Catching Cold
I am afraid to sneeze around my mother. I avoid coughing in front of her, even if just to prevent a wayward piece of spinach from wiggling down the wrong tube. I never blow my nose in her presence or scratch any part of my body for more than a few seconds. No, my mother does not have an unusually weak immune system. Nor is she very elderly or recovering from a chronic illness. In fact, my mom is one of the healthiest people I know. It’s not her own health that she’s paranoid about. It’s mine.
On one particularly cold day about fifteen years ago, my mom laid out five shirts on my bed: a camisole, a short sleeve shirt, a turtleneck, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweater. After a few minutes of wrestling the clothes over my four-year-old body, she said, “There, now you won’t get frostbitten,” and with a satisfied smile patted my marshmallow-like exterior off to kindergarten. Thirty minutes later, as I silently sweated my way through making a Santa Claus out of red construction paper and white cotton balls, my teacher exclaimed,
“It’s cold in here! How many of you feel cold right now?” Small hands shot up around the room and Miss Johnson agreed, “It certainly is! Now I wish I had worn more layers. When it is very cold outside, you can stay warm by adding extra layers of clothing. Today I am only wearing two layers,” she told us, pulling the edge of her white blouse out from under her red cardigan sweater. “Is anyone wearing three layers today?” A brief moment of contemplation and counting followed. A few of my classmates raised their hands, beaming as Miss Johnson smiled at them each in turn, saying, “That is very smart of you. You must be very warm right now!”
I was wearing more than three layers. I quietly re-counted my shirts under the table. All of a sudden, Thomas, an annoying bully of a boy who seemed to pay more attention to my affairs than his own, shot up from his seat. “Deborah’s wearing five layers, Miss Johnson,” he crowed, “I saw her counting them.” I looked down at the ground, trying to avoid the laughter and teasing of my classmates.
Jane was born into a rich family and could have very easily become a housewife with few worries. As a little girl, she once tried on a beautiful coat and asked her father, John Addams, if she could wear it to church. Jane’s father advised her to wear an old cloak instead, which would keep here warm without making the other girls at Sunday school feel badly about their own clothes. He added that, "it was very stupid to wear the sort of clothes that made it harder to have equality even (in church.)"
"How Do Child Beauty Pageants Affect a Child's Development?" Everyday Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014
Throughout 1918 and 1919, influenza spread quickly in three waves killing an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide. With the best-recorded first case having occurred in Fort Riley, the contagious flu spread across military camps around the United States. Due to the world war, the influenza virus was brought over to Europe where it infected people in nearly every country. This disease would end up causing one of the greatest pandemics in human history, but would also catalyze great advancements in science and medicine.
Settlers maintained their crops and livestock, but while doing so the temperature drops past the freezing point. Children were attending school when the blizzard started to make its way toward the prairie. Unprepared with the proper clothing to at least have a fighting chance to stay warm during the frigid temperatures. These children were without over coats to keep warm, in one situation with two sisters Eda and Matilda, the author wrote “the older sister Eda took off her wrap to cover the younger sister.” (Laskin, 46) Times were very different then they are today, where heavier clothing are required and more available may not have been accessible to the settlers of that time. It was understood that so many children died with only a blanket of some sort, while walking against the heavy winds that was strong enough to rip it from the shoulders of the children. Many of these settlers died because of not dressing for the weather, or not having the resources to make or buy the
Most people know at least one person, either a friend or family member, or even a friend of a friend who has, or is suffering from drug addiction. The word “addiction” actually comes from a Latin term that means “enslaved by” or “bound to.” (“Understanding Addiction”, 2014) If you’ve ever tried to help someone to overcome a drug addiction, then you’ll understand why this is so.
I stepped out of the chilly November air and into the warmth of my home. The first snowfall of the year had hit early in the morning, and the soft, powdery snow provided entertainment for hours. As I laid my furry mittens and warm hat on the bench to dry, I was immediately greeted with the rich scent of sweet apple pie, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and the twenty-pound turkey my mother was preparing for our Thanksgiving feast.
The narrator strongly claimed that his clothes have failed him when he recalled the green jacket he wore on his fifth and sixth grade. He believed that instead of looking like a champion, his day-old guacamole colored jacket has embarrassed him that lead him to think it has failed him (Soto, 473). He had actually hoped and requested to his mom a different jacket. It is the kind of jacket that the bikers wear which is black leather and silver stud with enough belts that will make him look brave. But disappointment struck him when he found an ordinary green jacket instead. He stared at the jacket and wanted to cry because to him it was ugly and so big. Moreover, he knew he will have to bear with the fact that he will be wearing that ugly jacket for a very long time. For a brief moment he was still in denial and was expecting it was his brother’s jacket. Acceptance came later since he has no other choice but to wear it. With a heavy heart he slipped into his jacket and decided to head out of the house.
The Flu is the common name influenza which is a virus that attacks the respiratory system. The flu virus releases its genetic information into the cells nucleus to replicate itself. When the cell dies, those copies are released and they affect other cells throughout the rest of the body. With that happening the virus weakens the immune system. When your sick with the flu, your body builds up a defense by making antibodies against it. The flu virus spreads through air when a person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.
What is Arthritis? Arthritis is inflammation of a joint bringing such symptoms as chronic joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. The Arthritis Society states that approximately 4.6 million Canadians are currently living with arthritis; by 2036 this number will increase to 7.5 million (1 in 5). Health care costs and loss of productivity amount to $33 billion, by the year 2031 this number is expected to double. (The Arthritis Society, 2014). According to Aging in Contemporary Canada, arthritis and rheumatism is the most common chronic health problem of Canadian seniors affecting 47%. (Chappell, McDonald, & Stones, 2008, p. 221). With over 100 types of arthritis varying from mild to severe the most common age related form is osteoarthritis (OA) affecting 1 in 10 Canadians. Approximately 13% of Canadians suffer with OA. Joint damage from OA accounts for 80% of hip replacement surgery and over 90% of knee replacement surgeries. (The Arthritis Society, 2014). Severe cases of OA can restrict the ability to participate in activities and consequently affect a person’s quality of life. At this time there is no cure for OA without a joint replacement. Although OA can affect all ages the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact this disorder has on the daily activities and functioning on the aging population. Discussion will also highlight the origin and manifestations of this disorder and will examine current and future treatment options available.
Many people in today’s society rely on technology to help us with our daily lives and help us stay connected to family, friends, and other people. The advancements in today’s cell phone technology is very complex and made to be efficient for their owners, allowing them to surf the net and IM message people instantly. Cellphones in particular have developed very fast in the past 15 years. From my childhood, cell phones have evolved from the old school Nokia bricks that allowed texts, calls, and simple graphic games, to todays I-Phones that have higher computable capabilities than some computers. In the United States alone, there is an estimated population of around 297 million people, and 197 million people are subscribed to cell phone companies (Starr). With so many people in today’s society with so much power and opportunity in the palm of their hands, we shouldn’t forget that “With great power comes great responsibility” –Voltaire.
Although statistics rule in favor of vegetarianism, it is inaccurately disputed by the meat-consuming opposition. One popular argument maintains that balance is essential to constitute exceptional health (Trapp). Of course, a bala...
The benefits to maintaining a vegetarian diet are myriad and increasingly well-defined by modern science; these benefits include decreased risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Many vegetarians claim to feel better and more perceptive, and two of the top three sprinters in the world are vegan. Vegetarians often claim moral superiority over non-vegetarians through varieties of a “hurt no living thing” credo. Nevertheless, only 2.8% of American adults are vegetarian. The advantages to vegetarianism are well-known, and the disadvantages seem negligible, yet in most countries only a tiny portion of the populace are vegetarian or vegan; Why would anyone ignore the option to live longer and feel superior, both physically and ethically?
captive by a sheath of frost, as were the glacial branches that scraped at my windows, begging to get in. It is indeed the coldest year I can remember, with winds like barbs that caught and pulled at my skin. People ceaselessly searched for warmth, but my family found that this year, the warmth was searching for us.
Works CitedMcLellan, Lizzy. "New Pageant Focuses on Inner Beauty." Frederick News-Post, The (MD) 18 June 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
Everything that we as humans decide to do has a consequence. Our agency that we are given opens up so many opportunities of lifestyles we are able to live. Many people search for the “perfect lifestyle” that has all the right answers and gives the perfect insight as to what is right and what is wrong. Although the perfect lifestyle seems great, it does not exist. There is not one single answer to everyone’s problems and life answers simply because every being on the planet is different. One way of living may be perfect for Betty Sue, but quite unsatisfactory for Jim Bob. It is very important that we make smart choices and are informed and know the facts about the lifestyles we choose to live. Being a vegetarian is a lifestyle that many people choose to live and pursue. The reasons behind choosing this style may vary person to person, but no matter what the reason is, it is important to be informed about all the pros and cons of being a vegetarian in order