I am not a fanatic
Thursday, February 27, 2002
So, I went to the dentist yesterday. (And can you believe I actually have an itty bitty cavity that I have to have filled on March 19th? Me, neither.) And the hygienist was really chatty. I mean, REALLY chatty. Like, she'd asked me a question and then pull the tool out of my mouth, pause and wait for my response. Then she'd respond, still holding the tool between us. And I kept thinking, "Shit, no wonder I had to wait to get in. They must go late every day because of this girl."
Later, I understand the reasoning for the delay. The dentist was actually really behind because someone called in sick and she was just stalling.
But anyway.
[Hey -- I'm watching the end of the Grammys as I write this and that Nelli Furtado's version of "I'm like a bird" is actually pretty cool all slow and stuff...]
But, like I said. ANYWAY.
The Hygienist is working on me. Talking to me. And we're covering all topics of interest. Living in the city verses the country (she called the suburb of Burnsville: the country. heh). Orthodontics. Hair colors. Where I work. My dog.
Then she asks me about my diet. I'm assuming this is dental related. You know, how much sugar I eat. Whether or not I drink "pop" even though I never call it pop. I drink soda. But not sugar soda. Still, diet soda is bad, too, because of the phosphorus and stuff. And I'm all cool and say, "I eat pretty healthy."
And I can't quite remember how this progresses. But we get to types of foods and somehow, of course, I mention organics because I'm a geek. And she becomes interested. Wants to more. Wants to know why. Wants to know what the benefits are, etc. She also asks me if I eat meat and we get into all that. You know. Vegetarian stuff. And she's really interested. She says she wouldn't even know where to shop for organic produce and I start explaining the co-ops and the fact that I know there is one in the suburb she lives in.
And somehow through all this (mind you, my cleaning is completely on hold during this deep discussion), we get into supplements and it turns out she's been to a Naturalopath. Which totally freaks me out because she doesn't even know about organic lettuce. But, whatever. She's been to this Naturalopath who has her on oil supplements and special vitamins. And then she asks me if I'm trying to have kids and I say, no. And she says she is and that's why she's seeing this guy and I literally had to bite my tongue because I'm starting to become really annoyed. And not because she's seeing this guy. But because she doesn't even seem to know *what* she's doing -- just trying whatever to get pregnant. Of course, I'm assuming this and I can be wrong.
But. Then. She asks me this question.
"Do you believe in immunizing kids?"
And I almost popped out of the dental chair, paper bib and all.
YES. YES, I believe in immunizing kids.
Good lord. What do I look like, a freak? Lisa Bonet? I'm not some misinformed, misguided vegetarian who jumps on whatever liberal bandwagon issue I can find. My diet, my choices are carefully thought out with ethics and health in mind. And the fact that there are parents out there who don't immunize their children because they don't want those "germs" shot into their kids really pisses me off. They are bringing back diseases we haven't seen in decades out of their own stupid ignorance. And the fact that I got mistaken for one of those. One of those freaks who somehow think that the diseases that, yes! still exist in other countries will not find their way back into our precious America. The fact that I got mistaken for one of them pisses me off. Because why? Because I'm a vegetarian. Because I buy organic. Because I avoid genetically modified and antibiotic-loaded foods.
I'm not a fanatic.
What I do. The choices I've made are carefully thought out. I make tradeoffs. For health. For the environment. You cannot call me one of those vegetarians who do it for the title. I don't eat organic strawberries because it's the hip thing to do. And I know where the line is between being informed and being a freak.
When I decided to become vegetarian, I did it mainly as my nod to the environment. I know humans can live (and thrive) off a plant-based diet. And while meat isn't altogether evil, it's also not worth over-fishing our oceans for. Or tearing down our rainforests. Which was just as well because meat was starting to scare me anyway between the whole e-coli thing and the fact that so many animals (including fish) and shot full of antibiotics.
And our desire to purchase more organic and natural foods has developed slowly through reading and learning. I even have a little shopping-list cheat sheet that tells me what's more important to buy organic compared to what I can get away with purchasing conventional.
What I'm saying is that I'm no dummy. I'm no bandwagoner. And what I do isn't to be hip.
And while I firmly believe that antibiotics are over-prescribed by doctors, that too many household cleaners and hand washers contain antibacterial ingredients that actually make our environment more dangerous, I also believe that children should definitely be immunized. No matter what Lisa Bonet said on the Phil Donahue show or what some wackos in the Internet (or in the Naturalopath's office) say.
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