~© Opinions the other press Kali Thurber © — opinionsubmit@hotmail.com_ March 24, 2004 Saint Patrick —A Man To Commemorate Or Condemn? Kali Thurber Opinions Editor The how and why of most holiday's origins never fail to intrigue me while simultaneously dashing all my hopes for the society I live in—and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. If anyone happened to read my article around Christmas time, you'll remember that I find most religious holidays to be celebrated by many nonreligious folk more out of habit ‘than ceremony. For several centuries March 17 has been celebrated inter- nationally by wearing green, sport- ing the shamrock design, attending parades, drinking green beer, and generally supporting anything that represents Ireland. But I have to ask, who is this man that we idolize on this day, and is-he worth the cele- bration? I found that Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, who is best known for bringing Christianity into the country. The manner in which he did this, and the symbol- ism used to describe this in Christian writings is also worth not- ing. It is written that Patrick gave a sermon on a hilltop that conse- quently “drove the snakes out of Ireland.” Since Ireland never had any snakes on its land this is thought to be a symbol for Patrick having either converted the pagans to Christianity or driven them out of Ireland altogether. Not being Christian myself, and being of the mindset that everyone should be able to believe in what they wish, the fact that Patrick forced an entire country into one religion gives me no reason to memorialize the man. However, I still feel the urge to trudge on and discover the key to this holiday. You may ask why an agnostic Canadian is so interested in an Irish Christian holiday, and the answer is simple—I love any excuse to entertain and make merry, but I still crave a rational reason for my celebration. The many names of Saint Patrick are particularly engrossing when their definitions are considered. Patrick was actually born with the British name of Maewyn Succat, which means warlike. Maewyn was kidnapped at age 16 and sold into slavery, and it was in his solace as a slave that he found the Christian God—later receiving his baptismal name, Patrick, which means noble. This name-change is fairly ironic and I wonder if the ‘Irish would have been so accepting of his Christian ways if he had kept his previous name, defined as warlike. But this is all hogwash when trying to find a reason to commend Saint Patrick, which, after some religious research, I’m reasonably certain is an impossible mission since the only aspect of his life that I consid- er worthy of celebration is his death. And his death, falling on March 17, AD 461 is what we celebrate after all. So on the day of Saint Patrick I woke up feeling that all holidays are futile and the only good that can come of them is the opportunity to carouse all night with a reasonable excuse the next day. But as I waited at the bus stop, wearing my obliga- tory green sweater, a young girl with her father approached me. The girl handed me her bus ticket and refused the twoonie that I offered her, saying, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day.” And then it all came to me— the real reason for religious holidays is for little moments like that. Perhaps what one can learn from Saint Patrick is that (sadly) you must forget about the origins of holidays in order to enjoy them. So on Saint Patrick’s Day I drank a green beer for the frivolous oppor- tunity to celebrate, another for the joyous attitude that comes with hol- idays and one more because I like the colour green—but not one was for Saint Patrick. Carly Reid OP Contributor Some things in life are so ridiculous they seem to belong in a Saturday Night Live skit rather than in reali- ty—people suing restaurants for serving fatty foods, drunk parents asking young children to take over behind the wheel, and the latest—a new miracle drug that will help you lose weight and quit smoking simultaneously. The drug, reported on in an arti- cle published by the Vancouver Sun on March 10, is called Rimonabant, and it’s about time someone came up with the idea. Let’s face it, with the current hectic pace of daily life, we shouldn't be expected to put our energy into dealing with these health issues in a natural, compre- hensive manner. That would take time, and we have school, jobs, fam- ilies, and social lives. And we're expected to worry about our health, too? Shockingly, yes. In the past, we actually have had to take responsi- bility for choices and actions that affect our health. Thank God those days are ending. Seriously, though, what is going on? Obviously, Rimon-abant is only one of many drugs out there to offer a quick fix for things like smoking and over-eating. The only difference is now these two benefits are rolled together in one sleek, handy, and portable package—the Pert Plus of addiction cures. This difference is significant, though. The fact that a demand for this two-in-one product exists suggests there are a lot of peo- ple out there struggling with multi- ple addictions. Yet, is an addiction something that a pill can cure? Drug compa- nies seem to think so, or at least ME rc A Meditation On All This Medication they know that we, the consumers, hope so, and they tell us what we want to hear. Certainly, there is some biological component to addictions. Rimonabant claims to work by blocking the endocannabi- noid system that regulates urges, including those to eat and smoke. Interestingly, overeating and smok- ing overstimulate this system, caus- ing us to eat and smoke even more. So really, our own behaviours are triggering a biological reaction that perpetuates the unhealthy cycle. These compulsive behaviours that accompany addiction originate somewhere much deeper than our physical body—therefore, a band- aid solution is ultimately useless. Compulsive behaviour is emotional, and its source is often so buried or so far back in the past that it’s nei- ther immediately apparent nor immediately reparable. True free- dom from addiction requires an understanding of why we act the way we do. This, in turn, requires self-awareness and a willingness to persevere and endure an often uncomfortable process. That sounds like work, though, and, unfortunately, we're lazy. We don't even want to get out of the car to order a double cheeseburger meal, or leave the house to rent a movie, let alone waste time on flaky self-analysis. The drive to multi-task has morphed into a movement to eliminate as many tasks as possible. We've come to expect immediate, problem-free solutions to all our consumer needs, and this expecta- tion has extended into the area of personal health. This development is frightening—the more we look to wonder drugs to “cure” unhealthy behaviour patterns, the more we discount the very real connection http://www.otherpress.ca between our minds and bodies. If the emotional system is ignored, the physical system will suffer, as well. We're already a society ridden with neuroses, and our pill-popping ways only perpetuate the epidemic. I don’t want to minimize the experience of anyone struggling with addiction. Both the emotional and physical effects are very real. Furthermore, the journey to con- quer addiction feels interminable and relentless, often leading to despair. Obviously, the possibility of ending this struggle by swallowing a pill is very appealing. In some situa- tions, a pill may be very useful. It could give someone that initial push towards a healthier lifestyle. It could also save someone in serious condi- tion who requires immediate med- ical intervention. We need to keep these uses in mind, but simultane- ously avoid attributing miraculous powers to the drug. We should also consider the possibility that we're merely trading one unhealthy dependency for another—the ciga- rette is a quick fix in that stressful moment, and the pill is a quick fix for the need to have the cigarette in that moment. Tellingly, one of the words doc- tors used to describe Rimonabant is “provocative.” I’m not sure how comfortable I'd feel if my GP told me he wanted to put me on a “provocative” new drug. But that’s exactly what it is—the idea of killing two mammoths with one stone is always provocative. No pain, all gain, at least for the moment. I'm going to suggest an alternate P-word: Priorities. Sure, we're all short of time, and this necessitates that we figure out what's important enough to spend time on. Our health—physical, emotional, and spiritual—should be right at the top. We benefit ourselves, “others, and the world at large most when we are well in these areas, and we can't achieve this through any so- called “miracle” solution. Wellness is a condition that requires effort. You say you don’t have enough time to worry about health? Well, make time. Make time to listen to your body and your emotions. What triggers certain behaviours for you? Why does it trigger them? Looking at yourself so closely can be discon- certing, but those places of discom- fort are where real change happens. Just don’t automatically reach for the little childproof bottle on the counter before exploring other pos- sibilities. We need to snap out of our lazy stu- por, suspend our need for immedi- ate gratification and resolution, and start doing the grunt work. Otherwise, what's next? Come to think of it, I haven't had much time to shower lately, with school assign- ments and all. There really should be a pill that takes the grease out of my hair, because even with that shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one, I still have to get wet and then dry off. And if it could take the fuzz off my teeth at the same time, that would be great, because I haven't made it to the store to buy a new toothbrush this week—too many other things going on. If I wait a year or so, I’m sure some company will develop this personal hygiene miracle drug. I just wish they‘ hurry up because I really don’t have time for this, and I need to smell good right now. Third Degree Angela Blattmann OP Photographer Name: Kathleen Where's the beef? It’s in my pants. Name: Dale How many people can fit into a Nissan XTerra? Do they have to remain whole? (Counts to himself) 17, max! Name: The Doctor Doctor, if you were in a restau- rant and had to perform an emergency operation, which would it be? What's your favourite? Do I look like God? No. Okay, work with me here... Ok, I'd amputate a pinkie. Who needs it, anyway? That's disgusting. What kind of doctor are you?!