Reader Digest

Reader’s Digest

trimming. But the crew that came out to try this approach with Hank.
analyzed Hank’s predicament and Bushong filled a small crate with
said it wasn’t safe for a person to go
up into the tree because the branches some of Hank’s favourite things: cat-
weren’t sturdy. nip, food, a pair of her slippers, a fuzzy
blanket. They called it Hank’s party
Bushong was crushed. “To real- pack. With the help of volunteers from
ize something you love is in trouble Casey Trees, they used a contraption
and you personally can’t do anything that shot a beanbag attached to a rope
about it is very frustrating,” she said. high into the tree.

Cue the neighbours. Ed Baptiste, They got lucky on the first try, as
whose tree Hank had climbed, let the rope caught a branch directly
Bushong sit in his backyard and call to above Hank. Pulling on the other end
Hank. Another neighbour donated a of the rope, they positioned Hank’s
can of sardines, hoping it might entice party pack just beneath him. To their
the hungry cat to come down. Nearby great delight, he jumped in, and they
dog owners took their pets on walks lowered him.
instead of letting them out in their
yards to avoid further spooking Hank. Once on terra firma, Bushong
scooped Hank into her arms, cuddling
One neighbour suggested Bushong him hard as he purred. Afterward,
call a local business, EJ’s Pest Control, they went inside and ate, and Hank
which had a tall ladder. She did, and rested in his favourite chair.
the owner, Ijeoma Maduforo-Barry,
told her she was welcome to it. “I The next day, Bushong recalled,
don’t have pets, but I’m human, and I when Hank wanted to go outside,
do have a soft heart,” said Maduforo- “I said, ‘Oh no.’” After some fence
Barry. Unfortunately, the 42-foot lad- repairs, though, she let him out in
der proved too short. her backyard—where he seems con-
tent to stay.
By day five, nothing had worked.
That’s when Lydia Krassensky, a vet- Hank’s adventure taught his grateful
erinary assistant at HRA, told another owner a lesson about neighbours
staffer how her sister and brother-in- helping neighbours. “I can’t believe
law got their cat down from a tree. how many people went out of their
They created a makeshift pulley sys- way to help me with this cat,” she said.
tem by looping a rope around a tall “No one ever said, ‘You’re being ri-
branch, then raising a basket with diculous.’ It made me feel good that I
some of the owners’ personal items. live in a neighbourhood where people
The cat, lured by the familiar scents, would do whatever they could to get
climbed into the basket and was low- him down. It gave me hope.”
ered from the tree. D’Eramo decided
the washington post (26 november 2021),
copyright © 2021 by the washington post

readersdigest.in 49

FRIENDS,
INDEED

By Reader’s Digest Readers

A Treasured Friend to a gaily decorated box filled with
birthday gifts for my granddaughter. It
I had just gone through three big life was from Molly. We received a similar
changes within nine months: a divorce box with Christmas gifts for both of us
after 32 years of marriage, a move and soon after. We’ve received them every
receiving custody of my 22-month-old birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day,
granddaughter. At the same time, an Easter and Halloween for the past four
old college friend was diagnosed with years. I can’t tell you how excited my
a terminal illness and asked me to granddaughter is to open these trea-
reach out to some of our classmates to sure boxes, but I was also buoyed by
let them know. One of them, Molly, was the kindness. During a year in which
the first to our friend’s bedside. We I was struggling with so many life
hadn’t spoken in decades, but we kept changes, Molly’s extended thoughtful-
in touch through the following weeks. ness helped keep me afloat.
—Roberta Edgar Whitenight,
It was very overwhelming to raise a Warrington, Pennsylvania
toddler and adjust to the heartbreak
and depression. One day, I came home

50 october 2022

Cover Story

Growing Well help our child when she needed us,
but her American landlady, a retired
The first time I got my period, I was in 72-year-old attorney who lived in the
sixth grade. It was our annual sports same building, came forward to take
day at Ansar English School in Perum- over the part of loving parent. She
bilavu. I was sitting with four of my threw her a baby shower, drove her
friends, when one of them yelled out and her husband to the hospital at
“What’s that?!” As I pulled out my white three a.m. when labour set in and was
top and saw dark red patches, I began there throughout her post-delivery re-
to panic. As is the case in many Indian covery. Yes, kindness is truly around
families, normal topics like menstrua- every corner of our beautiful world!
tion were not discussed, so neither I —Group Captain Dev Dutta Roy (rtd)
nor my friends had any idea what was and Mrs Baby Roy, Greater Noida
happening to me. A nearby parent
heard our commotion and came over. A Change of Heart
Terrified and embarrassed, I just stood
there not knowing what to do. The lady My son needed a diaper change right
quickly understood and walked me to when we arrived for our day at the
the bathroom herself, calmly explain- zoo. In the changing stall, I realized I
ing that there wasn’t anything wrong had only one diaper left in the bag. I
with me. She showed me how to use a hated explaining to my daughter that
sanitary pad, washed my top and took we had to go home without seeing any
me to a teacher, who contacted my par- animals. She was disappointed but
ents. I’ll never forget how one woman’s didn’t argue, which made it even sad-
kindness turned a traumatic moment der. When we emerged from the stall,
into a positive coming-of-age experi- a woman was waiting for us with a
ence for a scared, young girl. spare diaper in hand. We could stay at
—Nahala Nasrin E.A, Thrissur, Kerala the zoo after all! This stranger turned
our bad memory into a precious one.
Under Her Wing —Rene Bane, Bowie, Maryland

Two years ago when our US-based The Power of Giving
daughter was expecting her first baby,
my wife and I were both on hospi- One morning during a visit to Chandi-
tal beds here in India, battling acute garh, I came across ‘The Wall of Kind-
health problems amidst the peak of ness’. My companion explained that
the COVID-19 pandemic. Our daugh- the effort had started a few years ago
ter’s in-laws, also India-based, had across the city: Citizens would leave
various pressing issues preventing clothes, utensils, blankets, shoes etc.
them from being by her side as well. along the wall, and any one in need of
We felt helpless at not being able to the things on offer could simply pick it

readersdigest.in 51

Carrying the Day

I bought a Little Tikes car for the kids
but found out too late that it was too
big to fit into my sedan. A woman in
the parking lot noticed me struggling
and offered to put the car in her mini-
van and follow me home. I never forgot
her kindness.

Two years later, I noticed someone
struggling to fit patio furniture into her
car. This time, I was the “woman with a
minivan.” I told her the Little Tikes story
and that it was my pleasure to pay it
forward. We loaded the furniture and I
followed her home. She and I stayed in
touch, and 25 years later, LeAnne and I
are still friends.
—Michele Levine,
Silver Spring, Maryland

up. It is a dignified way of sharing, with- Forever in Our Good Book PHOTOGRAPH BY K. SYNOLD
out anyone feeling belittled. Punjabi
culture encourages sharing and caring In a few years, my daughter Olivia
for each other—a philosophy also ob- would be diagnosed with autism,
served in langars (communal meals) ADHD, and a hearing impairment.
at gurudwaras. It reminded me of the But on this morning at a pancake
Jewish gemach (Hebrew for ‘acts of lov- house, I knew only that she was an ex-
ing kindness’), that operates similarly. tremely challenging (and adorable)
In a world full of growing indifference, two-year-old. Luckily, most of the other
the Wall serves as a reminder of com- diners seemed entertained when Olivia
munity systems that encourages reuse toddled up to their table and intro-
and lets the little guy know, that none duced herself. She spent an especially
of us are alone. We are all connected. long time at a table of older gentlemen,
—Sunanda Satwah, Mumbai one of whom eventually walked her
back to where we were sitting. He told

52 october 2022

Cover Story

me they’d loved Olivia’s company, and save money. Six months later, my in-
asked for our mailing address. ternship was extended by 15 days. My
lease, however, had ended and once
A few weeks later, we received a again I had nowhere to live. Neither
package from him containing the book my uncle in Zurich nor a friend who
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch lived close-by could help. But my La-
and Sheila McGraw. It took Olivia and hore neighbours invited me to move
me several reads to get through it with- in with them the moment they heard
out crying. Now she is about to gradu- of my troubles. A manager at the hotel
ate from high school. We still sing the was able to arrange a room for me that
book’s song to each other every night: day, but just the way this family opened
“I love you forever, I’ll like you for al- up their home to me left my heart so
ways, as long as I’m living, my baby full of gratitude and awe. The borders
you’ll be.” Then we hug. Sometimes between India and Pakistan may be
twice. That gentleman’s kindness has rooted in hostility, but the hearts across
made a lasting difference in our lives. the line are certainly not!
—Bonnie Weiss, Duvall, Washington —Rameshinder S. Sandhu, Amritsar

Welcome Home Be Our Guests

More than a decade ago, while pur- Years ago, when my daughter was four
suing a hotel management degree in years old, we went on a trip to Orlando,
Switzerland, I had to relocate to Zurich pinching pennies for weeks before-
from Lucerne for a six-month intern- hand in hopes that we could spend a
ship. The hotel didn’t offer accommo- day at Disney World. Waiting in line
dation to its staff, so I had to find my for tickets, I was growing less and less
own. It was a titanic task, as Zurich is confident that we’d saved enough to
exorbitant, but I found a tiny room that afford them. Out of nowhere, a man
suited my budget. I soon became ac- walked up and offered us free tickets.
quainted with the building residents, He told us that he and his wife were
among them a father and son duo park employees. They got the tickets
from Lahore. Their warm welcome, as a perk and didn’t want them to go to
made me feel as if I had known them waste. We thanked them profusely and
for ages. When I told them I was from walked through the gates of the Magic
Amritsar, they seemed more delighted Kingdom together. They even got us
still. “All three of us are from Punjab. discounts on souvenirs. Then they
Forget the border. If you need any- shooed us off and told us to go have a
thing, we are there for you,” they said. wonderful day.
True to their word, they shared food, —Karen Mills-Tribble,
cheered me when I got homesick and Richmond, Kentucky
gave me shopping coupons to help

readersdigest.in 53

LIFE’S

Like That

On the shuttle bus “What took you so long?” seeing no damage, the
headed from the truck driver and I got
Denver airport to the next to him. “This into our respective ve-
car rental area, I sat is where I met your hicles and drove on.
across from a man mother,” he said. Until, that is, I hit him
gazing out the window again a minute later
at the beautiful Rocky His son excitedly while he was stopped
Mountains. A smile yelled, “On this bus?” at a red light. This
creased his lips as if he —Rhonda Neal time, the driver
recalled a wonderful climbed down from
distant memory. I was mired in stop- his truck, walked over,
and-go traffic when I and asked, “How do
He turned to his accidentally rolled you stop when I’m
young son seated into the truck in front not here?”
of me. I apologized —Anne Vincent
profusely, and after
My uncle was in the
One of the cool things they don’t tell you hospital when a nurse
about your 30s is you can hurt your neck came into his room
by turning to look at something, which is and asked him, “Do
wild because that is the neck’s main job. you use oxygen?”

— @ashleyn1cole

54 october 2022 Cartoon by Phil Witte

Reader’s Digest

With an incredulous “What’s the differ- outdoors because
look on his face, my ence?” I asked he’s tired of people
uncle replied, my waitress. mistaking him for
“Doesn’t everybody?” a superhero.
—Robert Williamson “I don’t know. I’ll — @PAREENE
find out.” She walked
My wife’s friend had into the kitchen and re- I just pulled a muscle
given her husband turned a minute later. tearing up my gym
strict instructions “They’re both exactly membership card.
regarding her cremation: the same.” — @UncleDuke1969
Half of her ashes were to
be scattered in one place “OK, I’ll have one.” Reader’s Digest will pay
and the other half Grabbing her pad for your funny anecdote
scattered in another and pencil, she asked, or photo in any of our
place. Puzzled, her “Which one do humour sections. Post it
husband asked, “Which you want?” to the editorial address, or
half goes where?” —Richard Altman email: [email protected]
—Brian Spector
My kid asked if he
I was in the supermar- could stop wearing
ket one morning, pick- his Spider-Man coat
ing through the red
peppers, when over the PUMPKIN PIQUED
intercom a recorded
voice announced that The jack-o’-lanterns on my neighbour’s porch
day’s specials. It ended look like my wife and me 20 minutes into
by cheerfully imploring, an argument about where to eat.
“Have a great day!”

An older man by the
cucumbers mumbled,
“Too late for that.”
—Jennifer Pauly

Scanning the diner’s @RodLacroix
menu, I noticed that the
offerings included both
a hero and a sub.

readersdigest.in 55

HEALTH

OUR BODIES ARE
ALWAYS SURPRISING
US WITH NEW SPOTS,
BUMPS AND ACHES.

THE QUESTION IS:
HOW MUCH SHOULD

YOU WORRY?

HERE ARE 17 SYMPTOMS

TO NEVER IGNORE

by Anna-Kaisa Walker

illustrations by jason schneider

56 october 2022

Reader’s Digest

WHITE RINGAROUND symptoms. If it occurs on a regular basis,
YOUR CORNEA or if you’re having spontaneous bruising
elsewhere, it could be a sign of some-
don’t worry: If you’ve noticed a ghostly thing more serious—like a clotting dis-
pale ring around your cornea—the clear order or diabetes.
layer of protective tissue that covers your
iris and pupil—it may just be a normal TWITCHING EYELID
part of ageing. As we get older, the edge
between the cornea and the white of the don’t worry: You’re going about your
eye becomes more porous, allowing fatty day and suddenly your eyelid starts
deposits from the bloodstream to leak in. involuntarily twitching as if it’s dancing
Arcus senilis, as it’s called, doesn’t to its own beat. Not to worry—this con-
impair vision or require treatment. dition is called eyelid myokymia, and it
do worry: If you’re under 40, the white affects almost all of us at some point. It’s
ring might be your first sign of high thought to be caused by a misfiring of
cholesterol—so better have your doctor the nerves that drive the muscles that
run a blood lipid profile, which mea- open and close your eyes, and it usually
sures levels of cholesterol, triglycerides stops in a few seconds. “You can feel
and other fats. your eyelid twitching, but it’s so slight,
another person can’t see it,” explains
RED SPOTINYOUR EYE Dr Colin Mann, president of the Cana-
dian Ophthalmological Society. Com-
don’t worry: Seemingly out of nowhere, mon causes include too much caffeine
there’s a dot of blood on the white of or alcohol, and ongoing stress. So rest up
your eye. Luckily, this alarming symp-
tom most often signals something
harmless. A broken blood vessel—called
a subconjunctival haemorrhage—can
happen from coughing, sneezing or
even straining too hard on the porcelain
throne. Also, taking medications such as
blood thinners can predispose you to it.
Blood can then pool under the clear
protective layer sitting over the white of
your eye, and even spread all the way
around. It usually resolves on its own
after about two weeks.
do worry: If you have a red spot, keep an
eye out (no pun intended) for other

readersdigest.in 57

Reader’s Digest

and take it easy on the coffee and booze. HAIR FALLING OUT
do worry: If the twitching episodes per-
sist beyond a few weeks, or if they don’t worry: Each day, the average per-
involve stronger contractions that visibly son loses 50 to 100 hairs from their scalp.
close your lid, see your doctor. It could Compared to the more than 1,00,000
be a sign of Bell’s palsy, a temporary hairs on your head, that isn’t much. But
form of facial paralysis that affects one when you suddenly notice clumps in the
in 60 people, or an even rarer neuro- shower drain, it’s considered abnormal
logical disorder called benign essential and could have a number of mostly
blepharospasm, which can impair your benign causes—including illness, sur-
vision and needs medication or surgery. gery, stress, a high fever, a crash diet or
hormonal shifts like childbirth and
CONSTANT HEADACHES menopause. For all of the above, time is
the only cure, and it can take four to
don’t worry: A headache is chronic if it seven months to begin regaining your
occurs more than 15 days a month, for a normal hair density.
minimum of three months—but it do worry: Hypothyroidism, or an
doesn’t take that long for them to underactive thyroid gland, can cause
become, well, a headache. Common hair to become brittle and thin as the
triggers are dehydration, sleep depriva- disease slows your metabolism, inter-
tion, vision problems, sinus congestion,
poor posture while working at a desk
and hangovers—all of which have
straightforward solutions.
do worry: If you’ve ruled out all of the
above, it’s worth a call to your doctor
for more investigation, especially if you
find yourself taking over-the-counter
pain relievers more than twice a week.
Ultimately, you may not discover the
cause—this is true for many people
who suffer from headaches—but med-
ication, dietary changes and certain
supplements can help.

Also, your health care provider should
examine you for signs of stroke, cancer
or brain injury, such as weakness on one
side, unequal pupil sizes, and cognitive
changes like confusion or memory loss.

58 october 2022

Health

rupting your hair’s growth cycle. If left
untreated, hypothyroidism can cause
complications like heart disease, so it’s
important to manage it with medication.

RINGING INYOUR EARS

don’t worry: What’s that annoying artery near your temple, which puts you
sound? Is that high-pitched droning, at risk for stroke. Surgery may be needed
buzzing or whooshing noise coming to clear any blockages.
from outside, or is it something inside
your own head? Tinnitus is surprisingly ACHE INYOUR EAR
common. It most often lasts a few min-
utes, hours or days, but sometimes it don’t worry: As any new parent can tell
lasts forever. The most common cause is you, ear infections are the bane of early
hearing loss, whether temporary—from childhood. But an earache in an adult
a loud noise, for example—or perma- warrants closer investigation, since run-
nent, as with ageing (three-quarters of of-the-mill infections are less common.
people over 70 have hearing loss to some In fact, the culprit may not even be in
degree). Although it’s not a medical your ears at all. Temporomandibular
emergency, tinnitus can affect quality of joint (TMJ) disorder, which causes
life in the long term—Ludwig van inflammation or dislocation in the jaw
Beethoven had it so bad in his 30s, he joint, is often called a ‘great impostor’ for
contemplated suicide. the way it can mimic other health condi-
“It’s not a very well-understood phe- tions—and more than 70 per cent of
nomenon,” says Dr Vance Tran, a family people who suffer from it report ear
physician in Ontario, “but we think it has symptoms, according to a 2019 Swedish
something to do with how we experi- study. If you have pain in one or both
ence transmissions from a damaged ears but don’t have a fever, discharge or
auditory nervous system as sound.” other signs of infection, have a dentist
Have your doctor look inside your ears, check for signs of tooth wear or any pop-
as tinnitus can sometimes be caused by ping or clicking in your jaw. A mouth
an obstruction, like wax buildup. If the guard, Botox injections to relax the jaw
cause is age-related hearing loss, the
good news is that it can be treated with
a hearing aid.
do worry: If the noise is rhythmic or
pulsing, see your doctor right away. That
can be a sign of narrowing in the carotid

readersdigest.in 59

Reader’s Digest

muscles, or physiotherapy may help. in Windsor, Ontario. Also, an overgrowth
do worry: More rarely, a complication of yeast, called candidiasis or thrush, can
from shingles called Ramsay Hunt happen when antibiotics, chemotherapy
syndrome can affect the facial nerve or diabetes kill off the healthy bacteria in
near one ear, causing painful blisters your mouth—and can be treated with
inside the ear canal, hearing loss and antifungal medication.
even facial paralysis. It’s diagnosed do worry: Leukoplakia, characterized
from a characteristic red rash on the by thick white patches that can’t be
affected side of the face, and treated scraped off, might be an early sign of oral
with anti-viral medications. cancer. Frank suggests seeing your den-
tist if any unusual spot sticks around for
WHITE STUFF more than a couple of weeks.
ON YOUR TONGUE
METALLIC TASTE
don’t worry: An icky white coating on INYOUR MOUTH
your tongue is most likely a sign of poor
oral hygiene—it’s actually a mixture of don’t worry: That rusty flavour is called
bacteria, food debris and dead skin cells dysgeusia, and it could be caused by
trapped between the little bumps on the taking lithium, certain blood pressure
tongue. “The simple solution is to brush medications, cancer drugs or iron sup-
your tongue daily or use a tongue plements. It’s not serious, but it can be
scraper,” says Dr Charles Frank, a dentist unpleasant. If switching medications
isn’t an option, over-the-counter mouth-
wash or gum can mask the taste.
do worry: According to Frank, in very
rare cases a mild electrical current can
occur if you’ve had fillings, crowns or
implants done with more than one type
of metal. Called oral galvanism, it’s not
dangerous—but if it doesn’t go away it
could be costly, as you’ll need to have
your fillings changed.

JAW PAIN

don’t worry: Aching in your jaw, pain
while chewing and a locking or popping
sensation when you open your mouth
wide can be signs of temporomandibu-

60 october 2022

Health

lar joint (TMJ) disorder, which can dis- viruses or other foreign substances
locate your jaw joint and inflame the invade your body, your lymph nodes can
muscles and ligaments that control its feel swollen and hard with all the white
movement. Bruxism, or teeth grinding, blood cells piling in to fight off the
is a common cause, and many aren’t assault. Once you’re done battling what-
aware that they clench or grind their ever it was, they will go back to normal.
teeth at night. “Waking up with a head- do worry: If you feel the lump in the hol-
ache is a telltale sign of bruxism,” says low above either collarbone—where
Frank. “A dentist can prescribe a splint your supraclavicular lymph nodes are—
that covers the surface of your teeth, so these can be important sentinels for dis-
you’re punishing the plastic instead of ease in your abdomen. If it happens on
wearing down your tooth surface.” your left side specifically, it’s called
do worry: More rarely, jaw pain on one Troisier’s sign, and it’s considered an
side can result from a cyst or a tumour, indication of cancer in the stomach or
which your dentist can see on an X-ray. other organs, even if you have no other
If the pain is only on the left side and symptoms. See your doctor ASAP.
radiates up your neck to your jaw, go to
the ER right away—it could be an WHITE MARKS ON NAILS
uncommon sign of a heart attack.
don’t worry: Those mysterious dots or
LUMPNEARYOUR NECK lines on your fingernails—called leuk-
onychia—are usually caused by bump-
don’t worry: Spread out in a network, ing or pinching the skin under your
your lymph nodes are bean-shaped cuticle where your nails start to grow.
glands that play an important role in They’re usually harmless and take six to
your immune system. When bacteria, nine months to grow out completely. If
a spot looks yellowish and you see thick-
ening of the nail, that could indicate a
fungal infection requiring a prescription.
do worry: If the bands are vertical and
dark-coloured, see your doctor as soon
as possible. “In a fair-skinned person,
these can indicate subungual mela-
noma, a rare form of skin cancer under
the nail,” says Tran. Darker-skinned
people do get bands like this normally as
they age, but if you notice new stripes or
a change in their thickness, it warrants
further investigation for melanoma.

readersdigest.in 61

Reader’s Digest

COLD HANDS

don’t worry: Genetics can be the reason just part of the way your digestive system
your hands always feel like icicles, even efficiently turns food into fuel.
in summer—research shows it runs in do worry: If the bloating never goes or
families. The elderly, who tend to have is accompanied by symptoms such as
slower circulation, as well as very thin severe cramps, changes in bowel habits,
people without much insulation, can blood in your stool, nausea, decreased
also feel more sensitive to cold, espe- appetite or unintentional weight loss,
cially in the extremities. The solution? see your doctor—diagnosing irritable
Avoid nicotine and caffeine, which bowel syndrome, Celiac disease, Crohn’s
restrict blood vessels, and dress in layers disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis,
to keep your core temperature up. colon cancer and other conditions can
do worry: Raynaud’s phenomenon, require a more thorough workup.
which affects 10 per cent of the popula-
tion, is a vascular abnormality character- WEIRD SMELLING PEE
ized by attacks of cold, pain, tingling or
burning, and white or bluish colour in don’t worry: Certain foods, notoriously
the fingers. It can be managed with med- asparagus, can give your urine a funky
ication, but in some cases, Raynaud’s tang. But stinky pee can have a bouquet
can be a sign of an autoimmune disease of other possible causes, including those
called scleroderma. Anaemia, caused by new vitamins or medications you’ve
low iron levels, can also make your
hands and feet feel cold, and is also
linked to fatigue, dizziness and chest
pains. Iron supplements can help restore
your haemoglobin levels.

CHRONIC BLOATING

don’t worry: If you feel like a hot air bal-
loon after every meal, you’re not alone.
A food journal may help pinpoint spe-
cific dietary triggers, such as broccoli,
beans or fruit. It’s important to note,
though, that it’s normal for bellies to
change shape over the course of the day,
and passing gas (from the northern or
southern route) up to 20 times daily is

62 october 2022

Health

been taking. B1 is known for giving urine and stabilize the joint, and if necessary
a distinctly fishy odour, while sulfon- prescribe medications for pain and
amide antibiotics can impart a rotten- inflammation relief.
egg smell. An ammonia smell in your
urine could mean you’re dehydrated SWOLLEN KNEE
and need to drink more water during the
day—or, if attended with burning, fever don’t worry: Prepatellar bursitis, which
or chills, might be an early sign of a uri- most commonly affects gardeners or
nary tract infection. anyone whose occupation involves a lot
do worry: Poorly controlled diabetes of kneeling, is caused by inflammation
can make urine smell fruity from the in the bursa, or fluid pouch, on the front
ketones. If you’re diabetic and also expe- of your kneecap. If one knee is notice-
riencing nausea, confusion or excessive ably more swollen than the other, tender
thirst, see a doctor immediately—you to the touch and painful to extend, try
may be suffering from ketone acidosis, a treating it with rest, ice and a non-
potentially life-threatening condition. steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID)
medication like ibuprofen.
JOINT POPPING do worry: If the symptom doesn’t abate,
OR CLICKING if the knee feels warm or if more than
one joint in your body is swollen, have
don’t worry: That snap, crackle or pop your doctor check for arthritis.
you hear when you stand up, walk down
stairs or stretch is called crepitus, and it
doesn’t necessarily mean you’re
decrepit. It’s either caused by gas bub-
bles forming in the fluid that surrounds
and lubricates the joints, or the sound
of a tightly strung tendon snapping as it
slides over a bony surface. Either way, if
the noise is painless, it’s nothing to
worry about (and becomes more com-
mon as we age, especially in the knees).
do worry: If the cracking hurts or the
noise changes to a crunching sound,
see your doctor—as arthritis pro-
gresses, the breakdown of cartilage can
lead to bones grinding against one
another. Your doctor will first recom-
mend exercise therapies to support

readersdigest.in 63

Reader’s Digest NATURE

Swimming

Orwcithas

64 october 2022

A female orca, which has
a dorsal fin much smaller

than that of a male.

A plunge into forbidding waters
off Norway leads to an
extraordinary encounter

Photographs & Text by Pete McBride

from SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

readersdigest.in 65

Reader’s Digest

The water is cold inside Norway’s northern-
most fjords. When I slipped in headfirst, wear-
ing a thick wetsuit, the four-degree-Celsius
surface temperature made the water feel dense
and biting on my exposed face. Diving down, I
crossed a threshold into another world—dark,
frigid, seemingly bottomless and home to giant
carnivores that eat fish, seals and porpoises.

If you want to see wild orcas, But they are the largest dolphins on
they can be found in every ocean, the planet, with seven main ecotypes
from the Arctic to Antarctic. The that vary in pigmentation pattern,
coast of Canada’s British Columbia, diet and sonar dialect. Members of
Argentina’s Valdes Peninsula, and these groups don’t usually mate with
Australia’s Bremer Bay are all popular one another, though scientists are di-
orca-watching spots. vided on whether to consider them
different species.
Despite their ‘killer whale’ nick-
name, orcas don’t prey on humans. Most countries set limits on how
close you can get to orcas.
That’s not the case in Norway,
which has no laws against
swimming with dolphins and
whales. (The country’s whaling
laws are also notoriously lax.)
This makes Norway an allur-
ing destination for orca lovers,
but it can also lead to danger
for both humans and animals.
At one point during my visit, I
saw three young tourists from
Spain block a pod of orcas
with their sailboat, jump into
the water and try to approach
by paddleboard. Their tactics
scared the orcas into hiding

66 october 2022

Opposite: Author and photographer Pete McBride prepares to go diving with orcas.
Above: A pod of orcas swims near the village of Skjervoy in the far north of Norway.

far below the surface. What’s more, pods or breaking up families.
the Spanish tourists could have ended The orcas in this area feed on her-
up stranded out there beyond the
fjords, five kilometers from the near- ring, which they corral into clusters
est shoreline, left to the mercy of the called bait balls. It takes a lot of en-
fierce Arctic weather and currents. ergy for cold-water mammals to or-
chestrate these feeding sessions, and
My tour operator, Jacques de Vos, de Vos makes sure his divers don’t get
went to great lengths to avoid such in the way. He uses his radio to keep
situations. De Vos is a South African- in touch with nearby researchers so
born diver who has been studying he can stay attuned to the animals’
orcas in this region for the last behaviours and help locate individual
seven winters and has a reputation members of the pods.
for being sensitive to the animals
and their habitat. He knows how to I went to Norway partly because
locate orcas without disturbing the the COVID-19 pandemic presented
a unique opportunity to photograph

readersdigest.in 67

In the early dawn light, a pod of orcas feeds on herring in the waters near Skjervoy.

orcas in their element. There were far your flippers loudly on the surface or PHOTO: ©PA IMAGES/ALAMY IMAGES
fewer commercial tours operating, so make jerky motions.
the animals would be less harassed.
More important, as shipping and fish- Before we slid into the sea, de Vos
ing slowed worldwide, researchers played me a recording full of clicks,
were able to identify more whale and whistles and zipperlike sounds. Amaz-
dolphin vocalizations. ingly, each orca pod uses its own dis-
tinct language of notes and tones.
Before de Vos would let me swim
with the orcas, I spent a day on his Behind the conversations, I heard
boat learning about their behav- the moans of humpback whales. De
iour. He tested my swimming abil- Vos pays attention to humpbacks, too.
ity, watching me carefully as I dove They tend to follow orcas and steal
and climbed back on board, weighed their bait balls. Humpbacks can be
down with diving gear. I listened to his as large as 15 metres long and weigh
instructions: Don’t swim aggressively more than 40 tonnes. They don’t
towards the orcas. Move calmly and attack humans, but once in a while,
let them come to you. Don’t splash they inadvertently scoop up divers
who get too close to their food. (This

68 october 2022

Reader’s Digest

PHOTO: © BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES reportedly happened to a lobster surfaced for a breath. His two-metre
diver on the east coast of the United dorsal fin broke the water just metres
States in 2020. The whale spat him out in front of me, then he accelerated
and he survived.) back down into the darkness with
one swoosh of his fluke. Through my
On the recording de Vos played for wetsuit hoodie, I faintly heard a click
me, the humpbacks called to each and a high-pitched whistle.
other in low baritones, ascending
the musical scale. He explained that Two female orcas appeared about
low and high notes travel different six metres below me, corralling her-
distances. A whale will call out to a ring into a bait ball. The pair seemed
podmate, and the pitch of the reply unbothered as I dove down to get a
may indicate how far away it is. De closer look. They started pushing
Vos compares the giant creatures to the herring towards me as if I had ar-
truck drivers speaking to each other rived to help.
on different radio channels.
Suddenly, the male re-emerged
I never knew how powerful an or- from the depths. As he glided next to
ca’s sonar pulse could be until I got me, his pectoral fin, nearly the size of
into the water and felt one reverber- my entire body, slid under my stom-
ate deep in my chest, like the notes ach. We eyed each other again before
from a bass guitar at a rock concert. he rolled left and swept his dorsal fin,
The sensation was so weirdly moving the size of a small plane’s tail, just
I hooted through my snorkel. When a over my head.
six-tonne orca swims directly at you
and pings you with his echolocation The strafe felt more playful than
device—trying to identify who and territorial, like an orca high-five—a
what is swimming in his Arctic hunt- moment of connection with an
ing waters—you realize you are in a enormous intelligent being in a place
completely alien world. where sound is sight and the noisy
natural glory of nature still reigns.
I swam alongside this eight-meter-
long male for a few moments. We smithsonian magazine (october 2021), copyright © 2021
looked each other in the eye before he by pete mcbride

Fascinating Factoids

The hashtag symbol is technically called an octothorpe.

The 100 folds in a chef’s hat represent 100 ways to cook an egg.

Four times more people speak English as a second language than as a native one.

SOURCE: WWW.GOODHOUSEKEEPING.COM

readersdigest.in 69

Reader’s Digest

Meet The

70 october 2022

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES PHENOMENA

While some dismiss it
completely out of hand,
others believe inexplicably
in the spirit world. We ask
the experts to weigh in

BY Helen Foster

B elief in the super-
natural and questions
about whether ghosts
are real have intrigued
humanity forever. But
are the spirits that may
walk among us actually the souls of the
departed, or the result of more down-
to-earth phenomena? While science
and spirits might not seem to go hand in
hand, you’ll be surprised how many evi-
dence-based explanations for spooky
sightings there are. We ask some ghost-
busters in white coats for alternative
ideas about why things might go bump
in the night.

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Reader’s Digest

THE SLEEP EXPERT THE COGNITIVE
SPECIALIST
Sleep paralysis is a condition where
you wake at night unable to move. If you’ve ever looked at a cloud or
It affects around 20 per cent of peo- building and seen a face, you might
ple at some point and sleep specialist be more prone to seeing ghosts.
DrBalandJalalfromHarvardUniversity The ability, known as pareidolia, is
in the US feels it could explain some your brain’s way of creating patterns
ghost sightings. “The stage of sleep from randomness and, according
called REM sleep is when we have to psychologist Toby Prike from the
our most vivid dreams and, to protect University of Western Australia, those
us from acting these out, we go into a who are good at it might also be more
state of paralysis,” he says. “If you wake prone to seeing ghosts. “Humans are
up at this point you can see and hear, primed to see faces as it’s important to
but your body can’t move. And, our quickly read information from them,
research has found that about 40 per and if you’re a good pattern observer,
cent of people start to see things when you’ll be more likely to ascribe forms
this happens.” or faces to something like a shadow
than someone else. Your brain then
The sightings are the brain trying fills in the gaps to make it a ghost.”
to make sense of this. It’s telling your
arms and legs to move and expect- And it’s not just sight that might
ing feedback from them as to where be affected. Researchers at the UK’s
they are ‘in space.’ When it doesn’t get Durham University have also found
that feedback, cells in the brain called that some people’s brains are tuned to
mirror neurons start to draw a picture pick up speech patterns from random
of what should be happening. “And noise, which might explain spooky
in its confusion we can visualize this voices, too.
image as something in front of us,” says
Dr Jalal. “Some people experience this THE PLANT
as an out-of-body experience, where PA T H O L O G I S T
they look down upon themselves in
bed, others impose another explana- Conjure up an image of a haunt-
tion—you’re seeing a ghost.” ed house and you probably think of
somewhere dark, mouldy and a bit
The good news is you can treat run down—which led researchers at
sleep paralysis with a four-step meth- Clarkson University in the US to sug-
od Dr Jalal has created: the first step gest that mould might be behind some
of which is just closing your eyes spook sightings.
so the mirror neurons can’t create
their picture. Without this the ‘ghost’ “It’s a really interesting idea; some
can’t appear. moulds do give off biotoxins that can
affect the health and the brain,” says

72 october 2022

Phenomena

or depression, they might
be more impressionable.”
However, you wouldn’t just
walk into a haunted house,
breathe in some mould and
‘see a ghost,’ he says.

THE GRIEF

COUNSELLOR

Around 50 per cent of wid-

owers experience some

kind of ‘visit’ from their

loved one after their death.

IF YOU’RE ABLE TO SEE These encounters normal-
ly fit something researchers

A FACE OR PATTERN IN A call the four Rs: reassurance
CLOUD, YOU ARE MORE from the deceased that they
PRONE TO SEEING GHOSTS are OK; resolving—allowing
for forgiveness or closure; re-

affirming connections; and/

or release. “This is a normal

part of the grieving pro-

cess,” says grief counsellor

Jordan Bailey, curator for the New Eugenie Pepper from Sydney. “The idea

South Wales Plant Pathology and thatsomeoneislosttousforeverishuge,

Mycology Herbarium. “There is a fun- sometimes too huge to accept, and so

guscalledaspergillusfumigatuswhich the brain may protect us by creating this

can produce hallucinogens—and it ongoing connection after death.”

does grow quite nicely on latex paints Pepper says she’s heard enough sto-

in homes, although I don’t know of ries of unusual encounters to make

many old houses painted in those.” her think that perhaps sometimes

He points out that if you’re breath- something more spiritual is going on.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES ing in enough spores to cause hallu- “There’s a famous exercise in psychol-

cinations, you’re probably quite sick ogy where you’re told to concentrate

with other symptoms. But people see on some people throwing balls and

what they want to see, he says, “and halfway through a gorilla appears.

if someone is starting to suffer from Because they’re told to watch the balls,

neurological problems of mould tox- most people don’t see the gorilla—until

icity, like brain fog, sleep problems they are told about it.”

readersdigest.in 73

Reader’s Digest

She says that sometimes
she wonder if this is the case
with ghosts. “Maybe they
are there and we ignore
them. Only when we deeply
want to see something does
it become visible.”

THE SOUND THE FREQUENCY OF PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
SPECIALISTS INFRASOUND COULD
DISTORT VISION AND
Infrasound has a frequen- EXPLAIN UNUSUAL
cy of under 20 hertz, below
the range of human hearing. SIGHTINGS
Although we can’t hear infra-
sound, it can effect our body In a study by Professor Richard
causing discomfort, dizzi- Wiseman from the UK’s University of
ness, blurred vision and panic Hertfordshire, 22 per cent of people
attacks. In the 1990s, infra- said they felt uneasy listening to music
sound was linked to ghosts ‘spiked’ with infrasound.
after British engineer Vic
Tandy felt a sense of unease There’s a few reasons why this might
and saw a figure he couldn’t occur. A study at Max Planck Institute in
explain in a laboratory he was Germany found that infrasound expo-
working in. Eventually, he realized sure triggered activity in the amygdala,
a recently installed fan, which was a part of the brain involved with stress
emitting vibrations at 19 hertz, was to and fear. “There’s also some evidence
blame. But once the same frequency that the frequency of infrasound might
was discovered in a ‘haunted’ pub, cause vibration of the head and neck
the theory of infrasound causing which could distort vision and explain
hauntings was born. unusual sightings,” says Professor
Wiseman. But even he admits there
It’s a controversial idea. “I’ve stud-
ied infrasound for years and it gets
blamed for a lot of things that are
actually caused by other issues,” says
Norman Broner from the Australian
Acoustical Society.

But it is true that a few experiments
have shown a change in people’s
feeling upon exposure to infrasound.

74 october 2022

may be a level of suggestion about Phenomena
how the feelings are interpreted. “If
you walked into a modern building 5 SPOOKY SPOTS TO VISIT –
and suddenly felt uneasy, you might OR AVOID AT ALL COSTS
ignore it. But walk into an old Scottish
castle with a reputation and feel the Changi Beach, Singapore
same thing, that’s a ghost,” he says. Scene of a military massacre during
WWII, visitors to the beach claim to
THE PSYCHOLOGISTS hear the cries of soldiers and even
see bloodstains appear on the sand.
People who believe in ghosts are more
likely to see them (not surprisingly), but Monte Cristo Homestead, Australia
there are also other personality traits This Victorian-era home in Junee, New
that psychologist Neil Dagnall from South Wales, has had at least four deaths
Manchester Metropolitan University at the property – and it seems the victims
in the UK associates with people he haven’t left! You can stay overnight but be
names ‘ghost-experiencers’. “They warned, sceptics are apparently visited
tend to be less tolerant of ambiguity more often than believers.
and look for solutions for unknown
occurrences/sensations rather than Kellie’s Castle, Perak, Malaysia
ignore them,” he says. “They are also This folly close to Ipoh has underground
higher in imagination and creativity tunnels, impressive architecture and at
than other people.” The combination is least four ghosts, including its former
a recipe for attributing ordinary things owner William Kellie Smith and his
to spooky causes. young daughter, who still runs around
her bedroom. The identity of who
Loneliness has also been associated haunts the wine cellar is unknown.
with a greater chance of seeing ghosts.
Reports of home hauntings increased The Vulcan Hotel, New Zealand
during Melbourne’s long lockdown The ghost of a murdered prostitute is
and New York saw a similar rise. said to haunt this hotel in Saint Bathans,
Asked why by The New York Times, psy- Otago. Some male guests said they
chologist Professor Kurt Gray from the experienced a feeling of being held
University of North Carolina blamed it down at night.
on a combination of pandemic stress
and isolation. Nam Koo Terrace, Hong Kong
Now abandoned, this was once
“If you’re trapped at home needing used as a military brothel and is
human contact, it’s comforting to think reportedly haunted by a number of
there might be a supernatural agent women. Its spooky reputation grew
there with you.” Although we guess that after rumours that some schoolgirls
depends on how friendly they are! who snuck in to stay overnight were
so distressed they needed psychiatric
treatment afterwards.

readersdigest.in 75

All
in a Day’s

WORK

“Stop serving table number 3 complimentary bread.”

Scene: Veterinarian’s Customer: Then mer and bandleader,
black out the name ‘What are we paying
office … so nobody thinks Mickey?’ And Paul
Customer: Why do you I’m married to him! goes, ‘Nothing; he’s just
have my dog’s name coming to sit in.’ Willie
before my last name —NOTALWAYSRIGHT.COM replies, ‘Well,
on the check-in sheet? double his salary.’”
Me: That’s so we know Before music legend
who it belongs to. Willie Nelson’s long- —TEXAS MONTHLY
Customer: It sounds like time harmonica player,
I’m married to my dog! Mickey Raphael, offi- When I arrived at
Me: It’s more that we’re cially joined the band, church one Sunday
trying to say that you’re he’d show up at gigs morning, I bumped
the pet’s parent. and just start playing. into our pastor.
Customer: Are you say- After a while, Willie got
ing I gave birth to a dog? confused, Mickey said. “How are things
Me: Sorry, the computer “One day, Willie asked at work?” he asked.
prints it this way. Paul English, our drum-
“Father,” I said,
76 october 2022 “I’m so busy that

Cartoon by Dan Misdea

every morning I make Reader’s Digest
a list of five things that
I have to do that day. At work, I served a little girl some
If I make it to number ice cream, and her mom says, “Honey,
three, it’s a good day.” what do u say?” And she looks me dead
in the eyes and says, “I love u.”
The pastor nodded
knowingly. “I’m the — @nourabadIII
same way with the
Ten Commandments.” THAT’S THE JOB FOR ME!
—Victor Berrellez
For some, naming a newborn is a personal
My colleague’s daugh- decision. For others, it’s a business opportunity.
ter called him at work Meet Taylor A. Humphrey, professional baby namer.
to ask for help on a After parents fill out a questionnaire, she supplies
school project: a time- them with a bespoke list heavy on names like Florian
line of her life. He was and Balthazar with nary a Larry or Mary among them.
glad to help. Unfortu- Humphrey’s fee starts at $1,500, says the New Yorker,
nately, it went off the but not every suggestion is a winner. One client nixed
rails with the very first ‘Stellan’ because “it sounds a lot like Stalin.” As for
question: “Dad, when ‘Adler’—it’s the name of the bar down the street.
did I start walking?” If baby naming isn’t for you, here are start-ups
He answered,
“Walking to where?” the Twittersphere is considering:
—Lissette Cuadra
PEKIC/GETTY IMAGES A cooking competition gloves and boots and
During a job interview, where contestants make hats and whatever
the interviewer asked, whatever they want but else they lost that day.
“Where do you see my husband wanders — @mom_tho
yourself in five years?” around the kitchen and
stands in front of the Great British Bake-Off
“Um, I think we’ll drawer they need. but you pair contestants
still be using mirrors —@
in five years,” I replied. Deloisivete with a three-year-old
who wants to help.
— REDDIT.COM An ice cream — @abgutman
truck that
Reader’s Digest will pay drives Open This!’
for your funny anecdote around A game show
or photo in any of our in the where CEOs try
humour sections. Post it winter
to the editorial address, or selling to open the pack-
email: [email protected] kids aging they sell.

—@
tressiemcphd

readersdigest.in 77

Reader’s Digest

Princess Elizabeth
writing at her desk
in Windsor Castle in
May 1944. She had
just turned 18.

78 october 2022

PHOTO:© THE SUN/NEWS LICENSING RD CLASSIC

When

She

PrinWcasess
A 1945 perspective of the woman who
became Queen Elizabeth II

By William W. White
condensed from the pages of life. published in
reader’s digest in november 1945 as ‘princess elizabeth’.

readersdigest.in 79

Reader’s Digest

In June 2022, people of the British Commonwealth
celebrated the Platinum Jubilee: 70 years since
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in
1952 at the age of 25. Only three months later, on
8 September, the 96-year-old sovereign passed away
peacefully, bringing an end to the longest reign of

Iany British monarch in history. This article was

written in 1945, at the end of World War II, and
two years before Elizabeth married Prince Philip.
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary the day were altogether lost on Eliza-
Windsor will someday claim the alle- beth. She has been educated to think
giance of 4,89,000,000 of the world’s very seriously while saying very little.
population when she takes her full
title: Elizabeth II, by the Grace of At 19, she is already carefully
God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the coached and acutely conscious of
British Dominions beyond the Seas, the duties, dignities and limitations
Queen, Defender of the Faith and of a throne—especially the limita-
Empress of India. She recently saw tions. The British have whittled away
her sceptered isle go through the tur- at the powers invested in the Crown
moil of sudden political change when so diligently since four centuries ear-
Winston Churchill lost the election in lier—when Queen Elizabeth I said to
July, just two months after he declared an over-presumptive minister, “I will
VE Day. Her one recorded comment have here but one mistress and no
when she learnt that her good friend master”—that there is not much left.
had been snowed under an avalanche What is left is the power of creating
of leftist votes was, “Oh, bother.” peers, a never-used veto as head of the
Privy Council and the rather dubious
This is not to say that the events of honour of naming a Prime Minister

80 october 2022

PHOTOS, PREVIOUS SPREAD AND THIS ONE: ©LISA SHERIDAN/STUDIO LISA/GETTY IMAGES who has already been chosen The two sisters outside
by the British electorate. Windsor Castle in April 1942:
Elizabeth, left, 15; Margaret, 12.
At present, as heiress pre-
sumptive (as long as her fa- great, she will be an attractive one.
ther lives, it is presumed he Mannequin height (5 feet 6 ½ inches),
may have a male heir) Prin- Elizabeth has inherited from her
cess Elizabeth has no powers, Hanoverian antecedents an ample
no royal duties of state and no figure, a lovely rose-and-cream com-
constitutional functions. When plexion, good white teeth and a sturdy
she becomes Queen her most constitution. Unfortunately, she is not
vital contribution will be that photogenic because her chief attrac-
of a symbol of continuity. Gov- tion lies in her colouring. Her regal
ernments may fall, parties may bearing reminds old-timers of her
dissolve but the Crown goes grandmother, Queen Mary.
on forever. In that fairly certain
knowledge the British find an Less lighthearted than her attrac-
unconscionable pleasure. The tive 15-year-old sister Margaret Rose,
Crown remains one of the few whose superb mimicry of visiting dig-
expenses the British bear with- nitaries has more than once caused
out grumbling. gales of laughter at the royal dinner
table, Princess Elizabeth has already
So far, Elizabeth has shown
every prospect of living up to
a prediction made recently by one of
Britain’s elder statesmen: “She has
intelligence, personality and charm.
She will be a good Queen. She may
even be a great one.” Good Queen or

THE KING RULED
THAT SHE COULDN’T
JOIN THE WOMEN’S
AUXILIARIES. ‘BETTS’
HAD OTHER IDEAS.

readersdigest.in 81

Reader’s Digest

shown traits which indicate

she has a mind of her own.

A year ago when, like her

subjects-to-be, she became

due for national service, the

King ruled after long delib-

erations with his councilors

that her training as a prin-

cess outweighed the na-

tion’s increasing manpower

problems and that ‘Betts’

should not join any of the

women’s auxiliaries (known

as the Auxiliary Territorial

Service, or ATS). But Betts

had other ideas, and not

long afterward the Palace

made a straight-faced an-

nouncement that the King

“had been pleased to grant

an honorary commission as While in the women’s branch of the British Army

second subaltern in the ATS in 1945, young Elizabeth learnt how to service
to Her Royal Highness the military vehicles.

Princess Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth passed her driving course arrived at the Palace after making two

in two days less than the prescribed complete circuits of Piccadilly Circus

time, after attending lectures and in the rush hour “to get in as much

getting her hands greasy dismantling traffic as I could.”

engines. Most of the students finish When the princess embarks on a

this ATS driving course by driving to venture it completely dominates her

London for the experience. It was life. Thus, while she was at the dri- PHOTO: ©PA IMAGES/ALAMY IMAGES

ruled that Elizabeth should not, ving school the royal dinner-table

since the risks of a smash involv- conversation was centred around

ing the heiress presumptive would spark plugs and engine performance.

be too great. But while the wheels of Currently the major topic of conver-

government were churning out that sation—as far as Elizabeth can guide

ponderous decision, Elizabeth was it—is horses. She hopes to have her

driving a camouflaged army vehicle own stable in a year or so and race

up to London from the country. She against her father.

82 october 2022

IT WAS A COLD, GREY
DAY, BUT ELIZABETH

CONFESSED, “I’M
TOO NERVOUS TO
FEEL THE COLD.”

PHOTO: © BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES At dances in Mayfair private Princess Elizabeth playing tag with Navy
houses, which Elizabeth frequently officers en route to South Africa with her
attends accompanied by her lone parents and sister in early 1947.
lady in waiting—and from which she
has been known to return as late as debut in the orange glow of furnace
3 a.m.—she dances with many dif- fires in a Welsh tin-plate mill. Since
ferent young gallants and favours then she has made many appearances
no one in particular. But the names with her family and by herself; she
of several young peers keep recur- has done two radio talks and made a
ring constantly. Handsome, blonde, dozen speeches.
29-year-old Lord Wyfold, the young
Earl of Euston, or the good-looking Her most important engagement
Duke of Rutland are the usual three. so far was the launching of Britain’s
Elizabeth is bound by the provisions newest and greatest battleship, H.M.S.
of the Royal Succession Act to marry Vangaurd. Although it was a cold, grey
only with the consent of her father in day and she confessed to a nearby
council and not to marry outside the official, “I’m too nervous to feel the
Protestant faith. If and when she mar- cold,” she went through the ceremony
ries, her husband, on her accession without a flaw. Only later did she
to the throne, would not be king but
prince consort, like Victoria’s Albert
of Saxe-Cobourg. The number of eli-
gibles who would care for this subor-
dinate role is problematical.

Elizabeth’s first official public tour
after her father became king was in
Wales. Instead of appearing in the
stately setting of an evening Court
at the Palace, the Princess made her

readersdigest.in 83

On honeymoon with
Prince Philip in late 1947.

show she was more woman than Queen Mary taught the PHOTO: © TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES
princess. She had been presented with child the art of talking
a beautiful diamond brooch and while intelligently to the vari-
the chairman was labouring through ous visitors at Court, and
a ponderous speech of welcome, young Elizabeth early
Elizabeth sat quietly turning the Rose- learnt her most difficult
of-England-shaped brooch over and lesson—that she must
over in her hands, admiring it for all appear to be enjoying
she was worth. the talk, however dull. So
that she might be well in-
Elizabeth’s training has been ardu- formed or curious about
ous. ‘Grandmamma England’—Queen many subjects her grand-
Mary—seems to have had a firm hand mother trotted little Eliza-
with young Elizabeth, and she got in beth through the Victoria and Albert
return more respect from little Betts Museum, the Royal Mint, the Bank
than from her other grandchildren. of England, the science museum in
The two Lascelles boys, Gerald and South Kensington, the Tower of Lon-
George, when very young, had a terri- don, Westminster Abbey and the Na-
fying habit of rushing into a room and tional Gallery.
attacking Queen Mary’s ankles. She Since she was six, Elizabeth’s formal
was often obliged to put up a spirited education has been supervised by
defence with her famous parasol. Hap- an able young Scotswoman, Marion
pily, Elizabeth was less boisterous. Crawford—‘Crawfie’ to everyone in
the royal household. If young Betts
found it easier, as indeed she did,
to absorb history while lying on her
stomach on the floor of Crawfie’s
room, Crawfie had no objections. By
the time Elizabeth was 12 she had
shown a marked aptitude for history
and languages and a sublime distaste
for mathematics. At that point her
education became a matter on which
the Cabinet had to be consulted.
Elizabeth’s mother wanted her

84 october 2022

RD Classic

to go to a girls’ school so she could was asked what she would like to
meet more of her contemporaries, be when she grew up. Without a
but the choice of a school and moment’s hesitation, she answered,
the specialized curriculum necessary “I should like to be a horse.” Time
for a royal person were difficult, so it has served to modify that ambition.
was decided she should have a staff Whether anyone would genuinely
of tutors as Queen Victoria had. Her like to lead the antiseptic and rather
historical background includes the empty life of a modern queen may be
study of constitutional changes from a matter for doubt. But Elizabeth will
Saxon times to the present as well as have that duty.
the history of British land tenure and
agriculture. She is also well versed in That being the case, her ambition is
American history, and speaks French to be a good queen. If she, like the
fluently. To what would in Victorian earlier Elizabeth, reflects and encour-
days be called “the accomplish- ages the contemporary spirit of her
ments”—she plays the piano and people, she may occupy a position in
sings agreeably—Elizabeth added history of similar importance. The
completely 20th-century arts. She first Elizabeth built the British Em-
swims, drives a car, likes American pire. The second, by gentler means,
dance music, has the “good hands may keep it together.
and pretty seat” of an accomplished
horsewoman and is a good shot. © the picture collection inc. all rights reserved. reprinted/
translated from life and published with permission of the
When she was very young, Elizabeth picture collection inc. reproduction in any manner in any
language in whole or in part without written permission is
prohibited. life and the life logo are registered trademarks
of ti gotham inc., used under license.

The Tech Takeover

We as humans are so lazy and entitled at this point. For example, I just
typed two letters of a word on my laptop and then sat there waiting
for something or someone else to do the rest.

— @lukeplusone

I asked Alexa to play the Encanto soundtrack and I swear I heard her sigh

— @oneawkwardmom

Tim Apple: use iphone 14 satellite calling when
you get stranded in the wilderness

Me who hasn’t left my house in 2 years: I must have this

— @danmentos

readersdigest.in 85

Reader’s Digest DRAMA IN REAL LIFE

TRAPPED AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE SEA

His air-supply cord severed, commercial diver
Chris Lemons had minutes to live

BY Simon Hemelryk

86 october 2022

PHOTO:© THE SUN/NEWS LICENSING

readersdigest.in 87

Reader’s Digest

LEAVING HIS FIANCÉ TO GO TO WORK

was harder for Chris Lemons than for most people.
The deep-sea diver was typically away four weeks,
several times a year. As Chris, 32, readied to leave one
day in September 2012 for a job replacing oil pipes at
the bottom of the North Sea more than 193 km off
Aberdeen, northeast Scotland, he gave Morag the
usual reassurances.

“Don’t worry. It’s a carefully controlled environment.”
“I’ll miss you,” replied the 39-year-old school
headmistress. “But we’ll keep in touch, all the time.”

88 october 2022

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS LEMONS The couple had met five years earlier From left to right: Saturation divers
at a party in Dunoon, west of Glasgow, Duncan Allcock, Chris Lemons and
where Morag worked at a primary David Yuasa.
school. Chris, a 6-feet-5-inch-tall
Englishman from Cambridge, was a deadly bubbles in his tissues—caus-
diver and dive-boat crewman taking ing decompression sickness, or ‘the
a course in the area. He loved Morag’s bends’. SAT divers reduce this risk by
gregariousness, while she found him living full-time in a pressurized cham-
kind and funny. They started dating ber within the dive ship.
and soon Chris moved in with her.
They lived frugally while he trained For this latest job, Chris would be
in specialized saturation (SAT) part of a three-man team sharing the
diving in 2011, a job that involved SAT chamber with three other teams
maintaining seabed pipes for the for a month aboard the 106-metre ves-
oil and gas industry. It had its risks, sel Topaz. He was delighted to learn
from decompression sickness to he’d be working with Duncan Allcock.
drowning—several saturation divers
had died in recent decades around The 50-year-old had been diving
the world. But Morag knew how much in the North Sea for 17 years and had
it meant to him. worked with Chris on his first few
dives since he qualified 18 months
And it paid well, helping the cou- earlier, becoming Chris’s unofficial
ple plan an exciting future together. mentor. In a competitive indus-
Their wedding was set for the follow- try with only short-term contracts,
ing April. Morag had recently started Duncan had striven to make Chris
work at a school in Mallaig in the look good in front of supervisors,
Scottish Highlands, and the couple giving him advice and nudging him
were building a dream house over- away from mistakes. “If you’re un-
looking the sea. They talked about sure about something, don’t blag it.
having children, and after the kids I’ll talk you through,” he’d reassured
finished their education, moving to Chris. The pair had become friends;
France, where Chris had family. It was
a joyful time.

It’s called saturation diving
because, at the intense pressures
found in the deep sea, gas that
a diver breathes saturates into
his body. When he surfaces and the
pressure drops, this gas can emerge as

readersdigest.in 89

Reader’s Digest

Chris and Morag had recently stayed Just before 9 p.m. on 18 Septem-
at Duncan’s house in Chesterfield, ber, it was Chris’s team’s turn to dive.
England. Their third team member The three transferred to a diving bell,
would be David Yuasa, whom Chris which was lowered on cables around
knew by his excellent reputation. 75 metres below Topaz. Chris and Da-
vid would descend a further 15 metres
For the first few days in the cham- to replace some pipe on a structure
ber, the men chatted about Chris’s resting on the sea bed. Each man was
house build and upcoming wedding, connected to the bell by an umbilical
and Duncan’s son, who’d just started cord attached at the hip to their diving
working in diving. Chris couldn’t suits. It was a five-centimetre-thick
properly speak to Morag—helium in cluster of tubes carrying their air, a
the chamber made the divers’ voices communications line, electricity for
high-pitched and distorted—but the lamps and cameras on their hel-
they kept connected by email, and mets and hot water to keep their suits
Morag sent pictures of her adventures warm on the four-degrees-Celsius
cycling or climbing local mountains.

1Chris, 2They 5More than
Dave and get into 30 minutes
Duncan live the diving later, Dave retrieves
for days in a bell through Chris's inert body
pressurised airlocks. and brings him
chamber. back to the bell.

3The bell 4When the ship loses control,
is lowered Chris's lifeline snaps as the
75 metres. bell is dragged away.

Drama in Real Life

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ©THE SUN/NEWS LICENSING. PHOTO OF DIVER: ©DOGWOOF/FLOATING HARBOUR FILMS seabed. At the core was a steel-rein- helmet lamp. He and David started
forced rope. Each diver had 50 metres work within the manifold, a structure
of this lifeline, coiled ready on a rack nine metres high and 20 metres long;
inside the bell. Duncan would feed its pipes and valves managed oil flow-
this out as needed. ing from wells to platforms. Toiling a
few feet apart with wrenches and other
THE SHIP HAD tools, the pair would be under water
A BIG PROBLEM. for six hours.

“GET BACK TO Up on the ship, dive supervisor
THE BELL,” THE Craig Frederick sat before a bank of
controls and monitors showing the
MEN WERE ORDERED. feeds from the divers’ helmet cam-
eras. He followed their progress, giv-
Above water, the wind was about ing instructions by intercom for each
30 knots [55 kph] and the seas some stage of the job. Meanwhile, in the
four metres high. Rough, but noth- cramped bell Duncan sat surrounded
ing Topaz couldn’t handle. Instead by gauges. He monitored his col-
of fixed propellers, the ship had five leagues’ oxygen and carbon dioxide
thrusters that could each be rotated. levels, but he had no communication
A dynamic positioning system kept with them.
the ship locked in place by constantly
adjusting these, so there was no need Chris had been working around an
for an anchor. hour when he heard a noise in Craig’s
control room. An alarm. Perhaps the
Though it was a routine job, as crew were running a test?
Duncan secured Chris’s heavy hel-
met he told him, “There’s no rush. In fact, Topaz had a major problem.
Take your time.” Chris gave him the The green light on Craig’s instrument
thumbs up. He felt relaxed, focused, panel was suddenly amber … then
ready to go. red. I’ve never seen that before, Craig
thought, alarmed. The positioning
Dropping through the 80-centimetre system had failed. The boat was
hole at the bottom of the bell and into drifting—and would soon drag the
the dark ocean was always a magical divers with it.
moment for Chris. Leaving behind the
claustrophobic SAT chamber and the “Leave your tools and get back to
bell, he felt weightless, sediment and the bell,” Craig ordered. It was a highly
fleeting marine life highlighted by his unusual request, but Chris and David
started climbing hand-over-hand up
their umbilicals toward the top of the
structure. In the bell, Duncan, who
couldn’t see what Chris and David’s

readersdigest.in 91

Reader’s Digest

helmet cameras relayed, didn’t know As Chris struggled to free himself,
what was happening but followed David desperately tried to get back to
Craig’s instruction to start hauling help, flailing his arms against the wa-
in the cords. ter. He almost made it. The two divers’
hands were just a couple of metres
Glancing up, Chris had expected apart when David’s cord yanked him
to see the bell’s lights, but there was away. Chris saw a look of resignation
only blackness. Then he felt his um- and apology on David’s face as he dis-
bilical tugging as he reached the appeared into the dark.
top of the manifold, and saw it had
looped around a metal outcrop. He Chris redoubled his frantic
attempts to dislodge the cord. He
DUNCAN PULLED heard it creak ominously—and then
UP THE LIFELINE, the air-supply line broke, followed by
the communications feed. Unable to
BUT HIS HEART inhale, Chris opened the emergency
SANK: CHRIS air tank on his back, as he’d done
many times in training. Seconds later
WASN’T ON IT. there was a noise like a shotgun as the
cable snapped. His lifeline had now
struggled to unhitch it, but the knot severed completely.
only pulled tighter. What’s going on?
Chris thought. Chris was thrown backwards, sink-
ing slowly, his helmet silent without
In the bell Duncan saw Chris’s the intercom, his lights dead, his suit
umbilical was suddenly taut. Craig beginning to cool. He knew he had
ordered, “Give Diver 2 more slack.” about eight minutes of oxygen.

“I can’t!” Duncan replied. Not only In the bell, Duncan feverishly
was it too tight, the cord was pulling pulled up the suddenly slack umbili-
its rack off the wall, steel struts bend- cal, hoping Chris would be on the end
ing, bolts groaning. It was unthinkable: of it. His heart sank as the broken hot-
if the cord broke off, it would leave water hose came up. Then came the
Chris adrift and without oxygen. Dun- hissing air line. He felt sick. “I’ve lost
can also knew that in this tiny space, my diver!” he shouted to Craig.
if it came loose it would knock him
through the bottom of the bell into the Landing on the soft seabed,
water. He quickly climbed on to his Chris struggled to his feet in total
seat to get out of the way. But there was darkness. The ship could track
nothing he could do for Chris. him via a beacon on his suit, but he
knew there was a better chance of
rescue before his oxygen ran out if

92 october 2022

Chris lay in
the cold, dark
North Sea
without air,
warmth, or any
communication
from the
ship above.

PHOTO: DOGWOOF/FLOATING HARBOUR FILMS he could get himself to the top of the The minutes passed, and Chris’s
manifold. Yet he had no idea where fear turned to grief. This is probably
it was. What if he walked the wrong where I die. He’d never see their house
way, into the blackness? finished, never have children. “I’m
sorry Morag,” he called out. His mind
He picked a direction almost at fumbled with mundane practicalities.
random and took small steps, feel- Does she know when the next payment
ing only the mud beneath his feet. for the building work is due?
Suddenly his outstretched hands
struck metal. He grasped it in relief. He shouted out for Duncan. “Where
He began struggling up the structure, are you?”
breathing hard.
His chest grew tighter as his oxy-
Reaching the top, he still couldn’t gen dwindled. I hope dying doesn’t
see the bell. Not a speck of light. hurt. He felt himself slowly slipping
Where had Topaz gone? He crawled into unconsciousness.
on to the platform and clung to the
metal grille, terrified the current Craig had ordered Topaz’s re-
would drag him away. He reckoned motely operated underwater vehi-
he had about five minutes of air left, cle to go down and look for Chris.
a terrifying thought. He knew his It sent back pictures of him lying on
chances of surviving this were slim. the metal grille. His hands seemed to
be twitching. But was he still alive, or
Yet the situation was even worse were his limbs just moving in the cur-
than he realized. The ship was now rent? It had been 16 minutes since the
some 225 metres away. The crew umbilical had snapped.
were desperately trying to steer back,
but, without the positioning system, By now David had made it to the
it took two people to manually bell, poised to retrieve Chris if they
coordinate the thrusters. Topaz was could get back in position. Craig kept
slaloming agonizingly slowly against him and Duncan updated on the
the waves. boat’s progress, though he massaged

readersdigest.in 93

Reader’s Digest

the truth to keep their spirits up. Unbelievably, Chris suddenly inhaled.
“We’re nearly there.” His eyes opened. He blinked.

David already assumed he’d be re- Duncan could’ve danced a jig. He’s
covering a body. Duncan’s thoughts back with us! For Craig, watching via
were darkening, too, and he won- monitor, it was a big moment. “Are you
dered how he would tell Morag her all right?” he asked on the intercom—
fiancé wasn’t coming home. The wait and Chris gave a weak thumbs up.
was agonizing, but he tried to keep
hope alive. We’ve not forgotten you, Duncan probed Chris with
lad. Hang in there. questions after flushing his suit with
hot water.
Attempts by Topaz’s engineers to
re-engage the positioning system had “Do you know where you are?”
been futile, so in desperation they “Yeah.”
shut it down and restarted it. Amaz- “You know you’ve had a broken
ingly, this worked. But more than umbilical?”
25 minutes had now passed since “Yeah.”
Chris’s umbilical snapped. Chris was groggy but, remarkably,
seemed himself. Back in the ship’s
Finally, with the ship over the dive SAT chamber he got medical atten-
site, David dropped down and found tion while David and Duncan had, as
Chris lying on his back. He briefly Duncan describes it, “a bit of a hug.”
glanced through Chris’s mask; omi- Once Chris was stable they visited
nously, there was water inside. He him. There were more hugs.
clipped Chris on to him with a rescue Over the next three days, as the
lanyard and began hauling them both men depressurized on Topaz, now
up his umbilical cord. David was fit, docked at Aberdeen, they talked
but Chris was a big man; it was like through what had happened, over
trying to carry a giant starfish. By the and over. It helped them deal with the
time he was able to push Chris’s up- shock. Duncan gently teased Chris
per body into the bell, another six about the CPR. “Snogging on a dive is
minutes had passed. not normally done, you know.”

Duncan unclipped Chris’s helmet. How Chris survived, and without
The diver’s eyes were closed, his bald brain damage, remains unclear.
head as blue as a pair of jeans. Dun- The oxygen in divers’ gas is
can knew there was little chance of about four times richer than normal
surviving that long without oxygen, air, so his body may have been
but with nothing to lose, he kept talk- saturated with enough to keep him
ing. “You’ve had an accident. I’m go- going. Hypothermia could have put
ing to give you CPR.” him in shutdown mode, too, sending

He gave Chris two breaths.

94 october 2022

Drama in Real Life

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS LEMONS oxygen to his vital organs. Chris and Morag a few months later, at
When Chris phoned Morag, she their wedding “that almost never was.”

was horrified and raced across Scot- accelerated. “We’re selling the house
land to meet him as he disembarked and moving to France already,” says
Topaz. They kissed, and hugged for a Morag, smiling.
long time. For a distraction, they went
to the cinema, but Morag didn’t see a “I’ve had a glimpse of dying and
second of the film through her tears. I’m not scared,” says Chris. “I know
I’m lucky to have a second chance. I
Three weeks later, Chris was always had a lust for life, and the ac-
declared fit and returned to the cident only made that stronger.”
North Sea with David and Duncan to
finish the job. “I didn’t want to lose Chris Lemons is available for public
my nerve,” says Chris, who is still a speaking (www.chrislemons.co.uk).
SAT diver.

“I’m proud of him,” adds Duncan.
“Many would have said, ‘This is too
dangerous. I’m not coming back.’”

The following April, Chris and
Morag got married in an emotional
ceremony near their home. David
couldn’t be there but, says Chris, “at
the reception, people were buying
Duncan whiskies all night. And they
were telling me, ‘I don’t even want to
speak to you, I just want to hug you.’”

“A band played until 4 a.m. and the
place was jumping,” recalls Morag
now. “People knew it was the wed-
ding that almost never was.”

Chris and Morag have since ad-
opted a little girl, Eubh. They finished
their house. But their life plans have

A Lasting Legacy

Life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our
children—all of our children—a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t

make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.

—barack hussein obama ii, 44th president of the usa

readersdigest.in 95

CULTURESCAPE

Books, Arts and Entertainment

GOING
WITH
HER GUT

Nandita Das describes
Zwigato—her third

directorial outing—as a
“story of new urban India

and the relentlessness
of life”. Speaking to
Reader’s Digest, the
52-year-old actor—

director–writer explains
how she has slowly
come to trust her
instincts more

by Karishma
Upadhyay

96 october 2022

Reader’s Digest

What triggered the film Zwigato? describe your directorial style?
While we consumers became more and I am not a trained actor, director, pro-
more dependent on gig workers during ducer or writer. I work from instinct,
the pandemic, we hardly ever acknowl- dipping into my experiences and ob-
edged their struggle. Apart from being servations. I have always written what
about the life of a gig worker, Zwigato I have directed, and so my ideas about
is also about our normalized biases of how I want to tell the story are formed
class, caste and gender—all of which while writing itself. I am passionate
have subtly found their way into the and detail-oriented about my work but
film, making the invisible, visible. With over the years, I feel I care more about
the rise of the gig economy, the strug- people and life than ‘my art’. I would
gle between man and machine that not do anything at the cost of someone
[Charlie] Chaplin depicted in Modern to enhance my film.
Times has now shifted to one between
man and algorithms.  Does direction fulfil a creative need in
you that acting doesn’t?
How did you zero in on Kapil Sharma I feel as actors, we are perceived to be
for one of the two protagonists? more than we really are. We are an im-
The pandemic’s dramatic impact on portant part of the film, but very little
actor availability and schedule over is in our hands. There is no guaran-
the past year had made casting a night- tee that our best takes will even make
mare. Once while surfing for something it into the film. But as a director, the
on the internet, Kapil Sharma popped journey starts with the inception of the
up on my screen. I hadn’t seen his idea all the way to its realization. It is a
show but as I watched some snippets, far more challenging, but also a more
I found that his simplicity and candour creatively satisfying, process.
seemed perfect for the character I had
been writing. I reached out to him on In the past you’ve described yourself
impulse, not fully knowing if he would as a ‘hesitant actor and a hesitant di-
even be open to doing a film that is not rector’. What is it about a story that
a comedy. He said playing an ‘ordinary’ makes you want to be a part of it?
man reminded him of his own days of I am finally a less hesitant director
struggle. He drew a lot from his life be- now. I am instinctively attracted to sto-
fore he moved to Mumbai and into the ries that mirror our times. Directing for
world of comedy on TV. me is not a career but more a means to
respond to what disturbs me, or what I
Kapil described you as the “most hard- see around myself. I feel no pressure to
working, most talented actor, writer prove myself. I find that the freedom to
and pagal director”. How do you do what you like doing is precious.

readersdigest.in 97

LAUGHTER

The best Medicine

After trick-or-treating, I don’t get it in The linguist’s hus-
a teen takes a shortcut three, I am con- band caught her in
home through a ceme- vinced I am about the arms of another.
tery. Halfway across, to learn a brand- “Susan,” he said,
he’s startled by a tap- new word, and then “I’m surprised!”
ping noise. Trembling, it’s like ... ‘THOSE’. “No, I’m surprised,”
he spots an old man — @C_GraceT she corrected him.
chipping away at “You’re astonished.”
a headstone with
a chisel. —upjoke.com

“I thought you were ✦ I like to imagine the
a ghost!” cries the guy who invented the
relieved teen. “What umbrella was going to
are you doing working
so late?”

“Oh, those idiots,”
grumbles the old man.
“They misspelled
my name.”

—The Johnson City News
& Neighbor

Can We Have a Word?
The most embar-

rassing thing about
Wordle is that when

If you’re being chased by a pack of
taxidermists, do not play dead.

—Olaf Falafel, comedian

98 october 2022 Cartoon by Gemma Correll