Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

In honor of the resolutions many of us made for the new year, I'm sharing some found items that relate to many common resolutions.

First of all, many people resolve to make themselves a better person, whether through religion or simply behavior. This past summer, I found a piece of paper written both back and front with the same phrase, "I will learn proper adab with my zawjah."

At first glance, it appears to be a punishment exercise for an ill-behaved child, until you look more carefully. The term "adab" is an Arabic word meaning respect or reverence, while "zawjah" means wife. So this was probably, in fact, an exercise assigned by a Muslim religious leader, reminding the writer of the importance of learning to respect the religion.

Another common new year's resolution is to stop self-destructive habits, such as smoking. This reminded me of a ribbon that some school children handed me while I was walking my dog last spring.

The ribbon says, "Today is the day we make choices for tomorrow. SAY NO TO DRUGS" and has a smiling sun at the top of it. They were standing in a group, handing them out to anyone who passed by, probably for a school consciousness raising project.

And of course, many people resolve to get healthier, whether through losing weight or adopting healthier lifestyles. This made me think of a portion of an ad for a book that I found this year. The book appears to be for some sort of self-help guide to food safety and health. The readable portions, which focus on gastrointestinal health, are both intriguing and entertaining, especially if you read them altogether as if they're one seamless text.

are
wha
what
ease
And find
bowel just
the book.
The autho
full explanation
* Drop pounds
good fats.
* These exercises
bladder in addition to
*Belching, bloating, and
warning signs of up to 5 hid
* Constipation: A natural cure
fiber for some folks.
* Small buy mighty fruit ... just e
more than one third of your daily fit
* Lower blood pressure ... fewer ulcer
colitis ... just some of the benefits of
yourself do this.
* You might put a stop to constipation with a
little as one tablespoon a day of this mystery
food.
* The 2 ¢ colon cleanser!                                                   Spr
* Chew this at every meal for a happy, healthy       upset
colon.                                                                                      * Beans a
* Irritable bowel syndrome? Check here for             ical, too!
another common disorder that could be your        ing side eff
real problem.                                                                        * An easy e
* Serve safe spuds ... foil wrapped potato may          tighten a leaky
spell danger.                                                                          * The ordinary sna
* Help heal your body, improve digestion,                 ier.
moisturize skin, control weight, and ... it's free.     * A food that ke
* Does your digestive system benefit more                 conquer constipat
from savory breads and cereals or from                    * Bowels too slugg
scrumptious fruits and vegetables? The answer         way, this super fruit
may surprise you!                                                                 * Honey: It's the key
* Vitamins and minerals may help keep you                cure for constipation.

Perhaps the person who discarded this book ad decided that instead of buying the book, they would get more fiber by eating part of the ad.

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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