Walk On Water With Laughter

The second most amusing piece of writing I have come across in the last two weeks is from an advert for a gym. Let me review it. It is a bit relevant to Ushaw Moor history so stay with me:

'When God created Earth and then the Oceans, everything sprang to life. There was greenery all around and living beings began their journey by walking around'. 

Comment: There is a massive assumption at the beginning  and it is obvious that a journey requires some motion. Eventually a lot of animals were running away from predators in terror and probably producing motions.  No mention either that the world was a mess for millions of years.

'How grateful it was of god to endow us with limbs to walk and work. And when tired after a day's work, to quench thirst with clean water was like 'manna in the wilderness'.

Comment: Grateful? Tired after a day's work? Knackered more like. Even the Victorians tended to be knackered and often their water was not clean. Ushaw Moor miners certainly got very tired. Oh and what about London's water in past centuries? Not exactly spring water.

'Our forefathers were, indeed, healthier than any of us only because they walked around in search of food and basic necessities of life'.

Comment: There were a lot of World War 1 medical rejections. Many people did not find the food they sought by walking unless you call stuff in bins consistently good food. Earlier than that It was a whole lot worse for most people.

'They never visited hospitals for regular check - ups. Good exercise, natural food and plenty of water kept them fit and energetic through the day'.

Comment: Which period are we talking about? I cannot help thinking that until some point in the 20th century a visit to a hospital would often have not helped them much. Even now, if one is unlucky, a visit for a check up can bring infection. I can imagine Victorian miners down Ushaw Moor pit chortling at the picture being painted, although many of them would have taken God seriously.    

To be fair the article is advocating exercise and water drinking so essentially the thrust of the message is a good one.

WB