Freedom 2

Apart from work (yes, I do occasionally, but can't discuss it here as it's classified information) I saw a car I may be buying today and finally met my new neighbour in the attached house. There wasn't a chance to drive said car but as long as it's ok inside and goes up hills in top gear I may be interested.
I am now free for a while, and am so unused to getting up using an alarm (the clocks went forward so the two days out of three I had to meant my body thought the alarm was still going off at last week's times) I was knackered most of the day since the first alarm went off on Sunday. It's nothing to do with how long I sleep, basically if I'm woken up unnaturally and can't stay in bed I rarely recover for most of the day. This has got worse over the years especially as it's something I rarely need to do since losing my job, but even then it always took me about 3 hours to properly wake up when I did. It's no different from holding on to go to the toilet or not eating for hours when you're busy at work.

Our bodies, like pets and farm animals, are designed to work automatically. If wild animals live freely they eat when hungry, sleep when tired and wake up when nature intends. We are the same. So by trying to regulate what we do when to fit in with 'society' the stress each new denial puts on our body must lose a minute or two off our lives each time we do it, and each one will have a greater or lesser ill effect as time passes, till we start to notice as I have. It's only a matter of time, and people who age badly, with organs failing and energy going are more than likely simply being paid back for treating their bodies like slaves. If we were allowed to wake up when we needed to, the health benefits would easily override any inconvenience for turning up at work at odd times, and we'd know our rough limits if making appointments and plan the earliest well after our normal waking time. It wouldn't take long to settle down as I've used this system ever since I lost my job except when forced not to, and my sleeping times are almost clockwork when allowed free. Unless I sleep badly in which case I lose a few hours waiting to sleep after being woken up by calls of nature, postmen, builders etc which can't be planned for.

Relieving every possible aspect of stress in life before it becomes 'necessary' (ie causes symptoms) should be a priority, unlike a last resort as with most brainwashed workers. People who work 60 hour weeks should be drugged to stop them as they set a terrible example to the world that this is acceptable. No it isn't. We don't live to 500 so we can retire at 65 and be fit enough to have a full life. Many people die within a year of retirement as they have nothing left physically. Even if they don't, what the hell can you do at 65 compared to 30 when you can do almost anything? What about having time for your children while they are still at home? My parents were at work all hours and if I was off school was on my own as am an only child. People need free time before they retire, and with flexible hours (a few places operate them perfectly well already) and preferably a standard three day week (as we had during the fuel crisis) where everyone worked solidly every day knowing it was only going to last half the week. Production was better than at any other time. It would also more or less remove unemployment as people would all have a chance to take up the slack of the times places needed manning.

So, back to nature is the message. Did the hippies say that? I can't remember, all I remember was free love, peace, flower power and long hair. But I'm sure that must have been an element, dropping out is only that if you think about it, and hippies were well into that. Being both in the medical field as a therapist and a patient I have seen life from both sides and realise the damage we're causing in such a slow and subtle way we only realise we've gone too far when it's too late. Most people (I hear them all the time and am amazed) think they can push their bodies at will with no ill effects 'because nothing's happened yet'. Then when it does they assume there's no connection with the disgusting way they've treated themselves (includes smoking as well of course) and think they're 'unlucky'. My bloody backside they are. If they'd treated a donkey like that they'd have been locked up by the RSPCA, but they happily treat themselves worse than a slavemaster would have, believing mind over matter applies to humans simply because they can.

That reminds me of a story (probably true) about a British man who learnt yoga in India. One of the tricks was to control your breath so you could slow it down or speed it up at will, and tweak around with it indefinitely. The story goes one day he stopped his practice and found he'd overridden his natural breathing mechanism, and had to deliberately breathe for two days until it came back. Everything we do to ourselves on smaller areas are no different, and the older we get, the more we notice the effects. I think 40 is the usual turning point. I think the world needs educating here, and I will write one of my usual articles on it, and publicise the message, as prevention is better at any cost, as it's no good being rich in hospital. Earn a packet and die before you can spend it, and leave your children without a parent. That's one scenario and only the worst of many similar.

Our bodies are designed to tell us what to do, not the opposite, but most people have forgotten this.