From Our Readers

Bed-Wetting

I would like to suggest a subject for Awake! I had a problem with bed-wetting until I was 14 years old. No one wanted me to stop more than me, yet I was thought to be lazy, disobedient, and uncaring. Different forms of punishment were tried, including being made to suck on my wet sheets. This made me feel ashamed, hurt, bitter toward my parents, and isolated from the family. I feel helpful information on this subject would be deeply appreciated.

G. T., United States

By now, G. T. has no doubt noted the material on this subject in our February 22, 1988, issue.​—ED.

Thank you for the article on bed-wetting. It is reassuring to know that the problem is so common with other families. My son is a bed wetter at the age of three and a half. Before I realized it was a real problem and not his just being too lazy to get out of bed, I used to spank my son (even leaving marks). I also used harsh words and even got my daughter to call him names. He now tells me he doesn’t like to wet the bed. When I first heard that, I got a lump in my throat. I feel really guilty for the abuse I gave my son physically and mostly mentally.

Guilty Father, United States

How happy young ones must feel that Awake! shows concern about what may be their problem. One possible cause that is not commonly known is that when deep dreaming up to the point of urinating in the dream, the child bed-wets because he forgets that he is sleeping. But if he is quick to note the feeling, he can get up and stop it. Not dreaming up to the point of urinating in my dream helped me to stop bed-wetting. If young ones that have this problem know this, it could help them. The parents could also assist the child to have this in mind.

T. O., Nigeria

Comics Artist

The article “A Comics Artist Pursues Happiness” in the February 22, 1988, issue was extremely timely for me. Right up until reading this article, I was planning to make my living by being a comics artist while serving in the ministry. As a cartoonist, I could work hours I like. And I received good results after submitting an application for new cartoonists.

How naive I was! Rather than working just hours that suited me, the work would have commanded my whole time. Also, I realized that I was tightly shutting my eyes to the possibility of promoting mistaken concepts in the minds of thousands of young girls.

M. S., Japan

Thank you for publishing this article. I was one of those “dreamy girls” referred to by the writer. When I entered junior high school, I was at the stage when interest in the opposite sex comes rushing in all of a sudden. While longing for a romantic love of one’s own, by reading comic books one can identify with the main characters and experience everything. I was buying thick comic books and getting high by reading the ‘fabulous stories’ over and over again. I was addicted to comics and couldn’t give them up. They became my escape. Young people’s thinking is being corroded by comic books. I know because that has happened to me.

Anonymous, Japan