I t was a bright, clear morning in mid-November, and I was rushing to an auditorium at the recently renamed Notre Dame University of Maryland, the former College of Notre Dame of Maryland. I didn’t want to be late for a one-nun show about the life of a nun, the former Caterina Benincasa, better known as Catherine of Siena. I didn’t need to be so worried. There were plenty of seats, it being Saturday morning and all. the cool people were coming that night for sure, but I’m an early bird and appreciate any and all AM activities. 

I found myself a nice seat right in the center of the auditorium, in my own row. Sitting in front of me was a group of white-haired ladies, amongst them a sister wearing a short veil. A nun at a one-nun show about a nun? Why on earth could I not get anyone to come see this with me? Their loss, I sighed. my daughter said she’d come with me just to stop me from becoming a nun, as if the condition were communicable. “too late for that,” I said. “besides, I’m just too contrary for that lifestyle.”

But inwardly, I thought, the kid’s got my number. Yes, I cherish fantasies of living in a cell on convent grounds, be-habited and with nothing but hours of writing and prayer on my daily docket. I tend to edit out the chores and nun-meetings and stuff like that. in my mind, a single light beam shines onto my forehead as I bend over my manuscript, knowing that God himself is providing the all-important Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat to my work.

I want, and have always wanted, nothing less than to be completely annihilated by God. what I have, mostly, is the mere “desire to believe.”

Of course, I already spend hours writing in such a manner, except that I have no official go-ahead from the Lord, other than the talent that I arrived with. when I am writing in the “zone,” so to speak, I do feel that indescribable “oneness” that is frequently attributed to the divine. Writing is a spiritual exercise for sure, so if my surroundings aren’t quite so picturesque (think laptop, bed, pets, drinking glasses, piles of books) at least the experience itself is peak-ish. So at least there’s that: work-as-prayer.

I had read about this show in my diocesan paper, the Catholic Review. in this and most other articles about Sr. Nancy Murray’s traveling tribute to the saint of Siena, the author notes that one of her brothers is the movie star bill Murray, he of the bittersweet clown persona and bone-deep world-weariness. Ha ha ha, these articles seem to laugh. She’s a professed religious who does a play about a saint; he’s world-famous and rich. But who’s the wiser? I retort, inwardly. I feel annoyed on Nancy’s behalf that these comparisons must always be made, but I’m sure she’s grateful for the extra interest her famous sibling generates.

Sister Nancy arrived, walking down an aisle in full “Mantellate” costume. She began right away with the story of Catherine, who was the 23rd child of an Italian fabric-dyer. when it came time for Catherine to be married, she balked, since she had already promised herself to Jesus as a child. She cut her hair and burned her face with water at a hot spring, until her mother relented and let her join the Mantellate, a local order comprised of mostly widows. they thought it odd that a young, pretty girl such as Catherine would like to spend her time with the likes of them, but once they saw her commitment, they relented. 

Catherine’s parents allowed her to live at home in a cell, if she would take on the work of the servants. So she worked day and night cooking and cleaning and watching her nieces and nephews, and spent her spare time in her cell communing with God. Sr. Murray did a lovely job portraying Catherine as a wide-eyed young woman whose only desire was to commune with God, but who was also living within the largeness of family life. her relief at returning to her “cell”—a small desk on the stage with a flower and book on it—was palpable. Catherine, in prayer, held up a cross and demonstrated her “bridge to God” theory. I am not exaggerating when I say that I got a prickly feeling on the back of my neck when she did this—as if I realized for the first time that prayers actually go somewhere. 

Then God told Catherine she needed to move into the world, as much as she liked her cell and family life. Catherine wasn’t sure, but began to visit the sick and dying with her fellow Mantellate. She began to preach, against strictures forbidding women to do so, as Nancy noted, seemingly nodding to the irony that she was also preaching as a woman in the guise of drama—and it’s still forbidden.

Much of the humor of Catholic women springs from situations like these, I think. Despite the fact that we are officially powerless in the higher echelons of the Body of Christ, we still manage to make our voices heard. Catholicism is shot through with amazing women: a great pantheon of saints, and excellent sisters and mothers and teachers and of course, our Queen up in Heaven. Recall how teenaged Joan of Arc got the King of France to grant her an army or St. Clare, who dared to leave her wealthy family, cut her hair, don a tunic and become a companion of St. Francis and founder of the Poor Clares.

I began to ponder Sr. Nancy’s more famous brother as I watched her. There is a resemblance, and one can hear the Chicagoan cadences of bill slipping through Nancy’s Italian accent occasionally. Who’s happier? I wondered.

Then, I realized that what the world really needs is a movie with the two of them—bill Murray in an old-fashioned priestly cassock, maybe with a cigar hanging out of his mouth, behind the wheel of a Cadillac Eldorado: Fr. “Cadillac Jack” Doherty. Perhaps Nancy is the principal of his parish school and slightly disdainful of bill and his crew of Scotch-swilling, steak-eating, card-playing “gents”—macho parish priests who do things like take collections wholesale, drink, smoke and vacation in Hawaiian shirts and black socks. (At least that is how the book the other Side of the Altar by Paul Dinter, a former priest, describes things.) and somehow Sister Nancy has to come to their rescue when they get into a tight spot in Mexico. “the Gents” is the title of this movie, and I’d like to see it pronto, Hollywood. It’s rated PG for religious cursing, alcohol abuse and extremely mild sexual situations. 

It was a trick of the light, but when Sr. Nancy, playing St. Catherine visiting patients and blessing them, came and touched audience members on their heads, telling them “God loves you,” she seemed to heal whatever spiritual ills were troubling them in real life. I cursed myself for having nabbed a middle-of-the-row seat because I wanted nothing more in the entire world than for Sister Nancy/St. Catherine to touch my head and tell me that God loves me. the midday light flooded through the auditorium’s windows in such a way that her white gown appeared to glow. maybe it wasn’t a trick of the light. 

At the end of the show, St. Catherine reassured us that we all had a new friend in heaven, and that she had be watching out for us. my great boulder of disbelief budged a few millimeters that afternoon. up the mountain. I have been reading Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset slowly for months, hoping to make the magic last, thinking about that beautiful, beautiful light, and feeling Sr. Nancy’s phantom, saintly hand upon my head, telling me that God loves me, indeed. the boulder moves, slowly, ever so slightly upward. 

I’ve always been accident-prone. as a kid I toppled out of trees, fell down a well, stepped on nails and got thrown from horses. (One time I was bucked off, trampled and knocked unconscious for 12 hours. Which, now that I think of it, may explain a lot about a lot.)

To this day, I regularly trip and/or fall. while hiking in Tennessee, I stumbled over a root and literally rolled down a hill in front of a dozen horrified onlookers. after my roll ended (thanks to a large oak tree), I popped up like a Whack-a-Mole chirping, “I’m good! I’m good!” You’ve never seen so many red-faced people stifling laughter in your life.

I’ve fallen down stairs and up stairs, off chairs and down ladders. I smack my head getting in cars. I cut my fingernails off because I kept jabbing myself in the eye. I’d reach up to tuck my hair behind my ear, miss and spork my eyeball. It’s easier just to whip out the nail clippers.

And speaking of nails… the latest mishaps started Saturday. I lost my balance as I let the dog out and fell into the door with my entire weight on my pinky fingernail. Before you could say “broken,” blood was dripping from the cracked nail bed.

I squeezed the finger and hopped in circles shrieking, which is always my first response to a crisis. when the bleeding slowed, I poured on peroxide and bound it up like a battle wound.

the next day I was eating a protein bar when a tooth gave way with a loud, sickening “cruuuuunch.” Of course it was a crown. Of course it was an upper front crown. I looked like an extra on “Moonshiners.”

I coughed, grinned gap-toothed at Widdle and said, “There goes my new kitchen floor.” There was no time to pout, however, because we had to make a four-hour drive to pick up a vehicle.

I prefer driving in glasses, so I removed my soft contacts… but the right one didn’t come out. when it did, there was only half of it on my fingertip, leaving the other torn half floating around in my eye.

“It’ll pop out eventually,” I said. I put on my glasses and headed out the door.

but it didn’t. no matter how much saline I used or how many times I rubbed my eyelid, it was gone.

the next morning the eye was hideously swollen and my optometrist was, of course, out of town. It was a grim, one-eyed, 18-mile drive to Doctor’s Care. In a dark room, a PA had me hold a big blue light as he peered into my eye. Then came a long, low whistle. “You’ve done quite a job on yourself,” he said.

he applied numbing drops, eye dye and a swift, practiced cotton swab. Out came the half-contact, lodged deep in the inner corner. Then my eye slammed shut.

I figured he’d tell me to avoid makeup and contacts for a few days. To my astonishment, he gave me antibiotic drops and stern instructions to go home, lie down and avoid books, TVs and computers for the rest of the day.

the good news: I took his advice and had a long, delicious nap. Even better news: I didn’t fall out of bed.

Julie R. Smith, who once sliced her toe on a piece of granola, can be reached at .

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CALENDAR

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

Well adult clinic: Nashoba associated Boards of Health, in conjunction with the Ayer Board of Health, announces that a Well Adult Clinic will be held free of charge for the general public from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Carlin’s Restaurant, 48 Main St., Ayer. Drop in for blood pressure, pulse screening and diet teaching.

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

Stew & Chowder Fest: 5-7:30 p.m., Shirley American Legion, 8 Church St., Shirley. $5 donation, open to the public. This event will be a cook-off competition. To enter your stew or chowder call 978 425-0336 or just come on down and warm up with a bowl of stew or chowder. see you there!!

SUNDAY, FEB. 5

Masons fundraising breakfast: the Ayer Masonic Association will hold its monthly fund raising breakfast at the Ayer Masonic Center, 11 Sculley Road, Ayer. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Menu includes eggs cooked to order or pancakes with bacon or sausage, potatoes, toast, juice, and coffee. In addition to the usual menu as outlined above, two specials for this month are Eggs Benedict and a Greek Omelet (spinach, tomato and Feta cheese). Come early and bring your friends.

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

Board of Selectmen: 6 p.m., Town Hall.

Meet-and-greet: State Rep. Sheila Harrington’s Meet-and-Greet will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ayer Town Hall, Conference Room 1, first floor, Main St., Ayer.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8

Well adult clinic: Nashoba associated Boards of Health, in conjunction with D’Ambrosio Eye Care inc., will offer a free eye screening (vision, glaucoma, and cataract) for adults and children from 3 to 4 p.m. at Carlin’s Restaurant, 48 Main St., Ayer. Optometrist will be available for screening, questions and concerns. no appointment is necessary. for further information, please contact Nashoba associated Boards of Health at 978-772-3335 or 1-800-427-9762, ext. 333.

IT Committee: 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Finance Committee: 7 p.m., Town Hall.

ASRSD School Committee: 8 p.m., Page Hilltop School, Washington Street, Ayer.

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

ASRSD Building Committee: 6 p.m. at Ayer-Shirley Middle School.

Conservation Commission: 7 p.m., Town Hall.

ASRSD Building Committee: 7 p.m. at Ayer-Shirley Middle School. Public forum to provide update on school building project and accept input.

Note: Ayer-Shirley Regional School District School Committee meets approximately twice a month at alternating locations: Ayer-Shirley Middle School, Shirley and Page Hilltop Elementary School, Ayer. ASRSD Building Committee (SC sub-group) plans to meet weekly until June. Meeting dates, times and locations may change. for current information, please check district web site ayershirleyregion.org or call superintendent’s office: 978-772-8600.

Meetings taken from town website.

BRIEFS

Ayer Winter Parking Ban

A Winter Parking Ban is in effect through April 15, 2012.

The Winter Parking Ban prohibits the parking of any motor vehicle on the street or sidewalk throughout the town of Ayer overnight and during snowstorms (12:01 to 6 a.m.)

The purpose of the parking ban is to assist Ayer’s Department of Public Works with snow and ice removal operations.

SAVE THE DATE

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

Bach’s Lunch: Ayer Cultural Council would like to remind you that Indian Hill Music presents their monthly “Bach’s Lunch” at their beautiful music facility 36 King St., Littleton. Classical mix with Ashley Addington, flute and Heather Riley, piano. This is a FREE lunchtime concert performed by faculty. two seatings: 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Table reservations, 978-486-9524 ext. 114.

Well adult clinic

Nashoba associated Boards of Health, in conjunction with the Ayer Board of Health, announces that a Well Adult Clinic will be held free of charge for the general public on Friday, Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Senior Center, 18 Pond St., Ayer. Drop in for blood pressure, pulse screening and diet teaching. no appointment is necessary. for further information, please contact Nashoba associated Boards of Health at 978-772-3335 or 1-800-427-9762, ext. 333.

Now that the decision has been made for you, it’s time to meet ‘the Counseller’. She counsels you on all the things you cannot and must not do. Be prepared to sink all your notions of water-related cleaning. When the heroine in South Pacific sang out loud that she was “gonna wash that man right out of my hair”, she did it with gusto. But, for me, just washing the dirt out of my hair was a no-no. Face wash? Nix! the new eye wasn’t water-resistant, apparently. But some of the other restrictions were great. no kitchen work fora¦ever?

Next came ‘the Applications’. Never has one drop meant so much to so many. you are ruled by strict timings, and the application of that drop becomes a fine art. wherever you are, you seek a sofa or a couch and without so much as a by-your-leave to your hosts, you lie prone, with one hand propping the eye open and the other hand poised to shoot. People pass by and talk in hushed whispers. you feel important.

then comes the day of ‘the Procedure’. You’re escorted in through a labyrinth of doors and must leave your near and dear ones behind. Welcome to Yamaloka. People at different stages of moksha lie on beds, either on their way in or out. you try not to look at them but wonder when your turn will come. Masked yakshas flit around putting here a drop, there a drop, everywhere a drop…drop…drop. Strangely, there’s loud chatter, which is jarring. And there’s also a continuous drone of chanting. is this eternity? at some point, your number is up and you’re taken by the hand to the sanctum sanctorum.

at last…’the Surgery’. Now i know why it’s called cataract surgery. As i lie on that extremely narrow board, all the great falls in the world seem to pass through my eye. I see yet do not see heaven…or some such place. the clutch of the attendant on my shoulder indicates some difficult operation to come but luckily i’m distracted by the pain in my shoulder. at last, the gentle voice of my doctor says, “It’s over. you were very good.” Wow! to get an A-plus at this age.

Post-Surgery. the worst is over and the best is yet to come. There are glimpses of a bright new world but fulfilment is still awaited. Meanwhile, as i go for a walk, the telltale thick black glasses give me away. But i spot other similarly hooded gang members on the street, and we smile and nod at each other. We’ve done it. We’ve got an eye for an eye.

The American Heart Association has launched the online-only open-access Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (JAHA)

We took our family pictures recently. the more kids you have, the more schedules you have to coordinate around, the tougher it is. And this year we dodged a major bullet.

Exactly 2 hours after the photo shoot, my youngest son came down with pink eye. that morning I was struggling with clothes that weren’t too matchy-matchy. Arguing with two little boys who would rather ride scooters at the park then pose for pictures. a daughter who fussed over hairstyles. a husband who snapped and growled because his only day off that week was going to be interrupted for a photo session.

But it was all worth it.

This is what we got….

(Thanks, Merrilymarylee, for reminding me to celebrate the little victories.)

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The annual Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT for industry folks) is not just for hunters and targets shooters.  since 2002 the Law Enforcement/Military section of the SHOT Show has grown by leaps and bounds.  amongst my many other duties at the 2012 show, I was tasked with keeping an eye out for practical off-duty pistols for law enforcement officers.  That I did and I’ve compiled a short list herein.

SIG P224

We might as well address this pistol first as a lot people were talking about it.  The new SIG P224 is essentially the baby brother of the P226 duty gun.  “Hold it, isn’t that the P229?” you say.  The P224 is more compact than the P229.   As for manufacturer’s specs, the P224 has a 3.5-inch barrel, overall length of 6.7 inches, and height of 4.5 inches.   Empty weight is 25.4 ounces. 

During Range Day, the pre-SHOT live fire event, I was able to test a P224 in .40 S&W.  It was a quick session but the cycled every round and I was able to hit the steel targets in front of me.   I had a chance to speak with the SIG engineer assigned to the P224 project and he explained that the gun would be first offered in .40S&W, then .357 SIG and finally 9x19mm.   I’m looking forward to the 9mm version.   Keep an eye out. The P224 pistol should be hitting your dealer’s shelves very soon.

Springfield XD(M) 3.8

The new XD(M) 3.8 from Springfield Armory in 9x19mm is quite a handful of gun.  This compact pistol uses the improved striker-fired XD trigger mechanism.  a polymer frame is mated to stainless steel slide with a Melonite® finish.   The empty weight of the pistol is 27.5 ounces.   As the name states, the barrel is 3.8 inches.  The overall length is 7 inches and the height for this pistol is 5.6 inches.

While the height is a bit on the tall side for a compact handgun the pistol makes up for it by feeding from 19 round magazines.  Yes, the XD(M) 3.8 9x19mm pistol is a 19+1 capacity gun.   The pistol has a compact accessory rail, ambidextrous magazine release button, and grip safety.  All the XD(M) pistols arrive from Springfield Armory in a padded hard case as a package deal with magazines, holster, and magazine pouch.  They are a great deal by anyone’s standards.

S&W M&P9C and Bodyguard

There were two pistols in the S&W booth that I wanted to mention as “off-duty” carry guns.  The first is the M&P9C.  Yes, the compact version of the M&P9.  I’ve had an M&P9 for about two years now and the more I shoot it the better it feels to me.  The 9C version uses a 3.5 inch barrel, has an overall length of 6.7 inches and a height of 4.3 inches.   The factory magazine holds 12 rounds of ammunition.  Empty weight is 21.7 ounces.  Naturally, like all other M&P pistols this one uses a striker-fired trigger mechanism.  a Melonite coated stainless steel slide mates to a polymer frame.

In the smaller, more compact category is the S&W Bodyguard .380 ACP pistol.  This thin, flat sub-compact gun hold 6+1 rounds of .380 ammunition and has a 2.75 inch barrel.  Again, a stainless steel slide mates with a polymer grip frame.  Empty weight for this little gun is only 11.85 ounces.  The Bodyguard pistol has the “value added” feature of an Insight Technology red laser aiming module built in.   I’m a fan of laser aiming devices for compact handguns, but the switching system on this pistol leaves something to be desired in my book.

GLOCK 26 Gen4

Like all the other GLOCK pistols in the catalog, the ultra-popular G26 recently underwent the Gen 4 upgrade.  from a practical standpoint all that really changed on this pistol is the texturing on the grip and the enlarged magazine release button.  according to my GLOCK Rep the internal components of the new G26 are essentially the same as the original model.

GLOCK has dubbed this model a “sub-compact”, but it is still good sized defensive gun.  The magazine holds ten rounds of 9mm and naturally the gun will accept both G17 and G19 higher capacity magazines.  Barrel length is 3.43 inches with an overall length of 6.42 inches.   The height is 4.17 inches and empty weight is 19.75 ounces.  The GLOCK “safe-action” trigger system is straight-forward and easy to master.  in my humble opinion, the G26 is the J-frame of the 21st Century.

Parting Thoughts

Yes, you will have noted that most all the guns listed are either 9x19mm or .380 ACP in one case.  I am pretty much over the .40 S&W cartridge.  There is no denying that the .40 cartridge is a high-pressure round, severe enough to damage handguns over time.   Currently, .40 S&W ammunition costs 25 to 30 percent more than comparable 9x19mm ammo.  I like to shoot and practice with my defensive hardware.  Comparing apples to apples you also lose two to three rounds in the magazine with a .40.  

Full disclosure, I was super excited about the G23 in .40 S&W back in 1993 when I was a rookie cop.  I bought one as soon as I could and shot the snot out of it.   I still have the gun and carry it daily but it now has a Lone Wolf 9mm barrel and is fed by G19 magazines.  a pistol is never going to be as powerful as a rifle regardless of the current “magic bullet” loaded in it.  if I have to use a handgun for personal defensive I want it to be controllable for fast follow up shots and have a plethora of ammunition. 

Regardless of your brand loyalty, all of the pistols mentioned here come from reputable manufacturers who have proven track records.  choose the one you like and practice with it.  a shoot out while off-duty is bad enough without having to worry about your hardware or lack or practice.

About The Author:

Should we expect the state Education Department to be the cheerleader for state schools? or should be expect the folks running the department to deliver the tough news when our state’s education system is struggling?

Friday’s post about the way the Education Department handled Wednesday’s MEAP score release prompted responses from readers expressing concern about the department and the standardized tests themselves.

I suggested that state educators downplayed some startling scores in the way the news was presented and in the way the scores were calculated.

These were to be the first results with new “cut scores,” the scores students need to reach to be deemed proficient.

Students previously needed to answer 39 percent of the questions correctly, this year they generally needed to get 65 percent right.

Some state Board of Education members called for the higher standards to be phased in to spare districts the public relations hit.

The department on Wednesday compared scores to previous tests as if the new standards were in place then, and talked about slight increases in math and reading scores rather than the overall low scores.

Reader jaymej13 wrote that “the Department of Education did exactly what it felt it had to do, especially when switching systems mid-stream.

“Very soon the common core standards test will replace the MEAP in Michigan, and when it does, then we’ll be able to see just exactly where Michigan students lie in accordance with other states.

“The cut scores were done so as to create a system where Michigan students could continue to make progress towards a completely unreachable goal, that being 100 percent success for all students in reading and math achievement. Should we believe that all children can learn?? Yes!! Should we believe that all children can learn at the same level despite non-equality in family structure, funding, lifestyle, life experience, and a litany of other things that take up the daily lives of our youths? NO.”

I edited his comment for length, but you can read it in its entirety here.Reader johnny0000 notes that he has “an 11 year old daughter who is creative, musical, artistic, and loves to question things. She gets good grades in school but she’s far from perfect. She challenges teachers daily in a lot of ways and is getting a quality education.”

“why on earth should I care at all how she does on a multiple choice test given in October?

1. Unless other states take the MEAP test (and the M stands for Michigan folks) how are we supposed to use MEAP data when comparing to other states?

2. What would you have wanted the headlines to be from the Education Department and school districts? (New MEAP tests reveal we actually stink? No more lies, with new cut scores we now stink?) try to remember Dave, they’re politicians. I’ve never heard someone be praised for going on TV and saying “everything is lousy folks”

3. How do you think the old and new cut scores affect the actual teachers in the trenches on a daily basis?

4. do you think classroom teachers, especially in these urban settings, think everything is fine and dandy because of MEAP tests?”I’d say he needs to care about the MEAP because it’s the measure the state, and through the state, the federal government use to determine how well students are learning and teachers are teaching.

When schools don’t perform well on the exams, the local and state governments demand changes to improve.

The test might have faults, but it’s the system we use.

Johnny wonders whether we should we expect the Education Department to tell us the bad news. Don’t you want it to? It’s overseeing a $12 billion operation, or at least monitoring it. We rely on the department to give us an honest assessment.

Reader 1999er wrote:

“you might be on to something here, but comparing the MEAP, which is only taken by Michigan students, and extrapolating a scaling adjustment to make a point relative to Michigan students’ national performance seems illogical. I would think ACT and SAT or some other national standardized would be a better measure.”

We’re heading there, as Michigan becomes one of the states looking at common standards. But the advocacy groups looking at the state’s place nationally use not the MEAP, but the NEAP, which is given to a sample of students across the country. I should have mentioned that in the post.

The reader who goes by teacher quoted Meredith Scrivner, saying “Teaching to the test’ [is] a practice likened to memorizing an eye chart. With enough drill and rote work, even a person with 20/150 vision can rattle off ‘E-F-P-T-O-Z’. Of course this doesn’t mean that person can truly see.”

“Truthfully speaking, our kids may do well on a test but we do not even know what kind of problems they will face in their future. How dare we focus on forgettable high stakes facts when the skill of thinking and thinking for yourself has more possibilities.”

Finally, Craig Douglas, superintendent of Carrollton Public Schools near Saginaw, emailed this short message:

“you are definitely not proficient.”

OK, he’s not a fan. But if he’s correct, I have a lot of company. I’m joined by 64 percent of the state’s third-graders in math and 60 percent of the fourth-graders.

I’d be with 90.1 percent of the state’s black eighth-graders in math, 97.7 percent of the Hispanic eighth-graders in Kalamazoo and 98.1 percent of the black students in Pontiac.

Those are numbers people should know.

E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterDMurray

India is now termed the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ with 40 million or four crore people currently suffering from the disease. by 2025, it is estimated that one in every five Indian will be a diabetic. With these kind of statistics, it is necessary that you follow a healthy lifestyle and be on the lookout for any of the following symptoms that might indicate diabetes. We’ve tried to compile a list of questions after answering which you might be able to assess if you have any of the diabetic symptoms:

1. have you noticed an increase in appetite lately?

This could indicate polyphagia caused by body cells starving for glucose, which isn’t able to move into the cells in the case of a diabetic.

2. Do you have to visit the loo for urination more often these days?

This indicates polyuria caused by high amount of glucose in the urine.

3. Are you thirsty most of the time?

This could be polydypsia caused by the increase in urination and loss of fluids.

4. have you lost a considerable amount of weight lately even after having an increase in appetite? 

In diabetes, the body is unable to utilize the available glucose. For want of fuel, it then starts burning fat which leads to weight loss.

5. Have you been feeling fatigued all day long lately?

Since the glucose stores aren’t utilized, the body is unable to get its energy and hence feels more fatigued.

6. Do your feet and fingers feel a tingling or numb sensation?

The high glucose levels in the body can affect the nerves and this can cause what is called ‘diabetic neuropathy’ causing tingling and numbness in the peripheries of the body.

7. have you been suffering from infections more frequently than earlier?

The reduced nutrition levels in the body’s cells can decrease the immunity leading to frequent infections especially in the skin, vagina and urinary bladder.

8. is your vision appearing blurred these days?

The shape and flexibility of the lens of the eye changes due to high blood sugar, thus distorting the ability to focus. This causes blurred vision.

9. Do you have cuts or wounds that have not been healing for a long time?

Due to a weakened immune system and increased predilection for infections, wound healing is poor in diabetics.

10. have you been highly irritable and/or depressed lately?

This can be due to the decreased glucose supply and nutrition to the brain.

If you have noticed any of the above symptoms, it’s time you visit a doctor soon. Diabetes does not mean a death sentence – it is a disease one can live with, provided proper lifestyle changes and treatment as advised by the doctor are followed.