Game on!

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GAME ON! P
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                                         Y,
ON!
 
SHANTI LINSEN D.O., D.C., NHA
GAME ON! PARTY ON!
l found this statement rather interesting. I was watching a cricket match on TV and as soon as the game was finished a sign saying: “Game on! Party on!” was boldly displayed on the TV screen.
I would have rather seen: GAME ON! CELEBRATE ON! As the slogan.
Celebrations are often less damaging than parties, where it is generally understood, that alcohol is KING. We can celebrate by just cheering and dancing, feeling good within one-self, unaided by artificial means.
After the WBBL game I was watching on TV was over, the above statement was really expressed loud and clear on TV and repeated a few times.
Since now you know me a bit better, especially those people who read all my articles and books, that I believe in sport, for it to improve the body’s functions and its general health.
Okay! Match played and won by one team and fought hard by the other team, doing what I believe should be the end, except for a good shower and maybe a massage and a healthy meal, together with a life-giving drink, such as a freshly squeezed fruit juice or some more water and celebrating the win as a team.
A nice time may be had by the team members being together after the game for a while and talk about the game before going to bed and allow the body to regenerate, to face the next day, which is usually a training day. This would make sense to me, as they are professionals.
The statement ‘GAME ON- PARTY ON’, is surely directed to having some (?):  
1. Alcohol,
2. loud music, most of the time a
3. take-away and a
4. late night as well, not allowing the body to rest properly before the next day.
There is much more written about ‘SPORT’, in my article by that name, so l will not repeat that here.
I don’t hold you for a fool, as l know that you know, that the above-mentioned items are very damaging. Some of you may not admit it, because you may be addicted but, on the one hand you improve your body playing sport and as soon as you have finished the game, you decide to wreck it.
Yes, l know that this is a big statement to make, but it is true. And YES again, everyone seems to do it. My thoughts on drinking alcohol are well and truly documented in previous articles. The fact that everyone drinks alcohol, does NOT make if safe or healthy.
I know also, that you like a party and have some fun, but as a sports person, who has made that sport your career, you should do everything within your power, to make yourself strong and well and keep it there for the duration of your career AND BEYOND. I have observed that some sports-people after they retire from active sport, allow their health to dwindle. This is not always due to slowing down on the exercises, but very often giving in to a poor diet. I feel so sad, to see that happen.
I remember the days, when l and also some of my friends, played sport on a casual basis, as we wanted to be well. Squash and tennis were the most popular games we played.
We regularly used to have parties at each other’s homes on weekends, but we would not consume alcohol or eat devitalised food.
The couple, who’s turn it was to host the party on the night, would prepare an easy meal and had fresh pressed fruit/vegetable juices ready; cheese and biscuits or hors d’oeuvres (home-made), fresh fruit on a platter, before eating the main meal.
After diner we might have a light supper, before going home with a clear head. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate were the drinks.
Everyone was always happy. Luckily there were no known take away outlets in those days, not like today. There were pizza parlours, run by Italian people usually, but not much else really.
The fact I mention this, is that people must realise, that a healthy body, JUST doesn’t happen. It is a life-long commitment, BUT this does not mean that if you want to improve your health, starting now, it will not have a profound effect for the future.
Naughty this following story! At the end of my high school days, I was allowed to invite my class mates, boys and girls, for a party and we would dance, play games and have some ‘honey mead’ to drink, which l brewed myself.
I knew mead was alcoholic, as my grandfather taught me how to brew it. The alcoholic contents would vary, between batches, depending on the amount of sugar that was used in the final fermentation process.
Tasting mead, does not tell you, how strong the brew is, as it is such an easy drink to consume. On this night, after a few drinks, just about all my mates had passed out and were thoroughly drunk. You can imagine what Mum and Dad had to say about that, when they arrived home. (The consumption of alcohol in those days was a great deal less than what people consume today.)
As a family, we would on special occasions drink small amounts of mead with dinner and the alcoholic contents would only be 1½  or 2 %. The alcoholic contents of the mead served on the party night, must have been very high, maybe 8 % or more.
l stopped brewing mead after that, as l felt l had learned a big lesson. (*) Since then, l would not consume alcohol, as l know that even small amounts can be damaging and l will not take the risk of hurting my body.
Yes of course, on occasions l have toasted the couple at a wedding with a mouthful of wine. Life is full of lessons on a daily basis. I am not sorry having learned that one by the way.
(*) Life is full of lessons, as long as we accept them and take them on board. Lessons are to be learned, meaning that what we have experienced, should sink in and be available for the next time, a similar event is about to occur. This time around, you should be ready and consciously say “yes” or “no”, without the trauma of going through the whole procedure again.
Some people NEVER learn though. I have watched some of the ‘Highway patrol’ and ‘RBT’ shows on TV and it amazes me how many people get caught speeding, drink driving or being under the influence of drugs, un-licenced, un-registered vehicles etc. TIME AFTER TIME, and they always have a poor excuse for doing so. The same people are caught all the time and they are a target/magnet for the police.
There is that old saying: “A donkey doesn’t bump against the same stone twice.” A donkey isn’t supposed to be the smartest animal, but bumping himself twice on the same stone, that would not happen. What about people?
Take notice friends, if you have a problem and it keeps repeating itself, surely someone in your circle of friends would make you aware of your predicament, before you make the same mistake again. We all need support at times. I have noticed in these TV shows, that the police are keen to suggest to regular offenders of being ‘over the limit’, may it be alcohol or drugs, to get involved in a program, helping them to give these bad habits away.
Regular notices are shown on the TV screen of phone numbers you can call, if you are in trouble. You just cannot afford to be caught time and time again AND your addiction is NOT solving anything. You may as well drop the habit as soon as possible and “HAVE A LIFE AGAIN.” Come on guys, be strong and do it!
You save lots of money as well remember!
The excuse people use and think that the police are stopping people and giving them a fine, is a revenue raising program. Not true!  l don’t think of it that way at all. I have been driving since I was 17, 74 years now and have been fortunate not to have been in an accident. There were times in my life, where l had to take evasive action, because another driver did not allow enough space or time to make his move. I have been lucky too.
Driving without a valid driver’s licence and having been pulled up more than once is crazy. (remember the donkey?) This action is costing you a lot of money, the same as driving an un-registered car. It is so much cheaper to have your car registered at the due time, than being fined for an un-licenced or un-registered driver.
These repeat offenders just don’t use their brains. If not your friends, the police have told you so many times before and the worst part of it is, that these offenders think it is all a big joke. YOU ARE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES AT RISK AS WELL AS YOUR OWN! You are very irresponsible!
Speeding fines are very costly and l found that out a few years ago. Yep, l got caught going too fast, on a stretch of road l drove on regularly. I don’t know what happened, but l just did not see the speed restriction sign. I was not in a hurry, so there was no reason to speed. I even lost 3 demerit points, something l never lost before. I was only booked once before, doing 10 km over the speed limit. Not too bad after 74 years behind the wheel, is it? But that is still no excuse: I was driving, I was in charge of that vehicle and I was fined for speeding. SIMPLE! It hurts, having to pay $385 for nothing really, but it stirs something in you (at least in me), that you don’t forget in a hurry. I have been using my cruise control lately, which l did not bother about before.
I know, that road rules are there for the safety of everybody on the road and it often makes me wonder, how many drivers you pass on an average day driving illegally? What percentage of drivers, should not be driving at that moment? It is quite a frightening thought. It is not just doing the wrong thing, it also gets so involved if there is an accident, because these people are NOT INSURED.
Oh, oh, I am doing it again! Like a monkey in a tree, jumping from branch to branch!
This is how my brain works. There is so much to tell from experiences, that one story leads to another. Sorry! (or maybe not.)
Entertainment is great, but being entertained, should be natural, healthy fun, not a destructive activity. I am writing just at the time, a number of young people on holidays in Laos have been drinking spiked drinks and have died. So far, there are 7 or 8 young lives lost, just for the sake of somebody wanting to make money.
Tourists are often targeted by unscrupulous people, who know the customers are only there for a short time and they will never see them again.
I live in a holiday area, which is very popular to tourists. I took a friend out to lunch one day and the simple meal we ordered was disgusting. It had been reheated (maybe twice) and the fish we ordered was dry and no longer fit for human consumption. The salad was limp and obviously had been on that plate for ages. It was terrible. I was going to complain, but my friend said to let it be.
We walked out and went to another restaurant, where we ordered the same dish, which was beautiful, fresh and very tasty. I even asked the hostess to thank the chef for that very nice meal.
Maybe there should be more control by the health department in cases like that.
Coming back to the ‘branch’ l am supposed to be on, having travelled a lot as an airline steward years ago, we were always warned to be on the look-out for bad foods and drinks in some countries overseas (*) and NEVER to drink from an opened bottle of beer or whatever. Even water is often served in bottles, which have been re-filled from the tap, rather than being the brand name on the bottle. Very cunning!
(*) We were advised only to eat fruits with the skins intact and never to eat salads, even though they were washed. (in what sort of water?) In some middle eastern countries l visited then,
the meat in the butcher shops, would be hanging from a rail and be covered with flies. Guess what? We became vegetarians in a hurry when we saw that. We would also go to the bakery and get the breadsticks direct from the oven OURSELVES, without them being touched by the baker. I hope that these situations have improved since then (1962-1972). I have not travelled overseas for years now.
There is not a great deal more to say about the subject, except be smart, be aware and be very careful of charlatans, who will do anything to ‘make a quid’.
“My condolences go to you, the families, who have lost a daughter or a son in Laos.
An enormous lesson to learn parents and l am praying for you, to try and not HATE them, as Karma will deal with them. Your life WILL go on, even though it will be very different. Hate is not helping you. Try to be the other way, something that will take a while. Much love, (a few tears), Shanti”.
 

                                                LOVE                                   PEACE