Health and appearance can be improved.

The day before, we sat down before a meeting to have a chat among friends. As we were of an age when health has to be maintained, our conversation led us that way. Soon, one of the guys told us about a day when he was going through his photo album and he realised that he somehow looked different, much better than that photograph of himself in the album. Where was the difference? What was it that made the appearance of the younger him older than his present older person? Yes, it was true but the change was so gradual that it went unnoticed until he saw his younger self with an older appearance. Unbelievable even to himself but it was true. He must have gone through in detail every feature on his face before he found that the difference lies in the colour of his hair. When he revealed that to us, I could see that it was true.

And he confirmed it to himself when he visited a friend who was surprised to see his younger appearance with hair darker and with less white hair. According to him, the friend he visited once had totally black hair while he had a lot of white hair. That day they discovered that, where hair is concerned, the once upon a time black haired guy now has a lot of white hair, more than this friend's. How is that possible?

For one thing, this friend whose hair has improved tremendously has retired a few years ago and since then, he has done more exercise than before, walking up the hill a number of times and regularly cycling quite a distance almost every day. In fact, he recently not only cycled up Gunung Jerai, but left some teenagers behind on the way, tired and needing a rest while he cycled on without a stop. Of course, with his bicycle, he gets a trimmer body where once he was flabby. Muscles are firmer, well-toned although his skin was somewhat sun-tanned. Looking at him, I believe he is in great health.

Impressed by his health and the change of hair colour indicating improved circulation and better regeneration of cells, and being constantly interested in health issues, I thought about it last night and this morning, realising that in our conversation we missed a most vital factor on health. Being retired and no more concerned about making money on the foreign exchange, he is more relaxed. Mixing well with everyone regardless of religion and race, his mind is more aware, more open and more able to accept other people as they are. With such a mind, there is only minimal stress.

Stress has been discovered by researchers to be the enemy of human health. Stress can lead to a lower immune system which could allow cancer cells and pathogens to become strong enough to invade and overcome the white blood cells and our defence system. I believe the lessening of stress not only help our immune system, with the help of good nutritious food, exercise and sufficient rest or sleep, it also strengthens our body enabling the proper regeneration of cells to take place at maximum rate.

I believe and know through this friend's hair that it is possible that the roots of the hair could have better supply of the necessary nutrients from their healthy cells brought through better circulation.

I believe all this is possible also through my own conquest of rheumatism and rheumatic heart in my twenties. I have written about that in more detail in an earlier posting on this blog.

Well, I have shared a true experience with you. Hopefully, you can share some of yours (perhaps, through email) so that we can all benefit from them.

Stories to stimulate the imagination.

After eleven o'clock, the man with a cage at each end of the stick would come among the shadows of trees, searching for those children who are still playing around. He would come stealthily, fearful that parents might hear him. At that hour, he hopes that the parents would be too sleepy to know of his presence. Perhaps, they have fallen asleep, eyes too heavy with tiredness to realise someone is nearby to drag one of their children away. He would look through the windows to find those little ones still awake, to lure them away to work for him, never to see their parents again. So, all of you had better wash up and go off to bed. It's almost eleven o'clock. If he finds you then, mom would not know what to do or how to get you back from him. Go before he comes.

With that the children would quickly rush off to sleep, closing their eyes tight so that the man with the cages to catch little children would not know that this little one is still not asleep. And with eyes closed, darkness brought relief in sleep.

When I was young, parents would tell stories to get children to behave or go to sleep early. I was a victim of such techniques and the imagination was stimulated so well that I could imagine the man waiting just at the window whenever I heard footsteps or the sound of breathing. Of course, when a house is made of wood which was quite common in those days, the snores and heavy breathing of sleep were easily heard.

Yes, stories can indeed stimulate young children's imagination! Therefore it is good for parents to tell or read a good story to the children as they prepare for sleep. My children initally read stories from the Ladybird Reading Programme. From there they move forward to other short stories. Sometimes, I would do the reading of the stories.

However, we ought to remember not to tell ghost stories before going to bed as the imagination stimulated by such stories may end up with our child fearful of venturing to the bathroom or toilet all by himself/herself at night or screaming in fear in a nightmare in the middle of the night. Such is the power of imagination in the mind of children. And even for some adults, the effect of such stimulation can be disturbing.

So, choose the stories wisely so as not to allow imagination to bring unnecessary fear to our children.