SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-6
Hunting Maintenance During the Summer By Mike E. Neilson We welcome the voice of Mike Neilson, longtime Danville High School teacher and longtime hunting enthusiast. He’s shared his hunting experience in book form with Class Dismissed: I’m Going Hunting! (2004); We’re Gonna Need More Arrows!: Hunting Adventurs Around the Country and Around the World (2009); and Pig Tails and Other Hunting Adventures (2014)
Part II
Clothes. Did you gain or lose weight? Let’s just say you hit a growth spurt and leave it at that. Did you put a hole in your waders and forget to patch them? Be painfully honest with yourself, if things are worn out or do not fit, now is the time to replace them before the season starts. Last winter or early spring was the best time, but now is far, far better than a week before the season opens. If you are a scent-free fanatic, you are probably already doing this, but most folks are a bit less sensitive to scent management. Take the time to air out your hunting duds on a clothesline or fence. You would be amazed how musty-smelling clothes can get in a basement, so do yourself a favor and air them out at least once this summer. Boots. If you have leather boots, summer is a great time to waterproof them again. I’m old school so I like mink oil or a synthetic substitute. Not only do you have time now, but the heat also helps the oil to penetrate the leather giving you better performance. You might be surprised just how beat up the boots got during the season. You might also need to replace laces. Better to do this now than in the field, especially if you do not carry spares. Rubber boots can and will develop a leak at some point. Maybe you poked them on a stick or barbwire, but there’s a hole and it’s no fun finding it when you are taking on water. Dry rot can develop in gear not often used and the summer gives you an opportunity to replace or repair the damaged footwear before season approaches. Hunting gear. Batteries are cheap, walking in the woods with a dead flashlight or headlamp is no fun and potentially dangerous. Replace your batteries even if they are not dead. Keeping a fresh set in your pack never hurts either. Years ago, I picked up a bit of advice from author Craig Boddington. He had a small flashlight around his neck on a short lanyard. No matter where he went, if it got dark, he had a light source with him. I have adopted that habit when I go out on hunts. I’ve only had to use it in a couple of instances but was very happy I had it when I did need a light. (Next week Mr. Neilson will talk about maintenance of additional gear) ______________________________________________
A Note From Bee I had never written much before I took Mary Sue Best’s writing classes. She had been a college professor. She chose to teach several classes at Oasis senior citizen center in Speedway. My original thought was to write stories along with my genealogy research. We did not have many stories to go with my family genealogy. As with so many people, we did not think to ask family members questions about where they came from, how they got to America, etc. We had to research census records, newspaper records, and baptismal records to name only a few. Dates are important but stories are so much better. The first day of class Mary Sue asked, “Why are you writing your memoirs?” The majority of us said we want our families to know these stories. In my case my sister, a few cousins and I are the only ones left in our family. If we don’t write the stories, they will be lost. My grandfather Ed and his two brothers lost their mother when they were very young. Their father took them to live with Uncle Edward and Aunt Sophie who had eight children of their own. This poor woman had a lot to cope with. To add to her stress, her husband didn’t work and drank. His five brothers also drank at his house. Their father had left them a great deal of money and they drank and didn’t work until all the money was gone. Fast forward several years, Ed married Marie. Ed particularly liked Aunt Sophie’s gravy. Marie tried over and over again to make gravy like Aunt Sophie. One day she burned it. When Ed tasted it he was ecstatic. “Marie, that is just like Aunt Sophie’s!” Poor Aunt Sophie probably burned most of the food. She had 17 people to feed at least two meals a day. As Paul Harvey would have said, “And that is the rest of the story.” Bee Jones ______________________________________________
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Voices
We offer Voices as a place to share a story, a memory, an idea, a comment, a criticism, or a solution. Contributors must include name, address & phone number.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
ASK MR. TRAFFIC By Chet Skwarcan, PE, President/ Founder of Traffic Engineering, Inc. Chet@TrafficEngineering.com
Your Mental Health By Chase Cotton The Willow Center 317-852-3690
The Ugly Reality of Stigma Against Mental Health and Addiction Imagine this scenario: you have a cold and it’s time to go to the doctor. As you pull in, you notice folks in the lot across the road from the office leering at you as you step out of the car. The looks of silent judgment are like daggers. How would you feel in this moment? Most of us would feel awful! It’s not your fault you had a cold, right? And what’s the big deal with colds anyways? Why are you being judged for getting the help you need for having a cold? Replace the word “cold” with “addiction” or “mental health problem” and the reality of this scenario sets in. People who are affected by addiction or mental health problems face a steady stream of stigma towards their suffering, even when they are attempting to get the help they need. Stigma, as defined by Webster’s dictionary, is “a mark of shame or discredit” often perpetuated by other people who do not fully understand what one is going through. In our society, stigma primarily shows up in three ways: our body language, our words, and our media. Let me give you some examples. • Our Body Language – Think back to the last opportunity you had to visit downtown Indianapolis. It’s no surprise that the population of folks without a home is much greater in downtown Indy than in the suburbs, so likely you have had the chance to interact. Many folks who are without a home are subjected to traumas that can affect their mental health, which may result in behaviors that are hard to understand. Do you think they don’t notice when you avoid making eye contact? Do you think it doesn’t hurt them when you quickly walk past without acknowledging their existence? This is stigma. • Our Words – Let’s face it, we have a tendency to be flippant with our words sometimes, especially when we are hoping for a laugh. When telling a funny story, we describe a particular friend as “crazy,” or we say things like “she is so OCD about everything.” When talking about our distant family member with addiction, we call them a “junkie” or “druggie.” When recalling fears, sometimes we say, “I swear (fill in the blank) gave me PTSD.” Do you think your friend who actually suffers from PTSD feels supported when you say this? Do you think your loved one who is in long term recovery appreciates being labeled by their hardship? This is stigma. • Our Media – How many horror movies have you seen that are set in “insane asylums”? How many headlines are written in the news about folks with a substance use disorder overdosing and dying with little regard to their full personhood and story? How many times are people with depression or anxiety written off as jokes or as unfortunate colleagues in TV shows? This is stigma. Stigma is everywhere, and it isolates those of us who may be at a low point in our lives and need help. Instead of turning a blind eye to stigma, I encourage you to think before you avoid someone, think before you speak, and think before you partake. We each have a small but meaningful role to play in ending stigma and opening the door for anyone and everyone in need of getting the services they deserve. ______________________________________________
Improve Your Mood Support Group
Improve Your Mood Support Group meetings every Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Hendricks County Senior Center. Members have been gathering to learn about mindfulness and other coping techniques for symptoms of depression and anxiety. The Improve Your Mood Support Group is offered at no cost to anyone 25 years of age or older wishing to participate. No reservations are required to attend. The group is facilitated by Sharon Dora Samsell, Coordinator of Bereavement and Community Support Groups for Hendricks Regional Health. “The group focuses on sharing situations and processing emotions, then devoting time to a specific mood enhancement activity or skill that they can put into practice when away from their group” states Sharon. Transportation is available through Senior Services at 317-718-4474. If you would like to join us for lunch before the meeting, please call the Senior Center at least 24 hours in advance. Suggested donation is $3 for seniors 60 years old or older and their spouses. Hendricks County Senior Services is funded in part by United Way of Central Indiana, CICOA Aging and InHome Services and the generous donations of individuals, businesses and community organizations. Service is provided without regard to sex, race, color, religion, disability, or national origin. ____________________________________________
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The Solomon Curve Go With The Flow In the late 1950s, the Federal Highway Administration performed an exhaustive survey of traffic accidents relative to speed. Their chief researcher, David Solomon, concluded that slow driving is every bit as dangerous as fast driving. The study covered accidents involving 10,000 drivers and interviews with 300,000 motorists. The roadways studied had posted speed limits between 55 and 70 mph. Solomon discovered the simple slogan to “slow down” was not the key to reducing accidents. And, in fact, could actually be counterproductive. Within the limits of the study it was discovered that low-speed drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than high-speed drivers. However, at high speeds, approaching 80 mph, the difference disappears. It became clear that regardless of the average speed, the greater the driver’s variation (slower or faster), the greater the chance of being involved in an accident. The lowest accident rate occurred at the average speed or just slightly above it. Granted, the consequences of a high-speed accident were found to be more severe, with injury rates soaring at speeds exceeding 70 MPH. The research resulted in what has come to be known as The Solomon Curve. It represents the collision rate of automobiles as a function of their speed compared to the average vehicle speed on the same road. I should mention these findings do not necessarily agree with those produced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But, as a fan of the movie Elf, “I just try to go with the flow.” Or, “I gotta get out of the flow.” Either option seems safe. ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town By Archy I had never seen such a tiny megaphone, let alone one being used by a squirrel. “The Squirrel Salon has a debate next week and I’m in charge of the cheer squad,” Archy said. I wasn’t surprised to hear about the debate, but had no idea the teams had cheerleaders. “Normally, we don’t do cheers,” the squirrel explained, “but we will be competing with the North Salem Know-ItAlls and figured it would lessen the tension.” I asked Archy how one composes such cheers. “Not as easy as you might think,” he said. “It’s a careful balance between esoteric prose and low humor. Something for everyone, you might say.” “How about an example?,” I asked. “Here’s a basic one,” the squirrel said: “Roberts Rules Your Team Drools” I had to agree that was an interesting combination. “Here’s another highbrow/lowbrow cheer,” Archy said. “Codified...Unified...Your Shoe’s Untied....MADE YOU LOOK!” I felt like I was standing in a squirrel school playground at recess. “We sometimes borrow from human high school cheer chants,” he continued. “Here’s a classic: 2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - Don’t be a such a Reprobate - Whoops! Too Late.” He picked up his megaphone and fired off another: You may be good at arguments, You may be good at facts, But when it comes to disputation, You’d better watch your backs! I started to wonder if I could get tickets to the debate and what to wear. “Of course, we throw in some Latin,” the squirrel continued. “Here’s one I put together: Ipso facto, ergo sum - You’re All Losers, Thus, We Won!” I was gaining a new appreciation for the breadth of Archy’s wit. “This is one of my favorites,” the squirrel said with a smile, “Arcane, yet subtle: Loris ipsum, We Declare: Your Argument is Much Too Spare.” I imagined canceling the High School Cheerleading contest at the Fair and have a squirrel debate instead. “Archy, have you ever considered debating with humans?” I asked. He put down the megaphone and patted my hand. “Your people wouldn’t have a chance,” he said. “It would be like debating fish in a barrel.” ______________________________________________ It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it. Joseph Joubert
