approaching Death

Anniegetyourgun 1171995436|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
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Ghostly Apparitions
‘Deathbed phenomena’, are surprisingly common. According to recent research at King's College London, around 10 per cent of the terminally ill or those caring for them report some kind of mysterious, inexplicable event that gives them a glimpse of an after life.
Today Richard & Judy was joined by Dr Peter Fenwick a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist who has led the research at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College and Dr Sam Parnia, Critical Care Doctor and author of ‘What Happens When We Die’ who is one of Britain's leading experts on near-death experiences.

gradual approach

lategrowth 1171919086|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Interviews

Principle = begin with the 'easy' stuff (ie the more intellectual topics which people are comfortable with). Having mapped the field intellectually you are then ready to move on to the more difficult stuff. Or am I being over sensitive?

learning styles

lategrowth 1171822880|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Lategrowth Project Outline

mind tools has a handy worksheet on learning styles
http://www.mindtools.com/mnemlsty.html

look before you leap (and dig)

lategrowth 1171627883|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Digging Deeper

Digging deeper is not the primary activity. It is most likely to be useful when it follows a period of relatively shallow and wide ranging exploration of the territory. You are then in a better position to identify the areas that hold most promise for your in depth study. This is a variation on the theme of ‘look before you leap’.

Living with the elders

Anniegetyourgun 1171366409|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Lategrowth Home Page

When people get to 50 plus they have usually to deal with their elders. Ways of coping, supporting etc. might be an additional topic.