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The Times Advocate, 2005-02-23, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden." "So, before you return home tonight, put the bur- den of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're car- rying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!" And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life • Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. • Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. • Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. • Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker. • If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. • If you lend someone $20 and never see that per- son again, it was probably worth it. • Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on. • Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. • The second mouse gets the cheese. • When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Contributed by Jane Gillespie A new Alphabet at 60+ (A) for arthritis, (B) for bad back, (C) is for chest pains, perhaps cardiac? (D) is for dental decay and decline, (E) is for eyesight --can't read that top line. (F) is for fissures and fluid retention (G) is for gas (which I'd rather not mention) (H) high blood pressure (I'd rather have low) (I) for incisions with scars you can show. (J) is for joints, that now fail to flex (L) for libido --what happened to sex? Wait! I forgot about K! (K) is for my knees that crack when they're bent Please forgive me, my Memory ain't worth a cent (N) for neurosis, pinched nerves and stiff neck (0) is for osteo -and all bones that crack (P) for prescriptions, I have quite a few Give me another pill; I'll be good as new! (Q) is for queasiness. Fatalor flu? (R) is for reflux --one meal turns into two (S) is for sleepless nights, counting my fears (T) for tinnitus --I hear bells in my ears (U) is for urinary: difficulties with flow (V) is for vertigo, that's "dizzy", you know. (W) is worry, now what's going 'round? (X) is for X -ray --and what might be found. (Y) for another year I've left behind (Z) is for zest that I still have my mind, Have survived all the symptoms my body's deployed, And kept twenty-six doctors gainfully employed!!! Contributed by Jane Dearing Freedom is not reprehensible Las week one of your readers was concerned with the "reprehensible" comments made by Mr. Steckle while speaking to a group of local ministers. By "repre- hensible" he seemingly meant hateful comments because the remainder of his letter used the word "hate" many times, as being directed "at groups of people", and directed at Muslims in particular. It seems Mr. Steckle made reference to Ishmael and birth of the Arab peoples, and at some point allegedly said, "look where that's got us". Then to make matters worse, our local MP had the nerve to remind his listen- ers that our Canadian Constitution states "God, ... not Allah". Well, I for one don't understand how these alleged statements are in themselves "hateful and rep- rehensible". No doubt most of your readers are well aware that Mr. Steckle is a professing Christian, and for him to be invited to address a group of local pastors, is not unusual. In so doing, he would be well aware that his audience is familiar with Abram as the father of Ishmael, who in turn fathered the Arab peoples. And also with Abraham's second son Isaac, as the father of all Jewish people. To then say, "look where that's got us", is an apt response. These two people groups have been at each other ever since Ishmael and Isaac were growing up as boys in the same household, and exactly as prophesized by the angel who appeared to Ishmael's mother. Isaac was the "promised" child through which all nations of the world would be blessed, but Abram doubted God's promise. So by Hagar, his wife's hand- maid, he fathered Ishmael. Since all actions have con- sequences, Abram's disobedience had consequences that are still being felt today. For an MP to remind his audience of certain historical facts, in no way singles out a specific people group, nor is it "hateful" to dis- cuss historical events. We are all products of our past, and looking back in history is most revealing. It enhances our perspective and instills wisdom for deal- ing with the issues of today. Our Canadian Constitution is also a product of his- tory. Canada's founding fathers were for the most part Christians, and therefore referred to God as supreme ruler. To suggest or hint that God and Allah are not one and the same, is neither hateful nor derogatory. Lett Just another factual statement. to then j God is supreme ruler to all J Eclitor Christians, as Allah is to all Muslims, and to suggest they are one and the same is ignoring the obvi- ous. When the Bible, God's revelation, is carefully compared to the Koran, Mohammed's message from Allah, it is blatantly apparent that God and Allah are two different gods. So obviously different, one or the other must be false. This same letter also suggested that freedom of expression has limits, especially when done in pub- lic. But that's like saying we have freedom of expres- sion, only as long as no one can hear what we have to say. That's illogical because expressions are our means of communicating with one another, and our Constitution certainly assures Canadians this free- dom, especially in public. Not freedom to belittle oth- ers, but to communicate ideas and opinions, which may include historical facts, or religious messages and expressions. Less than a year ago some Canadians were con- cerned that Bill C250 might muzzle our freedom to say exactly what Mr. Steckle is alleged to have said. The ink on C250 is hardly dry, and what these "con- cerned" citizens feared might happen, is already being suggested. That to rehash history, or to con- trast God in the public arena, is deemed 'hateful and reprehensible'. JERRY DE BOER, Exeter Hospital Happenings EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXETER — South Huron Hospital is in the midst of updating a new policy on privacy of our patients. The new policy will include a confidentiality and privacy procedure, which we already practice. Your name, date of birth, address, and health card number are examples of personal infor- mation that we collect. Your information is confidential and we cannot share it with anyone without your permission, or your legal substi- tute decider. Information that we collect is used for the following things - OUTH 1. Providing quality health care for you and your family 2. To comply with the law 3. Quality assurance - to help make us better 4. To ask you how we are doing - for example par- ticipating in surveys about our care. Information is only shared with people URON that provide care for you in the hospital, OSPITAL from the receptionist making your chart to the laboratory and x-ray services and SSOCIATION everyone in between. This includes other health care providers involved in the con- tinuation of your care. This gives us a com- plete picture of how to diagnose and treat you accord- ingly. We also disclose information to organizations such as Workmen's Compensation Board, extended health insurance companies. South Huron Internet study Dear Editor: South Huron was chosen to participate in an Internet user survey as a part of the "New Rural Economy" (NRE) project. The NRE is a project of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF). The CRRF does research work for the bet- terment of rural people in Canada. The NRE is a research and education program for rural Canada and is a collaborative undertaking, bringing together rural people, policy analysts, researchers, the business community and govern- ment agencies at all levels to identify and address vital rural issues. It is conducted at a national level with historical and statistical data analysis, and at the local level with case studies involving commu- nity and household surveys. This Internet user survey is one of these household surveys. The NRE carefully chose 32 rural sites across Canada and has used these 32 sites for their research work with their projects. Usborne Township was chosen as one of the 32 sites and since 1997 there have been many surveys done in this area with a house by house survey in 2001. Researchers were always delighted with the co- operation they received in Usborne. Through their research, the sites are classified either as "lead- ing" or "lagging" and Usborne has always being classified as a "leader" in rural communities in Canada. Economic development is something every munic- ipality talks about. It is promoting your community for the betterment of your community. Most munic- ipalities spend money on economic development and sometimes it is wasted money and sometimes it looks wasted. Economic development is some- thing that doesn't pay back immediately and usual- ly its payback is something you can't put your fin- ger on. Economic development is something that is important and rarely comes cheap. With the NRE choosing Usborne Township as a research site, it was an opportunity of free eco- nomic development — we could promote our town- ship at the expense of the federal government. Usborne made a presentation to the delegates at the 2002 conference in New Brunswick and the fol- lowing year the Japanese delegates toured this area. At the conference in 2004 I was approached with the idea of an Internet survey for Usborne and at that time I requested that South Huron should be the study area. The survey covers all of South Huron but there is a question to what community you live in and the answer should be either Stephen, Exeter or Usborne. The NRE will look at the results and if the results are similar with South Huron and Usborne, then South Huron will be used as a future site instead of Usborne. This survey is being conducted in five rural municipalities in Canada. I encourage all adults in South Huron who are Internet users to participate. Make South Huron a leader in the rural communi- ties of Canada. All information will be kept confidential and Letter anonymity is guaranteed. No ? to thrn Editor one will be identified in any publication as only statistical trends and tendencies are impor- tant for the research. The summary of these trends will be shared with government, private industry and the general public, and research findings will be posted on the Concordia University Web site by August 2005. Remember you need not answer all the questions. Leave any questions that you feel you have a con- cern with. You will find the Web site for the survey in the South Huron Newsletter that was in your tax envelope. This is your opportunity to promote your municipality. Please contact any of the researchers if you have any comments, concerns, or questions: Derek Wilkinson, director, Institute of Northern Ontario Research and Development, Laurentian University, (705) 675-1151 ext 3212, dwilkinson@laurentian.ca; David Bruce, director, Rural and Small Town Programme, Mount Allison University, (506) 364-2395 dwbruce@mta.ca; William Reimer. principal investigator, New Rural Economy Project, Concordia University, (514) 848-2424 ext 2171, reamer@vax2,concordia.ca If you have any further questions please call the South Huron Municipal Office or your Ward 3 councillor. KEN OKE Ward 3 Councillor, South Huron