the myths of Ebola............. let wyndy explain

It’s funny how Nigerians can complicate things. Just yesterday a friend reminded me that the fear of Ebola is the beginning of wisdom- I guess Ebola is now the Almighty in town. Hmmm wonders shall never end in this beloved country of ours. All over the world of social media u see all sorts of conversation between Ebola and AIDs. Enough to make one pee in and laugh out loud…. Lol

Just recently we now have all sorts of local preparations and remedies for this dreaded disease that has taken a tour on our beloved West Africa countries. I have to admit it all sound so "mumucious" that I came up with a remedy myself- a local concoction such of- just for the fun of it. I am not disproving any of these local remedies. We are all entitled to our own belief system.

I belief the national fear placed on Ebola is outrageous. It’s terrible that people in authority who are supposed to enlighten the populace are not helping matter. I belief information is power and as such the people should be given the power so we can all put hands together to contain this virus sweeping across our continent. Remember the Good Book tells us that “my people perish from lack of knowledge”.

We go about shouting Ebola! Ebola!! Ebola!!! displaying all sort of "mumubolaric attitudes". enough of all these tautologies and redundant words. Do we even know the source of Ebola? do we even know its origin? Do we even know why it’s called Ebola virus and not any other name? How it’s being transmitted and its fatality rate? What about its history? Because everything must have one history or the other don’t you think? Ebola is 100 percent preventable and can easily be contained.  

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. Typically nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point, some people begin to have bleeding problems

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name

The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal (commonly monkeys or fruit bats).  Spread through the air has not been documented in the natural environment^. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the virus without being affected. Once human infection occurs, Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness. According to the WHO people have actually recovered from the disease.

It is my intention to help break the myth of Ebola virus and I believe this piece should help put your mind at rest. There is no need to panic. In my next piece I will talk about the ways Ebola can be handled and I will give facts how central Africa countries have contained it for almost 38 years.  We just have to open our eyes and see. Remember fear makes Ebola appear bigger than it is. Have a great weekend ahead.

                                                                                                                                                                wyndy

Our Delusional Fantasies

‘Most human beings spend 50 to 90 percent or more of their time in their imagination, living in fantasy.’ ~Charlotte Joko Beck

We fail at creating new habits because of fantasies.
We procrastinate because of fantasies.
We get frustrated with other people, with ourselves, because of fantasies.
We miss out on the wonder of the world because of fantasies.
We — all of us — live our lives in delusion most of the time. That might not seem true, but consider:

• When you wake up and start thinking about what you’re going to do today, your plans aren’t really happening, but are all in your head.
• When you fear the failure that might come when you tackle this big work task, and you procrastinate, it’s not failure that’s actually happening but it’s all in your head.
• When someone does something that irritates you, this is because they aren’t acting as you think they should (they should be more considerate), but this “acting how you think they should” is not reality but an ideal you have, in your head. The frustration stems not from their actions but from how their actions differ from your fantasies.
• When you start out with a new habit (let’s say exercise), you are motivated by a fantasy of what your life will be like when you create the habit … but that’s not real. When the reality of the habit happens, it never matches up with your fantasy. It’s often harder, sloppier. Less idealized. And so you quit.
• When you move through your home or office, your mind is not on the action of walking and the things around you, but elsewhere. In fantasy.
• When you eat, you’re not paying attention to the food most of the time. Your mind is somewhere else, in fantasy.
• When you talk to someone, you aren’t focused on what they’re saying, but thinking of what you’re going to say, or thinking about something else.

Of course, some of the time we’re here in the present moment, but it’s probably less than you think.
The fantasies take up most of our time, and they are not usually helpful. They cause us to fear, to procrastinate, to become angry, disappointed, to quit.

Instead, try this: let go of the fantasy and pay attention to this actual moment. See it for what it is, not what you’d like it to be. Accept it exactly as it is, warts and all.

Move through the day practicing this seeing things as they are.

Do your work without thinking about the fear of your failure fantasy, or what might happen in the future, or how hard this work is gonna be … and just do it, in the present moment.

Do your new habit (exercise, meditation, healthy eating) in the present moment, seeing it for what it is, not how it measures up to your fantasy of what it should be. Not how it will be hard in the future. But as it is.
See other people for what they are, and accept them without judgment. Strangers included. Warts and all.
We can fantasize all we want, but the fantasy never happens. This present reality is all we got. Let’s learn to love it.