Stay Well, Read Less
I’ve got to stop reading. It’s the source of all my hypochondria. And since I’m healthy head to toe and don’t feel anything more insidious than muscle aches and pains from exercise class or other physical activity, I project onto my unsuspecting kids who are far away and out of my grasp. A mother’s job as official worrywart is never finished.
I talked with my nephew, whose business of Gunnar Optics specializes in creating lenses that fight eye fatigue and damage due to too much time staring at computer screens. Of course that triggered the thought that all our young adults may get themselves in for medical checkups, but I doubt they’ve had eye exams lately. Memo to all: schedule appointments. You need your eyes.
The AARP magazine arrived in the mail. Inside, a short article on vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, deficiency. To parents of the new baby: take him outside! Even though it is still over 100 degrees every day in your part of the country, he needs to see daylight. Make his first feeding of the morning an al fresco meal out on the patio. His immune system needs it.
Even advice columnists are in on the TMI siege. One woman wrote that she was concerned that her hubby, who had given up smoking, was now addicted just as firmly to nicotine gum. Dear Abby aka Jeanne Phillips stated that continued use of nicotine gum could lead to cardio problems, among other things. Memo to the ex-smoker in the family: Have you switched to Dentyne yet?
This weekend we had another bicycle fatality on Oahu. Driver of the truck that killed the cyclist actually crossed the highway to strike him head on, then fled the scene and was arrested hours later. Seven tenths of our family bike. There is no amount of caution, no safety net I can throw around the lot of us for protection. Unfortunately, cycling paranoia is well-founded, and it’s not cured simply by avoiding the newspaper. To all: Don’t leave home without your helmet, and…don’t…don’t think about it.
Lately I’ve been reading everything that crosses my path on health care issues. That often includes statistics on obesity. I can’t worry about the waistline of America; I can only concentrate on those I love the most. I am the heart rate monitor prodding those who used to be dependents. Keep cycling. Be a regular at the gym. Build muscle and bone density, stay flexible, meditate to alleviate stress. Oh, and eat your veggies.
Remember, the dentist is only a phone call away. I had mine cleaned this week, so the reminder postcard is now in the trash where I won’t be reading it with every glance at the desk calendar. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, you know. Look it up on-line.
On second thought, don't read. It'll keep you up at night and that's not good for your health.
We bought into the dream, or rather the dream vacation. Conde Nast Traveler magazine is running a photo contest. Win your dream vacation, worth up to $25,000. After looking at past winners and making the inevitable comparisons, the conclusion we drew was that we could do as well. Better even. Possibly first place.
We scanned the rules for the usual pitfalls, and yes the contest was still open through July. No limit on the number of times you could enter, so we started scanning travel photos for “the best of the best.” My hubby is the real photographer, but we picked out one or two that I had taken and could enter under my own name, which would give us more chances. And while he culled favorites and dropped them in a new e-folder for the contest, I kept reading.
The part I liked best was that the entries were judged equally on the quality of the photo and the written explanation. It’s a travel magazine, after all, selling to people who love to visit foreign places. “The evocative appeal of the essay” was weighted 45% of the total score. What made this moment special? We’ve traveled a lot in the past few years, and my mind skimmed the photos for words that would complete the story. Each photo evoked a particular memory of a beautiful moment. I could take the reader along with us on safari, up the Inca Trail, through the Fiery Furnace of Arches National Park at daybreak. The lions of Africa—well, let me tell you…
Then we read the catch. All entries became property of the promoters to use any way they wish, including altering, for perpetuity. Not just the winners, for whom even runner up prizes such as camera bags or other big-whoop items would be considered compensation, but all entries. Once you upload your image, it’s theirs forever. Can you say “intellectual property rights?” Further Internet search on photography contests revealed that CN Traveler isn’t alone in its shameless grab for free photos. Blog postings warned about understanding what’s at stake. Writers and photographers are sometimes so anxious to see their work in print that they accept a contract or agreement that heavily favors the publisher. It demeans the artist and ultimately the profession.
As the old saw goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Until you count those vital four: READ THE FINE PRINT. Then it’s worth nothing.
