HOBBIES - Some Fatal Attractions

Discotheques with their loud music and strobe lights, Computer

games that keep you glued to the console for long periods,

potter’s kilns, musty piles of old books and proximity   

to pet’s can cause irreparable harm

Hobbies are pleasures. They help you relax, give you a sense of fulfillment. There are the usual ones like collecting coins and unusual ones like collecting animals. But some are more usual than others. Sir Winston Churchill for instance loved to lay bricks in his spare time. But ‘Winnie’ did not know that some hobbies can be harmful and even fatal.  

Disco, lights & sound

Have you heard of the Potter’s Rot. Sculptors can get his lung related disease while firing pots and statues. Amateur potters also run the risk of absorbing the lead in the glaze. The General Practitioner, a medical journal, reflects on the current trend in music among the young. Premature deafness among teenagers, not clear initially, can be ascribed to noisy discotheques, where the sound level is much higher than the industrial limit of 90 decibels over an eight-hour shift.

Add to this the dim or flashing lights, arranged for effect. Sitting for prolonged periods in such surroundings leads to a reduction in the ability to stand up to strong light. While the medical journal recommends the use of ear muffs, it does ruefully admit that they may be “somewhat counter-productive, as noise is part of the fun”.

Book collectors can attract a variety of diseases. There is the example of the pyramid explorer who died not because of curse but dust in the pyramids. A book collector can perhaps suffer a similar fate while handling ancient volumes. There is however a difference between an amateur and professional running the risk of diseases or in extreme cases death. While the professional would receive certain benefits for contracting the disease in the course of duty, the amateur would not be so eligible.

There was this American who after retirement took up the hobby of restoring old furniture. He worked in his basement and used commercial painting stripper for the purpose. Over a period of time this led to the concentration of carbon monoxide in the basement. He suffered myocardial infraction and died of heart failure.

A large number of things used in pursuing a hobby may lead to problems though they appear quite harmless. The increasing technological complexities of modern hobbies can put many creative users of leisure at risk. Take the computer video games. Studies have shown that sitting on a chair in front of the console can tire you out over a period of time and create problems which would have a bearing on your health.

‘FB’ - New Trend

The ‘facebook’, born on 4 February 2004, with worldwide one billion members spending around 700 billion minutes on the site quite  available in 70 languages and valued about  at $50 billion has turned now 9 years old. Today, people on ‘facebook’ feel badly crazy and pride to remain attached on site to the computers and mobile phones for latest updates thus ignore much more than what is known to the common man. The day is not far away, when the medical researchers will come out with the concrete evidence about the fall out of those sitting un-interruptedly on ‘face book’ for social networking etc.

 

There are voices and specialists in various fields  have cautioned the people that ‘facebook’ make people dissatisfied and envious of one’s successful friends leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. Dr. Hanna Krasnova, Humboldt – Universitat, Zu Berlin has said, ”Access to copious positive news and the profiles of the seemingly successful ‘friends’ fosters social comparison that can readily provoke envy”.  Almost 33% respondents in the German study reported predominantly negative feelings such as frustration. The researchers have identified that envying their ‘facebook friends’ is the major reason for this result.

A new survey by the Pew Research Centre’s Internet and American Life Project  conducted just recently  found about 60% ‘facebook’ users admitted that their break from the site was voluntarily due decrease in interest  since the majority general sentiment attributed that ‘facebook’ was a major waste of time. However, the study by psychiatrists on the contrary says that the social media activity when used as a tool in psychological diagnosis can remove some of the problems associated with patients’ self-reporting and may reveal signs of mental illness that might not necessarily emerge in a session with a psychiatrist. 

Sensitive skin can develop a nasty rash from carpenter’s glue, metal drilling pieces of microscopic nature can pierce the eyes, oil soaked walls can cause cancer and asbestos  dust can result in fatal lung diseases. Of course, in practice one does not consider all this when one selects a hobby, but doctors maintain that a little caution cannot do any harm and may even be beneficial.

If you divide the 24 hour cycle of a man’s day it consists of three divisions  - eight hours for sleep, eight hours for work and the remaining eight hours for personal pleasures such as the family and a hobby. The weekend concept that developed in the last 100 years acts as the main catalyst for a hobby. The advent of the five-day week in the west and then in India has contributed towards making hobbies a part of everyday life. A hobby helps release tension and sort out emotional stress. It helps push problems into the background for some time. And there is satisfaction in the activity itself.

zoonoses

To keep pets such as dogs, cats, monkeys, parakeets, canaries, finches, turtles, skunks and other cage birds you are not distant away from the risk of catching zoonoses, diseases spread over by the animals. The pets in present society are part of the family. It is not, therefore, we shall abandon them, the pets but the pet lover shall have to take extra care while handling these.      

Hobbies spread over a period of time increase knowledge and skills. They cost no more than what you can afford. They can be as varied as people are. Some play games, some take up the collection of coins, matchboxes, pens, philatelic or even different kinds of wrappers, and some go for craftsmanship.

But the best hobby by all accounts is service to society. Many a old age home get visitors who may read to those whose sight is impaired, or even take an old person out for a walk. Your choice of hobby is your own. Never mind what the man next door may think. You may want to work for SPCA on a Saturday afternoon or help the kids organize a playing field or even take them for a walk to a park. It should give satisfaction and mental peace. 

And finally, hobbies sometimes open up doors for a profitable venture. Three famous novelists, Somerset Maugham, A J Cronin and Frank G Slaughter were doctors by education and training. What started as a hobby for all three turned out to be their profession. The hobby took over and the profession changed. Beware of hobby, they may turn to be fatal, but don’t shy away from them either. 

                               Thought of the day

                                                               "Continues effort - not strenth or intelligence -                                                                                                                                                                   is the key to unlocking our potential"                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                   Winston  churchill 

Sheshnag lake – A dream in the Mountains

Sheshnag, the finest specimen of mountain lakes, is on way to the world famous ‘Shiva Sanctum’, Amarnath Cave, via the time tested traditional route of 125 kms from Srinagar and 28 kms from Phalgam. Sheshnag is situated at the north-eastern extremity of Dachinpara around 11,730 ft. above the sea level. An ascent of 800 ft. will take the trekkers to the fascinating encamping ground of Wavjan.

          Wavjan is about 12,230 ft. from the sea level, famous for its strong and notorious winds. No pilgrim goes direct to Wavjan because en route lies the fascinating and serene waters of the Sheshnag lake.

The lake is one km long and half a km broad connected with a small lake called Zamtinag which is an enormous glacier. Another small lake Sonasarnag is situated two kms from Sheshnag in the South-west extremity of the Naru Wardwan Valley. Sheshnag is, covered with ice till June, which is fed by the Kohenhar glacier (5178 metres) it looks like the hood of a serpent and hence derived its name. 

          Gratinpura, a glacier stream, flows into the North-east corner of the lake. Sheshnag is held in great reverence and visited by the pilgrims en route to the sacred Amarnath Cave which enshrines the Shiva – ice – lingam. Pilgrims perform their ablution in the lake’s sacred waters to wash their minds of the misconceptions developed in the material world.

          There is no habitation around the lake. No wood is procurable except ‘Kanifer’. The grassy valley of Sheshnag affords nothing except the ample space for encamping with a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains. Every year, pilgrims in lakhs en route to the holy Amarnah Cave visit the Sheshnag lake too. People usually keep a watch over the Sheshnag lake to have the holy ‘dharshan’ of the ‘serpent god’ a snake with more than one head. Sheshang always invites attention of the visitors especially the foreigners who are the real lovers of peace, beauty and tranquility.