INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you're trying to breakdance, you can end up flailing around the room, so make sure there's nothing you can break or that can hurt you. Most carpet and hard floors should be ok, just make sure it's not slippery. When you are first starting out, you are likely to fall. Place the mat under your body. Make sure it's non-skid so it doesn't slip out from under you.

SUMMARY: Make sure you have enough space. Pick a surface you won't slip on. Use a mat.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Even if you have known the confused person for many years, whether through friendship, family, or simply as an acquaintance, you should always identify or introduce yourself to a confused person. Many people suffering from confusion become frightened, which may lead to erratic or even violent behavior if someone perceived as a stranger suddenly approaches without warning. Say your name, and remind the person how you know each other. Speak slowly and approach the person with caution. Sometimes having even small reminders can help a confused person recall who they are and where they are. Other times people become confused about what time, day, or year it is. If someone you know is confused, try to help by: Reminding the individual where they are at the moment. Putting a calendar and clock near the individual so that they can check the date and time as often as they need to. Talking about current events, recent events, and any plans for the day. Some people who experience confusion also experience subsequent fear or anxiety. One way to help combat this is to keep the individual's immediate environment quiet, calm, and relaxing. If possible, remove things that might be traumatic or upsetting from the individual's immediate area. You don't necessarily need to get rid of these things, but "hiding" them until the confused person feels better may help to put them at ease. Be aware of "sundowning." At the end of the day people with dementia can become more confused and depressed. Talk with the person's doctor if you think they are suffering from sundowning. They may have suggestions for medication or therapy that can help. Try keeping windows open during the day. This may keep the patient more alert, awake, and less confused. Some people experience confusion caused by low blood sugar (diabetes medications are a common cause of this). In these instances, you may want to consider offering the individual a small, sweet snack or beverage. Controlling their blood sugar might even out their mood and allow them to think better without getting angry. Juice is an excellent thing to give someone who is confused because of low blood sugar. Small snacks, including a cookie or some pretzels, can also help. Glucose tablets may be a requirement for people experiencing low blood sugar. If at all possible, know the individual's preferred treatment plan in advance in order to best help them recover from their bout of confusion. If confusion occurs without any previous history of this symptom, or if the symptom begins to affect day-to-day life, call a doctor immediately. Your doctor will do a physical exam and may order blood/urine tests, neuropsychological tests, an electroencephalogram (EEG), and/or a CT scan of the head. In some cases, the individual may need to go to the emergency room. Call an emergency responder if you or someone you know experiences confusion and any of the following symptoms: Cold or clammy skin Dizziness or feeling faint Rapid pulse Fever Headache Irregular breathing (slow or rapid) Uncontrollable shivering Diabetic complications A head injury Loss of consciousness There are many medical complications that can cause confusion. How you treat confusion may depend on the underlying cause(s). Common health complications that may lead to confusion include: Intoxication (drugs or alcohol temporary complication) Brain tumor (may be treatable if the tumor can be treated/removed) Head trauma or injury, including concussion (usually temporary, but requires a medical evaluation and immediate treatment) Fever (temporary) Fluid/electrolyte imbalance (often from dehydration temporary complication, as long as fluids are administered as soon as possible) Illness, including dementia (permanent complication requiring extensive medical assistance) Lack of sleep (temporary, as long as sleep habits are corrected) Low blood sugar (temporary, as long as snacks or juice are given) Low oxygen levels, including those caused by chronic lung disorders (may be temporary or permanent requires immediate medical assistance) Medication side effects (may be temporary, or may require a change in medication, dosage, or time of administration) Nutritional deficiencies, commonly experienced when lacking niacin, thiamine, or vitamin B12 Seizures (may be temporary or may be permanent, depending on medical condition or circumstances causing seizures) Stroke Parkinson's Disease Advanced age Sensory impairment Sudden changes in body temperature, such as heat stroke or hypothermia (temporary if remedied quickly if medical assistance is not administered as quickly as possible, sudden changes in body temperature may be fatal)
Summary: Introduce or identify yourself to the person. Offer the individual different reminders. Create a relaxing environment to reduce fear and anxiety. Offer a low blood sugar snack to help control blood sugar. Seek medical help if the confusion is sudden. Identify the causes of confusion.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Depending on the occasion, a more information or humorous prayer might be just as appropriate as a solemn one. If you're sitting down informally but still want to throw up a thanks, go with a classic rhyming prayer of school cafeterias and summer camps: Example: Good food, good meat, good God, let's eat. Example: Lord, we know without a doubt, you'll bless this food as we pig out. Example: Bless this food before us set, which needs all the help that it can get. If you've just seated yourself at a table with a crew that likes to imbibe, celebrate the spirits with this classic: Example: May your glass be ever full, may the roof over your head be always strong, and may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Example: When I dream of Heaven, I dream of the past / Surrounded by good friends raising a glass. Eating at an English professor's house? Say grace by quoting everyone's favorite Transcendentalist. His poem "Grace" reads: For each new morning with its light, / For rest and shelter of the night, / For health and food, for love and friends, / For everything Thy goodness sends, / We offer thanks. Amen. Thanks and meals are directly linked in ASL, whose sign for "thanks" involves moving the hand from the mouth forward, displaying a flat palm. This is traditionally used before a meal in place of a blessing, and as an invitation of both thanks and eating. Learning simple blessings from cultures not your own can be an interesting way of offering perspective and gravity to the meal. Some examples: Japanese: itadakimasu (I am receiving) Latin American: To those who have hunger, give bread. To those who have bread, give hunger for justice. Ghanaian: Earth, when I am about to die I will lean on you. While I am alive, I will depend on you. Southeast Asia: This food is the gift of the whole universe. May we be worthy to receive it. May the energy in this food give us the strength to transform our unwholesome qualities into wholesome qualities.

SUMMARY:
Go with a cafeteria prayer. Offer a drunkard's toast. Quote Emerson. Learn the American Sign Language (ASL) blessing. Use aphorisms from around the world.