| On Winter, Smudge Pots, Dirges And S.A.D. |
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Winter is upon us. Well sort of, Winter, here in Israel connotes rain-time and though I'm not complaining, everyone is concerned. Getting very little, or no significant amounts of rain, is a real threat to agriculture which all of us here take very personally, even if Hi-Tech is on the way of supplanting (sorry for the pun) agriculture, it is our financially successful export industry. _option_option_option
We said the prayer for rain with the rest of the Jewish world on Shemini Atzeret/Simcat Torah (here those two holidays are on one-and-the same day); then "sealed" the deal with G-d, with the institution of the added prayer in the 18-Prayers, Shmona Esreh. This took place at the end of November beginning of December, which is the ETA "Home" for those who made the Aliyat Haregel (literally "the trip up by foot" - sic to the Holy Land-and returned home. Estimated Time of Arrival, accepted as being 60 days after the holiday period of the month of Tishrei. So, essentially we have been awaiting/expecting "serious" rain since December and now, here we are approaching the end of January, with Lake Tiberius at disastrously low levels! Winter has changed here as well as in other parts of the globe. I heard a Global-Warming report for this area of the Middle East as being "colder winters and warmer summers!" As I sit here in layers upon layers of clothes, I can attest to the cold part! In the late '60s, when we first moved to Jerusalem, we had to use kerosene heaters, as city- provided steam Central Heating was from the "old country", i.e. New York City. I recall that most "locals" didn't have winter coats, only many layers of handmade sweaters. The ubiquitous army khaki "Dubonim" (literally, teddy bears = quilted storm jackets) filtered down to the populace after the Six-Day-War, as the Golan Heights and its snow-capped mountains "rejoined" the rest of Israel. Even into the late 70s, the radio announcer would pass on the army's requests for the knitting of more balaclavas, also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, which is a form of headgear covering the whole head, exposing only a small part of the face or sometimes, only the eyes (Wikipedia). Getting back to agriculture, I recall being up in the middle of the night, tuning on the radio, and hearing news bulletins on where help was required to put up and tend to Smudge-Pots in an effort to save the citrus crop. (A smudge pot - also known as a 'choofa" in Australia - or orchard heater - is an oil-burning device used to prevent frost forming on fruit trees. Usually a smudge pot has a large round base with a chimney coming out of the middle of the base. The smudge pot is placed between trees in an orchard, allowing the heat and smoke from the burning oil to prevent the accumulation of frost on the fruit of the grove (Wikipedia). In less sunny climes a real problem is S.A.D. -Seasonal Affective Disorder. To quote the Mayo Clinic: "With seasonal affective disorder, [the] fall's short days and long nights may trigger feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue and other problems. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression, and it can severely impair daily life. That said, treatment - which may include light box therapy - can help successfully manage seasonal affective disorder." (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195). One case in particular still echoes in my mind. The person who came for assistance was blind. She was hearing cacophonic music all the time and it affected her ability to function, to such an extent that she stayed in bed all day long. I told her that ,though she may be blind, I am well-neigh "music disabled". I enjoy music but really cannot hum a tune on key. As she began to help me understand the sounds she described, I found myself running down a mental list of diagnoses such as: auditory hallucinations usually a sign of psychiatric (psychosis?), neurological (e.g. epilepsy?) or middle ear (Tinnitus?) problems. "Before you ask, I was already at a neurologist and ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist", she explained. "I know what I am hearing", she said determinately. "Great," I said, figuring that those M.D.s ruled out more "medical" diagnoses and sent her on to me, a neuropsychologist, because she didn't exactly fit the profile/diagnosis of a person with a psychiatric disorder. "Please continue to describe it the best you can, because - as I said - I am 'music impaired'." I asked questions about the "music" and interspersed questions about her "history". It became obvious that every year around January and February she was more "ill" than the rest of the year. "I got it", she said, "the music sounds like dirges". Dirges, according to Merriam Webster are: 1. a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially, one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites; 2. a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music. So I gave her homework. Before our next appointment, would she write (Braille) words to the "music" she heard - as then, I might be better able to understand the sounds. I didn't share this with her at the time, but I have clinically seen (and research into PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has proven) that once one gives words to "sensed" feelings, their effect on the emotional/visceral self can be better mediated in therapy or by the individual themselves. She returned and she said: "a funny thing happened as I wrote the words to the 'dirge' I heard. I started writing about sunny days, mountain tops, the smell of grass on the hills and the music in my head took on a more melodious sound." "This sounds like S.A.D. to me", I said. "No" she objected, "I'm feeling a lot better!" I explained that I had meant Seasonal Affective Disorder. Once I explained it to her, she said: "That's funny, well not funny Ha, Ha, but you understand", and I did. Originally published in the Jewish Press on February 27, 2008. |
