The Healing of a Himalayan Salt Lamp…
For Ginger and Me.

Let me share with you some of my concerns. They fall into two major categories: medical and emotional issues. I’ve done the dance with Death twice but was able to out dance Death twice. One time was due to a traumatic brain injury, and the other one was due to prostate cancer, which had spread outside the prostate. In both dances, I successfully did the dance. However, several months ago, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, which was accompanied with restless leg syndrome (RLS). Someone took this photo of me with my three Death dancers. It went viral on Facebook.

Dancing with Death

Frankly, the first two dances were successful, and I can handle the sleep apnea. I need to get something to resolve feeling tired all the time. Except for the tiredness problem, I can’t complain. However, this is where the medical issue morphs into the emotional issues. I could deal with being tired a great deal of the time if I didn’t have so many irons in the fire at the same time. The two issues acerbate both problems.

I don’t want to bore you with all the issues, which make up my irons in the fire, but here is a short and concise list. I need my 501(c)(3) form as a not for profit corporation approved by the IRS before I can actually begin to raise the $500,000 for 1250 laptops and improved Internet reception in Taunggyi, Myanmar where my granddaughters attend school.

Once the IRS approves my paper work, I can go to GoFundMe and post my request for a half million dollars. Nevertheless, I can’t begin that until the IRS stamps their approval on my 501(c)(3). I am faced with hurry up and wait.

Then I need to begin negotiations with computer companies regarding types of laptops for elementary and high school students. Then I need to begin negotiations with Internet providers in Myanmar to improve service to the two schools. I will be returning to Myanmar in just over a year from now. I need to get the above items done quickly.

I am still teaching a couple of college classes, which take a great deal of time. However, I love teaching. In addition, teaching helps me financially. I have to pay for getting incorporated, getting my 501(c)(3), etc. from my personal account, since I can’t use funds from We Are Family in Myanmar due to not being able to start funding. Obviously, there are no funds available other than my own money.

Another time drain is my writing. Some of my writing is for my teaching and much of the rest is for my dream of laptops for the schools where my granddaughters attend.

And then there is Ginger. Ginger is a two year old Irish Setter who weighs in at 78 pounds of hyperactivity. Our days begin at 6:30am with Ginger staring at me and saying, “We have miles to go before we sleep tonight. It takes an hour to circumnutate the lake. Let’s get going.” We have done this early morning exercise regimen for nearly two years after getting Ginger at Christmas time in 2016.

Also, the subdivision in which Ginger and I live had to replace about two miles of sewer lines, which started over a year ago. You can’t imagine the dirt and dust floating around in the air. The inside and outside of my house are dusty and dirty. Until they complete the job, I would be wasting time to dust everything in the house and clean the windows, because there will be a new layer of dust and dirt settling in the next moment. I do need something to detoxify the air in my home.

I have an appointment with my sleep doctor next week about improving my sleeping. I’ll listen to my doctor. I use every night a CPAP for my sleep apnea. In addition, I take Ropinirole before going to bed for my restless leg syndrome. Ropinirole is supposed to restore the dopamine balance in my brain by acting like the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, with the breathing device and the pills, I haven’t gotten back into the swing of things as of yet.

Ginger has seasonal allergies. Therefore, both of us need to find something that we can do to allay our various medical problems, because it will adversely affect us emotionally.

Last week, I might have found the Holy Grail that would cure all of our problems. I got a Himalayan salt lamp. Now, I haven’t had it for a week yet. Therefore, I haven’t noticed any Balm of Gilead for Ginger and my medical issues. That being said, my Himalayan salt lamp is designed to purify the air. The lamps is 4.5 wide

Between the dirt and dust created by replacing miles of sewer lines and Ginger’s allergies, my Himalayan salt lamp might help Ginger and me breathe cleaner air.

Himalayan salt lamps are supposed to counter the positive ions in the atmosphere. I assume that positive ions are bad ions. Therefore, my lamp would help us by zapping the positive ions. So far, I haven’t heard any zapping sounds yet.

Additionally, I read that the negative ions will increase my serotonin levels and reduce my emotional stress. That alone would have been worth the cost of my Himalayan salt lamp. However, just looking at that chunk of salt is soothing.

The Himalayan salt lamp has another quality; it helps one going to sleep. I had my lamp the first night in my bedroom. It was quite bright, but I slept well.

The maker of my lamp claims that it reduces electromagnetic radiation, which comes from TVs, and I assume from computer monitors. By doing so, the lamp will reduce fatigue and being tired. Perhaps I need several more Himalayan salt lamps scattered around the house.

This is what my Himalayan salt lamp looks like a night.

After reading a brief note that was in the box that contained the lamp, I discovered that it was from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Being relatively assured that Ginger and I will live a long and healthy life as long as we are using my new Himalayan salt lamp, I googled Khewra Salt Mine.

This is the main entrance of the cave.

This is the cave.

If you look to the center left, I think that was my lamp’s birthplace.