Summarizing the tenets of Natural Hygiene, isolating key perspectives from The Nature and Purpose of Disease, and invoking ‘the heart of T.C. Fry’ and others, this writer conducted an informal "seminar" with a group of young people in Ikeja, Lagos, at the home of Nigerian publishers, Otunba (Dr.) and Mrs. Victor O. Vanni. Participants were invited to ask any question on wellness ‘that came to mind.’
Male, age 26:
Does Natural Hygiene believe in herbs?
Anderson: No, not really. Natural Hygiene holds that if one substantially meets the body’s needs by eating foods of its biological adaptation, and indulges rest, sleep, sunshine, pure water, fresh air, exercise, warmth, tranquility and the ‘fellowship of kindred spirits,’ one will never be sick or diseased, and therefore would have no need for herbs or anything else.
Female, age 22:
Why don’t medical doctors live longer?
Anderson: I believe their use of their own ‘medicines,’ even to the level of addiction, is a contributing factor. As you know, doctors spend long hours, often without sleep or rest, sometimes for a few years or more on end. This is very taxing on the body; it creates many hardships or crises for both organs and functions. A doctor told me once he worked 15 hours per day for seven straight years; and at age 49, he already could ‘pass for’ 69.
John H. Tilden, M.D., a physician for 67 years who followed more the ideals espoused by Natural Hygiene and discontinued “medicating his patients,” described the “exhaustive expenditure of nerve energy” as enervation. When a body is ‘enervated,’ and remains so for too long, death is often a consequence. Some who intimately knew Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, “the father of Natural Hygiene,” believe that he died from being too long enervated, at the time of his death being ‘pushed’ to complete yet another volume.
So, I would say the principal factor in the abbreviated lifespan of doctors is enervation.
Female, age 24: If cancer runs in a family, does that mean several of the women will get it, or several of the men, whichever?
Anderson: This is a good question and I know how important it is to many, many people. Let me approach my answer in this manner: The medical profession makes a big thing of “family history.” The implication is always a negative one. If you have cancer in your family—or heart disease, or diabetes, whatever—you are more likely than others ‘to be afflicted’ by the same ailment yourself. If there is no cancer in your family history, no one ever says, “You are not likely to suffer from heart disease because it does not run in your family!” Isn’t that kind of curious?
Truth of the matter is the only “family history” that impacts one’s state of wellness, or his or her connection to disease, is “social history” or “social heredity.” That is to say, mainly dietary shortcomings, combined with other violations of our natural requirements, conspire to cause and/or repeat the occurrences of similar diseases in people (family members) who engage the same bad habits. In short, people in the same family who ‘come down with’ the same diseases always “eat from the same table.” The same bad habits beget the same bad consequences. This is borne out when we consider that the “black sheep of the family” almost never comes down with the “family diseases.”
Do you see my point? Since drinking coffee (consuming caffeine) contributes to heart disease, a non-coffee (soda, tea, etc.) consumer will not have this ‘negative’ to deal with no matter how many others in her/his family did the opposite. John Harris, at Cottonwood Health Spa in Dothan, Alabama put it this way: “If you keep on doing what you’ve been doing, you are going to keep on getting what you’ve been getting.” This applies to individuals, or to groups of individuals who engage the same punitive behaviors.
No, “family (medical) history” is never a factor in what disease/s any family member/s might experience. But, ‘social history’ is a critical factor. Unless the children change those negative behaviors of their parent/s, the children can look forward to suffering the same health conditions later in life.
Male, age 25: Does the manner of cooking have anything to do with the quality of food?
Anderson: Yes, cooking (heating above 130F) kills the enzymes in food, produces chemical compounds, denatures the food and turns what might have been wonderful fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes into carcinogenic fare that is the foundation of cancer within the body politic. Boiling is better than roasting, baking better than frying, but ‘slightly steaming’ is superior to any cooking method. What is eaten is, of course, a critical consideration.
Female, age 21: What about fish and meat?
Anderson: According to the research, empirical evidence and avocation of Natural Hygiene, the human organism is not anatomically designed to consume flesh foods. Humans are fundamentally ‘vegetarians,’ even fruitarians—physiologically structured to thrive on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, organically grown and eaten uncooked primarily. Flesh foods remain too long within the human body, causing putrefaction and chemical reactions that poison the system (piecemeal) before the toxic stuff can be eliminated by body processes.
Meat eating animals all have very short intestinal tracts for quick processing and elimination; or as in the case of certain serpents, provide for a long, slow digestion without causing internal harm. Not so with humans! The longer anything remains in the human organism the more deadly it becomes!
Flesh eating, in the West (and to a rapidly growing extend in Japan and other countries that adopt “the Western style of eating”) is believed to be the leading cause of heart disease, the number one killer of Westerners!
In fact, most of the “feared and deadly diseases” like cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis and even multiple sclerosis have their genesis in the consumption of flesh foods, cooked in and containing ‘animal fat’ or “problem cholesterol.”
I tell university students that drug stores exist, with their ready to use products, because eating the way we have been taught to eat (the “basic four food groups”), druggists can just sit and wait—just as can physicians—because “they just know that we are coming!”
Female, age 23: How long should a fast last?
Anderson: What I refer to as a ‘therapeutic fast’ (abstaining from all food, taking in only pure water) should go for a minimum of three days; and, more importantly should be ended on liquids (fruit/vegetable juices or broth/soup) one day for each three days of abstinence from “solid food.”
The ultimate length of time of a fast should relate to the purpose of the fast and disappearance of ‘symptoms.’ In other words, since fasting is a body-generated detoxification opportunity, which eliminates unwanted ‘stuff’ through the lungs, kidneys, skin and other organs, fasting should end when evidence of elimination ends, but well ahead of starvation.
Female, age 21: When animals are sick, they stop eating; do you recommend people do the same?
Anderson: Fasting is the principal ‘healing modality’ ordained in nature. When a ‘dumb’ animal, on the African savannas or in the bush, on a Georgia farm or in a California household, feels ‘sick,’ that animal will not eat food! Instead, it finds a quiet place to remain warm and rest until it feels better. When a deer breaks a leg, it finds a warm place to rest, abstains from food, and permits the bone to re-calcify, thus mending itself naturally. All other healing best takes place in the same manner, because all healing is an innate body process!
In other words, only the body can heal itself. The big task for humans is to not interfere!
I cannot over-emphasize the role of fasting in the healing process; nor can I over emphasize the importance of “supervised fasts,” in the care of wellness professionals trained in the art and science of fasting. Even a healthy body can be quickly poisoned to death. Fasting cannot prevent lethal injections, nor can it restore a spent organ. But it can restore wellness to an enervated, toxic body.
Female, age 23: If there is nothing wrong with me, should I fast? And for how long?
Anderson: The first meal of the day gets its name, “break-fast” from our having fasted from sleep time to morning or awakening. Any period of time during which one or more meals are deliberately foregone, in the interest of body detoxification, shows appreciation for the body’s natural needs.
Healthy people maintain their wellness through fasting to “prevent” toxic build-up. Twice a year, I will fast for not fewer than 7 to 9 days. My longest fast was 30 days, next longest 24 days, and none fewer than three days.
Female, age 21: If I go on a fast I can’t do sports or anything else, can I?
Anderson: Perhaps you are not aware, prizefighters generally do not take any food on the day of their fights. Many cross-country runners do the same, and foot ballers, and others. So, obviously, the answer is “yes;” you may still do sports while fasting..
Male, age 19: Does fasting mean you are starving yourself? And, why aren’t starving people getting better?
Anderson: Excellent question! And, provocative! Fasting is not starving, even though in both cases the subject goes without food for long periods of time. The difference is during fasting the body draws on its ‘reserves’ or the food/nutrients stored as “fat.” When all these reserves are consumed, then—and only then—is the body undergoing starvation, for now it begins “to eat itself.” The human body is largely protein and water. Animal protein is a deadly poison, even if the source of the protein is the body itself!
Male, age 23: When you have disease acting on the heart, kidney, etc. and you go to the hospital, they give you ‘shots’ or injections, medications and other treatments. Do you recommend taking what they offer?
Anderson: What I recommend is following a Natural Hygiene lifestyle and “prevent” those conditions from occurring. When lifestyles violate our natural dispositions and these disease conditions occur, like Jesus said: “Give unto Caesar what’s Caesar’s and to God what’s God’s!” Once in a hospital you must submit to hospital procedures. However, should you survive the hospital, then you can change your lifestyle behaviors and avoid having to ever return to a hospital again!
Female, age 21: Are you saying we all should become vegetarians?
Anderson: As I have said elsewhere, I believe human beings are vegetarians by physiology, and in their pristine past ate only vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries and seeds. Long human intestinal tracts, some ten times body lengths, support the notion that vegetables do not generate the poisons that flesh generates when passing through the same systems. Vegetarians hold most of the Iron Man athletic records; vegetarians are less sick and experience radically fewer diseases than flesh eaters; and, vegetarian children do not “come down with childhood diseases.”
Female, age 23: I only have a bowel movement once every 4 or 5 days, and it has been this way since I was a child. Is that bad?
Anderson: Yes, it is bad; you’re lucky you don’t have asthma!
Male, age 24: She does have asthma!
Female, age 23: I do suffer from asthma.
Anderson: Well, I am not surprised. There is much evidence in hygienic literature, which shows a direct correlation between asthma and infrequent bowel movements. In fact, there is strong evidence that cancer ‘victims’ also tend to experience less frequent intestinal elimination. And, this is consistent with what we have been saying: the longer ‘stuff’ remains within the human organism, the more damage it causes (from putrefaction or rotten protein).
But, your condition can be corrected by correcting your eating pattern. You need more fiber in your diet, less starch and less sugar; you need a diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, with some raw nuts and seeds of your liking. I think if you adopt the Natural Hygiene way of eating, and take care of the other body needs as well, you will find—perhaps in a shorter period than you ever dreamed—your stools will become more frequent and you will experience less and less discomfort from asthma. In fact, depending on how well you modify your consumptive behaviors, you can probably expect to be rid of the asthma altogether. Would that please you?
Female, age 23: I am going to do it! You will see; I am going to do it! Can I see you when you are back in the country?
Anderson: Yes, of course. I look forward to hearing your ‘good news.’
Female, age 22: How can I gain weight?
Anderson: The recommended way, of course, is through exercise. ‘Healthy weight gain’ comes from increased muscle mass, as opposed to ‘water weight’ or stored ‘body fat.’
Male, age 21: Is beer healthy?
Anderson: No, but it is probably safer/healthier/better than ‘bad water.’ When traveling in countries where purified water is not available, or being in areas where pure water is not readily available, drinking beer is, perhaps, the lesser of ‘two evils.’
Male, age 22: Is palm wine good for you?
Anderson: Palm wine is perhaps on the order of vinegar, that is, it is partially fermented and as such provides a welcomed atmosphere for the reproduction of certain bacteria. As a form of alcohol, it is no less detrimental once inside the organism. In short palm wine is an alcoholic beverage, and all alcoholic beverages are compounds of sugar, resulting from fermentation, making them both ‘addictive’ and carcinogenic. In short, all forms of alcohol are poisons, and therefore are not recommended in a wellness program.
Female, age 21: I have read that alcoholism is a disease; is that correct?
Anderson: In a sense, but there is much more to it. In the first place, let me remind you that what we call “disease” is really dis-ease in the body; and dis-ease always results from some causative action or actions. In other words, as in the case of diabetes, consuming too much simple sugar (depleting the body’s capacity to produce insulin) is the cause; and diabetes mellitus is the result—the effect, or what we call the disease.
I was brought up to believe—you no doubt as well! —that “a disease” was something you “caught.” If you walked into a room where a number of people had common cold symptoms, you stood a pretty good chance of “coming down with a cold!” What we believed then—and most people still do! —is that we were ‘exposed’ to “other people’s germs,” and became sick (without ‘cause’). That is how we were taught: that colds were one of the “contagious diseases” that periodically afflict “innocent” individuals.
The truth is, dis-ease is as “contagious” as is an accident (which is always caused!), whether intentionally or not! Once we come to grips with the Universal Law of “cause and effect,” and apply its rigid principle to our everyday lives, we can no longer claim to be ‘victims’ of germs, “viruses”, bacteria or any combination of “contagious substances.” We come to understand that if the body is poisoned to the extent it cannot safely survive at that level of dis-ease, it will, of its own innate intelligence, implement processes (symptoms) to rid itself of the abundant toxicity. Usually, it will institute a fever, or boils, or skin rashes, mucus in the lungs, discharges, tumors and other strategies to isolate or capture, then discharge from itself the excessive poisonous material.
Female, age 24: Are you saying the alcoholic is responsible for his/her condition?
Anderson: Yes, definitely! But, the picture is larger still. The real “dis-ease” or cause is not alcoholism, in my judgment, but rather “addiction.” Addiction is the consequence of consuming ‘stuff’, which provides no nutrients or other useful ingredients for the body, but leech from the body its vital substances. As a result of this totally negative relationship, the body seems to become “dependent” upon this exploitation. Strange as it may seem, when alcohol, drugs, caffeine, or even sugar is withdrawn from the body, this sets up a ‘craving,’ in some instances so great that “it takes control of mental and physical processes.” This is why it is so easy to classify ‘alcoholism’ as “a disease condition.” Yet, eating food, chocolate or sweets, for example, can be just as ‘addictive!’
The real dis-ease, though, is addiction. In our society, children get started on the road to “addiction” very early in life, usually with candy and ice cream—yes, and cake (especially ‘birthday cakes’). The ‘addictive personality’ is a misnomer; what we have in our society is a lifestyle, which fosters ‘addictions’ of various kinds among the people.
What we hear most about, are the relatively few members of society who actually ‘graduate’ to addiction to more infamous substances, such as cocaine, heroin, sleeping pills, prescription drugs, so-called ‘designer drugs,’ herbs, vitamins, condiments, alcohol and all other forms of simple sugar (as in honey, bread, cakes, cookies, candies, flour, most cereals, beverages and even drinks and filtered “fruit” juices).
Far more people lose their good health and their lives from sugar consumption than from cocaine consumption! The problem is, they do not know what is curtailing their well being and is causing their lowered quality of life, increased suffering and premature death! Just look, for example, at how much simple sugar is served as “refreshments” in churches and other community activities! Chocolates are deadly, but they are peoples’ favorites, in many countries.
The fact that some people enjoy long lives, and many with relatively good quality, should not encourage ‘rationalization’ that sugar, or caffeine, or medications, or drugs, or alcohol is any less deadly for most of us!
Alcoholism is one type of addiction; and addiction is dis-ease in the body. Addiction results from counter productive actions by the individual, who is ultimately responsible for his or her “disease.”
Female, age 24: I read your book (Helping Hand: A Guide to Healthy Living, Beverly Publishers, Ikeja, Lagos, 1992). I cannot eat what you recommend because we don’t have those foods here (in Nigeria). So, what do you say to people in other cultures?
Anderson: First, I don’t agree that you don’t have foods to eat, which are recommended by Natural Hygiene. Every culture on the face of the earth has access to fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Granted the diet of Eskimos is more animal protein than it is plant life; but Eskimos pay the price, too. They die relatively early, in their forties (apparently from the excessive protein, and the resulting taxation on the kidneys). But, in most populated areas of the world, it is possible to secure sufficient fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to maintain a ‘vegetarian lifestyle,’ and that’s certainly true here in Nigeria!
Female, age 19: Do you recommend fasting for children?
Anderson: Actually, I don’t have to recommend fasting for children. They are still so close to their pristine beginnings, children will fast, automatically, when they are not feeling well! What happens is that parents tend to ‘force’ food onto children. If left alone children would fast a day or two, and recover quite rapidly from the temporary ‘over-toxicity’ and “be back to normal” in no time.
Male, age 26: The theory of fasting actually goes against all we were taught, doesn’t it?
Anderson: Not totally. Some of us grew up in households that provided “chicken soup” when we children were ill. I remember my grandmother offering “a little broth” to one who was sick, and the admonition to “Stay in bed and rest yourself!” But, for the most part, you are correct: People who understood or believed in the principles of Natural Hygiene did not raise us. They did not know these principles, therefore they could not have taught them to us.
The blessing is, now, you and I can learn about these things and teach them to our children. In that way, the next generation will be better served.
Female, age 22: While away at school I became sick with typhoid, and I did not feel like eating. Health personnel told me I was weak because I needed to eat. Were they correct?
Anderson: Absolutely not! Your body told you it did not want any food; and that is what was correct. Not eating was far better for you than anything you might have eaten!
Male, age 20: You said malaria fever is the body attempting to heal itself; but doctors say malaria is caused by mosquito bites. With is correct?
Anderson: Malaria is the result of an increased number of parasites entering one’s system; and the mosquito carries these. However, the accompanying fever is a body process, which is initiated to reduce the number of parasites, and restore the body to ‘normalcy.’ Generally, fasting and rest for from one to three days is adequate to deal with the average “bout of malaria.” Your ‘common malaria attacks’ are about the equivalent of ‘common cold attacks’ in the States. Both are best ‘treated’ by abstinence and rest.
Male, age 26: You talked about eating, but not much about other things like sleep. How much sleep is enough?
Anderson: “Eight hours” is the standard answer. The truth is, different people ‘require’ different amounts of sleep. One should sleep long enough to feel ‘well rested’ upon awakening. As I implied, for some people just four hours are what they need; others will require ten hours.
The wellness lifestyle advocated and promulgated by Natural Hygiene—and, therefore, by me—includes, consuming fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, uncooked and organically grown; rest; sleep; exercise; sunshine; peace and quiet; warmth; friendly environment; pure water; clean air; positive thinking; laughter; the association of kindred spirits; and “not poisoning yourself,” as in taking drugs or medications, consuming caffeine, sugar, alcohol, condiments and other poisonous substances. Perhaps, one of the biggest health menaces in the Nigerian diet is the use of hot peppers, as in “pepper soup!”
Female, age 20: You’ve talked a lot about Natural Hygiene; how does one become a Natural Hygienist?
Anderson: One becomes a Natural Hygienist when one studies, learns and implements the principles of Natural Hygiene as the main features in one’s lifestyle. One may join the American Natural Hygiene Society in Tampa, Florida but that, in and of itself, does not make one a Natural Hygienist. It’s like people who join a Christian church, for example, and people who live a “Christian life.” Which one is really the ‘Christian?’ I think you will agree it is the one who lives the life.
Male, age 18: Earlier, you spoke about fasting. If I don’t eat, I feel hungry. How do I deal with ‘feeling hungry?’
Anderson: What you ‘feel’ is not hunger, but “withdrawal pangs” associated with the ‘addictive’ qualities in the regular food fare that you consume.
Male, age 18: I think I know—and I think everybody in this room knows—what hunger feels like. How can you say it’s “addiction” withdrawal we feel?
Anderson: That is fair come back! Let me put it this way: A cleansed, detoxified, or hygienic body experiences a mild sensation of ‘a need for food and/or drink.’ There is no ‘craving,’ no desperation, and if elected, eating can be postponed without serious mental or physical disruption, and little or no consternation.
“The feeling of hunger,” by contrast is a gripping, sometimes painful, agonizing, and compelling sensation, which can drive some individuals to commit unspeakable acts! This is similar behavior to the ‘withdrawal’ experienced from nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, medications, sugar and many of the other addictive substances we have spoken of during the evening.
Male, age 26: How can we as young adults design a wellness lifestyle, when all we’ve been taught goes the other way?
Anderson: Well, once we have reliable information, ‘designing’ a wellness lifestyle is but a matter of choice and implementation. However, as is implied in your statement, how does one learn the difference between what leads to wellness and what leads to all the diseases in the book?
Obviously, at some point one must learn what is true—at least according to Natural Hygiene. And, there are others, not necessarily calling themselves Natural Hygienists, who advocate fundamental wellness principles that lead away from sickness and disease, drug free. Two such people are the late Dr. Alvenia M. Fulton of Chicago, Illinois, and Dr. Bernard Jensen of Escondido, California. And, there are many others.
Female, age 24: Do you believe in a “conspiracy theory?”
Anderson: Yes, I do. Although I am not certain of your particular reference, I believe encouraging people to believe they “catch” somebody else’s sickness is a conspiracy, to control and to manipulate. I believe what is taught in the university, as “the science of nutrition, namely the ‘four basic food groups’ is a conspiracy (which guarantees future sickness, fosters the use of drugs and medications, and leads to the ‘degenerative diseases’ people experience later in life. I believe not telling people that “cancer” is the result of poisons stored, which mostly were consumed as foods and beverages, is a huge, profitable conspiracy! This ignorance keeps people dependent upon “medical therapies and scientific research” (at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide!). I believe telling school children—their teachers and their parents—to “Just say no to drugs” is a conspiracy to advertise drugs, drug usage and the availability of drugs, while giving the impression that the ‘campaign’ is some kind of “drug-use prevention” effort. Not so! And, lastly, on this issue, I believe what might become the world’s most profitable ‘medical conspiracy’ is what Dr. T. C. Fry refers to in The Great AIDS Hoax! Molecular biologist, Professor Peter Duesberg, at the University of California, Berkeley, California, has proven irrefutably, for example, that so-called “HIV cannot cause AIDS because it is present in only half of the incidents of AIDS!” Despite his scientific proof, speeches, publications and public discussions, those who control the media still have their high paid “news readers” telling the world everyday: “…HIV, the virus that causes AIDS!” That “big lie” is a big conspiracy! I also believe governments “conspire” to keep the truth from the people; in some cases, because the people do not want to know, and in other situations because people “cannot handle the truth!”
Female, age 22: Does fasting cause the stomach to go flat?
Anderson: Well, that could happen, depending upon the shape and size of the stomach to begin with and how long the fast lasts. The best way to flatten the stomach, though, is through vigorous, regular exercise and eating according to our biological adaptation.
The stomach is a pouch within the abdominal wall. During the abstinence from food, this pouch shrinks. What surrounds the stomach is abdominal fat. During a prolonged fast, the body consumes its stored fat. In many instances this means “a flatter stomach,” from looking at a person’s exterior.
Female, age 23: What can I do if I have asthma?
Anderson: Eliminating the intake of concentrated foods (like meat, fast foods, dairy products, soft drinks, and sweets) is a critical step. Eating lots of dietary fiber, as in raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, is another important step. Regular exercise will improve both digestion and elimination; and increased elimination is a critical factor in the life of an asthmatic. Rest and fasting should be done regularly, as well. First, though, I think one should arm oneself with lots of reliable information, as is found within the annals of Natural Hygiene, in books and papers written by individuals who daily maintain a lifestyle that is consistent with the principles of Natural Hygiene. Finally, increase bowel movements—naturally—to at least twice each day.
Male, age 18: Is coconut a good dietary fiber?
Anderson: Coconut is readily available locally, I know; but it is not a highly recommended source of dietary fiber. Fresh vegetables, local fruits, raw nuts and raw seeds are the most highly recommended sources.
Female, age 21: What about garlic and onion?
Anderson: I have read that garlic, onion and lemon are three natural “antibiotics.” As you know, Italians use a lot of garlic, and heart disease, among other things, is lower than in the West. Onion is often used in salads, and to a large extent to ‘season’ or influence the flavor of other foods. And, lemon has a variety of common uses, including use as a ‘dressing’ on raw vegetables and salads. Yet, I have also read that both garlic and onions are to be avoided, as they are caustic and therefore negative dietary components.
Female, age 23: Where can we (in Nigeria) find information about the principles of Natural Hygiene?
Anderson: Perhaps, the best source for reliable, hygienic information is the American Natural Hygiene Society, P.O. Box 30630, Tampa, Florida 33630-3630. Some university libraries might have one or more books by Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, Dr. Bernard Jensen, Harvey Diamond, of course my own books, Michael Klapper, M.D., T. C. Fry, John H. Tilden, M.D., Dr. Hannah Allen, Dr. Alvenia Fulton, Dick Gregory, Adelle Davis and many others. Also, make use of the Bibliography in Helping Hand: A Guide to Healthy Living, and other volumes.
I think that should be the last question. Thank you very much. I trust you have gotten as much from this sharing as I have. Good night.
Anderson, Henry L. N., with T. C. Fry
Organic Wellness Crusade © December, 2000 by Henry L. N. Anderson |
(Excerpt from The Nature and Purpose of Disease: Definitive Guide for Persons of Melanin, $23.95, OWC, P.O. Box 7219, Beverly Hills, CA 90212-7219, USA). An informal ‘seminar’ of wellness concerns that come to mind. Participants are identified by age and sex only. In this manner, the reader is better able to relate to the unique contexts of the participants. The author believes this open-ended exchange maximizes honesty, and brings the reader passionately close to the truth, even to ‘hard truths’ to end 1999 and to begin the year 2000.