Dear Editor,
Benjamin Franklin, born in January of 1706, is most often celebrated as a Founding Father of the United States. “Fatigue is best pillow”, says he. He further says “Go fly a kite in a thunderstorm, Benny boy, because the best pillows are decorative”. Google search shows that the earliest recorded use of the modern human device dates back to the civilizations of Mesopotamia around 7000 B.C. It is learnt that during this time, only wealthy people used pillows which was symbol of status. The more pillows one owned the more influence he was able to wield. People traditionally used pillows made of wood, bronze or stone. Orthodox people even now use wooden plank for pillow. There is a belief in the medical fraternity that sleeping without a pillow can help reduce neck and back pain for some sleepers. Orthopaedic doctors recommend pillows for support to the neck and shoulders while promoting alignment. Now people not used to place their head on pillow in sleep are seldom found. For a sound sleep, pillow is necessary. Fatigue is the outcome of hard work. There cannot be substitute for hard work. Exercise to mind and body takes people away from sleeplessness. Habit of vast reading induces sleep. A tired person slips into sleep even on a pavement. Folded arm beneath the head or neck is enough in place of a pillow. Fatigue definitely obviates the need for pillow made of cotton or sponge. In the olden days, all the household works were done manually. Comfort level started increasing with the advancement of science and technology. Women in house used to use pestle for pounding chillies to make chilly powder and take out rice from paddy, using metate for obtaining flour from rice or ragi. Grinding machine and washing machine were never known. Women never needed extra exercise to keep themselves physically fit. Men used to walk for miles or resorted to cycling to reach their place of destination.
Definitely people needed emancipation from such ordeals. Thanks to the advent and advancement of science and technology, people are unshackled from excessive hard exercises in discharge of their household duties. Now, people in whom more moneys are in hands are past comfort level and are in the zone of luxury. Probably health and poverty live together.
Ill-health and richness live together. Consumption of home-made foods is on wane. Junk foods sold in the streets, hotels and restaurants are occupying prominent place in the life of people. Servants or maids are employed to do household work. Their health is improving while the health of moneyed class is on downslide.
People sans diabetes and high or low blood pressure are seldom found. If the doctors’ advise against pillow has to be heeded, hard work must be done. Family, society and nation are benefited by the hard work besides improving the health of the hard worker. Pillow, or no pillow, people involved in hard work do not suffer from sleeplessness. We can realize that Benjamin Franklin is right when he says “Fatigue is the best pillow”. Many things we know. But we don’t know we know.
K.V Seetharamaiah
