Week 4 Post 3

 Somewhere in the back of my head, I have probably always known my findings to be true. A person who is happier probably lives longer. Stress is bad for humans. But, I had no idea the actual evidence and the extent to which happiness and purpose is a cure for chronic illness. I was fascinated by the way that the citizens ate, their daily routines, and the natural medicines that they consumed daily. I have spent 2 weeks in Montana the last two summers on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. I found a lot similar to the lifestyle of the Ikarian people in the Blackfeet's tradition, but possibly most similar was the lack of clocks and watches, and the wake and sleep time. When I arrived in Browning, Montana for a little over a week of work, Calvin Weatherwax, the Methodist minister at BUMP, told us that work would start when we woke up and would be done when the work was finished. After work, we were free to do whatever exploring or activity we wanted to do. He called this "Indian Time". Those weeks have been the best weeks of my life to date. There is so much I could talk about regarding problems in America and public health and much more about that experience but this was one of the most eye opening. I just think it is interesting that the people in America who live in this way, who are trying to pursue health, happiness, connection, and community are the ones being actively attacked everyday by the federal government. It would be very hard, and probably impossible, for me to reach the life of an Ikarian while living in the states. So, maybe someday I will move to Greece. 

Is there anything that can be done to reverse this harmful pattern? Are there any groups in America that have successfully achieved this level of community and health? I am really interested in seeing more research about the effects of social engagement in personal health. Is this different in introverts and extroverts in Ikaria? Is there even such a thing there if everyone treats each other like family?