Awake!, June 8, 1983

Awake! — June 8, 1983

Source: jw.org

Contents

Page Two

I Was Allergic to Toxic Chemicals

Is Pollution Making You Sick?

What Can You Do?

What Hope for a Complete Solution?

Why Is Life So Boring?

I Was a ‘Giant Killer’

Breast Feeding—A Mother’s Loving “Sacrifice”

Acrostic Puzzle

Bridge That Gap With Conversation

Why Are They So Precious?

From Our Readers

Watching the World

“Let Your Kingdom Come”—Where?

We Invite You To Attend The “Kingdom Unity” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Page Two

Page Two

Pollution through pesticides and other chemical agents has become a worldwide threat during recent decades. Many persons have fallen ill or have become victims of allergies without immediately knowing the reason why. Is there anything you can do to avoid the harmful effects of pollution? Is a permanent solution possible?

I Was Allergic to Toxic Chemicals 3

Is Pollution Making You Sick? 4

What Can You Do? 8

What Hope for a Complete Solution? 11

I Was Allergic to Toxic Chemicals

I Was Allergic to Toxic Chemicals

“I was always sensitive to pesticides, cosmetics and paint fumes, which resulted in rashes and headaches. Nothing to worry about​—so I thought. Little did I realize what these could lead to.” With this Millie began her story.

She continued:

“OH, THOSE flies!” So I put up some insecticide strips. Soon​—not a fly in sight. I thought, ‘How wonderful modern technology is!’ But this was a turning point for my health.

I began having heart palpitations, extreme muscle weakness, vomiting and outbursts of crying. What was wrong? I was happily married and had been enjoying life. Then we moved. Our new apartment was infested with roaches, so we sprayed it.

Suddenly I couldn’t get my breath. My husband, Jerry, rushed me to the hospital. After returning home I plunged into a depression, became confused and could hardly talk. Soon I was back in the hospital, where the doctor told Jerry: “Your wife has a mental disorder​—schizophrenia.” But when we moved to an older mobile home the symptoms cleared up.

Then the ants came. Exterminators sprayed an insecticide. The depression, nausea and crying spells all returned. I vomited every 30 minutes for 18 hours. I had diarrhea. My every bone ached. In despair we went to a mental hospital.

Hospital blood tests revealed a shortage of white cells, perhaps indicating an immune-system defect. Yet I never connected it with my problems. Then, after an examination, the psychiatrist stated: “You’re certainly not schizophrenic. You’re in better mental health than most people on the street.” In the hospital I improved. Then I went home. But once there my vision blurred. All the other symptoms returned!

“Every time I take her to the hospital she gets better, but she gets worse when she comes home,” Jerry tearfully told the doctor. “She hasn’t been the same since we sprayed the house for ants.”

“That’s it, that’s it!” fired back the doctor. “Get her out of that home for a while and we’ll know.”

For three days I slept in a trailer and my symptoms cleared. Still doubting that the problem was in the house, I returned. Immediately my throat tightened and my tongue swelled. Now I knew! I was allergic to toxic chemicals in the home. In time I began to react to perfume, household chemicals, hair dye, cosmetics, gasoline fumes, car exhausts​—even to synthetic clothing!

Millie was suffering from what has been called the 20th-century syndrome. True, hers was an extreme case. The reaction of most people to pollution is sneezing, itching or burning eyes. But are growing numbers of cases like hers worldwide a warning signal of increasing environmental pollution? Is man truly “ruining the earth” as foretold centuries ago in the Bible?​—Revelation 11:18.

Is Pollution Making You Sick?

Is Pollution Making You Sick?

DOES Millie’s case, previously mentioned, mean that every time you feel irritable, depressed or have health problems environmental pollution is to blame? Not at all.

Our body’s marvelously designed immune system can fight off pollutants. (Psalm 139:14) Yet, because of genetic inheritance and our living habits, each of us will react differently. Increasing medical evidence has shown that even small amounts of chemical pollutants can affect the health of some people.

Chemical Sensitivities

“After treating over 20,000 patients over a period of 30 years for various allergic reactions, I think that the chemical problem is rapidly becoming​—if it is not already—​the number one offender,” Dr. Theron Randolph of Chicago, Illinois, told Awake! “The load exposure from the environment and our industrialized diet is greatly increasing. These chemical sensitivities don’t hit everybody immediately, but it hurts most those who are subjected to the chemicals with any degree of persistence.”

But should not the body’s immune system counteract these pollutants? Dr. Alan S. Levin, an immunologist of San Francisco, explained: “Chemical pollutants weaken the immune system by poisoning and thereby reducing certain ‘T cells’ [a type of white cell] in the blood which act as ‘brakes’ for the immune system. As a result, a person’s immune system becomes uncontrollable and overreacts. He can become overly sensitive and react to virtually all synthetic materials and petrochemicals.”

Medical journals tell of persons reacting to soft plastic food containers, fumes from oil or gas stoves, denture materials, synthetic fabrics and a host of other modern-day products. So the emotional and physical problems encountered by Millie can be caused by a reaction to substances in one’s environment.

“But really, individual susceptibility is the crux of the problem,” states Dr. Randolph. After nationwide research, Dr. Irving Selikoff, director of Environmental Sciences Laboratory at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, reached the same conclusion. In an interview with Awake!, he said: “Individual susceptibility is tremendously important. One out of five persons who work with asbestos will die of lung cancer. Why not the other four? I don’t know. But this is true in many, many things.”

So what you react to may be no problem for another. The state of your health, heredity, mental outlook and stresses are all factors. Such knowledge should help us develop fellow feeling when others struggle with health problems that we may not have. (1 Peter 3:8) But the effects of environmental pollutants go further than just an allergic reaction.

The Workplace

Asbestos, a mineral widely used in industry, became a 1982 front-page horror story. Evidence revealed that an estimated 10,000 persons exposed to asbestos dust on their jobs may die each year from now until the end of the century from asbestos-caused cancer and other related illnesses.

“It was shown more than 20 years ago what asbestos exposure would do to health,” said Dr. Irving Selikoff. “Industry perhaps felt that a little bit wouldn’t hurt. Well, we patiently gathered much information. Now we see the results. But it’s too late. For the 20 million among us who were exposed to the dust from 1940 to 1980, with inadequate precautions, the future is worrisome!” Many responsible industries have imposed stricter safety measures since one out of every 10 workers in the United States is now exposed (full time or part time) to cancer-causing substances.

Dr. Kent Anger of the Neurobehavioral Research Section of NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) told Awake! that over 30 workplace chemicals​—other than medical drugs—​can affect the nervous system. He stated: “Nearly 20 million workers are exposed to one or several of these. They can cause slight changes in the attention span, tremors or tingling in hands, short-term memory loss, general weakness, emotional instability, nervousness, irritability​—even paralysis and blindness. Of course, we have also seen these symptoms caused by other problems.”

Chemical pesticides are widely used. The World Health Organization considers pesticide poisoning of farm workers a major health problem in developing countries. It estimates that in these countries pesticides cause some 500,000 human poisonings each year​—one every minute! Of these, 5,000 are fatal. Both sterility and miscarriages have been linked with either the production or the use of these compounds. Of course, not all pesticides are equally harmful, but the effects of some may be known only after years of use.

Our Food, Water and Air

Much of the world’s food is lost each year to pests. One estimate says over 40 percent! Thus, in 1979 alone 6.4 billion pounds of pesticides were produced​—well over a pound for every person on earth!a Many of these chemicals​—some of which do not easily break down—​cling to our vegetables and fruits or enter the food chain where they are stored in the meat we eat. Pesticides banned in the United States because they cause birth defects and cancer in laboratory animals are still produced and sold to other countries, and the United States gets these back in many of its imported foods.

So virtually everyone on earth has in his body a small amount of these pollutants. Just how hazardous this is​—especially in the long term—​no one can say with certainty. However, some react with asthma attacks, skin rashes and headaches when eating pesticide-contaminated food.

While most drinking water is safe, experiences like that of Egg Harbor, New Jersey (U.S.), are increasing. In 1981 a leaking chemical waste dump had contaminated the nearby groundwater. The New Jersey groundwater is one of the numerous water systems held in suspension below the ground, and these systems provide drinking water for over half the country. Once such a water system is polluted there is usually no way to cleanse it.

“DON’T DRINK THE WATER. POISON. CHEMICALS.” This sign that hung in the kitchen of one Egg Harbor home was a painful reminder that throughout New Jersey and neighboring states hundreds of wells have been closed. Many residents blamed bronchial coughs, kidney ailments, nervous disorders and skin rashes on the toxic chemicals. Some of these symptoms cleared up when the sufferers temporarily left the area or switched to bottled water. With perhaps thousands of similar chemical dumps nationwide, Environmental Protection Agency ex-official Eckhardt Beck stated: “This will become the environmental horror story of the 80’s.”b

City air pollution is widely believed capable of causing or aggravating chronic heart and lung disease, especially among the elderly, infirm and newborn. However, to what extent is still debatable; better controls have helped in some cities. Yet air pollution adds stress. One study revealed that among the middle-class population of a large city in the United States, in high pollution areas there were 80 percent more deaths from heart disease due to high blood pressure than there were in low pollution areas.

Lead​—The Subtle Poison

Dr. Herbert Needleman analyzed the lead levels of baby teeth of 2,146 normal schoolchildren aged five to six. He then had each child’s behavior rated by the teacher. The results: more lead​—worse behavior! Similar findings were made in Canada, Germany and England. There is growing alarm.

Lead can be eaten in the form of old paint chips or dust, breathed from the exhaust fumes of leaded gasoline and can make its way into our food. “Half the lead in the American diet probably originates from lead-soldered cans, since these containers contaminate their contents about tenfold and canned foods comprise about 20 percent of the diet,” concluded two California research scientists.

Adults will absorb 10 percent of the lead they eat; children absorb up to 50 percent. They also more readily absorb what they breathe. Their developing nervous system is especially vulnerable. Though the symptoms of low-level lead poisoning in children include clumsiness, stomach aches, refusal to play, irritability, fatigue and loss of appetite, these are often ignored by parents and the condition can worsen.

Your Life-Style

The effects of pollution are often greatly intensified by an unwise life-style. “Persons who work with asbestos have a seven or eight times greater risk of dying from lung cancer than the normal population. However, if they smoke,” revealed Dr. Selikoff, “they have a risk that is 92 times greater.” Smoking is one of the reasons that indoor pollution in many places is worse than pollution outside and often is a greater health hazard.

Your eating habits are also a factor. Drs. Lonsdale and Shamberger of the United States reported treating a number of unusually irritable young people who showed disturbing personality changes. A steady diet of “junk foods” had created a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. Supplements of thiamine and a change in diet cleared up their symptoms.

Thus, many factors are involved in answering the questions: Is pollution making you sick? What can you do about it?

[Footnotes]

1 pound equals .45 kg.

See “Just the Tip of the Iceberg” in the November 22, 1980, issue of Awake!

[Picture on page 5]

Your workplace can be a source of pollution

[Picture on page 6]

The lead pollution from all these sources can affect your child’s health

[Picture on page 7]

Your life-style can make pollution worse

What Can You Do?

What Can You Do?

‘DO NOT drink the water in the ditch reservoirs. It is polluted with chemicals that may cause liver cancer.’ Thus the people of Qidong county (China) were urged. Among the 67,000 surveyed who drank ditchwater, 107 had developed liver cancer compared to none of 6,000 well-water drinkers. Many heeded the warning. Five years later among 23,000 surveyed who were now drinking water from wells there was only one case of liver cancer. Among 47,000 still using ditchwater there were 216!

Not all environmentally caused illnesses are avoided that easily. But you can take steps that may protect your health. As the Bible says: “Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.”​—Proverbs 22:3, Today’s English Version.

‘How do I know if it is the environment?’ you may wonder. This may not be easy to determine because the symptoms often appear gradually. But if you take a vacation to a relatively pollution-free area and feel great, and on returning home you get sick again, your sickness could be something in the environment. For clues, try to recall when you feel the worst. Is it on the way to work, at the job, in the kitchen, in the garden or while using such items as cleaning fluids?

If you have a serious unresolved health problem, however, seeing a qualified doctor may be helpful, for it may be a physical illness unrelated to the environment. Of course, you must use discernment in deciding which doctor to consult, for some, though well meaning, may not recognize the impact of pollutants. Peter Breyesse stated in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association), January 16, 1981: “Physician recognition of such environmental problems is important. Many of the adults who were interviewed said they had been under treatment by their physician, some for over four years and more, without improvement in their condition.”

Environmental Medicine

Millie (see page 3) was sensitive to almost everything. With the cooperation of her family doctor she entered the Brookhaven Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, which specializes in such problems. She stayed for several weeks in the Environmental Control Unit​—rooms that are specially designed to be free of all environmental pollutants and synthetic materials. Tests determined what she was sensitive to. After a short fasting period she began a difficult program of strengthening her immune system through injections, by exercise and use of vitamin supplements. She strictly had to avoid certain pollutants and foods until her body could build itself up. In time she built up her resistance and now lives a more normal life.

The help Millie received was from a growing​—yet controversial—​medical speciality called clinical ecology. Millie’s was an extreme case, and her hospitalization cost several thousand dollars. Often less severe cases are treated in the doctor’s office. Dr. Randolph, in his interview with Awake!, defined its approach: “It’s essentially environmental medicine. We take the holistic view, that is, the body as a whole and the way it responds to the environment. We attempt to treat the causes rather than the effects of the illness.” Yet in his book An Alternative Approach to Allergies (1980), his coauthor, Dr. Moss, admits, “It will not cure every case of headache, depression, arthritis, or chronic fatigue.” Other approaches include traditional allergists and clinical toxicologists. Awake! is not endorsing any of these treatments; it is simply reporting on them. But what can you do to improve your environment?

Improving Home Environment

Since you may spend 70 percent of your life at home, polluted indoor air is often a greater hazard than outdoor pollution. Does this mean that household cleaners, aerosol sprays, room deodorants and pesticides should not be used? Not necessarily​—unless you or a family member reacts to moderate use. Usually a daily airing of your house, especially in winter when pollutants build up, is sufficient.

Since a gas oven without an exhaust fan can produce, within an hour, air-pollution levels three times as high as a city smog, be sure your gas stove is well vented to the outside. Some people have had to use electrical cooking and heating devices instead.

When you use paints, solvents and chemical paint removers make sure the area is well ventilated. Read and follow the directions carefully! If you are sanding old paint, plaster or joint compound, or mixing asbestos cement, use the proper mask to avoid inhaling potentially toxic particles. Since many plastering compounds, and even cement for insulating pipes and furnaces, are made without asbestos, you may prefer these.

Warn your children against putting old paint chips, or even their house-dust laden hands, in their mouth. Do not let them play near heavy automobile traffic. If you use food or beverages from lead-soldered cans, then, once opened, do not store the contents in the can.

Your drinking water can be checked by local officials if you suspect it is contaminated. Uncontaminated bottled water or the use of a filter designed to remove chemicals (if regularly changed) may be the solution.

The Job Environment

“I think that people should look at what they’re working with and question what’s happening to them as a result of exposure,” stated Dr. Anger. “There is no need to panic, however. If they have health problems, notice personality changes or feel much better on weekends, then check with other workers to see if they’re similarly affected. They can request that the company or government determine if there are any overly high exposures of potentially dangerous substances.” Sometimes dangerous substances are found in the most unlikely jobs. For instance, brake linings contain asbestos, so auto mechanics beware!

Make use of the protective equipment that responsible companies provide, and use common sense. One worker was seen eating a sandwich in the lunchroom with a pesticide on his mustache. So clean up before you eat. A change of clothes before you go home may sometimes be needed to protect your family.

Did you know that some pesticides in more concentrated forms have been used as nerve gas during war? Therefore it is dangerous to drink from or wash in the open water near sprayed fields. You can absorb the pesticide through your skin. Never reuse the metal tins or plastic sacks the pesticides are packaged in. Wait the required time before going back into the fields after spraying. Children are especially prone to pesticide poison, so watch carefully what they work or play with.

Nutrition and Life-Style

For years the drinking water in one province of Chile contained high levels of arsenic. After considering who became sick by the poison, and the five children who died, researchers concluded: “It is highly probable that the low nutritional status of these infants and children has significantly favored the chronic toxic effects of arsenic.” (Italics ours.) Nutritional deficiencies can make the effects worse. Thus strive to have nutritious, well-balanced meals. One’s economic situation may make this difficult. However, simple foods, such as beans, leafy vegetables and fruits, are often high in vitamins and minerals.

According to the book Nutrition and Environmental Health, laboratory research has shown that vitamin C may protect against chromium poison as well as numerous toxic and cancer-causing compounds; vitamin A has reduced the danger from the body’s storing some insecticides; the B vitamins can reduce the intensity of lead and of over 30 toxic chemical compounds. Such research is still not viewed by everyone as conclusive, so simply to gorge oneself with vitamins​—without competent medical direction—​may be harmful.

Cigarette smoke may cause chronic bronchitis; it aggravates emphysema and may cause lung cancer. This should be additional reason to “cleanse ourselves of every defilement [pollution, Kingdom Interlinear] of flesh and spirit,” as the Bible counsels. Yes, stop smoking!​—2 Corinthians 7:1.

What you put into your inner feelings or thoughts, your “spirit,” also has an effect. “The spirit of a man can put up with his malady; but as for a stricken spirit, who can bear it?” (Proverbs 18:14) One group of workers who were exposed to a ‘mystery gas of unknown origin’ reacted with dizziness and nausea, and some even fainted. However, a survey revealed that the ones with the severest symptoms were those who in the first place were most dissatisfied with the job! This is not to say that all adverse reactions are because of a “stricken spirit,” but it shows that factors other than exposure can play a role.

So we can do much to improve the quality of our environment. But what hope is there for a permanent answer?

[Picture on page 9]

Avoid storing food in open cans!

What Hope for a Complete Solution?

What Hope for a Complete Solution?

JOYCE and her husband reared three children four miles (6 km) from a metal smelting company. One child has a learning disability. Another has had rheumatic fever. Joyce has asthma and on many days cannot go outside because of fumes from the plant.

“Did we make a mistake, staying here?” she asked. Her husband, Lou, added, “We’ve got a farm in north-central Idaho. . . . There are [chemical pesticide] spray planes going around that place all the time. So where else is there? Los Angeles? Love Canal? Three Mile Island? You sort of wonder: where do you go?”

Yes, where do you go to escape the effects of pollution? To do so, in the words of the apostle Paul in connection with moral pollution, “you would actually have to get out of the world.” (1 Corinthians 5:10) So though we can do some things to ease the problem, pollution may have to be endured as are other stresses of life.

Need Inner Strength

“The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength,” wrote the apostle Paul. (2 Corinthians 4:16, Phillips) The “wear and tear” on our bodies cannot be avoided​—even without pollution we are all growing older and dying. Yet Paul renewed with “fresh strength” the inner driving force that involved his mind and heart by daily cultivating a close friendship with God. By focusing his attention on God’s promises for the future, he could cope.

Though Millie’s pressures were different, they were just as intense to her. (See page 3.) She said: “I had such pain and confusion that at times it was a minute-by-minute struggle to endure.” What helped her cope?

“I never failed to read my Bible and Bible study aids,” explained Millie. “I had to put these in my protective glass-covered reading box because of the ink fumes, and sometimes I could hardly concentrate. But I would plead: ‘Please, Jehovah, just show me something out of your Word that will help me get through this day and not give up.’ He always answered my prayers and he brought me through all of this.” You, too, can develop similar inner strength by a study and application of the Bible along with the loving help of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Another source of strength was the encouraging support of her family and others in the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They recorded Bible lectures for her when she could not attend and some made clothing for her of material she was not sensitive to. When her pollution-free “metal home” had to be moved to another area, many from several congregations helped.

‘But living by the Bible isn’t going to change this world! It’s not going to cause others to stop pollution,’ is the way many feel. Stopping man-made pollution completely now is unbelievably complex. For instance, it has been said that “Britain’s smokiest, grimiest” factory was allowed by the government to continue polluting because, reportedly, it provides work for nearly 4,000 persons, so closing it would hurt local employment.

Today’s economic system characterized by greed and the need for profits, along with consumers who will often buy the cheapest product and only a perfect-looking fruit or vegetable, makes it difficult to implement nonpolluting alternatives. After reviewing the way dangerous pesticides were allowed by the government to saturate the environment, Lewis Regenstein, in his book America the Poisoned, blamed “a combination of industry pressure and governmental inaction.” He highlighted ‘the hopeless ineffectiveness of the present system.’ Really, the entire system needs replacing.

God’s Kingdom​—A Righteous Government

God promises to remove this entire greedy present system in favor of a righteous government under the King, Jesus Christ, who will show a genuine concern for all his subjects. “Their blood will be precious in his [Jesus’] eyes. There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Psalm 72:14, 16) Yes, with complete knowledge of everything involved in ecology, God’s government by Christ will provide an abundance for all without poisoning earth’s inhabitants!

‘But,’ you may wonder, ‘what about those places already saturated with toxic chemicals?’ In the past God showed his ability to purify water and remove poisons from contaminated food. (See 2 Kings 2:19-22; 4:38-41.) In the future he will use such powers, along with earth’s own recuperative processes, to create an unpolluted Paradise of beauty.​—Luke 23:43.

Since there is overwhelming evidence that man is now “ruining” our earth in a way unknown to any other period in history, the time for God’s Kingdom to “bring to ruin those ruining the earth” is near at hand!​—Revelation 11:18.

[Picture on page 12]

Soon God will remove those ruining the earth and make it a Paradise

Why Is Life So Boring?

Young People Ask . . .

Why Is Life So Boring?

“I HATE living this boring life,” said Anne Marie after attempting suicide. She was seven years old.

Perhaps you at times have felt like Anne Marie. What do you feel is a solution? Anne Marie felt that changed circumstances would be the answer. “This ain’t the kind of life I want,” she said. “I want to live out in the country. I hate the city.” You may say: “If only I had an exciting job, a career or plenty of money I would never get bored.”

Are Your Circumstances to Blame?

A young man named George “charged up the corporate ladder” and became the vice-president of a large firm. “It was good for my ego,” he said. “Nice title, better office, but what else did I get? In one sense, I was pleased with myself​—but,” he revealed, “bored in another. Once the conquests were over and I proved I could do the work, there was little left.”

Even very rich and famous people​—capable of having virtually anything that money can buy—​grapple with boredom. After reviewing the outlandish spending of the superrich, Time associate editor Roger Rosenblatt stated: “After the big house and the big garden and the big animals, parties and people, what do most of the world’s big spenders announce? That they are bored. Bored.” So neither fame, money, a prestigious job or ideal living conditions in themselves are capable of banishing boredom permanently. Why? Because boredom is basically an attitude of the mind.

A Matter of Attitude

For instance, you may consider a modern airline pilot’s job to be glamorous and exciting. Yet much of his work is very repetitive and flights on automatic pilot can be boring. However, by constantly thinking of the safety of the many lives entrusted to his care, the pilot can fight any boredom.

So no matter what our age, our job or our status in life, how we view our situation is critical. Being bored is not so much our outside circumstances and interests as it is our inner response to these.

A person who is bored puts his or her mind in a condition similar to a prisoner in solitary confinement. The prisoner is allowed no visitors. There are no windows. He has no newspapers or books, no radio or TV and no conversation. Such a setup can lead not just to boredom but often to complete derangement. What goes wrong? Quite simply, the prisoner lacks stimulus. His senses crave it, but he is unable to satisfy them.

You can put your mind in ‘solitary confinement’ by cutting yourself off from those things around you that can provide stimulation. Therefore you have to take steps to become involved and stimulate your mind. But how can you go about developing such interests that can bring the needed stimulation?

Proper Action Fights Boredom

“They can’t be bothered doing anything. They get home and just switch on the TV and watch that all the time. They don’t have any practical hobbies. No wonder they say they are bored,” said teenager Patrick as he summed up the course of many of his friends. How true! No stimulating action. Result? Boredom. But doing things gets your mind involved.

“If I start to get bored,” explained Gina, “I get some paper and a pencil and draw. I enjoy it so much I don’t want to stop!” Young Phillip says: “I write down the things I intend to do each day​—practical things. And I always allow myself time for reading.”

Millions watched the World Cup soccer series, but how many viewers ever enjoyed kicking a ball, even in a friendly game? While millions enjoy listening to recorded music, how much more pleasure comes from playing a musical instrument! Says Lucinda: “I go and play tennis when I find time is heavy on my hands, and in the evenings I am learning to play my guitar. In fact, a few of us practice together, and this is real fun!”

Now let’s talk about action at your job or school. If you are industrious and become mentally involved with your education or job, you can get real personal satisfaction. You may get recognition too​—and you won’t be bored with that! The Bible says, “Have you beheld a man skillful in his work? Before kings is where he will station himself.” (Proverbs 22:29) Therefore, apply yourself during your required school years. Learn the basics of education that can help you become skilled. If you have a job, then cultivate an interest in it. Personal achievement can bring a sense of fulfillment, not boredom. However, as seen from the example of George, mentioned earlier, this is not always the case. Something beyond mere action or achievement is needed to remove “a boring life” permanently.

The Truly Rewarding Way of Life

“Some successful people have discovered that while extrinsic [external] factors like more money, vacations and goods reduce dissatisfaction . . . they don’t increase satisfaction,” states mid-life career counselor Sol Landau who made a study of people “who have realized their dreams.” He concludes: “Only intrinsic [internal] factors that feed the spirit can do that.” Yes, a purposeful life must have a spiritual dimension.

You may have all the gadgets of this modern age and yet boredom may still look you straight in the eye. Jesus Christ said: “Even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) You need to feel that your life is accomplishing something worth while.

Jesus invited his followers to get involved in just such an activity. “Come after me,” he said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) Along with him they were to help people by sharing with them the good news about God’s Kingdom. This message had real power to improve the lives of those who accepted it. What an immeasurable joy was theirs to see the effect of their message on people who were “skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd”! Just imagine the emotional satisfaction of seeing drunkards, thieves, filthy-mouthed revilers and sexual perverts transform themselves into clean, responsible persons with self-respect.​—Matthew 9:36; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Today the same “fishing” work is being done all over the world by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Among them you will find tens of thousands of young people, many volunteering up to 90 hours each month just to share this powerful message with others. This is both stimulating and worth while.

Some young persons today come to work in one of the many branch establishments of the Watch Tower Society where Bible literature, such as this magazine, is printed. Among those in England is 19-year-old Andrew. He is one of the team of five running the offset press, which is 75 feet (23 m) long, printing hundreds of thousands of copies of Awake! and its companion magazine The Watchtower. How does Andrew view his work, helping to bundle the magazines as they come off the press at a rate of 32,000 an hour?

“The work can be very boring if I allow it to be,” he admits. “But it is an essential job and physically demanding. Most important, it has great purpose, printing magazines to help others to find the way to life. I often think about where the magazines will be going and the good they will do.” Yes, the right attitude regarding the vital lifesaving role of his work keeps it from becoming boring.

Of course, you may not be able to work at the job Andrew enjoys. But Christian activity has many interesting facets. Why not ask Jehovah’s Witnesses about it? You don’t have to be bored with life. Wholesome Christian living and activities will put boredom to flight.

[Picture on page 15]

The right attitude dispels boredom at work

I Was a ‘Giant Killer’

I Was a ‘Giant Killer’

IT WAS the spring of 1965. I stood in the wrestling ring facing Taiho, one of the all-time sumo giants. We had rinsed our mouths with the cleansing water and tossed salt toward the ring in a purifying gesture. Four minutes of our pacing and facing had passed. We faced again. The referee’s fan was open, a signal that told us that our time was up. We must wrestle​—and wrestle we did! For the sixth time, I beat the great Taiho! This bout earned me the nickname Giant Killer. As a Japanese sumo wrestler, it was a thrill for me.

Sumo is not included in the Olympic sports and really is not well known outside Japan. In fact, Japan is the only country where it is a national sport. But, you might ask, what makes it distinct as a sport? The object of the sumo bout is to push or maneuver the opposing wrestler down to the ground or out of the ring by means of officially prescribed holds or throws.

Sumo​—An Ancient Japanese Sport

It is a very ancient sport that goes back to at least the first century B.C.E. in Japan, and it may have originated on the Asian mainland before that. Over the centuries, sumo has had close ties with the Shinto religion. A Shinto ritual was included when believers implored the gods for blessing on the rice harvest. During the Heian Period (794-1185 C.E.) sumo delighted the members of the Imperial Court and thus became the sport of emperors. As political power fell into the hands of the military in the 12th century, sumo training was ranked in importance with archery and swordsmanship and became a requirement for warriors. Gradually, professional sumo took on the form as we know it today. From the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868), sumo had its feet solidly planted as a spectator sport.

Why Did I Take Up Sumo?

At the age of 12, I was already 5’9” (175 cm) tall and could easily lift two rice bales weighing 130 pounds (60 kg) each. My height and strength raised high hopes in my parents because they wished for me to inherit and care for their farm. By the time I was a teenager, I personally considered my height a severe problem for a farmer because stooping over all day long to work in the fields was very uncomfortable for me.

Born and raised in the northern island of Hokkaido, one might say I was a born sumo. We usually have snow from November to April and lads whose hips are strengthened from walking through snow are said to be prime prospects for the sport. Against my parents’ wishes I entered the world of sumo.

How a Sumo “Stable” Functions

Young hopefuls start their training in sumo schools called stables. In my stable the day commenced at 3 a.m. Rigorous training began with preliminary exercises and then worked into actual sumo bouts among members of our group. Stable life is based on a feudal system in which rank is of utmost importance. We ‘new boys’ were expected to do all the cleaning and cooking for the higher-ranking members. Seniority in the stable determined who ate first and, in the morning, who got up last.

Training continued until noon when we took the first meal of the day​—of course, in order of rank. What a meal! Chanko-nabe is the food of sumo wrestlers. A thick, rich stew, made with a base of meat or fish to which carrots, onions, bean curd, soy sauce and sugar have been added. We ate it with large quantities of rice and washed it down with great amounts of beer.

The leisurely nap that followed this feast is a major factor in accomplishing a wrestler’s goal​—gain weight with back-up strength to excel in competition. A sumo wrestler’s success depends on how much and how fast he can gain weight and strength. Emphasis on physique is illustrated by the fact that a sumo hopeful must meet height and weight standards for his age group in order to begin training. And it takes much endurance to climb the sumo ladder. The young sumo is given his chance to demonstrate his prowess during six 15-day tournaments each year.

Sumo​—Where a Ring Is Not a Square

In the center of the huge sumo hall is an earthen platform that is 2 feet (61 cm) high and 18 feet (5.5 m) square. Because the zone where the action takes place is circular it looks more like a ring than what you see in Western wrestling. Called dohyō, it is not surrounded by retaining ropes. A ring of earth-stuffed rice bales, 15 feet (4.6 m) in diameter, is recessed into the top surface of the platform, which is covered by a thin layer of sand. This sand can be very helpful in a close match. How? It can be checked for imprints to determine the winner!

Purifying salt and water are on hand. A Shinto-style wooden roof hangs overhead and good-luck omens are buried under the ring. Added to that is the ever-watchful referee who is dressed in a warrior-style costume complete with a black headpiece of Shinto origin.

Pageantry reigns as king when the top-ranking wrestlers come in for the daily ring-entrance ceremony. They are clad in elaborate brocaded aprons that weigh 9 pounds (4 kg) or more! The wrestlers circle the ring and perform a hand-clapping ceremony. Soon the bouts will begin. Each day of the tournament, wrestlers appear in turn from the lower rank to the highest. Except for the grand champion, whose rank never changes once attained, rank can fluctuate for the next tournament based on the record of wins and losses.

Who Wins?

In sumo the condition of heart and mind ranks in importance with physique and technique. A saying that aptly describes the spirit of the bout is this: “Begin with a bow, end with a bow.” As the wrestler mounts the platform, he bows his head toward the ring. When the winner is determined, once again heads are bowed.

Each wrestler wears a torimawashi, or silk loincloth, which is 38 feet (11.6 m) long. This has been folded lengthwise six times and wrapped around the waist and groin. It is then tied in an elaborate knot at the back.

Wrestlers may weigh more than 300 pounds (136 kg). Like bulldozers, they charge at each other with remarkable speed for the initial clash, called tachi-ai. The impact is enough to stun. On contact each wrestler maneuvers to grab several layers of the other’s waistband, in order to throw the opponent. At the same time each is trying to protect himself from his opponent’s reach. Quite a feat indeed! Due to my own ability to hoist opponents out of the ring, I became known as the human crane.

How is the winner decided? At the moment any part of the wrestler’s body touches the ground inside or outside the ring, the bout is over and he loses. (Obviously, inside the ring the feet are allowed to touch the ground but not outside.) The winner extends his hand and helps the defeated one to his feet. They are still friends.

During 16 years of active sumo, I never saw karate-type blows or other unethical methods employed. Such action would be extremely impolite, to say the least.

Highest-ranking sumo are grand champions. I had advanced to two steps lower, to sekiwake status, when I defeated Taiho. In 1969, for health reasons, I retired as an active participant but continued in the sumo profession as a judge and instructor. Thus my means of living was guaranteed for life.

The Bible or Sumo and Shinto​—Which?

My professional sumo life took me away from home for six months of the year. One day in 1974 a woman, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, called at my door. Without hesitation I accepted a pamphlet and gave it to my wife. I then left for a tournament in the island of Kyushu. In my absence the woman returned and found that my wife had deep respect for the Bible. I came home six weeks later to find that my wife was studying the Bible. Since I disliked religion in general, I opposed her.

Even so, the Witness who studied with my wife persistently invited us as a family to visit with her family. I felt someone just wanted to talk to ‘the sumo wrestler.’ I could not understand why they were interested in me as a person. When my wife implored me with tears to go, I consented​—but grudgingly. In association with this Witness family, I enjoyed a kind and good atmosphere. But even when my wife was baptized in August 1975, I never thought I would walk the way of the truth myself.

One day in 1976 one of the Witness men called on me. I made no effort at conversation, but then suddenly I said, “Brother, would you study the Bible with me?” I do not know why I said it, but I did. Our study began and I made some progress, but trials were soon to follow.

In the sumo world, one is expected to conform. When on the road, I wanted time off to attend the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in each city. To get such permission was out of the ordinary and I was ridiculed. However, when I did meet with the brothers, I had the reward of seeing the love and unity of Jehovah’s Witnesses all over Japan.

My first desire was to become a Christian and remain in the sumo society with an assured income. As I came to know Jehovah’s will more correctly I realized that this would be impossible. Yes, it is true that Jacob wrestled with an angel. (Genesis 32:24-29) However, I had to consider the strong false religious connections in sumo. Riddled with ritual from beginning to end, sumo originated on shrine and temple grounds. Even though the up-and-coming wrestler rarely considers the religious aspects, it is impossible to separate Shintoism from sumo.

So I made a firm decision to resign from the sumo society in January 1977. I was baptized that same year and have since become qualified to serve as a ministerial servant in the congregation. Having learned to be content with the present things, I now support my family of five by cleaning work.

I am no longer a sumo wrestler, but you could say that I am still a ‘giant killer.’ The ‘giants’ are false religious teachings and superstition. These traditions fall as I ‘kill’ them with the sword of the spirit, God’s Word, the Bible. (Ephesians 6:17) Now as a regular pioneer minister, I serve my Creator an average of 90 hours each month. How? By preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) Would you like to be a ‘giant killer’ like me? In association with Jehovah’s Witnesses you can be.​—As told by Kiyoshi Myobudani.

[Picture on page 17]

Ex-sumo wrestler Myobudani in action

[Picture on page 19]

He is now a Christian minister

Breast Feeding—A Mother’s Loving “Sacrifice”

Breast Feeding​—A Mother’s Loving “Sacrifice”

MY HUSBAND and I had decisions to make. We were having our first baby! But this impending birth raised a number of issues that needed settling. Would we try “natural” childbirth? Would my husband be in the delivery room with me? Which hospital would we choose? On and on the list of decisions went.

One decision in particular, however, has brought me much joy​—the decision to breast-feed my baby. Now you may be interested in how and why we made our decision​—and why I’m so glad we did.

First, I read several books on the subject and talked with many of my friends who were nursing or had nursed their children. I learned that most doctors and pediatricians agree that mother’s milk is a superior way of feeding not only from a nutritional standpoint but from an emotional standpoint as well. I studied the changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy. My husband and I even attended childbirth classes together.

The Adjustment

My “homework” helped me get a more realistic picture of what nursing a child would be like; that it is a big job. It is a part of childrearing that a wife cannot share even with the most compassionate husband! Nevertheless, my husband and I talked it over and we decided that I would exclusively breast-feed our child.

I’ll never forget what it was like having our first baby. The pains of labor over, the doctor presented to me a new person​—a daughter! I examined every little finger and toe before the nurse took her to clean her up. To be honest, I was a bit anxious about that first feeding. I had heard that some babies really are not all that interested in the first feeding and even fall asleep on the mother.

This was not the case with our daughter, however. I was quite surprised at how strong her sucking instinct was. I experienced a bit of pain. But I got used to it and found that feeding on “demand,” rather than adhering to a time schedule, prevented my breasts from becoming engorged, which can be a problem for new mothers.

It takes a few days after the baby’s birth before the breasts give milk. But that is no problem for the infant, since he gets his nourishment from the yellowish liquid called colostrum the body produces in the meantime. As the book Nursing Your Baby says, the colostrum “plays a particularly vital role in protecting the infant against disease. Colostrum contains disease antibodies, and particularly viral disease antibodies, which have now been found to be utilized by human babies and to protect them against specific diseases throughout the first six months of life, whether or not breast feeding is continued after the first few days.”

Knowing this is a needed encouragement to you when you’re nursing because, quite frankly, at times I found myself almost dreading the next feeding. My doctor advised me to apply pure lanolin between feedings. I personally found it best just to “grin and bear it” until my body got used to it. Fortunately I never experienced bleeding, though some women do. And fair-skinned women usually have a more difficult time adjusting, since often their skin is a bit more tender. It takes determination for such ones to stick with their feeding job.

You also have to get used to the way the body continually replaces the milk the baby takes out. The first time my daughter slept for an extended time, I was in such pain that I had to get up and squeeze some milk out myself. But usually within the first four to six weeks, baby and mother get adjusted to one another and it’s “smooth flowing” from then on.

I must confess that at times I almost succumbed to the temptation to bottle-feed my baby. A newborn needs to be fed virtually around the clock. That meant no letup for me. And when you have to wake up for a middle-of-the-night feeding, you sometimes wish you could let someone else have a turn at feeding the baby. But I had made up my mind that I would not supplement my milk with a prepared formula. So I found it best not even to have the baby formula in the house.

Of course, well-meaning observers at times offer unsolicited “help” by saying: “Maybe your milk is too weak” or “How do you know she’s getting enough, since you can’t tell how much she is drinking?” Or even, “Maybe your milk is too rich.” However, as long as the baby is gaining sufficient weight and is responding normally, and the mother herself is in good health and is on a proper and balanced diet, she can be confident her milk is quite the perfect food for her child.

Our First Separation

My first trip out of the house after having the baby was to the grocery store. When I returned I found Daddy and baby waiting for me at the window, both very upset! Although I had squeezed sufficient milk for emergency use, I hadn’t planned on the whole bottle being spilled. Neither did Daddy. I quickly decided that during the first six months, or at least until she could eat solid foods, I would not be separated from my baby for longer than a few hours.

Nevertheless, taking your infant in public has its own problems. Often baby decides to eat before you expect her to, which of course puts you in an awkward position. Some mothers are quite discreet about nursing their babies so as to avoid offending others. Some infants, however, seem to resent being covered while being nursed. Mother may have to resign herself to sitting alone in a rest room until her baby is satisfied.

Worth the Sacrifice

Obviously, the decision to breast-feed your child is a serious one. Quite a sacrifice is involved. For me, however, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. I remember, for example, a friend of mine who got stuck in a traffic jam. She’ll never forget how helpless she felt sitting in the car, unable to feed her screaming baby. Her baby, you see, was used to a bottle. How she wishes she had breast-fed her child! Of course, in some cases artificial feeding may be advisable, especially if the mother has a serious illness or is addicted to drugs.

Breast-feeding has other advantages. You never have to worry about running out of milk. The more baby needs, the more milk is produced as the weeks pass. There are no bottles to sterilize. (I wonder how many parents have accidentally broken or dropped that last bottle of formula at 2 a.m. and literally cried over spilled milk.) Nor do you have to worry about changing formulas to meet the needs of your growing baby. You can be confident that baby is getting proper nourishment as long as you maintain a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids.

However, I feel the biggest advantage is the way it contributes to a close relationship with your child. The constant touching, attention and affection between mother and child is just irreplaceable.

But I don’t think I could have done it without the loving cooperation and encouragement of my husband. Some husbands seem to resent the nonstop attention a mother gives her newborn. And having a baby definitely restricts your activities. Some restaurants, for example, make it clear that children are not welcome. So a husband who impatiently asks, “When are you going to wean the baby?” can be very discouraging to his wife. But when he helps out by, for example, bringing the baby to his wife to feed, or helps to change the diapers, he endears himself to his wife.

I therefore look back on my experience with pleasure. For me, the joys and wonderful memories of breast-feeding my baby far outweigh any of the sacrifices.​—Contributed.

Acrostic Puzzle

Acrostic Puzzle

Directions: Write the answers over the numbered lines and then transfer the letters individually to the corresponding spaces in the diagram. The puzzle reads across only. When the diagram is complete, it will spell out a scripture. The first letter of each answer will spell out the book of the Bible from which the scripture is taken. Once you have the diagram started, you will be able to work backward by guessing some of the incomplete words.

ACROSTIC SOLUTIONS PAGE 27

1. One requirement for a “clean” animal was that it ‐‐‐‐ the cud (Deuteronomy 14:4-8)

2. A caretaker of David’s camels (1 Chronicles 27:30)

3. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)

4. With our lips we should always ‐‐‐‐‐ a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15)

5. The people of Israel had to do this before the walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:20)

6. Plunder, or booty, taken from a defeated enemy (Deuteronomy 2:34, 35; 3:7)

7. Tusks imported by Solomon (1 Kings 10:21, 22)

8. “There will be earthquakes in one place ‐‐‐‐‐ another” (Mark 13:8)

9. The wicked sons of God began to ‐‐‐‐‐‐ the daughters of men (Genesis 6:2)

10. Women were ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ by what they saw at Jesus’ tomb (Mark 16:1-6)

ACROSTIC SOLUTIONS

CLUE WORDS: (1) chew; (2) Obil; (3) love; (4) offer; (5) shout; (6) spoil; (7) ivory; (8) after; (9) notice; (10) stunned.

When filled in, the grid contains a quotation from the Bible, Colossians 3:14, “New World Translation.”

Bridge That Gap With Conversation

Bridge That Gap With Conversation

EVERYONE talks, so conversation is easy, right? Wrong! In fact the very thought of conversation, especially with a stranger, often causes embarrassment. An anxious stream of questions comes pouring in: “How do I break the ice? What should we talk about? What about my accent?” These and many other doubts assail the timid conversationalist. What is the solution?

Suppose you are waiting for a bus. It is evening and the sun is setting, casting its hues over the city. A stranger, a few feet away, is apparently lost in thought. Just the two of you. What will it be​—barrier or bridge? Silence or conversation?

“Some say the city is big and cold, but that sunset is just as beautiful here as it was in the little town where I grew up.”

You have built the first arch of the bridge toward your neighbor. In most cases he will respond, and the gap has been bridged. Of course, not everyone wants to talk. But at least you extended the opportunity by using simple common ground​—the beauty of a sunset. It has universal appeal.

But there is one thing to minimize in conversation, that is, YOURSELF. Since the subject must appeal to your listener, the theme will seldom be YOU. To illustrate, there is the story of a conceited movie star who bored his host for an hour with all the trivia of his life since they last met, then concluded by saying: “Well, enough about me. Tell me, have you seen my latest movie?” Avoid the egocentric approach.

So let the subject be, not you, and perhaps not even what you did, but what happened, what’s going to happen, the news, the weather, world events and how they affect you and your listener.

Of course, one thing is to have a subject of common interest, another is to present it in an attractive way. Your listener must be helped to see matters as vividly as you do. How can you do that? By talking about something you like with enthusiasm. If you find you have “struck gold” and your companion shares your enthusiasm then ask questions. Draw him out. The interflow will benefit both of you.

“I Have an Accent”

Some feel they can never be good conversationalists because their speech does not follow accepted patterns of grammar or pronunciation. Foreign-born folk occasionally feel this way, saying, “You know I have an accent and maybe people don’t understand me too well.” In actual fact, many enjoy an unusual accent. For example, a Britisher who lived many years in Spain and Portugal commented, “Although I was conscious of my accent when speaking Spanish or Portuguese, it actually served to hold interest on many occasions. Sometimes a person might take a moment or two to tune in, but after that they were delighted that you had learned their language.”

In many countries a foreign accent is commonplace. It doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. So don’t let your accent hinder you. Instead, the fact that you come from a different country can give you an enormous reservoir of subjects and experiences.

In most countries different accents and dialects exist anyway. They are all part of the fascinating variety found within the human family. Sometimes “big city” people enjoy listening to the “quaint” talk of rural folk, all the while unaware that the country folk are intrigued by the “strange” city talk! The really important point is that they are talking.

Is It Hard to Listen?

Listening is the other half of good conversation, and just as important as talking. The problem is that some do not really listen. They just plan their next line of thought and wait to pounce in​—often on a tangent with a different subject or mood. That way conversation is converted into two disjointed monologues. How apt, then, is the counsel: “Be quick to listen but slow to speak.”​—James 1:19, The Jerusalem Bible.

Good listening shows good manners. It considers with an open mind the viewpoints offered and ponders how these might influence present opinions. True sincerity then becomes evident. Is the listener trying to hang on to a point of view at all cost? Or does he recognize when a valid point has been made? Yes, sincerity and flexibility make for good conversation.

Nowhere is the importance of sincere listening more vital than in marriage. Have you had the experience of talking to your husband or wife only to find by a noncommittal answer that not a word has registered? It can certainly be exasperating. Yet, for a marriage to prosper, communication is essential. There has to be a reliable bond of confidence and trust, based on a meaningful exchange of thoughts and intimacies.

Sad to say, some seldom or never enjoy this intimate kind of talk. They have a barbed tongue and veil insults with “wit.” People are uncomfortable around them because they never know when they will feel the tongue’s sharp edge. As the Bible proverb puts it: “There are some whose thoughtless words pierce like a sword.” How much better, then, to follow the counsel: “Let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt, so as to know how you ought to give an answer to each one.” Yes, gracious conversation will never unnecessarily hurt another person’s feelings or undermine dignity.​—Proverbs 12:18, The Jerusalem Bible; Colossians 4:6.

So be a conversationalist. Don’t be afraid to break down barriers and bridge gaps. Remember that conversation has been described as “the sweeter banquet of the mind,” “the feast of reason and the flow of soul.” So let your ‘soul flow’ by getting to know people and letting them know you. And just one more point​—don’t overwhelm your listener—​know when to stop!

Why Are They So Precious?

Why Are They So Precious?

By “Awake!” correspondent in Zimbabwe

ONE cannot live in Zimbabwe without noticing the prolific variety of gemstones offered in gift and jewelry shops. Recently, when I was purchasing a pendant for my wife, I started wondering just what makes gems so precious. So I later approached a gemologist for some answers.

“Are all gemstones considered precious?” I asked.

“Strictly speaking, no,” he replied. “Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and, I should add, pearls, are considered precious. Others are really semiprecious, although this distinction is not so current nowadays.”

“I see. But what makes them so valuable? They look so much like pieces of glass!”

What Makes Them Precious

“They may look like glass, but the atoms composing gemstones are arranged in a regular pattern. Glass, on the other hand, is formed of random arrangements of atoms. One authority likened the difference between gemstones and glass to the difference between a battalion of soldiers drawn up on parade and an ordinary crowd of people.

…