This is my life

heipauli · 01-29-09 5:20 pm

A new war between Soviet Union and Finland began 25th June 1941. I was born 6th July 1941. Those two events have no direct connection, excluding the fact that my father was in the military service as a conscientous objector, doing mainly kitchen work at the front, even when I was born. Picture below represents the city Kuopio like it was in 1979. In 1941 most of the houses were made of wood and had 1- 2 floors. The place I was delivered in was low, too, but it could be called a maternity hospital. The midwife assisting in the delivery predicted that "this boy will become a priest", because already in the delivery room I could put my fingers in a perfect prayer position. I do not know, whether my father got a letter telling the news of my birth, before he was wounded just in his 32th birthday (i.e. 22th August). At any rate it was a birthday present for him (not my birth but his injury), because he had ardently prayed in order to become wounded, as he had severe difficulties because of the sabbath-keeping. I've been thinking whether preparing meals for hungry soldiers actually was sin in God's point of view. Maybe carrying water to the field kitchen or chopping wood for the kitchen was too much for his conscience? At any rate, there are risks connected with praying, as I have earlier stated... <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/310.jpg" alt="Kuopio">

heipauli · 02-03-09 11:30 am

In my possession there are not many pictures taken during the time I was a war refugee. One of those rare is below. Obviously there were no toys for boys available. So the girl in the picture loaned me one of her dolls. I was allowed to give it a name. I chose the most beautiful I could find. The name was "Pirkko-Liisa" [BTW derived from names Birgitta & Elisabeth]. Those of you, who were writing to ATODAY fora, already know that my wife's first name is Pirkko-Liisa. A co-incidence? Who knows. <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/395.jpg" alt="P-L">

maggie · 02-03-09 11:48 am

Adorable picture, Pauli. <IMG SRC="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0> My former husband had a pet lamb named Maggie when he was a little boy. A co-incidence? Who knows. And, interesting you brought up the name Birgitta just at Candlemas.* A co-incidence? Who knows.... *This is the feast of the Purification of the Virgin, which, under Jewish Law comes 40 days after childbirth. And Candlemas is 40 days after Christmas. (Message edited by maggie on February 03, 2009)

heipauli · 02-03-09 12:11 pm

While I was a refugee with my pregnant mother (and even my father, who was not seen around except now and then), I catched a high fever in winter 1944, no rare incident in those times of hunger and cramped living conditions. One of the very few fragments of memories from that period is sitting in a horse-driven sleigh and going to a hospital for contagious diseases. There I was ill with scarlet fever and diphtheria, successively. At the time they both were highly dangerous. Some patients died, too. I no not know the mortality rate in that particular hospital, nor how dear death I was, if I even was. The documents are achived somewhere. But even after war I had fever quite often and frequent nosebleeding. When I was ill, my mother used to read to me for comfort. One picture is a reminder of those fever periods. <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/397.jpg" alt="pict"> What was peculiar with those fevers was the symptom associated with them. All seemed to take place with a increased speed (ticking of a clock, speech - mine and my mother - etc) In adult age when such a phenomen is on, I know that my temperature is 39.5 Centigrade or higher.

elaine · 02-03-09 5:27 pm

Pauli, everyone needs to be thoroughly familiar with his or her own body to notice anything out of the ordinary. None of are "normal" and what might be normal for some, may be very different for others. I have very, very seldom had a fever, so on the few occasions that I have, it is an indication that something very serious is going on. Only three times in the last 45 years have I had a fever: twice with flu, and once with a serious infection ("FUO"-fever of undetermined origin) for which I was hospitalized for 3 days. Also, with the recent publicity of the different symptoms of heart problems between women and men, we all need to know that none of the "normal" symptoms may appear, even though there is a very definite heart attack on further testing. Another important note: there is no "normal" meds or dosage for certain conditions, such as hypertension. Each patient has to be a "guinea pig" and determine what works best for her. In effect, we all need to monitor our own health as no one is quite as interested as we are.

heipauli · 02-03-09 5:57 pm

Elaine, during my career in medicine I've been exposed to so many germs that my immune system seems to react very rapidly. Usually the fever rises to 103.1 F (39.5 C) in some hours, usually assisted by me with external and internal sources of heating. The fever is usually over in 16 - 36 hours. But driving a car while having such a high fever can by tricky. I once had to do it; my wife sat next to me and was ready to grasp the wheel, in case I lost my consciousness. I don't actually recommend trying the similar feat to anyone interested in staying alive. And in this country it may be even illegal. OTOH we have a saying "Emergency does not leaf law books"

heipauli · 02-03-09 6:06 pm

Today I seem to make typing errors regularly. In some earlier message I typed "dear" instead of "near". I hope that the intent of the Finnish writer can be guessed with diligent efforts, or maybe not? This seems not to be one of my best days. OTOH it were boring, if all days were similar. BTW, you can never guess, how many times I had to hone this short message. At least 10 typing errors noticed. In these days I have no spelling checker at my disposal.

heipauli · 02-03-09 6:24 pm

Maggie, first time ever I've heard or read of Candlemas. I think that in Lutheran church it is not observed; OTOH I believe that the Greek Orthodoxs are familiar with it. Many physicians are strong believers of the phenomen called duplicity or triplicity of cases. One of my student pals in medical faculty got a child which had a very rare and very gruel hereditary disease. He and his wife went to something called counsel on hereditary diseases. The expert told them that getting such a baby was one of a million incident. "Feel free to get another baby; the thunderbolt does not strike twice to the same tree" etc. They got another child, and as you guessed, it had just the same disease. Both children died under age of 20 y. The wife suggested adoption but the male said "enough is enough". So the marriage ended with divorce. If your telepathic senses are as acute as usually, you can guess, what kind of typing error I corrected in this message... among the other 9 typing errors

elaine · 02-03-09 9:51 pm

Pauli, all of us make many mistakes in typing. For using a language which is not your original native one, I bet no one of us here could do as well (Sirje, maybe?) in writing in a new language.

maggie · 02-03-09 9:59 pm

Yes, my goodness, Pauli - the rest of us probably make more mistakes than you. Just ask John, our resident grammarian. Notice I did not say "grammar nazi."

george · 02-03-09 11:39 pm

Elaine, Thanks for the confidence, but I think I was the only English teacher who couldn't spell in English. My spell check gets pretty red hot sometimes. The only way to learn a language is to do what Pauli is doing - immerse yourself and go for it. You're doing great, Pauli. No need to apologize.

elaine · 02-03-09 11:43 pm

The only languages I can barely read or Spanish and Italian, and very little of those! (Do taco and pizza count? <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0>

maggie · 02-04-09 1:25 am

I, myself, speak very well Engrish. <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/404.jpg" alt="eye remover"> <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/405.jpg" alt="cola"> <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/406.jpg" alt="pubic"> <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/407.jpg" alt="hot, um..."> <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/408.jpg" alt="paralyzed"> <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/409.jpg" alt="chocolate puke">

heipauli · 02-05-09 3:32 pm

Back row from left to right: Me in the arms of the lady I 3- 4 years later proposed to (c.f. Atoday fora), my mother, SDA sister of the children in front row (she got still one later on). The father of that family was at the front probably. <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/427.jpg" alt="Laitiset"> BTW, the lady I was talking about became a nurse and spent a very long period in a SDA hospital in Africa. Kind of adopted even a black child there.

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This is my life

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