Journalled on Tuesday, 5 September 2023 | Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro: 28 degrees, hot, sunny and slightly overcast.
I’ve been taking Perola to the park to work out and to have some contact with nature, because she needs it as much as I do.
She needs the exercise because when I arrived in Botafogo, she was extremely overweight for a dog. She was also taking corticosteroids because of her allergy problems.
This issue is common with dogs, especially those with white fur and skin. Nalva was spending a lot on veterinary fees and treatment. We took Perola to two different vets, and each prescribed different medicines.
We ended up paying over R$300 Reais on medicine each time. I preferred the second vet, but since we had already spent a lot of money, I told Nalva not to buy more medicine until we had finished the current prescription.
I don’t know if it was because of taking Perola to the park, the medicines, or both, but her condition has begun to improve. Her skin allergy seems to be less severe than before.
I learned from one of my doctor pupils that the brain and the mind are connected to the skin.
Fred explained to me how the brain and the skin are connected since the first cells of gestation. This connection continues throughout our lives, which is why many people with mental or psychological problems also have skin problems.
The illness appears or manifests on the skin when there is some mental or psychological issue or when you are stressed or going through a difficult situation. This skin problem becomes worse as a direct consequence of mental or psychological stress.
Nobody was taking Perola to the park, knowing or understanding this. She was never allowed to roam a little outside in the sun and among the trees. All animals love being outdoors and interacting with nature, especially dogs. We’re talking about the basics of having a decent quality of life for an animal: exercise, love, food, water, and time spent in the open air. We all need this.
Einstein once said that you would never meet a neurotic Indian, meaning that Indians who live outdoors in the wilderness with nature, animals, plants, trees, etc., are in the ideal habitat, as we are all animals. We need nature and this kind of environment.
Many of us have been pushed away from contact with nature in today’s modern, grey, concrete metropolises. As a result, many of the population living in these large cities have very limited contact with nature.
This lack of connection with nature can lead to psychological problems. Given that humans are animals, we need contact with nature, animals and plants. However, living in a large city severely limits this contact.
I am from a generation when, as children, my friends and I would live and play in the streets or in the fields behind our homes. We only went home to eat and sleep. My mother rarely knew where I was. Once, I cycled to another town and returned the same day without my mother knowing I had been there.
Nowadays, getting our children out of the house to engage in physical activities can be a big challenge and cause a lot of stress.
This should not be the case. I have encountered this issue with Yasmin. Getting her to willingly go for a walk, enjoy nature, or participate in any exercise or sports is extremely difficult. It feels like I’m forcing her to do something terrible that goes against her principles of being an ordinary, decent, young, fit girl.
It is tough to understand and accept that I am not the only parent with this problem. The current generation has so many distractions, superficial compensations, and a little laziness. Parents become crazy seeing today’s children rotting at home and doing very little.
I think the walks to the park with Perola have helped her with her allergy problems. Her skin has changed to a more natural colour; before, it was much redder, and now it’s much whiter. She is scratching much less and generally looks healthier and thinner.
She is not as sluggish as before and is more active at home. All she wanted to do before was to sleep or stay still, but now she’s a more active part of the family again.
If this works for Perola, a dog, it can work for us. Dogs seem to be much more receptive to treatments in general, and to acupuncture, than humans. It could also be that what we have just discussed is true. Maybe dogs are more receptive to slight changes in their habits than humans are.
But I also think we are, too. Changing our routines and habits for the better will benefit us, so it is logical for us to try to improve them. Consequently, we improve. Our bodies improve, our minds improve, the quality of our lives improves, and we become better people.
We can conclude that the changes we make in our lives, big or small, depend on each of us. If we want to improve our lives, we can start by making small changes with courage. By doing so, we can reap the rewards and gain more confidence and trust in ourselves, which will prepare us for even more significant changes in the future.
It all depends on us. If we do nothing, nothing will happen; if we take action, something will. Therefore, the logical choice is to do something positive rather than something negative.
We went to the park. I worked out while Perola roamed around, exploring. It was just a quick visit because I had to shower as soon as I got home to start the classes for the rest of the day. I posted again on “The Long Gringo” site. It looked pretty nice, but it needs improvement. Overall, everything is good.
Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!
In bed by 10 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
