October 8

Page Two

You Can Overcome Negative Emotions 3-9

How do negative emotions originate? Is it possible to overcome them so that they do not control or damage our lives? How have some successfully coped with the problem?

Shantytowns​—Hard Times in the Urban Jungle 10

Hundreds of millions throughout the world live in overcrowded areas with very poor shelter, food, water, and sanitary conditions. What hope is there for such ones?

Niagara Falls​—An Ageless Jewel of the Americas 15

Niagara Falls in North America is a wonder of the world. These magnificent waterfalls thrill millions of visitors each year.

Negative Emotions​—Can You Overcome Them?

“OF COURSE NOT! Negative emotions are too powerful. I have no choice but to endure them until they pass.”

That is how many respond to the idea of overcoming emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, guilt, self-​pity, and depression. But those emotions can be overcome. Rather than surrender to them whenever they arise, you can learn to lessen their intensity, perhaps even eliminate them.

Of course, there is a significant difference between the normal negative emotions that are experienced by everyone and severe depression. The latter may require professional treatment. The former do not, and these are the emotions we can learn to cope with.

Actually, not all negative emotions are harmful. For example, when you make a serious mistake, you may express remorse in proportion to the mistake. If this moves you to correct it and avoid repeating it in the future, then the emotion has had a positive long-​term effect. Or the normal concern you may have about a problem may move you to tackle it with vigor and seek a reasonable solution. That too is a healthy response.

However, what if after you do what you reasonably can to correct a mistake, your feelings of guilt or worthlessness still cling to you, perhaps persisting for a long time afterward? Or what if after you resolve a problem to the extent possible, your feelings of worry remain and even intensify? Then your emotional responses may make you miserable. How, then, can you overcome those emotional responses? The key may be found in controlling our thinking.

We Can Control Our Thinking

Many who work in the field of mental health maintain that our feelings are caused by our thoughts. For example, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer points out: “You cannot have a feeling (emotion) without first having experienced a thought.” Dr. David D. Burns further states: “Every bad feeling you have is the result of your distorted negative thinking.”

Interestingly, the Bible likewise attributes much of what we feel to our choice of thoughts, so it emphasizes the need to control our thinking. Note the following verses:

“All the days of the afflicted one are bad; but the one that is good at heart has a feast constantly.”​—Proverbs 15:15.

“Quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”​—Romans 12:2.

“We are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.”​—2 Corinthians 10:5.

“You should put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct . . . ; you should be made new in the force actuating your mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.”​—Ephesians 4:22-24.

“Whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.”​—Philippians 4:8.

“Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things upon the earth.”​—Colossians 3:2.

Since your feelings are chiefly a product of your thinking, the key to overcoming your negative emotions is to control the thoughts that support them. With sufficient effort and time, you can learn to bring your thoughts under greater control. It therefore follows that you can do the same to your feelings.

True, it is easy to say that we can overcome our negative emotions. But it is something else actually to do it. How, then, can we proceed to cope with these emotions that may cause us so much difficulty?

[Blurb on page 4]

Not all negative emotions are harmful

Negative Emotions​—How Can They Be Overcome?

THE first step toward controlling negative emotions is: Identify the negative thoughts.

Second: Work on correcting the negative thoughts. If, for instance, you were thinking, ‘I never do anything right,’ substitute this with, ‘I’m just like everyone else; I do many things right, but I make my share of mistakes too.’

Do not expect to feel better immediately after making this correction (although you may), and do not get stuck mentally debating the matter. Just make the affirmation and move on to the next step.

The third step is to work at dismissing the troublesome thought from your mind. Try to push it out as forcefully and confidently as you would the thought of committing a serious crime. While you may be able to do this with strong mental effort, of immense help in doing so is the fourth step: Get absorbed in something else, something upbuilding.

This is vital because your negative thoughts will repeatedly try to force their way back into your mind. But you have this advantage: You can only concentrate fully on one thing at a time. You can prove this to yourself by trying to concentrate totally on two subjects at the same time. If your mind is already fully occupied with something else, it will be difficult for your negative thoughts to return.

The way negative thoughts can be replaced by positive ones is illustrated by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, who states: “When your phonograph is playing music you don’t like, you do not try to force it to do better. . . . You merely change the record being played and the music takes care of itself. Use the same technique on the ‘music’ that comes out of your own internal machine.”

Yes, negative thoughts are often too strong to be simply dismissed. They must be forced out by replacement. Put a different “record” on, a positive one. Switch to a different, upbuilding “channel,” a different “station,” and get absorbed in it.

It Will Be Difficult

The above four steps are easily explained, but how hard they can be to follow! Therefore, do not be surprised if overcoming negative thoughts and emotions is difficult for you at first. Expect it to be difficult, but know that in time it will get easier.

Take the example of Cindy, a teacher who was raised by an alcoholic mother. For years Cindy suffered with feelings of guilt and insecurity. Then she decided to come to grips with the problem. What did she do?

Cindy explains: “First I worked to identify the specific thoughts that caused my negative feelings. Whenever these thoughts would surface, I would rethink them, rationally and objectively. Then I would work on making positive thoughts flow. I forced my mind to dwell on my students and how I could help them. Gradually, it became easier, and I felt more in control of my feelings.”

Yet, you may wonder . . .

Why Is It So Hard?

Are bad habits, such as overeating or smoking, easily broken? By no means! They are overcome only by conscious, determined effort over a period of time. For many, negative thinking is a habit, and like other bad habits, it is a hard one to break.

If negative thinking is a habit with you, overcoming it will likely take the same determination that it takes a person who goes on a diet or one who decides to quit smoking.

The point is, do not give up and decide to remain depressed because it is easier to do so. Stick with your fight against negative thinking, even if it means many months of trial and error and perhaps relapse. Stay with it as if you were training for an athletic contest. Look to long-​term results rather than immediate satisfaction.

Can They Be Completely Eliminated?

Can negative emotions be completely eliminated? Well, if you expect to achieve perfect happiness now, you will meet with frustration and disappointment. Happiness is at this time relative and incomplete. But that is still much better than being locked into a life of persistent and debilitating negative emotions.

Does this mean that negative emotions will never be overcome? By no means. The Bible realistically explains that this imperfect condition will be with us for a while yet, but that there is an appointed time for it to be eliminated forever. That will take place soon when God’s Kingdom, his heavenly government in the hands of Jesus Christ, completely takes over all affairs of this earth and begins the process of lifting mankind up to human perfection. Jesus called the process “the re-​creation [or, “regeneration,” footnote].”​—Matthew 19:28; see also Psalm 37:29; Matthew 6:9, 10; Revelation 21:3-5.

For now, however, accepting the limitations placed upon us by human imperfection will make you happier. Instead of going to extremes in search of perfect mental health, you will be free to pursue other matters of life. And you will find much greater peace of mind and happiness in knowing that the ultimate solution to negative emotions lies in the capable hands of Almighty God.

Are the suggestions here merely hypothetical? Do they really work? Yes they do, as the following true life experiences show.

[Blurb on page 6]

You can replace negative thoughts with positive ones

[Blurb on page 6]

Do not give up and decide to remain depressed because it is easier to do so

[Picture on page 7]

Like losing weight, learning to control our emotions takes time and persistence

How Some Have Learned to Overcome Negative Emotions

AT TIMES everyone has negative emotions. Because of severe problems, such as serious illness, advanced age, or the death of loved ones, some may have deeply rooted negative emotions that can adversely affect their lives.

However, even among the latter, there are those who have learned to bring these emotions under control so that they can get on successfully with their daily activities. The following are examples of such ones, as interviewed by Awake! magazine.

Janis receives medical treatment for an illness that affects her emotions. However, she states: “I found that the most effective way to cope with the problem is to take charge of my thoughts. I do this by doing things for others, like baking and sewing. I also make it a point to dwell on pleasant memories and future events that I look forward to. Because of my illness, none of this is easy. Sometimes it would be easier to give in and feel bad. But the good results are worth the effort.”

After 45 years of marriage, Ethel’s husband died. Though she did not bypass the grieving process, Ethel does manage to control her emotions. She explains: “I keep myself busy doing things for others. For example, I enjoy teaching others about God’s purposes as found in the Bible. One young lady was so happy about the good things she was learning that her appreciation helped me to be more joyful. As I concentrate on the positive things in the Bible in order to teach others, it helps to force out negative thoughts in my mind. Too, younger women will come to me for help with various problems, and talking about the positive things they can do in their lives also helps me to overcome negative emotions.”

Arthur had for many years led a busy, active life. Then, because of a serious illness, he had to discontinue secular work and restrict all activity outside the home. For many months Arthur felt useless and depressed. How did he handle these feelings? “I stopped dwelling on what I could no longer do. Instead, I focused on what I could do to help other people improve themselves and to encourage them when they were depressed. Being restricted to my home, I use the telephone a lot. As I became busy helping and encouraging others, I had little time to feel sorry for myself.”

Following a series of crises, including the death of her husband, Nita understandably experienced severe sadness and depression. In time she learned to control those feelings: “When a feeling of sadness comes over me, I seek a constructive outlet. I force myself to take a walk, call a kind friend, listen to music, or do anything that I know from experience will ease the depression. I try to treat myself compassionately just as I would a good friend.”

Mary has had severe medical problems for 32 years. Confined to a wheelchair, she leaves home only for doctor appointments. How does Mary keep from being overwhelmed with discouragement? She explains: “My husband has been most supportive. Also, I frequently read upbuilding material. I call my friends regularly, and often take the initiative to invite them to my home. I enjoy their visits and do not use those occasions to complain or indulge in self-​pity. I do not spend time dwelling on the negative things in my life because I have so many positive things going for me.”

Margaret is by nature a realistic thinker. “When negative feelings surface,” she says, “I seek out the company of a positive thinker​—not an idealist—​but someone who knows me well and will remind me of my successes and encourage me.”

Rose Marie has had five major operations over the years, and she and her husband have had seven deaths in their families in a recent period of a year and a half. Certainly, the weight of this caused negative emotions. However, they do not dwell on those things. Being Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are sustained by the positive and comforting hope that the Bible gives of a righteous new world near at hand where God “will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” Even the dead will be resurrected, for as Jesus said, “the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [the voice of God’s Son] and come out.”​—Revelation 21:4; John 5:28, 29.

[Picture on page 9]

Janis controls her emotions by doing things for others, dwelling on pleasant memories, and looking forward to future events

Shantytowns​—Hard Times in the Urban Jungle

By Awake! correspondent in Africa

THE shantytown child moves barefoot down the street of a west African city. On her head she carries a flat, round tray that holds two dozen oranges. On her thin frame hangs a yellow, hand-​me-​down dress. She is perspiring.

Competing with other youngsters from poor families, she is on the street to sell. “Buy de orange!” is the usual cry. But this child is silent; perhaps she is hungry or sick or merely tired.

From the other direction come two schoolgirls dressed in royal-​blue school uniforms. Each wears white socks and white sandals. Each has a book bag stuffed with books. The girls walk briskly, chatting together happily. They don’t notice the child, but she notices them. She watches them with expressionless eyes.

The schoolgirls eventually reach their comfortable, secure homes. But when the child goes home, late in the day, it will be to a quite different world. Home to her is a warren of patchwork wood and tin dwellings.

The Shantytown

The main street here is a path of hardened dirt. During the rainy season, it turns to mud. It is too narrow for a car to travel. Along it you will find no police station, no fire department, no health center, and not a single tree. Above are no power or telephone lines. Beneath are no sewerage pipes or water mains.

People teem. The air is filled with the hubbub of voices. Conversations mingle with laughter, argument, crying, and song. White-​robed men sit on long benches, conversing. Women stir rice that steams in pots over wood fires. Children are everywhere​—playing, sleeping, working, talking, selling. Most, like the child with the oranges, will never visit a zoo, ride a bicycle, or see the inside of a school.

In a country where the average life expectancy at birth is only 42 years, the people in this area die younger. At age nine the child has already beaten some of the toughest odds in the world against surviving the first four years of life. During that time she was 40 to 50 times more likely to die than if she had been born in a developed nation. Many of her contemporaries here didn’t make it to age five. If she lives long enough, she will be far more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in Europe or North America​—150 times more likely.

Hundreds of millions live in rapidly expanding slums and shantytowns like this one. According to United Nations statistics, 1.3 billion people are jammed into the cities of the developing world, and 50 million are added each year.

Life in Developing Countries

Does your home have a measure of privacy, tap water, a toilet? Does someone collect your garbage? Hundreds of millions of people in developing countries do not enjoy these things.

In many cities poor areas are so crowded that it is common for a family of ten to share a single room. Frequently, people have less than ten square feet [a square meter] of living space. In some parts of a city in the Orient, even small rooms are subdivided for multiple occupancy, with caged bunk beds for privacy and protection against thieves. In another land, a “hot-​bed” system enables people to rent beds by the hour so that two or three persons can sleep in shifts each day.

According to the 1991 annual report of UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), 1.2 billion people worldwide have unsafe water supplies. Millions must buy their water from vendors or collect it from streams or other surface sources. Where piped-​in water is available, sometimes more than a thousand people struggle to share a single standpipe tap.

UNICEF also estimates that 1.7 billion people lack sanitary means for disposal of human wastes. It is not unusual for 85 percent of shantytown residents to have no access to toilet facilities. In most cities in Africa and Asia, including many with populations of over a million, there is no sewerage system whatever. Human waste goes into streams, rivers, ditches, canals, and gullies.

Garbage is another problem. In the cities of the developing nations, from 30 to 50 percent of the solid waste is not collected. The poor areas are neglected most. One reason is that the poor throw away less waste that can profitably be used or reclaimed by garbage collectors or recycling businesses. A second reason is that since many poor settlements are not recognized as legally established, governments deny them public services. A third problem is that many poor areas, because of their location and crowded nature, are difficult and expensive to service.

What happens to the garbage? It is dumped to rot on the streets, on open land, and in rivers and lakes.

Health Risks

The plight of the urban poor varies from place to place. Yet, three factors are almost universal. The first is that their homes are not merely uncomfortable, they are hazardous. The book The Poor Die Young states: “At least 600 million people living in urban areas of the Third World live in what might be termed life and health threatening homes and neighborhoods.”

In what way can inadequate housing promote ill health? Crowded conditions in poor urban areas help promote the spread of diseases, such as tuberculosis, influenza, and meningitis. Overcrowding also increases the risk of household accidents.

Lack of adequate, clean water increases the transmission of waterborne diseases, such as typhoid, hepatitis, and dysentery. It also results in diarrheic disease that kills a child in the developing world, on the average, every 20 seconds. Lack of sufficient water for washing and bathing makes people more prone to eye infections and skin diseases. And when poor people must pay high prices for water, there is less money for food.

Contamination of water and food results in fecal-​oral diseases and intestinal worms, such as hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms. Uncollected garbage attracts rats, flies, and cockroaches. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry malaria and filariasis.

The Poverty Mire

A second characteristic of shantytown life is that it is extremely difficult for residents to break free of it. Most of those who come to the city are migrants driven from the rural areas by poverty. Unable to afford decent housing, they begin and often end their urban lives in slums and shantytowns.

Many of the people are industrious and willing to work hard, but they are faced with no alternative but to accept jobs with long hours and low pay. Hard-​pressed parents often send their children to work instead of to school, and children with little or no education have little prospect of rising above their parents’ situation. Even though youngsters earn very little money, what they do earn is often crucially important to their families. Thus, for the majority of the urban poor, there is not much hope of improving their lot in life; their goal is day-​to-​day survival.

Unloved, Unwanted

A third feature of life is that tenancy is uncertain. To many governments, shantytowns and slums are an embarrassment. Rather than working to improve shantytowns, which is not always practical, governments often send in the bulldozers.

Governments may justify shantytown clearance by saying that it is necessary to beautify the city, to rout out criminals, or to redevelop the land. Whatever the reason, the poor are the ones who suffer. Usually there is nowhere for them to go and little or no compensation is provided. But when the bulldozers move in, they have little choice but to move out.

The Role of Government

Why do the governments not provide adequate housing with water, sewerage, and garbage-​disposal services for all? The book Squatter Citizen answers: “Many Third World nations have such a shortage of resources and so little chance of developing a stable and prosperous role within the world market that it is possible to question seriously their viability as nation-​states. One can hardly castigate a government for failing to address the needs of its citizens when the entire nation has such an inadequacy of resources that, under current conditions, there are insufficient resources to allow basic needs to be met.”

In many countries the economic situation is deteriorating. Last year, the outgoing secretary-​general of the United Nations reported: “The position of most of the developing countries within the world economy has been deteriorating for some time. . . . Over 1 billion people now live in absolute poverty.”

What About Foreign Aid?

Why do the prosperous nations not do more to help? Discussing the impact of aid on poverty, the World Bank’s Development Report admits: “Bilateral donors [accounting for 64 percent of all foreign aid] . . . provide aid for many reasons​—political, strategic, commercial, and humanitarian. Reducing poverty is only one motive, and it is usually far from the most important.”

On the other hand, even when governments have the means to improve the plight of the poor, they do not always do so. A problem in many nations is that while local government has to provide housing and services, higher levels of government give it neither the power nor the resources to do the job.

Cities of the Future

Based on the trends of recent decades, experts project a bleak future for the urban poor in developing countries. Rapid urban growth, they say, will continue, and governments will be unable to supply most city dwellers with piped water, sewers, drains, paved roads, health care, and emergency services.

Increasingly, settlements will be built on dangerous sites, such as hillsides, floodplains, or polluted land. Increasingly, people will suffer from disease as the result of overcrowded, unhealthy conditions. Increasingly, the urban poor will live under the constant threat of forced eviction.

Does this mean that there is no hope for shantytown residents like the girl with the oranges described at the outset of this discussion? Not at all!

A Dramatic Change Coming

God’s Word, the Bible, shows that a dramatic change for the better will come about​—and soon. This change will come, not through the efforts of human governments, but through God’s Kingdom, a heavenly government that will soon take control of the entire earth.​—Matthew 6:10.

Under God’s Kingdom, instead of being trapped in squalid slums and shantytowns, godly families will reside in a paradise. (Luke 23:43) Instead of living in constant dread of eviction, the Bible states that “they will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”​—Micah 4:4.

Under God’s Kingdom, instead of dying young in overcrowded tenements, people “will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. . . . For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be.”​—Isaiah 65:21, 22.

These promises may be difficult for you to believe, but you can be sure they will come true. Why? Because God does not lie, and “with God no declaration will be an impossibility.”​—Luke 1:37; Numbers 23:19.

[Picture on page 13]

Under God’s Kingdom, poverty and shantytowns will be replaced by paradise conditions

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. Because of Abigail’s sensibleness, David did not incur this (1 Samuel 25:32, 33)

5. The inhabitants of this city were taken into exile in Assyria after capture by King Tiglathpileser (2 Kings 15:29)

9. Local residents (Genesis 23:7)

11. He was also called Levi (Matthew 9:9; 10:3; Mark 2:14)

12. A grandson of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:6, 7)

13. Joshua’s father (Judges 2:8)

14. A large disorderly crowd (Acts 17:5)

15. What Rhoda was accused of being when she announced Peter’s presence at the gate (Acts 12:13-15)

16. Description of the pastures in the 23rd Psalm (Psalm 23:2)

19. Devours (Exodus 15:7)

20. A Gadite who lived in Bashan (1 Chronicles 5:11, 13)

21. Second-​named fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22)

22. The fifth-​named son of Gad (Genesis 46:16)

23. A great distance away (Psalm 10:1)

25. Used by Paul as a figurative description of hope (Hebrews 6:19)

27. Used to propel a ship (Ezekiel 27:29)

28. It made the ark watertight (Genesis 6:14)

30. Shape of a rainbow

33. A city in southern Judah (Joshua 15:21, 29)

34. One of seven princes consulted by King Ahasuerus when Queen Vashti refused to obey him (Esther 1:14)

35. Something that affords protection (Psalm 118:14)

36. Male monarch (Jonah 3:6)

37. The specified period for which Psalm 92 was composed [2 words] (Psalm 92, superscription)

Clues Down

1. The lineage of the men of Gibeah (Judges 19:16)

2. Situated beyond (Revelation 22:15)

3. A spiritistic practice condemned by God (Deuteronomy 18:10)

4. A source of light (Genesis 1:16)

6. Son of Buz of the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:14)

7. Tidings (2 Kings 7:9)

8. What Adam did when handed the fruit by Eve (Genesis 3:12)

10. What Jeremiah told the people to do regarding Jehovah (Jeremiah 20:13)

14. “As respects -- name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them” (Exodus 6:3)

17. Enough (Matthew 15:33)

18. Fruit of a plant used in a metaphor to indicate lack of desire for food [2 words] (Ecclesiastes 12:5)

21. High priest who at death was given the exceptional honor of burial with the kings (2 Chronicles 24:15, 16)

24. Cooked by heat (Ruth 2:14)

25. Possible capital of Moab (Isaiah 15:1)

26. Male sheep (Job 42:8)

29. Protective garment (Luke 17:8)

31. A principal priest who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylon (Nehemiah 12:7)

32. The lair of a wild, predatory animal (Daniel 6:16, King James Version)

Crossword Solutions Page 19

Solutions Across

1. BLOODGUILT

5. IJON

9. NATIVES

11. MATTHEW

12. IRI

13. NUN

14. MOB

15. MAD

16. GRASSY

19. EATS

20. ZIA

21. JOY

22. ERI

23. AFAR

25. ANCHOR

27. OAR

28. TAR

30. ARC

33. IIM

34. MARSENA

35. SHELTER

36. KING

37. SABBATH DAY

Solutions Down

1. BENJAMITES

2. OUTSIDE

3. DIVINATION

4. LUMINARY

6. JAHDO

7. NEWS

8. ATE

10. SING

14. MY

17. SUFFICIENT

18. CAPER BERRY

21. JEHOIADA

24. ROASTED

25. AR

26. RAMS

29. APRON

31. AMOK

32. DEN

Niagara Falls​—An Ageless Jewel of the Americas

By Awake! correspondent in Canada

“ONE of the most wondrous, beautiful, and stupendous scenes which the forces of nature have ever constructed!” exclaimed Lord Dufferin, governor-​general of Canada, in a speech to the Ontario Society of Artists in Toronto. The year was 1878, and he was endorsing the formation of a public park to protect and preserve the “awe-​inspiring characteristics” of Niagara Falls.

The majesty of this magnificent natural wonder is almost beyond description. What a delightful sight to behold! People from all parts of the world are drawn to view this ageless jewel of the Americas.

We learn from history that Europeans first learned of this “thunder of waters,” Niagara Falls, over three centuries ago. In 1644, Le Sieur Gendron, a French medical doctor, directly mentioned this spectacle in letters he sent to friends in France. Later, missionaries, traders, and explorers fueled the interest and imagination of others by their reports of a great thundering waterfall between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Niagara Falls actually consists of two waterfalls, situated on the border between Canada and the United States. The Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian side, the American Falls on the U.S. side. To see this illustrious jewel of the Americas, the early travelers had to scramble through swampy gullies and along arduous Indian paths hewed out of the steep rocky canyon, which had been carved out by the river over millenniums of time.

Genuine Concerns

Then came the entrepreneurs promoting a host of tourist attractions. The unchecked commercialism around such a spectacular natural wonder disturbed many. They wanted to take steps to preserve this ageless Niagara jewel. Landscape artist F. E. Church felt that commercialism was a distraction and thus unwelcome. One visitor in 1847 lamented: “Now the neighbourhood of the great wonder is overrun with every species of abominable fungus​—the growth of rank bad taste.”

In the year 1832, E. T. Coke was moved to write: “Tis a pity that such ground was not reserved as sacred in perpetuum; that the forest trees were not allowed to luxuriate in all their wild and savage beauty about a spot where the works of man will ever appear paltry.” Perceptive men foresaw that commercialism could take root and destroy the delightful natural scenery that surrounded this wonder of Jehovah’s creation.

Today, because of the efforts of Lord Dufferin and other farsighted individuals, beautiful parks grace both sides of the Niagara River from the falls downriver to the Whirlpool Rapids below. The scenic beauty of this wonder of creation has been protected from unsightly commercialism. Thus, tourist attractions have been located back from the falls in the streets of the border cities. A more recent concern of environmentalists has been that this jewel of the Americas could be doomed to obscurity by relentless erosion.​—See box on erosion.

Exploring the Ageless Jewel

We discovered that this spectacular wonder of the world can be explored and viewed from all possible angles without obstruction. For example, an exciting aerial view of the falls from one of the tall observation towers or from a helicopter hovering directly overhead is breathtaking. Or a pleasant walk or ride along the Niagara Parkway may be more appealing. The Whirlpool Rapids are only a short distance downriver from the falls and well worth a visit.

A trek down the cliffside and through tunnels will bring us “behind the scenes” under the falls. From here we peer out through the watery veil that makes the Horseshoe Falls so attractive and famous. The roar of the falls is deafening. For the hardy and adventuresome, the view from aboard one of the tour boats that regularly ply the turbulent waters near the base of the falls is unforgettable. As the thundering water plunges down to the river below, a mist ascends, producing a beautiful display of rainbows. With every new set of droplets, new rainbows are formed. From this vantage point, we can now taste the water and feel the mist as it descends over our protective clothing.

A Niagara Parks brochure stated: “To see the Falls of Niagara at Night is to be Wide Awake in the Land of Dreams.” Hence, we will not want to miss the illumination of the falls by various combinations of powerful colored lights at night. In the year 1860, when the Prince of Wales first saw the Falls illuminated, Nicholas A. Woods, a reporter for The Times of London, described the magnificence of this display as follows: “In an instant the whole mass of water, glowing vivid and as if incandescent in the intense light, seemed turned to molten silver. From behind the Falls, the light shone with such dazzling brilliancy that the waters immediately before it looked like a sheet of crystal glass, a cascade of diamonds, every bead and stream in which leapt and sparkled and spread a glare over the whole scene, like a river of phosphorous.”

A Winter Wonderland

The moisture we smell and feel in the summer air rises from the falls and contributes to the fresh and healthy appearance of flowers, shrubs, and trees that surround the falls. But in the winter, this same mist, carried by prevailing breezes, freezes and laminates with ice the trees and plants along the riverside. They glisten and sparkle in their transparent coat of ice. On a sunny day, they combine with the snow-​covered landscape to frame the splendor of the falls in a dazzling, dancing display of reflective sunlight.

Winter also brings large ice floes into the narrow gorge of the Niagara River. In years gone by, the gorge would clog up with ice floes from Lake Erie. The ice would break up on the lake and flow down the Niagara River and over the falls in spectacular fashion and eventually pile up in the narrow gorge. This accumulation of ice floes created mountains of ice and snow until ice bridges were formed that completely spanned the river. In recent years a boom of steel cables and timbers has been installed across the entrance of the Niagara River at Lake Erie to prevent severe ice jams.

The Niagara Peninsula

Complementing the falls is the fertile Niagara Peninsula, a narrow piece of land between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the Niagara escarpment. The combination of sheltering landscape and lakes creates a microclimate unique to the peninsula.

Air currents circulate between the escarpment and the lakes, moderating the climate in both winter and summer. Orchards of delicious apples, cherries, pears, plums, and peaches and vineyards of various types of grapes flourish in this protected, picturesque peninsula. Wineries and grape-​juice plants, situated in charming little towns, process the fruitage of the vine and add to the distinctiveness of this region in Ontario. All of this makes for a pleasant tour through the countryside, especially during spring-​blossom and fall-​harvest seasons.

A Jewel in Every Season

This famous jewel of the Americas is a magnificent gift from God. (Compare Psalm 115:16.) It delights all who feast their eyes upon it.

Visitors can come at any season of the year and marvel at the variety of artistic handiwork in this creation of Jehovah. They can smell the refreshing aroma of the spring blossoms of the orchards, taste the variety of mouth-​watering fruit, and see the delicate touch of our Creator in the rich, vibrant colors of a host of summer flowers, well watered by the mighty falls. Or they can see the brilliant autumn colors of the red maple tree among the golds and oranges of the many other trees native to southern Ontario.

Others will enjoy the splendor of Niagara Falls in the winter, when mountains of ice and snow accumulate at the base of the falls, and trees and shrubs are adorned with clean, white snow or coated with ice, glistening like fine crystal in the winter sunlight.

The Niagara Peninsula and the spectacular falls bring out the very best of the four seasons of the year and deepen our gratitude to Jehovah, who promised millenniums ago: “All the days the earth continues, seed sowing and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, will never cease.”​—Genesis 8:22.

[Box on page 16]

Erosion of Falls How Controlled?

With the passage of time, erosion dooms waterfalls to nonexistence. In recent years erosion has been minimized to a rate of three inches [8 cm] a year for the Horseshoe Falls, and a mere one inch [2.5 cm] a year for the American Falls. This has been accomplished in two major ways: (1) by deepening the bed of the river and controlling the direction of the water flow away from the central channel and (2) by diverting large quantities of water through hydroelectric generators, thus decreasing the volume of water that spills over the falls. This is controlled by a dam upstream consisting of 18 sluice gates. Now only during the peak tourist months is there a full flow of water over the falls.

It is calculated that the Horseshoe Falls is about 173 feet [53 m] high and 2,600 feet [792 m] wide. The American Falls across the river is 182 feet [55 m] high and 1,000 feet [305 m] wide. The total unregulated volume of water going over both falls is estimated at about two million gallons [7.6 million l] per second.

[Box/​Picture on page 18]

Funambulists and Stuntmen

The two most famous funambulists, or tightrope walkers, who crossed the Niagara River gorge numerous times were Blondin and Farini.

Blondin’s most spectacular stunt involved a sheet-​iron cook stove that he carried out on the rope, set it down, lit a fire, and cooked an omelet. He cut the omelet into small pieces, which he lowered to passengers on the deck of the Maid of the Mist tourist boat, waiting far below.

Farini, not to be eclipsed, carried a washing machine out on the rope, set it down, drew water in a bucket from the river, and washed several ladies’ handkerchiefs. The laundry done, he hung it out to dry on the uprights and crossbars of the machine and returned with the handkerchiefs flapping in the breeze.

Stuntmen challenged the Horseshoe Falls by encasing themselves in barrels, balls, and other containers to ride over the falls. While some survived with injuries, many died from suffocation, drowning, or from dashing against the boulders at the base of the falls. These stunts are no longer permitted.

[Credit Line]

H. Armstrong Roberts

[Pictures on pages 16, 17]

The thunderous display of Horseshoe Falls, when experienced from a tour boat (in foreground), is unforgettable

The American Falls (bottom) and the Horseshoe Falls (top) in all their breathtaking beauty

A sparkling glaze of ice and snow surrounds the falls in winter

[Credit Line]

Niagara Parks Commission

An 1857 painting by Frederic Church [male] captured a rainbow

[Credit Line]

Frederic Edwin Church: NIAGARA/​Corcoran Gallery of Art, Museum Purchase, 76.15

Under Pressure and Fighting to Live

“POP your ears! It’s important to pop your ears!” These were the first words I heard after surgery for resection of my colon. I thought: “That’s strange​—it was my stomach they operated on. Why should my ears be affected?”

But gradually, as I became aware of my surroundings, I realized that this was no ordinary hospital ward. I was in a long, narrow, torpedo-​shaped room​—a hyperbaric chamber.

Complications During Surgery

I discovered that my operation had been more extensive than originally intended. The cancer had spread to my liver and I had suffered a massive internal hemorrhage. By the time I left the operating theater my blood hemoglobin level had dropped to 3.6. (Normal hemoglobin in an adult is about 15 g/​100 ml of blood.) The doctors were alarmed and called my father to the hospital. He is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and declined to overrule my decision not to have a blood transfusion.​—Acts 15:20, 29.

Urgently my surgeon sought permission to use the hyperbaric chamber at the deep-​sea diving complex at Dyce, near Aberdeen, Scotland. This could help circulate oxygen in the small amount of blood left in my body. Permission was granted. There followed a five-​mile [8 km] dash by ambulance from Aberdeen to Dyce where I was put under pressure equivalent to that of 50 feet [15 m] below sea level.

This was a new experience for all concerned, as the chamber was normally used to depressurize divers employed on the North Sea oil rigs. For its first use in postoperative treatment, two nurses and a technician, all in their 20’s, accompanied me into the unit where they had to stay until it was depressurized. Outside, hyperbaric specialists manned the complex controls.

Under Pressure

As air was pumped into the chamber, the pressure inside rose. Breathing through a mask at two and a half times the normal atmospheric pressure meant that I was filling my lungs with two and a half times the usual amount of oxygen. Forcing the gas into solution in the fluid component of my blood (now bolstered by volume expanders) made up for the lack of hemoglobin.a

The next few days were quite difficult. Only visitors who passed stringent medical tests were able to enter the adjoining section where the pressure could be lowered. A small peephole in the nose of the torpedo allowed other visitors to see me, but all I could see was one eye!

My brother, who is also a Witness, visited me in the chamber for a short time. That greatly uplifted me. So did all the cards that my many friends so kindly sent in expressing their love and Scriptural thoughts. These messages all seemed to arrive at times when I was feeling particularly weak.

On the fifth day in the chamber, the doctor in charge of the unit approached me. He was obviously concerned and explained: “There is now too much oxygen in your blood.” As a result, my bone marrow was apparently no longer functioning. He said that my blood had taken on hemophiliac qualities, and it was expected that what little blood was left would seep out because of a failure of the clotting mechanisms. (By this time my hemoglobin had gone too low for the instruments to measure. It was about 2.6.)

The nurses burst into tears. I did what I could to reassure them and left the outcome in Jehovah’s hands.

Decompression​—Success!

On the doctor’s orders, the process of decompression was started immediately. The nurses were beginning to show the ill effects of having been under pressure for so long; three days was the longest anyone had been in before. This was already the fifth day for all of us! Now we had to wait two more days for the pressure to be lifted gradually.

Next time the doctor came in, he looked much happier and announced: “For some unknown reason, your hemoglobin level has risen ever so slightly.” He believed that the bone marrow had once again begun to function. I was overjoyed.

One week after the operation, I finally came out of the chamber with a hemoglobin level of 4.6 and was transferred to the adjacent ward to await the ambulance that would take me to the intensive care unit in Aberdeen. While I was there, one of our fellow Witnesses came in with the magazines that she had received at the Kingdom Hall the night before. The cover article “Medical Decisions​—Who Should Make Them?” (Awake! July 8, 1984) came just at the right time! I used it to show the reason for the stand I had taken.

My hemoglobin gradually rose above 5, and I was taken off the critical list. I was receiving no treatment apart from good wholesome food. My body was now doing a remarkable job on its own. With my hemoglobin level at 7.8, I was discharged the next day.

Because of the length of time usually needed to recover from this type of operation, I was granted three months’ leave of absence from work to build up my strength. My blood hemoglobin now reached 15.3, and I gained back 21 pounds [9.5 kg].

How pleased I have been these past years to use my new lease on life to continue to share my faith with others! My grateful thanks go to Jehovah, the Sustainer of life, as well as to the kind medical personnel who gave me such unorthodox treatment so successfully.​—As told by Doreen Strachan.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 21]

Doreen, one week after discharge from the hospital

[Picture Credit Line on page 20]

By Courtesy of Grampian Health Board

Young People Ask . . .

Why Do I Have to Be the Youngest Child?

The youngest child tends to be viewed as the “baby” of the family.

“I hate the fact that I have to pay for mistakes my older sisters made.”

“My big brother beats me up when he’s having problems.”

‘I’M THE youngest of five,’ writes Lilia. ‘And it’s no barrel of laughs. I’m left out a lot because no one wants to be bothered with the “baby.” My brothers and sisters just hate looking after me. I always feel like a burden. At times I feel like an only child because I have to spend so much time entertaining myself.’

Faye was the youngest of four children. She recalls: “My parents always took an older sibling’s word over mine. And these older ones had their own friends. I became a loner.”

Are you the youngest child in your family? Then you may have similar grievances. Others may find it amusing to learn that you are the “baby” of the family. But as far as you’re concerned, being the youngest may be nothing to laugh about.

The Drawbacks of Being the Youngest

Do you feel, for example, that your older brother or sister gets all the breaks? You may have reason for feeling this way. In Bible times the firstborn enjoyed a unique position of favor; the youngest child trailed behind when it came to certain privileges and responsibilities. (Compare Genesis 25:31; 43:33.) Today, parents still tend to have high expectations for their oldest child. Not that they love him any more than their other children, but because he is older, he may be charged with the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. He is first to grow up, and as a result, he is often given a number of enviable privileges and freedoms.

The youngest child, though, tends to be viewed as the “baby” of the family and can be virtually smothered by parental affection! A woman quoted in the book Sibling Rivalry, by Seymour V. Reit, recalls: “I was the youngest in our family . . . I was babied and fussed over quite a bit, even by the older kids. Of course I enjoyed it, but I do think it held me back a little. It may have kept me from growing up, facing the challenges.”

Your parents may also go overboard in trying to protect you. They may allow your older siblings to go out with friends but may insist that you remain at home​—or that you come back so early that you may feel there is little point in going out in the first place!

Being the youngest, you may also catch a lot of unfair comparisons. “When I’m really in trouble or just do some stupid thing around the house,” laments 16-​year-​old Karl, “they’ll say, ‘Alan doesn’t do that’ or, ‘Why can’t you clean up your room like Alan?’” And if your older sibling had a rebellious streak at your age, watch out! Your parents may try hard to prevent history from repeating itself. “I hate the fact that I have to pay for mistakes my older sisters made,” complains one girl. “Just because my sister borrowed the car and went someplace she wasn’t supposed to go, I can’t borrow the car!”

The Struggle With Siblings

Your biggest complaint, though, may be the way you are treated by your siblings. They may show little respect for your privacy or your personal belongings. They may make you the butt of constant teasing or the scapegoat for their failures. “My big brother beats me up when he’s having problems,” complained one young boy.

Young Susannah pinpoints what is often behind such sibling conflicts. She says: “I think a lot of fights are just over power and who has the right to what.” It is only natural to want a parent’s affection, recognition, and approval. And since it is next to impossible for parents to treat all their children the same, conflicts and resentments may develop. The patriarch Jacob “loved Joseph more than all his other sons.” His siblings’ reaction? “They began to hate him, and they were not able to speak peacefully to him.” (Genesis 37:3, 4) As the youngest child, you may also get a greater share of your parents’ attention and affection. If so, your siblings may feel hostile toward you. “I thought my younger sister got everything she wanted,” says a firstborn teenage girl named Roseanna. “I realized I was jealous of her.”

The Advantages

Nevertheless, being the youngest child has a number of advantages. Your parents may be better off financially than they were as new parents. You may thus enjoy material benefits, such as having your own room, that your siblings did not have at your age. And while some youths balk at the idea of wearing hand-​me-​downs, clothing inherited from older siblings may have endowed you with a much larger wardrobe than some of your peers have!

Another benefit is the experience your parents have gained in child rearing. (Compare Hebrews 5:14.) In effect, your older brothers and sisters got to ‘break them in’ as parents. Having learned from their past mistakes, your folks may be more relaxed and secure in their respective roles, less prone to make unrealistic demands. You may have a measure of freedom that your siblings didn’t enjoy at your age.

Simply having older brothers and sisters is also an advantage. Given the hostility siblings often express toward one another, this may be a bit hard for you to swallow. Rarely, though, do siblings really hate one another. In fact, one 13-​year-​old girl admitted: “My brother is always bothering me. But deep down inside I love him very much.” Your older brothers and sisters can be a source of friendship, companionship, and advice. A sibling can even serve as a role model for you, especially if he or she is God-​fearing. Are you entering your first year of high (secondary) school? Your big brother may be able to help you adjust. Have your parents finally given you permission to wear make-​up? Perhaps your older sister can show you how to apply it.

Interestingly, the book Sibling Rivalry further notes: “Youngest children . . . tend to be friendlier and more gregarious than first or middle sibs and are popular with other children. Used to working with and relating to a range of ages, they’re comfortable with their peers outside the family.”

Making the Most of Your Situation

Do you still feel that the youngest child gets shortchanged? Well, it might interest you to know that firstborn and middle children often complain loudly that theirs is the most tragic lot! What matters, then, is not where you fit in on the family tree, but what efforts you make to apply Bible principles.

For example, if you feel that your parents are overprotective, discuss matters with them in a grown-​up way. “There is a frustrating of plans where there is no confidential talk.” (Proverbs 15:22) By being ‘peaceable and reasonable,’ you can negotiate and suggest acceptable compromises​—instead of whining when things don’t go your way. (James 3:17, 18) If you are refused a privilege they have granted your older siblings, don’t throw a tantrum. Prove that you are responsible and capable by making the most of whatever assignments your parents give you.​—Compare Luke 16:10.

Bible principles will also help you to keep peace with your siblings. Do you want privacy? Then apply the Golden Rule and respect their privacy and possessions. (Matthew 7:12) Do you hate being teased? Then treat your siblings with “honor” and avoid hurling the first insult. (Romans 12:10) Are you upset because you feel that they are neglecting you or leaving you out? Don’t resign yourself to being a loner. ‘Plead your cause’ with them, discussing matters in a calm, mature way. (Proverbs 25:9) Many times it is just a matter of learning to be forgiving. (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8) But if you feel that a sibling is being physically or verbally abusive, let your parents know what is going on. Only then can they do their job of ‘mentally regulating’ their children.​—Ephesians 6:4.

No, being the youngest does not doom you to being a “baby.” Nor need it stunt your emotional or spiritual growth. As the youngest child, you can develop empathy, unselfishness, a willingness to share, the ability to get along with others​—lessons that will serve you well in the years to come.

[Picture on page 23]

“Why am I left out of all the fun?”

Versatile Olive Oil

WOULD it surprise you to learn that olive oil is a fruit juice? If you live in a Mediterranean country, it may not. After all, it is estimated that of the 800 million olive trees under cultivation in the world, about 98 percent are in the Mediterranean region. Here, olive oil has played an important role in people’s lives for thousands of years.

In simple terms, the olive is the fruit of an evergreen, and olive oil is essentially what is squeezed from the olive. Because of its slow growth, the olive tree may take up to ten years or more before producing well. After that, the tree can produce fruit for hundreds of years. It is said that there are olive trees in Palestine that date back more than a thousand years!

The production of olive oil begins by crushing the olives under millstones. The crushing produces a paste that is placed under hydraulic presses to extract the juices. This is no ordinary fruit juice, however. It is actually a mix of water and oil. After the water has been removed, the oil is graded, stored, and bottled for consumption.

Its Uses in Ancient Times

The versatility of olive oil was especially evident in the ancient world. In Egypt, for example, olive oil was used as a lubricant in moving heavy building materials. In addition to being a basic food, olive oil was used as a cosmetic and as fuel in the Middle East.

According to a number of Bible accounts, olive oil, laced with perfume, was used as a skin lotion. It was also commonly applied to the skin as protection from the sun and after bathing. (Ruth 3:3) To grease the head of a guest with oil was considered an act of hospitality. (Luke 7:44-46) The oil also served a medicinal purpose as it was used to soothe bruises and wounds. (Isaiah 1:6; Luke 10:33, 34) And olive oil was likely an ingredient used in preparing a person for burial.​—Mark 14:8; Luke 23:56.

When Jehovah instructed Moses to prepare the “holy anointing oil,” what kind of oil did he prescribe among the ingredients? Yes, the purest olive oil! With it Moses also anointed the tabernacle, its furniture, the holy utensils, and even the ark of the covenant. Aaron and his sons were anointed with this oil to sanctify them as priests to Jehovah. (Exodus 30:22-30; Leviticus 8:10-12) Similarly, Israel’s kings were anointed with olive oil poured upon their heads.​—1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Kings 1:39.

What was commonly burned as fuel in ancient lamps? You can find the answer at Exodus 27:20. Again, it was the multipurpose olive oil! In the temple of Jehovah, there were ten large golden lampstands fueled by the highest quality olive oil. The oil was also used in connection with grain offerings as well as the “constant burnt offering” presented to Jehovah.​—Exodus 29:40, 42.

Olive oil was considered such a valuable commodity that it was even used by Solomon as part of a payment to King Hiram of Tyre for construction materials for the temple. (1 Kings 5:10, 11) Recognized today as a high-​energy food and one of the most digestible fats, olive oil also served as a staple in the Israelite diet.

In Modern Times

Today olive oil is as multipurpose as ever. Olive oil products are included in cosmetics, detergents, medicines, and even textiles. But the oil still serves principally as food. Although its popularity in Europe and the Middle East is unmatched, in recent years it has been in increasing demand in other lands as well.

For example, according to Consumer Reports, the sale of olive oil in the United States has “more than doubled between 1985 and 1990.” Why? One reason is that olive oil is said to be a good source of vitamin E. A number of recent studies have also revealed that the consumption of the monounsaturated fats in olive oil might benefit the heart without negative side effects. Another study claimed that olive oil may lower blood pressure and reduce blood-​sugar levels.

Some experts have recommended a high-​fat diet based on monounsaturates such as are found in olive oil. Consumer Reports noted that such recommendation “caused something of a sensation, because the notion that any high-​fat diet could be good for the heart was almost nutritional heresy. Monounsaturates soon garnered increased press attention, and sales of olive oil accelerated.”

Are these claims generally accepted? There seems to be little dispute over the claim that the monounsaturated fats found in olives, avocados, and some nuts are a healthier choice than the polyunsaturated and saturated fats found in other foods. However, some experts feel that the other claims have been somewhat exaggerated. For example, Consumer Reports explains: “Some ads crowed that ‘medical science [has] confirmed olive oil can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.’ But in the words of one researcher, Dr. Margo Denke, . . . the blood-​pressure and blood-​sugar differences were so minute as to be ‘clinically insignificant.’”

A group of researchers gave this advice: “All olive oil, ‘light’ or not, is 100 percent fat and contains about 125 calories per tablespoon. For that reason alone, it can play only a limited role in a healthful diet. The potential health benefits of olive oil come exclusively from its use as a substitute for butter, margarine, and other vegetable oils​—and even those benefits have been overstated.” With good reason the International Olive Oil Council published this warning: “Before you get carried away by enthusiasm and add gallons of olive oil to your diet, a few words of caution are in order. Large consumption of olive oil may keep you healthy, but not necessarily thin.”

Today, as in ancient times, moderation is the key to enjoyment when it comes to food and other gifts from Jehovah. With this in mind, whether you live in the Mediterranean region or elsewhere, reap the pleasures and the benefits of versatile olive oil!

[Box/​Picture on page 26]

Grades of Olive Oil

○ Extra virgin: The highest grade of olive oil. Squeezed from olives of excellent quality without the use of solvents. Often referred to as “cold pressed” because it is extracted at room temperature. It has a very low content of free oleic acid. This fatty acid can damage the flavor of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil offers the widest range of flavors and aromas.

○ Virgin: Obtained in the same way as extra virgin olive oil, but it has a higher level of free oleic acid.

○ Olive oil: Some of the “cold pressed” oil is not considered acceptable for consumption because of its acid content or an undesirable taste, color, or odor. Manufacturers refine this type of oil with the use of solvents. The solvents are then removed by heat. This results in a nearly colorless and flavorless oil. This oil is then blended with high-​quality virgin olive oil. It was previously sold as “pure olive oil,” but that term has fallen into disuse since 1991. Now it is simply referred to as “olive oil.”

○ Olive pomace oil: Pomace is the residue that remains after mechanical and physical operations remove the oil and the water from the olives. Additional oil can be drawn out from the pomace with the use of solvents. This oil is then refined and blended with the higher quality virgin olive oil.

○ Light olive oil: This is not a grade of oil. It is simply refined olive oil blended with smaller quantities of virgin olive oil. The term “light” has nothing to do with the fat content of the oil, as all olive oil is 100 percent fat. Rather, it refers to the lower intensity of its color, aroma, and flavor.

[Box on page 27]

Did you know that . . . ?

○ Fresh olives contain oleuropein, a bitter substance that makes them unpalatable until they are treated in some way. Natural History magazine explains that before olives are eaten, they “can be packed in salt; they can be cured in brine; they can be soaked over many days in many changes of water; they can even just be left out in the sun.” However, none of these treatments are necessary if the olives are to be pressed for oil.

○ Not all olive oils taste the same. There is a wide variety of natural flavors, colors, and aromas. According to the International Olive Oil Council, “connoisseurs generally categorize olive oil flavors as mild (delicate, light or ‘buttery’); semi-​fruity (stronger, with more taste of the olive); and fruity (oil with a full-​blown olive flavor).”

○ When olive oil is refrigerated, it becomes cloudy and thick. This is not a sign of spoilage; it will clear up quickly at normal room temperature. Actually, olive oil can be stored for months without refrigeration.

Watching the World

AIDS Prevention Machines

An Australian government panel on AIDS was directed to make recommendations for slowing down the spread of the disease. The Courier-​Mail of Brisbane stated that it was strongly recommended that young people receive better access to methods of AIDS prevention since, as the chairman, Dr. Charles Watson, explained, most senior high school students are sexually active. Among the recommendations is the making of condoms available by vending machines in high schools. Dr. Watson does not believe such use of condom-​vending machines will encourage younger students to have sex earlier. No recommendations for moral restraint were included in the report.

Personal Helicopters?

Have you ever been frustrated waiting in city traffic for hours? Have you thought about how nice it would be to lift up into the sky and drop back down at your destination? How about a personal helicopter? The development of the first ultralightweight helicopter is the latest innovation in the field of aviation, reports the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. It weighs only 500 pounds [230 kg] and has a maximum speed of 95 miles [150 km] per hour. It will cost you $60,000 to buy one and about $1 per mile to fly it. Though smaller than its “big brothers,” it can still cruise at an altitude of 13,000 feet [4,000 m] and has a range of 200 miles [320 km].

Military Rape

During World War II, thousands of girls and young women were captured from East Asian countries by the Japanese military in order to service the troops on battlefronts. Euphemistically called “comfort women,” those who did not die of venereal disease were abandoned to die when the armies retreated. Fifty years later one man has come forward to admit his involvement publicly and apologize. Seiji Yoshida, 78, “cannot erase memories of kicking away clinging, wailing Korean children as his men herded their young mothers into trucks to become sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army” says Mainichi Daily News. Asked how he felt at the time, the newspaper reported Yoshida as replying: “We just carried out orders. We were at point zero psychologically. It was just business. A different ideology wasn’t possible. I felt nothing. I was busy, I was desperate, I was possessed.” Military officials of many nations have seen to it that their troops were provided with women, either by capture or as paid prostitutes.

The Good Earth​—Vanishing

According to a report in the journal Science, the world’s arable soil is dwindling, “rapidly washing away or becoming dust in the wind.” In March, WRI (World Resources Institute) of Washington, D.C., released the results of a three-​year study in which hundreds of experts reviewed how soil conditions have changed worldwide since World War II. The results? Because of mankind’s misuse of the land​—mostly through deforestation, overgrazing, and harmful agricultural practices—​once fertile land with a total area the size of China and India combined is now seriously degraded. This trend bodes ill, since, as WRI president Gus Speth estimates, the world will have to triple its food production in the next half century to keep up with the growing population.

“We Preyed on You Kids”

Child abuse? Not in the ordinary sense. The above are the words of David Goerlitz, an actor who posed in Winston cigarette ads as a rock climber who would light up while hanging from a cliff. The Boston Globe reports that Goerlitz and Wayne McLaren (who portrayed the Marlboro man) are appearing before groups of schoolchildren to convince them not to smoke. “We made you believe if you boys smoke, you’ll be macho,” Goerlitz explained. “My life has been shortened a whole lot because I chose to smoke,” McLaren sadly confessed, after having lost one lung to cancer.

First Aid for Dislodged Teeth

“Teeth that have been knocked out can be reimplanted even several days after the accident, provided they are properly stored,” reports the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. A first-​aid box has been developed in which a dislodged tooth can be placed. The box contains sterile water, plus a mixture of nutrients and antibiotics, which is kept separately. These two components can then be mixed together at the press of a button. The equipment is not expensive and can be kept uncooled for about three years. Such a first-​aid box could be of particular benefit in places where accidents involving teeth occur relatively often, such as at swimming pools, sports fields, and in schools.

Vacation Stress

Changing certain habits may benefit a stressed person more than going on vacation. Dr. Sérgio Tufik, professor of the School of Medicine of São Paulo, Brazil, was quoted in Veja as saying: “Our biological rhythm is programmed to run like a clock. Any change, even a week in luxury in the Caribbean, can be wearing on the organism.” Whether a job is challenging or not, to avoid harmful stress, he recommends: “Be content with what [you] are doing.” Rather than always trying to do something else that may be more stressful than the daily routine, the doctor suggests: “Perhaps the secret is ‘to go on vacation’ daily. That is, besides the job, share in various activities that promote satisfaction.”

Tragic Blood Donations

More than a thousand people in France have contracted AIDS from blood transfusions. Why would they have a rate that is from five to ten times as high as that of most other Western European countries? Le Monde explains that prison authorities continued receiving blood donations from prisoners until 1985, three years after neighboring countries had stopped the practice. The report further stated that blood donations “were a longstanding practice widely regarded as facilitating prisoners’ rehabilitation. Giving blood has overtones of redemption, and in addition gave inmates a chance . . . to drink a glass of wine, and in the case of drug addicts to get a kick out of being given a jab.” A blood donation could also help prisoners win reductions in their prison sentence.

Fashion Show in Cathedral

“To the sound of Gregorian singing, thunderclaps and bells, in an atmosphere of nearly complete darkness, the silhouettes of seven nuns appear, with long mantles hiding their faces. Suddenly the lights are turned on, the nuns take off the mantles, [and] they become models.” With these words the Jornal da Tarde describes the fashion show held in the crypt of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Pôrto Alegre, Brazil. In attendance, the archbishop is quoted as saying: “I have always thought that this place ought to be a hall for festive and social events.” Although the exhibition collected funds to help drug addicts, the bishop of Novo Hamburgo disagrees with the whole idea. He said: “The ends do not justify the means.”

Modern Piracy

“In contrast with 17th- and 18th-​century pirates, they use neither eye patches nor swords. Today, they have speedy launches and potent arms,” says the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. No fewer than 185 pirate attacks were recorded in Rio de Janeiro during the last three years. Recently, ten pirates with machine guns assaulted an oil tanker, killed two crew members, and injured two others before robbing money and goods. Such organized gangs operating in overtaxed ports, such as Santos and Rio de Janeiro, learn about the ships’ cargo and security arrangements from the local prostitutes. As the newspaper concludes, the increased piracy and the stealing of containers “cause financial loss also to Brazil’s foreign trade.”

Hijack Epidemic

Hijacking of motor vehicles may be an international problem, but in South Africa “car hijackings have reached epidemic proportions,” according to the Financial Mail of South Africa. How can you reduce the risk of having your car hijacked if you live where this is a problem? Try varying your daily travel routine. Take different routes, or leave a little earlier or later. Keep doors locked and windows closed. Don’t offer rides to hitchhikers, and don’t travel alone, if possible. Before stopping at a roadblock, ask yourself if it seems genuine. Look for flags and municipal lights, and take note of the dress of roadworkers. A police colonel advises a driver who finds himself in a dangerous situation: “Hand over the vehicle if your life is in danger. There’s no point in being a dead hero.”

Physical Abuse of Parents

What has been described as the “hidden horror of teenage fury” inflicted on parents is escalating in Australia. Police and welfare groups report that the number of teenagers who beat their parents is rapidly increasing in this country. And although victims are usually mothers, even fathers and grandparents have been viciously attacked. The Sydney Sunday Telegraph newspaper quotes the director of a welfare organization as saying: “People are surprised to hear that children as young as 10 are capable of physical violence​—intimidating their mother and other siblings.” One community welfare service has been so inundated with calls from abused parents that it is planning a special program for victims and offenders.

From Our Readers

Arthritis I have just finished reading the article “Learning to Live With Arthritis.” (June 8, 1992) I have suffered with chronic arthritis for about 20 years. But as there is no perfect cure for it, and I have been afraid of the side effects of medication, I have done nothing about it. At present, I experience pain year-​round, and there are many nights when I cannot sleep. Even so, I was able to spend 60 hours each month in the Christian evangelizing work as an auxiliary pioneer. As my ailment gets progressively worse and my joints get stiffer, however, I will follow your suggestion to exercise to the fullest extent possible.

T. N., Japan

Prison Camp Survivor I have just read the article “A Long Way From Home, I Promised to Serve God.” (February 22, 1992) While I was glad to read of the happy outcome for Gerd Fechner, do we need to learn about man’s inhumanity to man in such depth?

C. T., United States

We can appreciate that some of the experiences related about Gerd Fechner’s life in Russian prison camps might be disturbing to some readers. An effort was therefore made to avoid making the material overly graphic. Nevertheless, it was felt that some amount of realism was necessary to establish what motivated Gerd Fechner to search for God. Fechner’s harsh experiences further served to underscore the fact that “man has dominated man to his injury.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9)​—ED.

Zulu Proverbs I am a 15-​year-​old girl who reads Awake! regularly and thinks it is super! I must say that your artists certainly know how to draw. When I saw the sketch of the funny-​looking “cow” in the article “Zulu Proverbs” (March 8, 1992), I could not stop laughing. I do not understand why so many people refuse to read Awake!

J. N., Germany

Hormones I cannot express in words the way I felt when I received the article “Hormones​—The Body’s Marvelous Messengers.” (April 22, 1992) In December 1990, I was diagnosed as having a pituitary tumor. Knowing practically nothing about this gland, I did some research on my own. Your recent article has enlightened me further and allowed me to understand my problem better.

L. M., South Africa

Grandparents I am eight years old and want to thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . Why Did Our Grandparents Move In?” (July 8, 1992) Since Granny moved in, every time I practice my keyboard harmonica, Granny tells me I’m making a noisy racket. But she has also praised me sometimes, such as when I poured her a cup of tea and she said, “Thank you.” When I read the article, I realized I do have to be kind to Granny after all.

S. T., Japan

Left-​Handedness I read with great interest the article “Left-​Handedness​—Disadvantage or Advantage?” (June 8, 1992) I am left-​handed, and while I didn’t have anyone in my childhood who tried to discourage me from using my left hand, it was difficult adapting at times. For example, it was hard to learn to use scissors. Now I have five children, and my youngest son is left-​handed. About a year ago, I asked him which hand he used to throw a ball. “This one, Daddy,” he replied, raising his left hand. Then he asked: “Daddy, why does everyone else use the wrong hand?” I still laugh when I think about this special moment.

D. C., United States

A Letter to Mom and Dad

HOW important are good parents? The following letter from a grown son to his mother and father demonstrates their value:

“Dear Mom and Dad:

“It’s been over 16 years since I left home, so it may seem a little odd for you to be getting this type of letter from me now. But after much thought I felt it necessary to write this. Years ago, when I left your house, I took a number of things from you that I never asked your permission to take. You might not even have noticed they were gone. In fact, I was so sly in making off with them that I didn’t realize I had them until some years later. I’ve itemized them as follows:

“Love for what is right: Oh, how this has protected me!

“Love for people: Sizes, shapes, and colors don’t count. Only what’s inside matters.

“Honesty: What’s mine is mine, preferably to be used to share with others. Let what someone else has alone.

“Determination: In my most difficult times, this has pulled me through.

“Patience: You were so kind and loving and patient with me. You never gave up on me.

“Discipline: You were never too harsh or too easy. But I didn’t know it then. Will you forgive me?

“Freedom: Freedom from the pain that so many other children have grown up with​—pain inflicted by physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive parents. You never had anything but my best in mind, and you protected me from harm. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.

“Love for simple things: Mountains, rivers, blue sky, hiking, camping. You made life so much fun. No two parents could ever have done more. And you never seemed to mind at all.

“Caution: Don’t be too quick to believe everything you hear. But when you do believe it, stick to it, no matter what.

“The Truth from God’s Word: Most important of all. It’s my inheritance. No money, boats, houses, or possessions can compare with it. It will give me what’s most important​—eternal life.

“The above things are hard to put a value on. They are priceless. I’ve used them so much. And I want to continue using them if I don’t have to give them back. I was hoping, if you don’t mind, to continue giving them to my young sons. I know they will serve my sons as well as they have served me. And I will always let them know where I got them​—from Grandma and Grandpa.

“Your son,”

(Name withheld upon request.)

Answer to a Prayer

A WOMAN from Christchurch, New Zealand, says that the Awake! articles on “Healing the Wounds of Child Abuse” were an answer to her prayer. She explains:

‘In August 1991 a number of us had the horrific experience of witnessing a friend undergo the pain of remembering abuse. I remained in shock for about three days, but we prayed fervently to Jehovah for a magazine to deal with the subject. We wanted help. We only waited five weeks. Thank you on behalf of the many, many victims for the brilliant, sensitive articles of the October 8, 1991, Awake!’

The above is only one of many hundreds of letters of appreciation for the Awake! on child abuse. In another letter received earlier this year, the writer said that it took her several tries to get through reading the articles because she couldn’t stop crying. She observes:

“Even now, I am welling up inside as I try to express my appreciation for the time and energy spent on helping those of us who have such feelings of humiliation and guilt after being sexually and emotionally raped by someone who claimed to ‘love’ us when we were so young and vulnerable. I had no idea I had so much company. I still am having a hard time dealing with the feelings, but the suggestions on pages 10 and 11 are very helpful. I have so very much to say, but suffice it to say that my prayers go to Jehovah in your behalf for trusting in Jehovah to give you the courage to write about such a delicate subject.”

Still another said: “This was one of the most superb masterpieces ever published by you on human relations. It has ripped the mask off this satanic practice and its perpetrators, clarified to nonvictims its acid devastation; its victims have been comforted and educated. The door to expectation for compassion and support from God’s people has been fully opened.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses are an international organization of over four million Bible students who are devoted to helping people with their problems and to helping them learn more about God’s purposes. If you would like to have further information or a free home Bible study, please write to Watchtower, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or to the appropriate address listed on page 5.